Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/917325
VOL. 54 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 19, 2017 P201 motorcycle racing. In the mid-1970s he became a nationally ranked dirt track racer. White, along with his brother Dan, turned White Brothers into a leading performance parts company, perhaps best known for the company's state-of-the-art racing suspensions. White also created the World Vet MX Championship and the World Four-Stroke Championship. After selling his company White turned his attention to collecting and restoring motorcycles, which eventually led to him open- ing The Early Years of Motocross Museum. White was also a philanthropist who used his museum to raise money for the High Hopes Head Injury program. White was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2014. His passing creates a void in the in- dustry that will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill. 9. Josh Hayes Sidelined - It wasn't a com- plete surprise, but when Yamaha announced last month that Josh Hayes would return in 2018 in the capacity of ambassador, rider coach, test rider, it was a nice way of saying that he would not be riding on the factory superbike team next season. If Hayes had his way he'd probably race until he was 50 and knowing his dedication, he'd probably still be winning. After 20 years of Hayes being a leading rider, it will be a major adjustment for the series to not have him on the grid. Hayes earned four AMA Superbike Championships (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014) and he scored his 61st-career super- bike win, ranking him second on the all-time wins list. He was also a fan favorite and a guy who went above and beyond to do everything he could to promote road racing in America. 8. Racing legends John Surtees and Joe Leonard Pass Away – Two of the biggest legends in motorcycle racing, John Surtees and Joe Leonard, passed away in 2017. Surtees is the only man in history to have won both the premier class title in motorcycle racing and the Formula One World Championship. He was a giant of both sports—and a true gentleman. Leonard was a three-time AMA Grand National Champion (he won the very first AMA Grand National Champi- onship Series in 1954). During his record-setting career in the 1950s and early '60s, Leonard established the mark that all other racers aspired to when he won 27-career AMA Grand Nationals, including two wins at the Daytona 200. Leon- ard's record held for a decade until Bart Markel finally broke it in 1971. Like Surtees, Leonard went on to have a successful auto-racing career, twice winning what is now called the Indy Car Series. 7. Toni Elias Puts Suzuki Back Atop MotoAmerica Superbike - Suzuki is the all-time winningest brand in MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike racing history, but the manufacturer hadn't won the title since 2009. Enter Spaniard Toni Elias and a totally redesigned 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000 and it was a championship-winning combination. Elias was so strong this year that he clinched the title with three races remaining. The victory marked a record 14th MotoAmerica/ AMA Superbike Championship for Suzuki. 6. MotoGP Battle Goes Down to the Wire – The 2017 MotoGP Championship was excit- ing for several reasons. Not only for the intense battle between the top two riders that came down to the final race, but the fact that one of those championship contenders was Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso. In the end it was Hon- da's uber-talent Marc Marquez coming away with his fourth title. The season featured some of the most intense races in the history of the Motor- cycle Grand Prix racing and showed Marquez taking his crash-saving skills to a level never be- fore seen. But almost as impressive was Dovi's unexpected run at the title, especially consider-