Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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CN III ARCHIVES BY SCOTT ROUSSEAU L ess than a month after Brad Lackey became the first American to win a World Moto- cross Championship title, Team Yamaha's Danny LaPorte be- came the first American to win one on the first try. At Vimmerby, Sweden, on August 29, 1982, LaPorte's dream of being a World Cham- pion became reality when he put together 4-2 moto finishes for second overall, behind another American, Donnie Hansen, who made it a stellar day for America after storming to a clean sweep of both motos for the overall win. According to LaPorte, now 64, the accomplishment stands as one of his two most memorable moments in racing, the other being his contribution to the win- ning American MX and Trophee des Nations teams. World domi- nation was always a part of his makeup. "When I was racing, the ultimate thing was to be World Champion, to have that title," La- Porte says. "I was really focused on winning a title in America (LaPorte was 1979 AMA 500cc National Champion), but the goal was always to go to Europe. At the time, no one American won a title yet, so that goal was still P152 DANNY LAPORTE: DAN OF ALL TRADES LaPorte's chances very nearly took a turn for the worse as he was frantically chasing the pair down late in the first moto. Misjudg- ing his approach to a right-hand corner, he went off the track. As he re-entered it, he collided with a backmarker coming through and nearly went down. LaPorte would also be hampered by a broken wheel before the moto was over, but he would soldier on. Hansen went on to win the moto by some 15 seconds over Jobe, who had there, so I went for it." LaPorte's title race shared one significant parallel to Lackey's in that it was an epic battle that came down to the final moto of the season. Belgium's Georges Jobe trailed LaPorte by 15 points heading into the series finale. One bad moto by LaPorte, and the tough Belgian was waiting in the wings, ready to pounce. If the first moto wasn't bad for LaPorte, it was less than average, as he struggled in traffic early, working his way to fourth place while Jobe and his factory Suzuki battled with KTM's Kees van der Ven, the KTM-mounted Dutch- man having an unrealistic outside shot at the title as well, for second place. Past 250 and 500cc Motocross World Champion Heikki Mikkola sprays new 250cc World Champion and fellow Yamaha rider Danny LaPorte with champagne in 1982, when LaPorte wrapped up his first World title (in his first try).