Jay Springsteen (born April 15, 1957 in
Flint, Michigan
Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
) 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
motorcycle dirt track racer.
He began his professional racing career in 1975 by winning the
American Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its mission statement is "to promo ...
(AMA) Rookie of the Year award. As a member of the
Harley-Davidson factory race team, he went on to win three consecutive
A.M.A. Grand National Championships in 1976, 1977, and 1978. He accumulated 43 Grand National Championship dirt track victories during a career that spanned almost 30 years.
According to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction, Springsteen earned enough race winnings to live on by age 17 and by age 18, he was signed by the Harley-Davidson team.
[Motorcycle Hall of Fame] He finished fifth in the 1986
Daytona 200.
[
]
Race record
Springsteen has a notable race record: four decades as a leading rider, with victories spanning 25 years; three championships in a row;[
Referring to Springsteen's "mysterious illness" that caused sudden and debilitating abdominal pain when he was due to race, forcing him to miss many races, Dave Despain asked "one of the great 'what if' questions in dirt track history ... If Springer had stayed healthy, how many would he have won?"][
]
Awards and recognition
In 1994, a panel of 30 motorcycle racing experts convened by ''American Motorcyclist
''American Motorcyclist'' is an American magazine published monthly by the American Motorcyclist Association, covering issues of importance to its members, including legislation and regulations, touring, trail riding, motocross, enduros, road rac ...
'' selected Springsteen as the best dirt-track rider of all time.
Springsteen was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2003, and to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.[Jay Springsteen]
at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Harley-Davidson's racing manager Dick O'Brien called Springsteen "one of the all-time greats and maybe the best ever."
References
External links
*
Bartels H.D. website
1957 births
Living people
American motorcycle racers
AMA Grand National Championship riders
Racing drivers from Michigan
Sportspeople from Flint, Michigan
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