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Photo by Davey Coombs

5

Scott Sheak (1974-2021)

The very best day of Scott Sheak’s professional career was a rainy Sunday afternoon on May 25, 1997. The popular journeyman was competing in the 125 class at the High Point National in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, aboard a factory Honda CR125. A self-proclaimed “mud monster,” Sheak relished the chance to show off his mud skills in front of friends and family who had traveled down from his native New York. Sheak put on a clinic, winning the overall and snapping rookie sensation Ricky Carmichael’s three-race winning streak. It was a long overdue win for Sheak, who had a rags-to-riches rise, going from full privateer to a Honda factory ride, and then on to the winner’s circle. Nearly 25 years later, Sheak was preparing to qualify as a vet rider for the 2021 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee when he suffered a horrific crash. Some two weeks later, on May 18, Scott Sheak passed away. He was 47 years old. Godspeed @ironsheak.