Anthony Joseph DiStefano Jr. (born February 6, 1957) 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 competed in the

AMA Motocross Championship The AMA Motocross Championship (commercially known as Lucas Oil Pro Motocross) is an American motorcycle racing series. The motocross race series was founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1972. The series is th ...

s from 1973 to 1981. A three-time AMA 250cc motocross national champion, DiStefano 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 ...

in 1999.

Motocross career

Born in

Bristol, Pennsylvania Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Center City Philadelphia, opposite Burlington, New Jersey on the Delaware River. It antedates Philadelphia, being settled in 1681 and first incorporat ...

, DiStefano was the son of a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

shop owner and began riding motorcycles at an early age. He began his professional racing career in

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

on a

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

CZ. During the 1974 season, he led the 500cc motocross national championship for most of the year before an injury relegated him to second place behind

Jimmy Weinert Jimmy Weinert (born August 14, 1951) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1972 to 1980. Weinert won 22 AMA Nationals and three AMA national championships during hi ...

. At the end of the 1974 season, DiStefano along with Weinert,

Brad Lackey Brad Lackey (born July 8, 1953) is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1970 to 1972 and, in the Motocross World Championships from 1973 to 1982. Lackey was notable for becoming t ...

and Jim Pomeroy were selected by the AMA to represent the United States at the

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 ...

event where they finished in an impressive second-place. Their performance marked the best-ever result at the time for an American team at the event, at a time when American motocross racers were still seen as less experienced than their European rivals. DiStefano's strong performance earned him 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 ...

motocross team. With Suzuki's support, he proceeded to win three AMA 250cc national championships in a row in 1975, 1976 and 1977. DiStefano also swept all three races of the 1975 Inter-AMA championship to become the second American rider after Jim Pomeroy to win an internationally sanctioned event. DiStefano along with Steve Stackable,

Kent Howerton Kent Howerton (born July 11, 1954) is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1973 to 1988. Howerton is notable for being a three-time motocross national champion. Motocross career Bo ...

and Gary Semics, represented the United States at the 1977

and Trophy des Nations events where they scored impressive second-place finishes in France and Holland. At the end of 1979, DiStefano seriously injured his eye in a home construction accident. Despite being nearly blind in one eye, he made a valiant come back. Afterwards, injuries began to take their toll and DiStefano retired from competition after the 1981 season. He continued his involvement in the sport by starting a motocross school for young riders in 1982. In 1988, while practicing at a track in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, DiStefano crashed, broke his back and became

paralyzed Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...

. Today DiStefano continues to teach his motocross schools traveling around the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

References

External links

Tony DiStefano motocross school

American Motorcyclist, January 1976, Vol. 30, No. 1, ISSN 0277-9358
{{DEFAULTSORT:Distefano, Tony 1957 births Living people People from Bristol, Pennsylvania People from Morrisville, Pennsylvania American people of Italian descent American disabled sportspeople American motocross riders AMA Motocross Championship National Champions People with paraplegia