Kenny May
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Henry May is a former American professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1985 to 2000.
His best known nickname is "May Day", a play on words involving his last name and the international call of distress Mayday
which was in turn prompted by his hard charging "go-for-it" racing determined to come in first no matter what the cost. It often lead him to be carried off the race track in a stretcher. His being knocked out after a severe wreck (despite having a helmet on) during the 1986 American Bicycle Association
(ABA) Grand Nationals being a case in point. He often managed to recover quickly enough to be in the next moto (heat) of racing to take the win and transfer to the main. Incidents like this also earned him the alternate nickname of "Mayhem", another play on his name and his predilection for wrecking on the race track and his aggressiveness toward other racers while racing and not.
Started racing: 1979 at approximately 10 years old at the Auburn DeWitt track. After racing for approximately two years he quit in 1983 after burnout. He returned to racing in 1985.
Sanctioning body:
First race result: Last place. He broke his hand in this race.
First win (local):
Home sanctioning body district(s): American Bicycle Association (ABA) CA-11 (1985)
First sponsor:
First national win:
Turned Professional: December 1, 1989 at 19 years of age.
First Professional race result: First place in "A" pro at the 1990 American Bicycle Association
(ABA) in Reno, Nevada
(Day 1) on January 13, 1990. He won USD$525, the equivalent to USD$826.26 in 2007 (Cost of Living Calculator) He also won Pro Cruiser winning USD$250 (USD$393.46 in 2007).
First Professional win: See above.
First Junior Pro* win: See above.
First Senior Pro** race result: Disqualified for the day for fighting with Alex Pflug in the first moto after they collided in the third turn at the 1990 ABA Winter Nationals in Chandler, Arizona
on February 18. He hit Pflug with a right hook to the head.
First Senior Pro win: In "AA" pro at the ABA Supernationals in El Paso, Texas
on March 31, 1990.
Retired: Sometime in late 1992. He appeared to have just unceremoniously dropped out of racing during 1992.
Height & weight at height of his career (1988–1998): Ht:6'1" Wt:197 lbs.
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
†NAG=National Age Group
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
Independent Pro Series Championships and Invitationals
" racing style that often would result in him wrecking on the track and resulting in his injury. Indeed, he broke his hand in his very first race in 1979 He acknowledged his predilections for on track mishaps in an interview:
His aggressiveness also had a penchant to be displayed very graphically on his face:
Kenny May was possibly the most arressive racer towards other competetores BMX had since the days of "Crazy" Ronnie Anderson in the mid-1980s. In Ronnie Anderson fashion, he liked to "trash talk" the competition to get a psychological advantage. Sometimes this "trash talk" would provoke a physical altercation with another racer as it did with Joe Pinkney at the 1988 NBL Tanglewood Spring Nationals in Clemmons, North Carolina
. It resulted in Pinkney having a dislocated shoulder.
On November 29, 1989 during the ABA Grandnationals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
in a heavily contested race for the title of No.1 Amateur Cruiser that year, Kenny May had to be restrained by security guards to keep him from assaulting James Prichard (of whom he had several previous disputes with). In this case he thought made an overly aggressive pass during his 17-21 Cruiser main in the second turn while Kenny was leading. Kenny went down in the turn, costing him any chance of the 1989 amateur Cruiser title. As the guards and Yvonne Shoup restrained "a snorting mad" May, Prichard's family retreated to other environs after Prichard's last race.
As noted in the "First Senior Pro Race result" category above Kenny May was disqualified for fighting with another racer, Alex Pflug They collided in the third turn in the first moto at the 1990 ABA Winter Nationals in Chandler, Arizona
on February 18. In on report, he hit Pflug with a right hook to the head in response. May was disqualified for the day. May was asked and gave his side about the incident in a brief interview with Go magazine:
Kenny May did not believe in turning the other cheek in competition. As he puts it he believes in "Payback":
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt:
NBA World & NBmxA (The official NBA/NBmxA publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under three names):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):
BMX
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...
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1985 to 2000.
His best known nickname is "May Day", a play on words involving his last name and the international call of distress Mayday
Mayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
which was in turn prompted by his hard charging "go-for-it" racing determined to come in first no matter what the cost. It often lead him to be carried off the race track in a stretcher. His being knocked out after a severe wreck (despite having a helmet on) during the 1986 American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA) Grand Nationals being a case in point. He often managed to recover quickly enough to be in the next moto (heat) of racing to take the win and transfer to the main. Incidents like this also earned him the alternate nickname of "Mayhem", another play on his name and his predilection for wrecking on the race track and his aggressiveness toward other racers while racing and not.
Racing career milestones
----Started racing: 1979 at approximately 10 years old at the Auburn DeWitt track. After racing for approximately two years he quit in 1983 after burnout. He returned to racing in 1985.
Sanctioning body:
First race result: Last place. He broke his hand in this race.
First win (local):
Home sanctioning body district(s): American Bicycle Association (ABA) CA-11 (1985)
First sponsor:
First national win:
Turned Professional: December 1, 1989 at 19 years of age.
First Professional race result: First place in "A" pro at the 1990 American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA) in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
(Day 1) on January 13, 1990. He won USD$525, the equivalent to USD$826.26 in 2007 (Cost of Living Calculator) He also won Pro Cruiser winning USD$250 (USD$393.46 in 2007).
First Professional win: See above.
First Junior Pro* win: See above.
First Senior Pro** race result: Disqualified for the day for fighting with Alex Pflug in the first moto after they collided in the third turn at the 1990 ABA Winter Nationals in Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
on February 18. He hit Pflug with a right hook to the head.
First Senior Pro win: In "AA" pro at the ABA Supernationals in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
on March 31, 1990.
Retired: Sometime in late 1992. He appeared to have just unceremoniously dropped out of racing during 1992.
Height & weight at height of his career (1988–1998): Ht:6'1" Wt:197 lbs.
Amateur
- Boss Racing Products: 1985
- Spinners (bicycle shop): 1986-Late February 1987.
- Free Agent: Late February 1987-November 1989.
- Vision/Free Agent: November 1989-Late 1992 Starting in November 1989 Vision Street Wear, a causal apparel maker and Free Agent shared sponsorship of the team, similar to Vans/MCS joint venture. Kenny May turned pro with this sponsor.
Professional
- Vision/Free Agent: November 1989-1992.
- L&S (Lucia & Son) Racing: 1992. L&S was started by the same person who previously owned U.S. Boss Racing Products, Carlo Lucia. He retired sometime in late in the season.
Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)- None
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- 1987 16 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 1988 17 Expert National No.1
- 1989 18 & Over Expert and 18-20 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1985 14 Expert Winter Season California 11 CA-1 District Age Group (DAG) No.1
- 1986 CA-11 District No.1
- 1986 15 Cruiser Canadian-American (CAN-AM) Champion
- 1987 16 Expert U.S. Gold Cup West Champion.
- 1987 16 Expert and 16 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 1987 National 16 Expert No.1 (NAG)†
- 1989 17-21 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 1988 National No.1 Amateur and No.1 Cruiser He also won a Honda Reflex Motocross Motorcycle for each title.
- 1989 17 & Over Expert U.S. Gold Cup West Champion
- 1989 17 & Over Expert Honda East Vs. West Shootout "Future Pro" Champion.
- 1989 17 & Over Expert Grandnational Champion
- 1989 17 & Over Expert National No.1 (NAG)
- 1989 17-21 Cruiser National No.3
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None
†NAG=National Age Group
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
- 1989 Superclass 24" (Cruiser) World Champion*
Professional
National Bicycle AssociationNational Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA)
- None (defunct)
National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
- 1990 National No.1 Pro Cruiser
- 1990 National No.3 in All Pro, National No.2 Super Cruiser
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
- 1990 "AA" Pro U.S. Gold Cup East Champion
- 1990, 1991 National No. 1 Pro Cruiser
- 1990 "Pros in Paradise" Champion*
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None (defunct)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
Independent Pro Series Championships and Invitationals
Notable accolades
- Named one of BMX Action's "Terrible Ten" of top amateurs and future pros of 1988.
- Named fourth out of 21 racers deemed BMX's Hottest Amateurs in 1988 from a BMX Plus! poll of seven team mangers which included Don Crupi of MCS, Mike Seevers of GT, Yvonne Shoup of Free Agent, Dave Custodero of Mongoose, Mike Donell of Revcore, Bill Nelson of Robinson and Racer/Team Manager of Diamond Back Harry LearyHarry LearyHarry Clarence Leary Jr. was a "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer....
.
Racing habits and traits
May had a "go for brokeGo for broke
Go for broke is a phrase meaning "to wager everything".It was the motto of a World War II Japanese American military unit, the 442nd Infantry Regiment.Go for broke or going for broke may also mean:...
" racing style that often would result in him wrecking on the track and resulting in his injury. Indeed, he broke his hand in his very first race in 1979 He acknowledged his predilections for on track mishaps in an interview:
Gork: "What's with you and crashing?"
Kenny: "I dunno. When I crash, I crash HARD! I give it all. I ride 125 percent. And if I'm going down, I'm going to go down giving it 125 percent."
-----American BMXer May 1990
His aggressiveness also had a penchant to be displayed very graphically on his face:
"Kenny May is pretty hardcore. His quickness is attributed more to his determination and aggressiveness than it is his riding style. This can easily be identified by his facial expressions during a race—gritting teeth, wide eyed, loud huffing, snot spouting from his nose, saliva drooling out of the corner of his mouth, etc." ----BMX Action June 1988
Kenny May was possibly the most arressive racer towards other competetores BMX had since the days of "Crazy" Ronnie Anderson in the mid-1980s. In Ronnie Anderson fashion, he liked to "trash talk" the competition to get a psychological advantage. Sometimes this "trash talk" would provoke a physical altercation with another racer as it did with Joe Pinkney at the 1988 NBL Tanglewood Spring Nationals in Clemmons, North Carolina
Clemmons, North Carolina
Clemmons is a village in Forsyth County, North Carolina and a suburb of Winston-Salem. The population was 18,627 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Clemmons is located at ....
. It resulted in Pinkney having a dislocated shoulder.
On November 29, 1989 during the ABA Grandnationals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
in a heavily contested race for the title of No.1 Amateur Cruiser that year, Kenny May had to be restrained by security guards to keep him from assaulting James Prichard (of whom he had several previous disputes with). In this case he thought made an overly aggressive pass during his 17-21 Cruiser main in the second turn while Kenny was leading. Kenny went down in the turn, costing him any chance of the 1989 amateur Cruiser title. As the guards and Yvonne Shoup restrained "a snorting mad" May, Prichard's family retreated to other environs after Prichard's last race.
As noted in the "First Senior Pro Race result" category above Kenny May was disqualified for fighting with another racer, Alex Pflug They collided in the third turn in the first moto at the 1990 ABA Winter Nationals in Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
on February 18. In on report, he hit Pflug with a right hook to the head in response. May was disqualified for the day. May was asked and gave his side about the incident in a brief interview with Go magazine:
"We were coming out of the first corner and I was in third and Alex was in fourth and he pulled up next to me. I slipped my pedal coming off the drop-off. Then going into the second corner, just before the doubles he shoved me off the track and I missed the doubles. I was still in third, beating him into the third turn, and he came up on the inside and deliberately took me over the berm. THEN, he pushed me before I had even said anything to him, so I slapped him in the helmet and go 'What are you doin' dude? That ain't racing'. And I get DQ'ed for the day. I tell you, it's politics. They (the ABA) don't want me to get #1 this year." (1990) ----From Go June 1990.
Kenny May did not believe in turning the other cheek in competition. As he puts it he believes in "Payback":
"....I still won't deliberately take him out to pass him" [if the opponent was in the lead -ed] "--unless he's someone who's taken me out before. I'm into paybacks. Say that someone bumps me and I'm going to go down; I only feel it right that he goes down with me. It's simple." ---"Down 'N' Dirty" article March 1990 BMX Plus! article.
Miscellaneous
- Kenny May quintupled at the ABA Great Northwest Nationals in Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on March 13, 1988 (Day 2). He won 16 Expert, 15 & Over Open; 16 Cruiser, 15 & Over Cruiser Trophy Dash, and 15 & Over Trophy Dash.
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "Inside Free Agent: ABA's #1 Team" BMX Plus! March 1989 Vol.12 No.3 pg.51 Part of a profile about the Free Agent racing team.
- "Kenny May: Natl.#1 Amateur & Cruiser" American BMXer August 1989 Vol.11 No.7 pg.18
- Gold Cup West mini interview. American BMXer November 1989 Vol.11 No.10 pg.15 Very brief interview taken after his win.
- "Down'N'Dirty: The pros lead the way!" BMX Plus! March 1990 Vol.13 No.3 pg.67 Article within a series of answers by pros as to how they would deliberately interfere with competitors while racing without being called for fouls and disqualified by track officials or even the other competitors being aware.
- "Rookie Pro Kenny May is on his way..." American BMXer May 1990 Vol.12 No.4 pg.44
- "New Kids on the Block" Go September 1990 Vol.1 Iss.11 pg.52 A joint interview article with fellow rookie pros Steve VeltmanSteve VeltmanStephen James Veltman is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981–1983 and 1989 to 1998...
and Matt HadanMatt HadanMatthew Merle Hadan is an American professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 1985-1995. Nicknamed early in his career "The Master" and later "The Diesel"....
. - "Young Guns!!!" BMX Plus! October 1990 Vol.13 No.10 pg.64 Joint interview with fellow rookie pros Eric CarterEric CarterEric Robert Carter is a former American professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1983 to 1998...
, Tim Hall, Steve VeltmanSteve VeltmanStephen James Veltman is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981–1983 and 1989 to 1998...
, and Matt HadanMatt HadanMatthew Merle Hadan is an American professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years are from 1985-1995. Nicknamed early in his career "The Master" and later "The Diesel"....
. - "Just Crusin'" BMX Plus! August 1991 Vol.14 No.8 pg.22 Part of a double interview (but not joint) alongside fellow racer D D. Leone.
BMX magazine covers
----Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- None
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
- None
Bicycles and Dirt:
- None
NBA World & NBmxA (The official NBA/NBmxA publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under three names):
- American BMXer August 1989 Vol.11 No.7
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):