Ricky Johnson interview.

Join the club...Hard to stay relevant when your not around it too much. It's also just part of the process in any sport. In the not too distant future someone will ask "who the heck is Ryan Villopoto, Bubba Stewart?" Etc...

The guy was my hero.

That was in the print magazine a few months ago.   I posted up a thread about it

https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/moto-related/bad-boy-rick-johnson-interv…

Great interview.

RJ is a legend...  I wonder what records would have been set had he not gotten injured.    

That was the greatest era of all.....I'm glad I was there in person.        The sights/sounds/smells....forever etched into memory.

It was already posted, but thet was very good too.

https://www.vurbmoto.com/rick-johnson-talks-supercross-and-more-winners…

"The sights/sounds/smells....forever etched into memory"

Same can be said about your favorite strip club 🙂

What a legend

"And Danny never said he was sorry" 🤨

He was my hero back in the day also.  Still kind of is.  I will never forget waiting in line at a race for an hour to get his autograph.  He asked for my name and wrote on the poster something like "to my buddy Greg...RJ".  Only problem is my name is Glen.  I didn't notice until I got back to my truck and was not going to wait another hour to get it right.

...and I am not commenting on his hearing or anything.  It was loud at the track...and maybe I mumbled...who knows.

I have been following the guy's career and reading about him for more than 40 years and he's still a really interesting dude. The determination he had was nothing short of amazing. 

RJ at Palm Ave on the CR500 circa 1988 cemented his legend status 

Wonder what that was all about. He always seemed cool, calm and collected 

Ward was cool to me a couple times I met him. Him flipping anyone off seems out of character

What might have been, indeed.

He was at the height of his skills when that happened - it wouldn't be wild speculation to suggest the record books would look much different today but for that fateful collision.

Maybe he found out he had some French blood in the family and was channeling his inner Ferrandis? 

LA Coliseum 1984 press day

Even though I was not a RJ fan. I rode a 84 yz 250 at 16 and just had to have some sinsalo gear like him. 

Regarding feeling like he has been nearly forgotten....its not him.  Its fans of this sport.  Here's a first hand example of that.  I'm walking into the Glendale party in the pits last Saturday afternoon with my wife.  To my right walking in next to me was Johnny O'Mara, no kidding - 2 foot to my right.  Wearing his Honda jacket headed to the semi.  No one recognizes him or even gives him a second look.  I joked and said "what's up O-Show?"  He smiled and said hello.  I then said as we were both walking in the same direction "Johnny how are you and how things going so far for the day with the team?"  He said all going good and cracked a subtle smile.  I went on to tell him Jett looked great in the second practice and I thought Hunter would do well in the night show.  I wished him best of luck and nice to talk to him.  He smiled and went on his way as did we.  Literally no one else around me or on his walk to the semi recognized him or just said hello.  He's one of the greatest in the history of our sport and +99% of the fans couldn't pick him out in a crowd.   It's not Ricky's fault and it's certainly not Johnny's fault.  The majority of fans in our sport have no clue.  It just is what it is.

It’s funny to think that RJ was headed to Kawasaki for ‘86, but they snatched up Lechien at the last minute. Wonder how it would’ve turned out with him on a Kawi? 

Once in a while there will be a post about who is the best of any one decade, or who could have been champion in any of the eras of American MX/SX, and for me, RJ always comes to mind first.  He was as skilled as anyone, and brute strength for sure, a powerful ego of course but also sheer will, sheer will and determination.  

He was like Ward/Barnett and Hannah all rolled into one. 

Remember when motocrossers were invited to the White House ?

It's amazing to me that moto fans aren't swarming champions like O'Mara and RJ when they show up at the track (I have heard similar stories about RJ being ignored). It would be like Michael Jordan showing up at an NBA game and being ignored. Kinda sad. 

People are writing Tomac off/calling for him to retire after a couple mediocre finishes.  It's the 3 millesecond attention span of the newer generations.

I know I would not miss O'Show, RJ, Wardy etc if they were wandering around us mere mortals. 

RJ will never be forgotten!!!!!!!!!!! 

It happens in other sports too. I am with two of my sons and their little league teams at Anaheim stadium many years ago. After the game,the kids were out side of the stadium when the players were leaving. These kids are swarming any player that walked out, collecting autographs and what not.. Hall of fame player Rod Carew who had come to the Angels as a coach, comes walking out, walked right through the crowed and not a single person paid him any attention. 

RJ is so under appreciated! Along with Wardy, the Icon, O’Show, the Bomber, etc.. I think the biggest reason is just the lack of exposure. There were very few races televised, and the magazines were literally the only source of info on these racers. Compare that today where there is just so much access to everything in the sport.  

The one thing that separates RJ, Hannah, RC, and RV from the rest though- is shear force of will. These guys all dominated during their run, even though they were up against more talented opponents. It just didn’t matter, they were going to do whatever it took to be the champion. So glad I’ve gotten to witness all the legends of our awesome sport first hand. 

Legend...

Yes, it happens to All Sports hero's over time.

Pretty much every interview I read of Rick, it has that 'complaint' as a feature, along with the Danny Storbeck crash.

The Storbeck thing - well, indeed, it was a, major, Major thing that happened to RJ. What I like in that story from MXA is Rick adding more to it, other than the line "he never said he was sorry" that has been quoted so many times, over so many years. 

His not being swarmed by fans so many years later - it happens. He still will have many Old Timers  such as I recognize him instantly, and those younger people who really do follow the sport in depth. Hell, there will be quite a few current high level young racers who will know nothing about him, and so many other former stars of our sport . I for one am often surprised at the lack of  knowledge, or indeed, interest, in the sports history, by so many of the new generation. But, that's how it goes.

He mentioned the Italians know of him. Well, yes, at something like the Trans Borgaro (sp?), the VMXDN, and other Vet racing festivals, that Rick and other past Champions and 'Stars' get to go to, He / They will certainly get attention. The people at those events, are there for He and Others, and the Bikes / Racing. 

Me , my first knowledge of RJ is from a Dick Miller article in MXA where Miller and a few riders went to a / some races in Hawaii,  while Rick was just a young teenager, and not a factory star. I think I've still got that issue, along with so many hundred others........

So, I've known of him for decades, and, am not likely to forget him, or any other of the prominent ( and not so prominent) riders through the following decades. And, I knew of riders from decades before. But, I'd not go running ( well, in my case, walking stick / crutching / wheel chairing ) up to him, or any others, clambering for an autograph / picture etc. I'd note them being there, and move on. Leave them in  peace, basically. Most I think would be happy for that, some, well, may still want (a lot of) attention.