The other ‘first time’ World motocross champion from America was Danny LaPorte. In 1982, riding for Factory Yamaha the South Bay motocrosser made history when he captured the World 250cc Motocross World Championship. At the time Brad Lackey was the biggest draw in American motocross and he had just won the ‘big’ title, the 500cc World Championship racing a Suzuki that was a melting pot of sponsors, parts and technicians. LaPorte came back to the states in 1984 to hang with family and made a trip out to Gorman California and took a spin on our production YZ490. From the photo you can tell that Danny had a passion for sand tracks, he trained in Belgium at the infamous Lommel circuit that was and is, considered to the toughest sand circuit on the planet. LaPorte, who was making the jump to the open class dropped it in this turn for Dirt Bike’s Fran Kuhn traveling at speeds that stunned the photographer. To this day, Danny still rides the mountains of the high desert with speed and agility that is stunning.
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