years championships birth_place teams nationality birth_date wins article_title name
1970 - 1982 500cc - 1982 berkeley , california , u.s. Čz , kawasaki , husqvarna , honda , suzuki usa united states july 8 , 1953 7 brad lackey
 brad lackey
brad lackey

brad lackey -lrb- born july 8 , 1953 in berkeley , california -rrb- is a former professional motocross racer and the first and only american to win the 500cc grand prix motocross world championship .
he was known as `` bad brad '' to his fans .
in 1970 , lackey received sponsorship from a local cz dealer and by 1971 , he finished second in the ama 500cc motocross national championship .
in 1971 , cz sent lackey to czechoslovakia to enter a training camp .
he also got his first taste of the world championship motocross grand prix circuit when he raced in a few 250cc gp races while attending the training camp .
the kawasaki factory offered him a sponsored ride in 1972 and he won the ama 500cc motocross national championship in dominating fashion and , was the highest placed american rider in the 1972 trans-ama motocross series .
however , he had his sights set on the world championship grand prix events held in europe .
in 1973 , lackey set out on what would eventually be a ten-year quest for a 500cc motocross world championship , which at the time was the most prestigious class in motocross competition .
over the years , he rode for several different factories including , kawasaki , husqvarna , honda and suzuki , finishing as high as second in the world in 1978 and 1980 .
he often encountered bad luck with bike failures at inopportune times , prompting the european motorcycling press to dub him `` bad luckey . ''
it seemed as if he would never attain his goal .
finally , in 1982 , after a ten-year struggle , he was able to clinch his first and only 500cc motocross world championship aboard a suzuki .
after his triumph , suzuki scaled back their racing efforts and lackey was left without a sponsor .
he decided to retire on top , as world champion .
lackey was inducted into the motorcycle hall of fame in 1999 .
today , lackey continues his involvement in the sport of motocross taking part in vintage motocross racing .
