Marty Smith

Marty Smith (November 26, 1956 – April 27, 2020) was an American professional motocross racer.[1] He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1974 to 1981. He won three AMA National Motocross championships, all aboard Hondas, and was runner-up twice.[1] With his long hair and Southern California surfer looks, he was a popular figure among race fans.[1]

Not to be confused with American sports journalist Marty Smith (reporter).
Marty Smith
NationalityAmerican
Born(1956-11-26)November 26, 1956
San Diego, California
DiedApril 27, 2020(2020-04-27) (aged 63)
Algodones Dunes, California
Motocross career
Years active1974–1981
TeamsHonda, Suzuki
ChampionshipsAMA 125cc – 1974, 1975
AMA 500cc – 1977
Wins18

Motocross career

Born in San Diego, California, Smith first made a name for himself on the motocross scene by winning the inaugural AMA 125cc National Motocross Championship in 1974 and followed that up with another 125cc title in 1975.[2] That same year, he won the 1975 125cc U.S. Grand Prix of Motocross, and finished second in the 250cc AMA Supercross series.[3][4] Though he didn't win a title in 1976, he again won the 125cc U.S. Grand Prix of Motocross and placed fourth in the 125cc World Championship,[5] the highest finish for an American in the world championships at the time. Smith was runner-up to Bob Hannah in the 1976 125cc national championship.[1] In 1977, Smith recorded his final AMA title, defeating his long-time rival Bob Hannah in the last race of the season to win the 500cc AMA National Motocross Championship.[1] A serious crash at the Houston Supercross in 1978 left Smith with a broken hip.[1] He finished third in the 500cc National Motocross Championship that year, but never recaptured his championship speed. He raced for Honda for one more year before switching to Suzuki for the 1980 and 1981 seasons. He retired at the end of the 1981 season.[1]

Smith stayed involved in motorcycling. In 1991 he teamed up with Larry Roeseler and Ted Hunnicutt Jr. to win the famous Baja 1000 desert race on a Kawasaki.[6] Smith was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000.[1]

Death

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.[7]

References
  1. Marty Smith at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
  2. American Motorcyclist, January 1976, Vol. 30, No. 1, ISSN 0277-9358
  3. "1975 125cc motocross world championship race results". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  4. American Motorcyclist, September 1976, Vol. 30, No. 9, ISSN 0277-9358
  5. Marty Smith career profile
  6. Baja 1000 winners at www.motorsportsetc.com Archived 2015-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Marty Smith, legendary motocross rider, dies in California dune buggy accident
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