Jeremy McGrath
Encyclopedia
Jeremy McGrath is one of the most popular American Motocross
/Supercross
champions in the history of the sport. He was most active in the 1990s earning the title the "King of Supercross." His tricks during jumps on the supercross track, the most famous of which he called the "Nac Nac", helped spawn the sport of freestyle motocross
. McGrath was AMA Pro Athlete of the Year Award in 1996. Still competitive in Motorcycle racing, he has tried his hand in many types of motorcycle competition. Lately he has expanded into off-road
trucks in the Pro 2WD division of the LOORS Series and occasionally tries his hand at stock car racing
. Jeremy lives in Southern California with his wife Kim and daughters Rhowan and Bergen.
. He placed 8th in the 125cc West Region Supercross season of 1989. In 1990 he won his first supercross race and placed 2nd in that season. McGrath won the 125 West Supercross title in 1991 and 1992.
Jeremy won a record of seventy-two 250cc Main Events and captured seven 250cc supercross championships between 1993 to 2000, a time now known as the "McGrath Era.". He also won the 1995 250 Outdoor Motocross Championship and had the 1996 title in sight before a late-season injury handed the title to Jeff Emig
. He described the loss as follows: "I get mad at myself a little bit because I should’ve won the ’96 title too, but I was thinking I was invincible and tried a jump at Millville that I never should have attempted and got injured." McGrath also participated in two victories by the U.S. team at the Motocross des Nations
–1993 in Austria and 1996 in Spain.
He started the 2001 season in typically strong form; winning 2 of the first 3 main events. However, he lost the next event to Team Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael
. Carmichael would then win every race from there on out; dethroning McGrath as Supercross champion and equalling his 1996 win record of 13 consecutive main event victories. McGrath returned in 2002 to take a shot at regaining his crown, but chronic arm pump and perhaps age caught up with him, and he could only muster a 3rd place in the final standings behind Carmichael and Yamaha's David Vuillemin
.
For 2003, he signed with Team KTM
, but a pre-season crash on the much maligned KTM 250SX made him rethink his future in racing and he decided to retire on the eve of the 2003 Supercross season. He did a farewell tour with KTM to show his appreciation and sign autographs for fans.
He holds the second best record for most combined AMA Supercross and motocross victories with 89 career wins; only Ricky Carmichael has won more.
In 2005, McGrath came out of retirement to race a limited schedule on the Supercross circuit. He rejoined forces with his former Team Honda squad and has recently proven to be at a competitive level and speed that has not been seen from McGrath since the 2001 season. At the age of 34, he placed regularly in the top 5 positions. In the same year, Jeremy also raced Supermoto
in the X-Games and placed 2nd to take home the silver medal. McGrath switched motorcycles from his trademark Honda CR250R 2-stroke to a Honda CRF450R 4-stroke at Round 3 of the 2006 Supercross season. In keeping with his partial schedule, McGrath withdrew from the series after Round Six, after earning multiple top 5 finishes, and running as high as fourth in the point standings. Jeremy competed in the 2006 Summer X Games; earning a 2nd in Step-Up and 7th in Supermoto. He announced plans for the McGrath Invitational; an off-season supercross race with an innovative track and huge purse. McGrath announced that the 2006 Invitational would be the final professional Supercross race of his career. McGrath was inducted into the AMA
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
in 2003.
In April 2007, he announced he had signed a driver development contract with the NASCAR
team JR Motorsports
owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
with Monster Energy
Drink sponsoring.
McGrath has occasionally raced in off-road races
in the late 2000s. He has finished in the Top 10 in several PRO-2 races.
Total Team Career Championship Titles: 2
Total Overall Career Wins: 102
Other AMA Sanctioned Regional race wins: 10
and Jason Williams to create a state-of-the-art indoor go-kart
track called Pole Position Raceway
. The track uses environmentally friendly electric karts that produce 20-horsepower.
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
/Supercross
Supercross
Supercross is a motorcycle racing sport involving off-road motorcycles on an artificially-made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. Professional supercross contest races are held almost exclusively within professional baseball and football stadiums.-History:Supercross was derived...
champions in the history of the sport. He was most active in the 1990s earning the title the "King of Supercross." His tricks during jumps on the supercross track, the most famous of which he called the "Nac Nac", helped spawn the sport of freestyle motocross
Freestyle Motocross
Freestyle Motocross is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts.The two main types of freestyle events are:...
. McGrath was AMA Pro Athlete of the Year Award in 1996. Still competitive in Motorcycle racing, he has tried his hand in many types of motorcycle competition. Lately he has expanded into off-road
Off-road racing
Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments.-North America:...
trucks in the Pro 2WD division of the LOORS Series and occasionally tries his hand at stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
. Jeremy lives in Southern California with his wife Kim and daughters Rhowan and Bergen.
MX career
McGrath began racing motocross at the age of 15 after a successful career in BMXBMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
. He placed 8th in the 125cc West Region Supercross season of 1989. In 1990 he won his first supercross race and placed 2nd in that season. McGrath won the 125 West Supercross title in 1991 and 1992.
Jeremy won a record of seventy-two 250cc Main Events and captured seven 250cc supercross championships between 1993 to 2000, a time now known as the "McGrath Era.". He also won the 1995 250 Outdoor Motocross Championship and had the 1996 title in sight before a late-season injury handed the title to Jeff Emig
Jeff Emig
Cam Jeffrey Emig was one of the premier motocross racers of the 1990s with 4 major titles for Yamaha and Kawasaki. His main rival was Jeremy McGrath. Emig won more motocross races than any other competitor in the 1990s with 36 wins and 4 titles...
. He described the loss as follows: "I get mad at myself a little bit because I should’ve won the ’96 title too, but I was thinking I was invincible and tried a jump at Millville that I never should have attempted and got injured." McGrath also participated in two victories by the U.S. team at the Motocross des Nations
Motocross des Nations
The Motocross des Nations is an annual team motocross race, where riders representing their country meet at what is billed as the "Olympics of Motocross"...
–1993 in Austria and 1996 in Spain.
He started the 2001 season in typically strong form; winning 2 of the first 3 main events. However, he lost the next event to Team Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael
Ricky Carmichael
Ricky Carmichael is a racer known for his success in Motocross. He is currently competing in NASCAR. He drives the #4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado for Turner Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series and the #30 Chevrolet Impala part-time for Turner Motorsports in the Nationwide Series...
. Carmichael would then win every race from there on out; dethroning McGrath as Supercross champion and equalling his 1996 win record of 13 consecutive main event victories. McGrath returned in 2002 to take a shot at regaining his crown, but chronic arm pump and perhaps age caught up with him, and he could only muster a 3rd place in the final standings behind Carmichael and Yamaha's David Vuillemin
David Vuillemin
David Vuillemin is a French professional motocross rider born on 18 October 1977 in Berre-l'Étang, Bouches-du-Rhône.- Amateur career :Vuillemin started racing at age 8 and was coached by his father Didier, himself a former professional rider. David had much success as an amateur and won many titles...
.
For 2003, he signed with Team KTM
KTM
KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen...
, but a pre-season crash on the much maligned KTM 250SX made him rethink his future in racing and he decided to retire on the eve of the 2003 Supercross season. He did a farewell tour with KTM to show his appreciation and sign autographs for fans.
He holds the second best record for most combined AMA Supercross and motocross victories with 89 career wins; only Ricky Carmichael has won more.
In 2005, McGrath came out of retirement to race a limited schedule on the Supercross circuit. He rejoined forces with his former Team Honda squad and has recently proven to be at a competitive level and speed that has not been seen from McGrath since the 2001 season. At the age of 34, he placed regularly in the top 5 positions. In the same year, Jeremy also raced Supermoto
Supermoto
Supermoto is motorcycle racing on a circuit that alternates between three types of track: flat track, motocross and road racing, using motorcycles designed for that purpose...
in the X-Games and placed 2nd to take home the silver medal. McGrath switched motorcycles from his trademark Honda CR250R 2-stroke to a Honda CRF450R 4-stroke at Round 3 of the 2006 Supercross season. In keeping with his partial schedule, McGrath withdrew from the series after Round Six, after earning multiple top 5 finishes, and running as high as fourth in the point standings. Jeremy competed in the 2006 Summer X Games; earning a 2nd in Step-Up and 7th in Supermoto. He announced plans for the McGrath Invitational; an off-season supercross race with an innovative track and huge purse. McGrath announced that the 2006 Invitational would be the final professional Supercross race of his career. McGrath was inducted into the AMA
American Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association that recognizes individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction and motorcycling in general. It displays motorcycles and riding gear and memoribilia. The museum is located in...
in 2003.
In April 2007, he announced he had signed a driver development contract with the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
team JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports is a NASCAR team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, co-owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, cousin and former crew chief Tony Eury, Jr., and the owner of his Cup ride Rick Hendrick. It currently fields the No...
owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
* NOTE: References to "Earnhardt", "he", and "him" refer to the subject of this article, unless otherwise specified. References to his father will include "Sr."...
with Monster Energy
Monster Energy
-Distribution :Though it is not widely advertised in the media, Monster receives a large amount of recognition from its sponsorship of various sporting events, including motocross and car racing. Hansen Natural Corporation announced a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the U.S. and Grupo...
Drink sponsoring.
McGrath has occasionally raced in off-road races
Off-road racing
Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments.-North America:...
in the late 2000s. He has finished in the Top 10 in several PRO-2 races.
Career highlights
Total Individual Career Championship Titles: 12- 250cc Supercross Championships: 7 (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000)
- 125cc Western Region SX Championships: 2 (1991 and 1992)
- 250cc Outdoor MX Championship: 1 (1995)
- FIM World Championships: 2
- Individual Motocross des Nations win: 1
Total Team Career Championship Titles: 2
- Motocross des Nations Championships: 2 (1993 and 1996)
Total Overall Career Wins: 102
- 250cc Supercross wins: 72
- 125cc Western Region SX wins: 13
- UltraCross wins: 5
Other AMA Sanctioned Regional race wins: 10
Books
- He wrote an autobiography with Chris Palmer called "Wide Open: A Life In Supercross". It talks about his life going through the ranks as a rookie to his current day life.
- Former Dirt Rider editor-in-chief Ken Faught, a long-time friend of the McGrath family, wrote "Images of a Champion". The book documents his on-and-off track activities including car racing, hillclimbing and supermoto.
Pole Position Raceway
In September 2005, McGrath teamed up with long-time friends Ken FaughtKen Faught
Ken Faught has been involved in motorsports for over two decades. He has served as the editor-in-chief of several national magazines. He is also the co-founder of Pole Position Raceway, a chain of indoor kart tracks in North America....
and Jason Williams to create a state-of-the-art indoor go-kart
Go-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
track called Pole Position Raceway
Pole Position Raceway
Pole Position Raceway is a chain of indoor karting facilities located in the United States. According to their website, the company plans to operate dozens of future locations "within the next decade"...
. The track uses environmentally friendly electric karts that produce 20-horsepower.
External links
- Jeremy McGrath - AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame
- Official Jeremy McGrath Website Community