John Dowd (motocross)
Encyclopedia
John Dowd is a professional motocross
racer from Chicopee, Massachusetts
. Otherwise known as "The Junk Yard Dog." John Dowd entered his first motocross (MX) race at age 20, considered old if you wish to carve out a career in the very competitive sport. John Dowd took to the demanding sport incredibly fast, turning pro by age 21. He was racing against and beating people who had been literally raised racing MX.
As a result, Dowd has achieved the best results of his career later in life than his typical competitors. He holds many AMA
records including oldest rider to win an AMA
National (Southwick 125cc, 1998), oldest rider to win a Supercross
championship (125cc West, 1998), oldest rider to win a National moto (Mt. Morris, 2000), and oldest rider to finish on the podium in an AMA National (Southwick 250cc, 2005).
Dowd has been a podium contender in AMA Motocross and Supercross competition for almost 20 years. His greatest strengths are his stamina
and endurance
, enabling him to ride hard for the entire moto. He was considered a specialist on sand tracks. Dowd is from the New England
area, renowned for its sandy tracks. He finished on the podium in 3rd place at the 2005 Southwick 250cc National just shy of his 40th birthday, aboard a privateer Suzuki
RMZ450. On August 30, 2009, on a rainy and muddy Saturday afternoon at the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motorcross Southwick National at Motocross 338, The Junkyard Dog had his day. Riding his Kawasaki KX450 on his home track, Dowd, 44, finished second in the 450 class Moto-2 and took 3rd overall.
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...
racer from Chicopee, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Otherwise known as "The Junk Yard Dog." John Dowd entered his first motocross (MX) race at age 20, considered old if you wish to carve out a career in the very competitive sport. John Dowd took to the demanding sport incredibly fast, turning pro by age 21. He was racing against and beating people who had been literally raised racing MX.
As a result, Dowd has achieved the best results of his career later in life than his typical competitors. He holds many 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...
records including oldest rider to win an 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...
National (Southwick 125cc, 1998), oldest rider to win a 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...
championship (125cc West, 1998), oldest rider to win a National moto (Mt. Morris, 2000), and oldest rider to finish on the podium in an AMA National (Southwick 250cc, 2005).
Dowd has been a podium contender in AMA Motocross and Supercross competition for almost 20 years. His greatest strengths are his stamina
Endurance
Endurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
and endurance
Endurance
Endurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
, enabling him to ride hard for the entire moto. He was considered a specialist on sand tracks. Dowd is from the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
area, renowned for its sandy tracks. He finished on the podium in 3rd place at the 2005 Southwick 250cc National just shy of his 40th birthday, aboard a privateer Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
RMZ450. On August 30, 2009, on a rainy and muddy Saturday afternoon at the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motorcross Southwick National at Motocross 338, The Junkyard Dog had his day. Riding his Kawasaki KX450 on his home track, Dowd, 44, finished second in the 450 class Moto-2 and took 3rd overall.