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hospital, none of the doctors who could put a hip back into place were on duty so he had to wait until the following day to have his hip repaired. It was his first serious injury and it had a profound effect on him. According to Smith, the experience mentally broke him. Racing all of the sudden was no longer fun. He finished third in the 500cc
National Motocross Championship later that year, but he was never the same rider after the Houston crash and his heart wasn't into racing anymore.
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he hadn't lost his skill finishing third for the 1980 500cc title just a few points short of runner-up Goat Breker. Still a threat for a podium appearance but no longer a realistic competitor for a title, Smith quietly finished the 1981 season 12th overall for the
Supercross series and 6th for the 500cc Nationals. Once the very center of attention for American motocross fans, Smith retired with little fanfare at the end of the 1981 season at age 24.
218:. Still in high school, he was the subject of a Peter Starr documentary called "To Be a Champion" which chronicled his successful AMA debut and elevated him to "rock-star" status among his school-aged peers. This attention didn't go unnoticed by Honda who featured his youthful good looks in its advertising or American boosters of motocross who put him on dozens of magazine covers.
245:, easily beat Smith at the series opener at Hangtown and would win five of the first six 125cc Nationals and walk away with the AMA Championship; Smith finishing a distant runner-up. In Europe, his Grand Prix efforts also faltered. Smith characterized his European works Honda as "basically junk" and often found himself sidelined in the
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Smith went into the last round just six points ahead of Hannah for the championship. Hannah's throttle cable malfunctioned while leading the first moto and left him unable to finish, handing Smith the 500cc
National crown and his final AMA title. Smith along with Bob Hannah capped off the year by giving
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For the 1978 season, the AMA adopted a new rule that required all professional riders declare their class for the year putting an end to multiple outdoor class racing. Smith chose to defend his 500cc title. The
Supercross series, however, came first and Smith entered the season feeling he was riding
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in the second to last race put the championship out of reach for Smith as he finished second to DiStefano who won the 250cc title for the third time in a row. However, the shoe was on the other foot for Smith in the 500cc class as he traded wins with rival Bob Hannah throughout the six-event series.
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Suzuki offered Smith a lucrative two-year contract for which he later admitted he signed for the money. But corporate support was good and the Suzuki bikes were very competitive. In his first race for Suzuki, Smith finished second at the 1980 Daytona
Supercross. On the outdoor stage, he showed that
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for one more year in 1979 competing in the
Supercross and 500cc class. He finished outside the top ten for both series. Smith seriously considered retiring after the 1979 season. His relationship with Honda had changed. While he was winning, Honda was like family. But after a tough couple of years,
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Having complete command of the AMA 125cc circuit for two years, Honda executives decided in 1976 that Smith should compete at both the AMA Nationals and in Europe for the World Grand Prix series. A confident Smith felt that he could beat anyone and manage the back-and-forth travel easily. He agreed
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with a $ 100 a month factory sponsorship. At the sixth annual
Hangtown Motocross Classic (the last year before it became an AMA National), Smith took the 125cc support class victory. More important than the win, however, he gained the attention of Honda who was in the process of putting together a
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race victories and three
National Motocross championships. During his formative years of racing, he had no teachers and learned by carefully observing the fast guys, then applying what he saw. Smith said he almost never rode at 100 percent. With his long hair, Southern California surfer looks and
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Supercross, multiple riders went down in the first turn of the main event including Smith and Tony DiStefano. Smith would suffer a dislocated hip and DiStefano a torn up knee. Neither would win another race again. Smith had to lay on the track in extreme pain until the race was finished. At the
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his strongest
American challenge to date in the 1977 Trans-AMA series. While De Coster won his fourth consecutive Trans-AMA title, Smith took two rounds of the series and finished third just a few points behind Hannah for the runner-up spot. The two Trans-AMA victories would be Smith's last AMA
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Smith placed fourth in the title chase despite breaking down almost as many times as he finished, a cool reception from
European riders and fans, and an ambitious travel schedule that took a bigger toll than he had expected.
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Smith's less-than-friendly welcome in Europe left him with a negative view of racing there and caused him to decline participating for Team USA at the Trophee des Nations and Motocross des Nations for the remainder of his
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team to compete in the newly organized AMA 125cc Nationals set to begin in 1974. Within days of his Hangtown victory, Smith signed a $ 35,000 contract to ride with Honda. He was just 17 years old.
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season with another 125cc AMA championship title in 1975. He dominated the circuit that year by winning six of seven nationals and every moto but one. That same year, he won the 125cc
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motorcycle stripped of lights and with an improvised number plate cut from aluminum, Smith finished fifth. As Smith progressed from Novice class to Intermediate, he moved to a
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to do it. In the U.S., Honda and Smith's plans were quickly upset by the emergence of a rider that would soon overshadow the entire motocross world including Smith himself:
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181:, Smith first began riding motorcycles at the age of six on local trails and hills with his dad. He started racing motocross in 1971, entering his first race at
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Smith and his wife Nancy were killed in a dune buggy rollover accident at the Imperial Sand Dunes in Southern California on April 27, 2020. He was 63.
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261:, and repeat as champion of the U.S. Grand Prix at the Mid-Ohio MX Park besting Rahier and holding off a runner-up Hannah in both motos. For the
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motocross bike. Smith later would say that Cagiva paid him more in six months than he made in his best year at Honda. In 1991 he teamed up with
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smooth riding style, he was a popular figure among race fans and was the first superstar of American motocross. Smith was inducted into the AMA
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In 1977, Smith stepped away from competing in the 125cc class and moved up to 250cc and 500cc bikes. While he won one supercross event in
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motocross bike and was getting his first notices in California newspapers. By 1973, Smith was racing Expert class on a Swedish-built
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Smith stayed involved in motorcycling. Shortly after retirement, he signed a six-month contract to promote and test the new
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337:. Smith also started a successful motocross school called the Marty Smith Motocross Clinic. Smith was inducted into the
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because of mechanical problems. However, he managed to win his first Grand Prix in Europe over 125cc World Champion
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522:"Belgian Wins Top Plymouth Bike Money". Sacramento, California: The Sacramento Bee. April 9, 1973. p. 26.
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511:"Motor Sports". Long Beach, California: Independence. May 24, 1971. p. 48.
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Marty Smith, legendary motocross rider, dies in California dune buggy accident
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Smith made a name for himself on the motocross scene by winning the inaugural
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they became very cold and corporate and ready to move on from Smith.
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American Motorcyclist, September 1976, Vol. 30, No. 9, ISSN 0277-9358
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American Motorcyclist, January 1976, Vol. 30, No. 1, ISSN 0277-9358
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American Motorcyclist, January 1976, Vol. 30, No. 1, ISSN 0277-9358
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487:"The Marty Smith Lost Interview! The Burden of Being a Teen Idol"
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Gianatsis, Jim (1977), "Lackey Scores Win At Sears Point",
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from 1974 to 1981, most prominently as a member of the
571:"1975 125cc motocross world championship race results"
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for the 250cc National title. A blown transmission at
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Palmer, Kit (May 5, 2002). "Remembering Mary Smith".
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19:Not to be confused with American sports journalist
411:"Some fun facts about motocross champ Marty Smith"
631:"Great Race: Marty Smith's 1976 Two-Theater War"
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399:Marty Smith at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
807:AMA Motocross Championship National Champions
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137:(November 26, 1956 – April 27, 2020) was an
739:Baja 1000 winners at www.motorsportsetc.com
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241:. The relatively unknown Hannah racing for
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212:AMA 125cc National Motocross Championship
329:and Ted Hunnicutt Jr. to win the famous
156:factory racing team with whom he won 18
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185:against a much older field. Riding a
16:American motorcycle racer (1956–2020)
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720:"New Format Announced for Series".
812:Road incident deaths in California
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797:Motorcycle racers from San Diego
206:Team Honda and immediate success
614:(1): 41. January–February 1979.
291:at his best. At day two of the
415:American Motocross Association
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300:Move to Suzuki and retirement
227:U.S. Grand Prix of Motocross
253:at Nissebjerget outside of
150:AMA Motocross Championships
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802:American motocross riders
694:(1): 28–33. January 1978.
491:Motocross Action Magazine
728:(2): 37. February 1978.
559:(2): 44. February 1985.
451:"Marty Smith Interview"
342:Motorcycle Hall of Fame
163:Motorcycle Hall of Fame
686:"The Longest Season".
221:Smith followed up his
169:Early motocross career
120:, 1975AMA 500cc – 1977
21:Marty Smith (reporter)
722:American Motorcyclist
688:American Motorcyclist
608:American Motorcyclist
606:"Motocross Records".
553:American Motorcyclist
551:"Motocross Records".
279:RedBud Track 'n Trail
148:. He competed in the
744:2015-03-24 at the
709:, Cycle News, Inc.
287:sanctioned wins.
333:desert race on a
263:Grand Prix series
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54:November 26, 1956
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116:AMA 125cc –
89:Years active
76:, California
69:(2020-04-27)
59:, California
792:2020 deaths
787:1956 births
640:21 November
496:20 November
460:20 November
420:20 November
271:New Orleans
135:Marty Smith
34:Nationality
29:Marty Smith
781:Categories
707:Cycle News
664:Cycle News
577:3 February
377:References
255:Copenhagen
239:Bob Hannah
187:Yamaha AT1
179:California
50:1956-11-26
670:(10): 74.
344:in 2000.
331:Baja 1000
231:Trans-AMA
175:San Diego
165:in 2000.
143:motocross
92:1974–1981
82:Motocross
57:San Diego
742:Archived
455:MX Large
335:Kawasaki
173:Born in
139:American
38:American
635:Racer-X
369:career.
293:Houston
259:Denmark
323:Cagiva
243:Yamaha
223:rookie
199:Monark
195:Penton
191:enduro
189:125cc
105:Suzuki
84:career
356:Notes
348:Death
306:Honda
154:Honda
146:racer
101:Honda
97:Teams
642:2023
579:2016
498:2023
462:2023
422:2023
247:pits
216:1974
125:Wins
118:1974
64:Died
44:Born
339:AMA
214:in
158:AMA
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