Of current pro's - Who was the oldest when they started?

midwestmoto
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midwestmoto
I've seen a few posts on here where people have asked if they were too old or if it was too late for them to try to make a living racing motocross. A couple of the many answers that were given include the ages of former pros when they retired along with some riders around McGrath's era who didn't get their first bike until their early-late teens.

This got me thinking about our current pro's and the era we are in now.

It seems almost unheard of for anyone out there who is racing professionally now to have never raced a 50, 65 or 85. So my question is, of our current professional riders, who was the oldest when they got their first dirtbike or when they entered their first race?

This is not to discourage anyone from chasing their dreams. Anything is possible. I've just thought about this from time to time and thought I would start a discussion about it. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.





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kzizok
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kzizok 1/24/2017 9:09pm
1/24/2017 9:09pm
Plessinger comes to mind as not having the typical amatuer MX path.
Premixed112
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Premixed112 1/24/2017 9:11pm
1/24/2017 9:11pm
kzizok wrote:
Plessinger comes to mind as not having the typical amatuer MX path.
Elaborate?
cd0583
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cd0583 1/24/2017 9:20pm
1/24/2017 9:20pm
peick....plessinger has been racing enduro his whole life..
mattmatt300
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mattmatt300 1/24/2017 9:39pm
1/24/2017 9:39pm
Forkner. If I remember correctly he didn't get his first bike, which was an xr100, until he was 14.

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gharmon
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gharmon 1/24/2017 9:45pm
1/24/2017 9:45pm
mattmatt300 wrote:
Forkner. If I remember correctly he didn't get his first bike, which was an xr100, until he was 14.
I find that hard to believe since he was winning the monster cup super mini class at about that age. You don't get that fast starting at 13-14 and winning the next year against the country's best..
mx836
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mx836 1/24/2017 9:46pm
1/24/2017 9:46pm
mattmatt300 wrote:
Forkner. If I remember correctly he didn't get his first bike, which was an xr100, until he was 14.
Forkner started on 50s like pretty much everyone.
feelnjstfine
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feelnjstfine 1/24/2017 9:48pm
1/24/2017 9:48pm
kzizok wrote:
Plessinger comes to mind as not having the typical amatuer MX path.
May have not been the usuall path, but when your dad is a 4-time National offroad champion you are most likely not gonna be lacking opportunity and good moto genes.
kzizok
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kzizok 1/24/2017 9:50pm
1/24/2017 9:50pm
kzizok wrote:
Plessinger comes to mind as not having the typical amatuer MX path.
Premixed112 wrote:
Elaborate?
The large majority of the successful pro level guys today started chasing the national MX scene in the 4-6 pee wee class, and did so all the way through. I dont think Plessinger raced 50's nationally in MX. I think he dabbled in MX in his younger years but I dont think he even decided to pursue MX until 5-7'ish years ago. Thats not discounting his off road history, but he didnt come up through the ranks in the same way. I realize that is a generalization, but he had a different path where his pursuit of serious MX came at an older age than the top level pros today.
feelnjstfine
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feelnjstfine 1/24/2017 9:53pm
1/24/2017 9:53pm
mattmatt300 wrote:
Forkner. If I remember correctly he didn't get his first bike, which was an xr100, until he was 14.
Forkner started racing 50's at five, entered his first amateur national at seven, and national champion at ten.
kzizok
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kzizok 1/24/2017 9:57pm
1/24/2017 9:57pm Edited Date/Time 1/24/2017 10:12pm
kzizok wrote:
Plessinger comes to mind as not having the typical amatuer MX path.
feelnjstfine wrote:
May have not been the usuall path, but when your dad is a 4-time National offroad champion you are most likely not gonna be lacking opportunity...
May have not been the usuall path, but when your dad is a 4-time National offroad champion you are most likely not gonna be lacking opportunity and good moto genes.
Oh, I know, it was just off the top of my head. I couldn't really think of anyone else (not to say there wasnt anyone else) that would have really deviated the norm or started late with the current pros.

Tenacious P
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Tenacious P 1/24/2017 10:10pm
1/24/2017 10:10pm
Peick comes to mind. Straight to 450's. That's some Kobe shit!
Sandwarrior752 1/24/2017 10:11pm
1/24/2017 10:11pm
Slightly off topic since it's not an Current rider and neither one from USA, but a story on this subject that allways stuck with me is that the 4 times 500cc World Champion from Belgium, Joel Smets, Only started racing when he was 17 years old. (7 years later he won his first GP)

kzizok
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kzizok 1/24/2017 10:16pm
1/24/2017 10:16pm
Sandwarrior752 wrote:
Slightly off topic since it's not an Current rider and neither one from USA, but a story on this subject that allways stuck with me is...
Slightly off topic since it's not an Current rider and neither one from USA, but a story on this subject that allways stuck with me is that the 4 times 500cc World Champion from Belgium, Joel Smets, Only started racing when he was 17 years old. (7 years later he won his first GP)

Yeah, thats a whole other ball of wax. Doug Henry. John Dowd was 20 at his first race.
Sidecar
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Sidecar 1/24/2017 10:54pm
1/24/2017 10:54pm
Current pros... Gautier Paulin springs to mind, I think he was around 15 when he first rode a motocross bike and was in GPs by 17. He was a World Champion at BMX though so much like McGrath the bike handling skills were already there, I believe Joel Smets comes from a BMX back ground too, he still rides and has his own track.
GoggleFiend904 1/24/2017 11:44pm
1/24/2017 11:44pm
Does anyone know how mike sinqmars did in mx? I dont think he was national pro, but i remember him saying he didnt start riding until he was 13

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rrjr
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rrjr 1/25/2017 1:19am
1/25/2017 1:19am
MadsDausel wrote:
Malcolm
Malcolm started in the 4-6 class

Malcolm Stewart
Haines City, FL

Individual Races

Individual Race Results
Overall

Class

Date

Machine
26
51cc 4-6 Stock Oil Inj
1999
Yamaha
15
65 (7-11) Modified
2001
Kawasaki
42
65 (7-9) Stock
2001
Kawasaki
40
65 (7-11) Modified
2002
Kawasaki
10
65 (7-9) Stock
2002
Kawasaki
12
85 (7-11) Modified
2003
Kawasaki
15
85 (7-11) Stock
2003
Kawasaki
6
85 (7-11) Modified
2004
Kawasaki
4
85 (7-11) Stock
2004
Kawasaki
18
85 (12-13) Stock
2005
Kawasaki
12
85 (12-13) Modified
2005
Kawasaki
12
125 B Modified
2006
Kawasaki
19
125 Modified 12-15
2006
Kawasaki
7
MX Lites B Modified
2007
Kawasaki
9
MX Lites B Stock
2007
Kawasaki
8
Motocross B Modified
2008
Kawasaki
2
Motocross B Stock
2008
Kawasaki
2
Four Stroke
2009
Kawasaki
2
450 A
2009
Kawasaki
rrjr
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rrjr 1/25/2017 1:25am
1/25/2017 1:25am
Peick raced at Loretta's for the 1st time in 2007 in Modified B class and turned pro in 2009 going straight to the 450 class at Glen Helen. I believe he finished 9th in his 1st pro race.
rrjr
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rrjr 1/25/2017 1:28am
1/25/2017 1:28am Edited Date/Time 1/25/2017 1:30am
MadsDausel wrote:
Ok so was his Pro debut only late?
malcolm's 1st pro race was 2011 At Houston SX he finished 14th

Great info at "The Vault" on RacerXonline
inmate5200
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inmate5200 1/25/2017 5:11am
1/25/2017 5:11am
kzizok wrote:
Plessinger comes to mind as not having the typical amatuer MX path.
feelnjstfine wrote:
May have not been the usuall path, but when your dad is a 4-time National offroad champion you are most likely not gonna be lacking opportunity...
May have not been the usuall path, but when your dad is a 4-time National offroad champion you are most likely not gonna be lacking opportunity and good moto genes.
Aaron raced and won motos at Lorettas in 50 class... saw him race around district 11 a lot as a youth and he always looked special. Stood up a lot and always rode way over front of the bike. Also a great family

Jerry Robin was 1st name that name that came to my mind but i looked and he raced Lorettas since 50's also

Sport is very top heavy now with so many fast kids from 10th on back. Used be 3-5 fast kids at front of pack and then a big drop off. Now kids in 20th hit all the big jumps and scrub everything.

Tough for the talanted kid who has just riden at family farm his whole life to make a dent now Would love to see it

http://llvault.racerxonline.com/rider/jerry-l-robin/races
drumheller34 1/25/2017 5:34am
1/25/2017 5:34am Edited Date/Time 1/25/2017 5:34am
Plessinger won a LL championship, am I wrong? Just because you guy's never heard of them before doesn't mean they didn't race in their younger years
TMessi111
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TMessi111 1/25/2017 5:40am
1/25/2017 5:40am
Hampshire is a good example. I think I heard he didn't start riding and training seriously until he hooked up with Tim Ferry when he was a B rider. I'm sure he was riding well before that. I can't think of anyone off hand that started late. Mcelrath was under the radar for most of him amateur career.
kzizok
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kzizok 1/25/2017 6:32am
1/25/2017 6:32am Edited Date/Time 1/25/2017 6:40am
Ok,

OP asked about current pros being older or racing later. I thought of Plessinger because of his different path. I know that he raced LL's and he won championships on big bikes Most everyone had heard of him. However, even by his own admission, he didn't solely focus on MX later than most of the current pros today. He had a different path that deviated from the 4-6 pee wee all the way through chasing national MX only. There aren't many current riders that would fit OP's criteria so I thought of Plessy. Nothing more nothing less in a general forum discussion.
Wandell
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Wandell 1/25/2017 6:39am
1/25/2017 6:39am
How old was McGrath when he started racing? I know he rode BMX for a long time as a kid.
mjr119
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mjr119 1/25/2017 7:19am
1/25/2017 7:19am
I don't think he ever went fully pro. But I remember Aron Harvey, from Nevada. He came on the amateur scene in the mid 2000's and had only been riding a year or two (big bikes). He ran with A-mart and Stroupe, among others at the time in the A and B classes. He was at LL and Mini O's. We parked beside of him at Mini O's in 06 or 05. His dad really was a NOOB when it came to the sport. Not sure where he ended up. Nice people though.

DEMONDAVE
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DEMONDAVE 1/25/2017 7:23am
1/25/2017 7:23am
rrjr wrote:
Peick raced at Loretta's for the 1st time in 2007 in Modified B class and turned pro in 2009 going straight to the 450 class at...
Peick raced at Loretta's for the 1st time in 2007 in Modified B class and turned pro in 2009 going straight to the 450 class at Glen Helen. I believe he finished 9th in his 1st pro race.
/\ this
mx_563
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mx_563 1/25/2017 7:30am
1/25/2017 7:30am
My money is on #178 Ronnie Ford.

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