Antioch’s Rodney Smith to be inducted into Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Saturday
Rodney Smith racing in the 1997 International Six Days Enduro as part of the Suzuki RMX250 Trophy Team USA. from his Facebook page.
By Allen Payton
World champion motorcycle racer Rodney Smith, of Antioch, will be inducted into the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015, during a ceremony, this Saturday in Orlando, Florida.
“Rodney Smith was one of the most versatile motorcycle racers of the 1990s, excelling in both motocross and off-road at the highest levels,” said Ken Ford, a member of the AMA and American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation boards of directors. “{His) contributions to the world of motorcycling are enduring and substantial.”
According to the AMA website, “Each year, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame welcomes new members.” Smith will be one of six inductees who “will join the ranks of motorcycling’s greatest advocates and champions…during the American International Motorcycle Expo.”
Rodney Smith
Born in 1964 and a 1982 graduate of Antioch High School, Rodney Smith started riding motorcycles in the hills of Northern California with his family in the 1960s and ’70s, and his first race was at age 13 at Sand Hill in Brentwood. From there, he blossomed into a local motocross standout and then an international contender. Smith accepted an offer to race in Brazil in 1985 and won five Brazilian national championships. He then moved to the world level and finished third in the 1988 Fédération Internationale de Moocyclisme 250cc World Motocross Championships before returning to America in 1990.
Back in the United States, Smith turned his focus to off-road racing, where he became one of the most dominant riders of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Smith won 13 AMA-sanctioned national championship series, including five Grand National Cross Country titles, three AMA National Hare Scrambles titles and five AMA National Reliability Enduro Championships. He also excelled in the International Six Days Enduro, winning multiple gold medals, competing on the premier U.S. Trophy Team and twice earning top-American honors. He mainly raced wearing number 31 on his jersey.
His major accomplishments include: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 & 2004 Grand National Cross Country Champion; 2001 Parts Unlimited World Off-Road Series – 2nd place; 1996 & 1997 AMA Hare Scramble Series Champion; 1994 & 1995 International Six Days Enduro Gold Medalist; 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 & 1998: AMA National Reliability Enduro Champion; 1988 World Grand Prix Motocross 250cc – 3rd place; and five-time Brazilian Motocross Champion.
Rodney Smith’s trophy case in his home in Antioch – from his Facebook page.
“A true champion can ride in all different conditions, and just when you think you’re done, push harder,” Smith states. His advice to younger riders is “to always remember why you started riding a motorcyle. Because it is fun.”
Since his racing days, according to his website, Smith “has scaled his racing plans back a bit, and after injuries and some frustration, decided to transition into a full-time coach/advisor…to students of all ages and skill levels.”
His RSMX & Offroad Acadmey offers a motorcross riding school, private and group lessons, fitness and dietary training and weekend camps.
According to his father, his parents and brother will be joining Smith in Florida for the ceremony.
For more information on Smith, visit his website at http://rodneysmith31.com/. For more information about the 2015 Hall of Fame, click here.
Congratulations, Rodney!
the attachments to this post:
Rodney Smith trophies
Rodney Smith
Suzuki RMX250 Trophy Team USA, ISDE 1997
Awesome thanks for the article