of riders en route to a pair of
victories in Superbikers competi-
tion in 1980 and 1981, thrusting
himself in the national spotlight
and ultimately earning him a
contract for the 1982 AMA road
racing season.
Wise nearly claimed a
title in his first AMA road rac
-
ing season, falling just three
points shy of Mike Baldwin for
the Formula One Champion-
ship. Wise's outstanding debut
season, compounded with his
unexpected podium finish in his
first-ever appearance in an AMA
Grand National Dirt Track race
at the Houston TT, earned him
the 1982 AMA Pro Athlete of the
Year honor.
The pinnacle of Wise's career
came in 1983, when he became
the first and only motocross
winner to cross over to road rac
-
ing and win a national, claiming
the Mid-Ohio round of the AMA
Superbike series.
Injuries derailed Wise's prom-
ising career in AMA Superbike,
and he retired shortly after his
triumph at Mid-Ohio.
Following his racing career,
Wise became an ordained min
-
ister and started a real estate
investment company.
Wise was inducted into the
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
in 2001 and later served as the
Grand Marshal of AMA Vintage
Motorcycle Days in 2023.
CN
VOLUME ISSUE JANUARY , P29
(Above) Wise was a two-time
winner of the Superbikers races
at Carlsbad Raceway in the early
1980s, which helped earn him a
road-racing contract with Honda
in 1982. (Above right) The Texan,
Wise, (8n) used his motocross
skills to finish on the podium at the
Houston TT in 1982. It was his first-
ever AMA dirt track race.
Wise passed away at
the age of 68.
