Rate these riders who left too soon

Zach still races, he is one of the top guys in off-road. 

Stroupe was within a few points of Pourcel to win the championship on Suzuki with 2 races left when he crashed in practice at Houston SX. Happened right in front of me. I think a slower rider moved over on him on a on-off-table. 

It was such a bummer. Rookie Justin Barcia still kept Christophe honest that night, but Stroupe was the only one who could match his speed. 

Josh Hill

JLaw with a cognitive behavioral therapist would have been dangerous 

Want to talk about riders that left too soon?

Bruce Bunch

Rick Hemme

Kyle Fleming.

I've always thought that instead of going road racing, he should have gone back to the GPs and tried for a 500 championship. Imagine being the only person in the sport's history to win every available championship except a 125 US title.

People forget that he was leading 450 SX for the first half of the season the year before he got hurt doing a backflip.

They're all like a 1 or 2. Maybe if they wore a wig and i was super drunk. This is a weird question. J- law does look like a cracked out stripper. If he had a good boob job... but the smell... seriously ? -  Weird question. 

Man Stroupe was freaking FAST, what could’ve been for sure. Besides him doing what he did to himself, he got screwed by the “score 135 points in 3 consecutive 250 seasons and you’re out and into the 450 class rule” and was forced up to the 450 class in 2011, and rode that shitty new generation Yamaha 450 for Valli Motorsports. He got a few 7ths in some 450 mains in 2011 on that bike and that season was stacked with Stew, Reed, RV, Dung, Canard, K-Dub etc….i think he broke his back getting ready for outdoors in 2011 too. Stroupe never completed a full outdoor season in the 250 class in 08, 09, and didn’t race any outdoors in 2010. He definitely could’ve been at Canards level in the 450 class, I think he would’ve been better if he would’ve stayed straight. 

I think Hepler could’ve stayed on Suzuki in ‘07 and went to Yamaha for more money and that hurt him, the YOT bike was better then that slow factory turd that Hepler and Hill were on lol and he got knocked out for like 7 minutes at the Yamaha test track and that was the end of it. He still got a moto win at steel city in 07 I think, Stroupe holeshot that first moto which was Stroupes first pro moto lol I remember that one cause Stroupe ripped a holeshot from a outside gate and came in super hot and maybe clipped RV coming into the first corner lol

The backflip that Larry Brooks told him not to do and that he has nothing to gain by doing it but a ton to lose? That backflip? Lol damn that video with his leg flapping around was gnarly!!!

Anybody remember Darryn Durham?? 

🎯🎯🎯

#FACTS

You can add Justin Buckelew to that list as well. 

If only Friese hadn't got in the way!

WTH happened to Johnny Marley, did he ever race a big bike?

And Jonathan Shrimp.

I grew up in Kansas and Johnny was the next big thing coming out of the area. He had major hype in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri as an amateur. And then it just never happened. I'd like hear a podcast with him and get the backstory on what happened. 

How about the famous gambler dude that claimed to be a LL champ 😂

after seeing some of the old names, what about Shane Bess? that dude was succchhh a savage on 80's. Ben Riddle was pretty savage too on 125's. 

Beat me to it. Toward the end I think he just couldn't ride the speed he was capable of consistently. Speed was there, but he was checkers or wreckers and damn if he didn't wreck a lot more than he won.

I was just going to say Shane Bess. He probably went pro a little too early. I remember reading that he got hurt in ‘01, but had a factory offer for ‘02 and took it. I can’t remember if it was something with Shane, his dad (probably not), or Cole Gress (maybe) and they said in hindsight should’ve stayed down one more year because of the injury he had in ‘01, but what do you when you have a factory contract in hand and not another thats guaranteed if he would’ve raced amateurs one more year. 

Vince saw most of it😂. Could have used a refresher on that to make sure it stuck though. 

Donny schmit

Mike Hartwig is probably the earliest example of this.  Came out of Michigan blazing fast on a Husky, picked up a Yamaha factory ride, hurt his back and retired...all in a 2 year span.  

I’m going off the board. 

Pourcel was more interesting and talented than anyone on this list and if he wins either the 2009 or 2010 national title, and then ends up on a factory 450 he was good enough to win there too in a field with legends 

and nobody mentioned Damon Huffman.

2 time 125 west sx champ, 94 and 95

4th place in 125 mx, and the next year 3rd

even won the 250 (now 450) class at Atlanta in '97 

Damon Huffman - The Vault - Historical Motocross & Supercross Results

Damon W Huffman - The Vault - Historical Motocross & Supercross Results

Profeshenal125 just took his shirt off. (Again)

Charlie Bogard is another rider that was ridiculous as an amateur and never had any results as a pro. Love to hear what went wrong with his transition to the pro ranks.