Is it enough for a rider to win once in their professional motocross career, or is it a stark reminder of what might have been?

WORDS: STEVE MATTHES
RESEARCH BY Clinton Fowler and DC

The goal of any professional motocrosser is, of course, to be like Ricky Carmichael or one of the Ryans—but almost all fall short. In reality, just qualifying for the final 40-man field is a fine accomplishment. Even more so is scoring points by finishing in the top 20. And in the unlikely event you ever reach the podium, that would be an astounding feat. But to actually win a moto? Well, that’s established for all the greats of the sport. But for all those who have lined up at an AMA Pro Motocross national—and there have been thousands of them—what if you managed to win once, and only once? Is that enough of an accomplishment to hang your helmet on proudly, or a nagging reminder of what might have been? We decided to dig down on this question with some of the riders who managed to pull off just one career moto win.