only on the Dave Despain Show, Sunday, September 20, at 8:30pm ET
Mike LaRocco raced for 19 years. While his extraordinary career would be considered long in any professional motorsport, in motocross, it’s the equivalent of three lifetimes. This Sunday, September 20, at 8:30pm ET, LaRocco explains to Dave how he survived and won his share of championships against the world’s best riders including Jeff Ward, Jeremy McGrath and especially his great rival, Jeff Emig.
Mike LaRocco began his professional racing career in 1988 at age 17, and retired 19 consecutive seasons later in 2006, with a record-breaking 228 Supercross starts and 20 national wins across 3 classes.
The Michigan City, Indiana native raced with Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda, the latter as a factory-supported Factory Connection rider. Along the way, he collected the 1993 AMA 500cc and 1994 AMA 250cc National Motocross Series championships as well as the 2000 World Supercross Championship.
On his Jekyll-and-Hyde personality, introducing his then-girlfriend (now wife) Elizabeth to him racing: “I’m quiet, so, up to this point, she really didn’t know me or even really what I did… Jeff Emig cross-jumped me and… I ended up tackling him… I was not the guy she knew… When I put my helmet on, a different guy showed up.“
His first and last wins came an astonishing 16 years apart. On winning his final race at the 2004 Indianapolis Supercross: “That was a really… exciting night for me. I think there was a 20-lap wave. I felt like everywhere I went in the stadium… everybody was cheering. That night was awesome.“
On his long career: “Eventually it got to the point where you get old and you start thinking too much… You realize the sport is a little bit dangerous and I decided that it’s probably enough. But it was great while it lasted.“
Since 2010, LaRocco has managed the GEICO Honda Supercross/Motocross Team, winning a title each year he has been involved. LaRocco was elected to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class in 2014.
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