Danny LaPorte
American motorcycle racer
| Danny LaPorte | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | December 3, 1956 (1956-12-03) (age 67) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Motocross career | |
| Years active | 1973–1985 |
| Teams | Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Husqvarna |
| Championships | 250cc – 1982 500cc – AMA 1979 |
| Wins | 8 AMA, 6 FIM |
Danny LaPorte (born December 3, 1956) is an American former professional motocross racer.[1] He was one of the top motocross racers in the 1970s and 1980s and, was the first American to win a 250cc motocross world championship.[1]
Biography
Born in Los Angeles, California, LaPorte began riding in the early 1970s when the sport of motocross enjoyed a period of explosive growth. He began racing professionally when he turned 16 and by 1976 he was offered a job with the Suzuki factory racing team.[1] In 1979, LaPorte won the AMA 500cc national championship for Suzuki. He was part of the victorious American Motocross des Nations team in 1981, marking the first time an American team had won the prestigious event.[2]
Seeking new challenges, LaPorte decided to compete at the world championship level in 1982 riding for the Yamaha factory racing team. In his first attempt, he claimed the FIM 250cc motocross world championship against the heavily favored Georges Jobé.[3]
Returning to America, LaPorte began to compete in desert racing and won the famous Baja 1000 three times as a member of the Kawasaki racing team.[4] In the 1990s, he competed in international rally events, winning a stage and finishing second overall in the 1992 Paris-Dakar Rally.[1] He also is the winner of 1991 Pharaohs rally in Egypt.
LaPorte currently resides in Southern California and still competes occasionally. In 2000, he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.[1] He was inducted again in 2003, this time as a member of the victorious 1981 Motocross des Nations team.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Danny LaPorte". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ a b "U.S. Trophee and MX des Nations Team, 1981". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "Danny LaPorte career profile". bestsports.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ "Baja 1000 winners". motorsportsetc.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
External links
- Danny LaPorte at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of fame
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1From 1962 to 2002 the MX-2 world championship was named the 250cc motocross world championship. 2In 2003 250cc 4-stroke machine was allowed to race in 125cc which convert to the new MX2 class later.
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