Who's the youngest rider to go pro?

oshow
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oshow 11/10/2014 5:11pm
11/10/2014 5:11pm
UpTiTe wrote:
RJ was a fast CMC pro at 14. Ron Lechien was winning CMC races against AMA pros at 14 and beat Donnie Hansen and some top...
RJ was a fast CMC pro at 14. Ron Lechien was winning CMC races against AMA pros at 14 and beat Donnie Hansen and some top talents at Mammoth at 15. A lot of fast 15 year old guys turned pro in Socal in the early 80s that went on to national success.

But if you're talking guys who have won ama pro races early,RJ, Lechien, Kyle Lewis, Pastrana and Stewy all won ama pro races at 16. Stewy was the youngest to win followed by Pastrana and Lewis.

GP is probably Herllings.
Bradshaw as well.
wwoberg
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wwoberg 11/10/2014 5:42pm
11/10/2014 5:42pm
Who was/is the youngest that has a high school diploma?
JPT
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JPT 11/10/2014 6:46pm
11/10/2014 6:46pm
Rumor was Marty Tripes lied about his age to race when he won the first Super Bowl of Motocross.
jimmie
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jimmie 11/10/2014 7:10pm
11/10/2014 7:10pm
Marty Tripes???????????????????????

Am I wrong?

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jimmie
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jimmie 11/10/2014 7:10pm
11/10/2014 7:10pm
JPT wrote:
Rumor was Marty Tripes lied about his age to race when he won the first Super Bowl of Motocross.
I was too slow.
Thelen20
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Thelen20 11/10/2014 7:15pm
11/10/2014 7:15pm
I remember bubba's first race right after he turned 16. If i remember right mike alessi went ama pro racing right after he turned 16 also, or did he wait till after LL's that year?

The trend of guys waiting on their 16th birthday to turn pro has really disappeared recently. Even the most promising amateurs just wait till after LL's anymore.

Adam Cianciarulo was the most recent prodigy that i expected to line up at a ama pro race the day after he turned 16 but . . . He didn't grow enough.
Thelen20
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Thelen20 11/10/2014 7:17pm
11/10/2014 7:17pm
We have seen a few youngsters race the Swan Pro Challenge (not a sanctioned race).

We saw a 15 year old Josh Grant and a 15 year old Dean Wilson that i remember for sure
WFO!
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WFO! 11/10/2014 7:22pm
11/10/2014 7:22pm
Ron Lechien......16 years old and a few days when he signed to Yamaha.
moto589
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moto589 11/10/2014 7:27pm
11/10/2014 7:27pm
Max Anstie was right at 16
Dx3moto
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Dx3moto 11/10/2014 8:27pm
11/10/2014 8:27pm
Didn't James Stewart win his first 125 SX Main Event like 21 days after he turned 16?
TG130
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TG130 11/10/2014 8:52pm
11/10/2014 8:52pm
wwoberg wrote:
Who was/is the youngest that has a high school diploma?
Glover maybe ? IIRC he had a stipulation in his contract that he had to finish HS.


Lechein won a 125 National and a 250/450 SX at age 16.

Rick Ryan was racing 125 and 250 pros at age 14 with full MX Fox sponsorship back in the day. He was so small that he had to have a block to stand on.

I thought I remember Magoo racing the pro class at age 12 or something ?
Grizz
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Grizz 11/10/2014 9:04pm
11/10/2014 9:04pm
wwoberg wrote:
Who was/is the youngest that has a high school diploma?
Broc Hepler?
crusty_xx
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crusty_xx 11/11/2014 4:06am
11/11/2014 4:06am
Cant really tell it in the US but in Europe I guess its Roczen.
He would have gone pro with 14 years but he had to wait till his 15th birthday in April to join the series in Portugal.
Pourcel did it with 15 years but probably not right some days after his birthday
Paul333
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Paul333 11/11/2014 4:26am
11/11/2014 4:26am Edited Date/Time 11/11/2014 4:38am
I don't think you can compare Ron Lechien winning a 250cc Supercross at 16 back in 1983 to guys winning 125cc/250 4-stroke Supercross races later. They are in truth winning a support class. Lechien won in the premier class against guys who are icons of the sport and Hall of Fame members; Bob Hannah, Jeff Ward, David Bailey, Johnny O'Mara, Mark Barnett, Broc Glover, Rick Johnson, Mike Bell, Kent Howerton, etc. There was no support 125cc series back then so you got thrown to the wolves.

It would be the equivalent to Adam Cianciarulo winning a 450 supercross last year.
1
Paw Paw 271
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Paw Paw 271 11/11/2014 6:54am
11/11/2014 6:54am
Davy Millsap was 16 plus 5 days when he was first allowed to run pro. If you recall, he had to set out one SX race as he had not turned 16 and he was racing the next race right after his birthday.

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Nicholifa 11/11/2014 7:19am
11/11/2014 7:19am
Roczen entered the MX2 GP series right after April 19th 2009, his 15th birthday, as you have to be 15 to participate. Herlings didn't enter until 2010. Kenny won his first GP shortly after en Teutschenthal.

Youngest ever GP rider, GP winner, World Champion.
Dx3moto
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Dx3moto 11/11/2014 8:47am
11/11/2014 8:47am
Paw Paw 271 wrote:
Davy Millsap was 16 plus 5 days when he was first allowed to run pro. If you recall, he had to set out one SX race...
Davy Millsap was 16 plus 5 days when he was first allowed to run pro. If you recall, he had to set out one SX race as he had not turned 16 and he was racing the next race right after his birthday.

Paw Paw
I remember that. He was too young to race the opener so he debuted at round 2.
eurofighter69 11/11/2014 9:18am
11/11/2014 9:18am
Nicholifa wrote:
Roczen entered the MX2 GP series right after April 19th 2009, his 15th birthday, as you have to be 15 to participate. Herlings didn't enter until...
Roczen entered the MX2 GP series right after April 19th 2009, his 15th birthday, as you have to be 15 to participate. Herlings didn't enter until 2010. Kenny won his first GP shortly after en Teutschenthal.

Youngest ever GP rider, GP winner, World Champion.
100%

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bd
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bd 11/11/2014 11:43am
11/11/2014 11:43am
Sandberm wrote:
Well you cant ride a National untill your 16 but locally I'm sure tere have been plenty of local pros who were 14, especially back in...
Well you cant ride a National untill your 16 but locally I'm sure tere have been plenty of local pros who were 14, especially back in the day before staying amateur was so profitable.

Didnt Rick Johnson turn pro when he was 13? Tripes snuck in at 15 I think.
Correct.... RJ was pro at 13, could not race nationals until 16. Ronnie Lechien was 250SX his rookie year. By far the most impressive.
bd
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bd 11/11/2014 11:44am
11/11/2014 11:44am
Paul333 wrote:
I don't think you can compare Ron Lechien winning a 250cc Supercross at 16 back in 1983 to guys winning 125cc/250 4-stroke Supercross races later. They...
I don't think you can compare Ron Lechien winning a 250cc Supercross at 16 back in 1983 to guys winning 125cc/250 4-stroke Supercross races later. They are in truth winning a support class. Lechien won in the premier class against guys who are icons of the sport and Hall of Fame members; Bob Hannah, Jeff Ward, David Bailey, Johnny O'Mara, Mark Barnett, Broc Glover, Rick Johnson, Mike Bell, Kent Howerton, etc. There was no support 125cc series back then so you got thrown to the wolves.

It would be the equivalent to Adam Cianciarulo winning a 450 supercross last year.
Agree 110%
BobbyM
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BobbyM 11/11/2014 12:02pm
11/11/2014 12:02pm
Sandberm wrote:
Well you cant ride a National untill your 16 but locally I'm sure tere have been plenty of local pros who were 14, especially back in...
Well you cant ride a National untill your 16 but locally I'm sure tere have been plenty of local pros who were 14, especially back in the day before staying amateur was so profitable.

Didnt Rick Johnson turn pro when he was 13? Tripes snuck in at 15 I think.
Yup... I was 14 years old on a 250 when I first raced local pro. Had to beat Coyote to do it too. Smile

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