Danny LaPorte (born December 3, 1956) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

former professional

motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...

racer. 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.

Biography

Born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, 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 is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...

factory A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...

racing team. In 1979, LaPorte won the AMA 500cc national championship for Suzuki. He was part of the victorious American

Motocross des Nations The Motocross des Nations (in French) is an annual team motocross race, where riders representing their country meet at what is billed as the "Olympics of Motocross". The event has been staged since 1947, where the team of Bill Nicholson, Fred Rist ...

team in 1981, marking the first time an American team had won the prestigious event. Seeking new challenges, LaPorte decided to compete at the world championship level in 1982 riding for the

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

factory racing team. In his first attempt, he claimed the

FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...

250cc motocross world championship against the heavily favored

Georges Jobé Georges Jobé (6 January 1961 – 19 December 2012) was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1979 to 1992. Jobé is notable for being a five-time FIM motocross world champion and a nine-ti ...

. Returning to America, LaPorte began to compete in

desert racing Desert racing is the act of racing through the desert in a two- or four-wheeled off-road vehicle. Races, which generally consist of two or more loops around a course covering up to , can take the form of Hare and Hound or Hare scramble style even ...

and won the famous

Baja 1000 The Baja 1000 is an annual Mexican off-road motorsport race held on the Baja California Peninsula. It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world, having attracted competitors from six continents. The race was founded by Ed Pearl ...

three times as a member of the Kawasaki racing team. In the 1990s, he competed in international

rally Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event Sports ...

events, winning a stage and finishing second overall in the

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

Paris-Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, ...

. He also is the winner of 1991 Pharaohs rally in Egypt. LaPorte currently resides in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

and still competes occasionally. In 2000, he was inducted into the AMA

Motorcycle Hall of Fame The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association, recognizing individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction, or motorcycling in general. It also displays motorcycles ...

. He was inducted again in 2003, this time as a member of the victorious 1981

team.

References

External links

Danny LaPorte at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laporte, Danny 1957 births Living people Sportspeople from Torrance, California American motocross riders AMA Motocross Championship National Champions Enduro riders Off-road motorcycle racers