30 Day Countdown to A1: #17 Jeff Emig
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 | 4:40 PM
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Print"At the Dallas Supercross in 1997, it was really muddy," said Jeff Emig to me on the phone the other day. "I was jumping a triple in the mud that no one else was doing. And I think that's the only time I ever did something on a supercross track that no one else could do."
The Kansas-born Jeff Emig is very humble about his supercross career, as his three AMA National Motocross Championships show he was much more at home outdoors than in. However, he collected the 1997 AMA Supercross Championship, no small feat considering it came right in the midst of Jeremy McGrath's incredible run at the top of the sport.
Yes, McGrath had switched from his dominant Honda CR250R to a not-ready-for-primetime Suzuki RM250, and he never quite found his usual groove. But you can't discount the type of pressure Emig was riding under, holding a slim points lead over the uber-intimidating McGrath week after week, and bending, but never breaking, under the weight of it all. The goal of every rider on the gate is to someday win an AMA Supercross Championship. Emig did it, and that says a lot.
Emig (#1) won only one career title indoors. But it was over McGrath (#2), which says a lot.
Fran Kuhn photo
Beyond it, his stats aren't eye popping (seven career wins) and his style on a supercross track wasn't either (note his own story, above, about rarely being the first or only rider to bust out a big section). But he probably had more in him. After a disastrous title defense in 1998, and a struggle in 1999, Emig recommitted himself to racing for the 2000 season. Building his own team on Yamahas, he made a three-year commitment to get back to the top of the sport. But on New Year's day, 2000, he was hit with a Y2K bug in the form of a massive crash at Stephane Roncada's private track. Emig broke both wrists, and the season was gone. Another big crash preparing for the motocross season left Emig with a broken back. He called it a career after that.
Still, he retired with a supercross title to his name, and that's plenty enough to get Emig--now known as the color analyst for today's Monster Energy Supercross Championship on SPEED and CBS--into 17th on our Monster Energy Countdown of the 30 Best Supercross Riders Ever.
Check out Jeff Emig's entire career here in the Racer X Vault, presented by Kawasaki.
The 30 Best Supercross Racers of All Time Tracker:
#18 Johnny O’Mara
#19 Doug Henry
#20 Jimmy Ellis
#22 Ezra Lusk
#23 Broc Glover
#24 Ron Lechien
#25 Jimmy Weinert
#26 David Vuillemin
#27 Donnie Hansen
#28 Larry Ward
#29 Mike Kiedrowski
#30 Marty Tripes
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Forty years ago, Team Honda arrived on the American motocross circuit with a brand new motorcycle: the game-changing Elsinore CR250. Page 170.
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MC had a clutch go out and a flat rear tire that aided in Jeff's title quest, but that is all part of racing so.. Congrats to Emig on winning the title in 97.
Do you guys proofread your articles for type-o's? Just saying, thought this was a professional outfit. Not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things but bugs me everytime I see it though!!!
"The goal of every rider on the gate is to someday with an AMA Supercross Championship."
Emig won three outdoor titles! One 125 championship in 1992 and two 250 titles in 96 & 97! I got your back, Jeff!
Wow bd25 surprised to hear you say something like that. It is true but might get some people worked up.. LOL
BillC..Yes, I know, some times l like to live on the edge...lol...Not taking anything away from Emig, he was a great rider. It just goes to show, to be a champion, a little luck has to fall your way..especially if you were racing against the King, the GOAT...or the Firecracker...
BillC.. through the last one in just for you ...lol...
To all of you my Conversation friends, I wish for you a very Merry Christmas and hope you all have a prosperous and Happy New Year!!!!
Mcgrath had the title he thought but got that flat tire and it was over.. Who knows what the future would have brought had Mcgrath won the title on the Suzuki, he may have stayed and not went to Yamaha, where he dominated again.. Emig was a bad dude outdoors though.. Usually with great starts and a wide bike..
So let me get this straight the "horrible" Suzuki only lost the championship because of a smoked clutch and a flat....guess it must not have been that bad..... Emig is a bad ass and outdoors was a monsta'.... I liked it alot when he beat everyone on the privateer Yamaha at the Open.....On the 125 Yamaha was flat amazing to watch....
Weege!...I love ya but FRO WON THE TITLE!!! C'mon man...17!??
Anyone remember the "Jackpot" cover when Emig took it down...I was 16 years old and thinking that Fro was just about the coolest dude I had ever seen.
@tonewall I was at the open when Fro made his comeback and won on the privateer Y-zinger. It was awesome to watch.
Fro LIves!
I'll always remember Fro-Daddy at the 99 US Open in Las Vegas. Fresh off the whole Lake Havasu B.S. he kicked RC and everyone elses ass and took home a cool 100K. That was sweet.
The most memorable thing I remember about Emig was when he was interviewed. He would stutter the word "uh" 861 times in < 45-seconds (Yes, I counted).
I also remember a pic of him railing a left-handed corner in a berm and the bar 2" from the dirt, standing, w/his feet on the pegs. Yes, it was thing of beauty.
Today, he is a commentator. He is the epitome of a Virginia Slims commercial.
The interview from his first 250 supercross win in Vegas in 95 was pretty comical. He sounded like a goof!
I know this is just a matter of opinion, but I believe LaRocco was alway a much better SX rider than Emig
oh typo that was always
@EAGLE1 You are thinking of this picture I imagine. The bar is actually dragging in the dirt not a few inches off the ground. Believe this may have been at the MXDN. http://www.sikvision.com/files/emig_bardrag.jpg
Dont forget that Mcgrath crashed and Larry Ward ran him over breaking his triple clamps in 97 as well.. he had about major problems that season and that DNF was huge.
I am a HUGE fan of Emig.. I remember I started racing in 95 and I couldnt stand Emig. He was a arrogant little kid that was irritating me because he was messing around with LaRocco on the track. I didnt like anything about him, including his STUTTERING that drove me crazy in interviews.
By 1999, I was an EMIG FAN. He became the working mans hero, cleaned up his image, and most notably I watched how by 1998 he was complimenting OTHER riders like John Dowd instead of himself. He acted like Travis Pastrana.. his interviews were about how awesome OTHER riders were riding, and he just blew off the bragging about himself.
Today, I think Jeff Emig is the man.. he and David Bailey are the best analyst commentators ever in my opinion.. He speaks extremely well.. dresses well.. and has nothing but good things to say. He also has an awesome sense of humor.
Go FRO.. but I still dont see how LaRocco is behind all these guys, but I am starting to realize it probably doesnt matter until we get down to the Top 7 anyway.. they are all great. (By the way, loved watching Emig put the smack down on Henry's four stroke. Go watch Glen Helen 98).
Always an Emig fan. Loved his riding, love his color commentary. If that pic linked above was taken during a race, then it easily deserves to be in the mx-pic hall of fame. That's awesome, and so is Jeffro. Only Bailey can challenge him on camera. I hope they keep him around for years to come. Go Fro
Emig should of been a lot higher...my favorite rider of the 90s ...he was the only rider on the gate that stood a chance against MC for a long period of time...but he peaked in an Era ruled by the king...like a lot of pro ball players in the Jordan era...doesn't mean they weren't great...I remember. The Fro style on the yz125... Purple Thor gear, straight back, elbows out and wide freakin open .... Braaaapppp
Ironically his 90s teammate Bradshaw will be probably placed much higher on this list due to wins...but most of them came before MCs era and his career was short with no big bike title in sx..so kind of opinion of facts
The big question is where is Bob Hannah, going to place on this list!?!?.
@Preston, I'm familiar with Emig's story. I'm not attacking him personally. I was a huge Emig fan when he was racing. I just thought it was a pretty silly interview because it was one of his first times in the lime light and it was an awkward situation for him because so many riders didn't ride out of protest.
Wasn't Emig in the Castrol commercial were they drain the oil and see which car blow up first and Emig spectating with a stupid grim on. Yeah he also could ride a dirt bike! lol
@rickm...Got tired of going back to the other column. We are on the same page for sure. Any time the government runs something it will be a f-up. Just to clear up one point though, MTBE is not proven to be a carcinogen. That's why it is still in use. Research is showing it does the same sort of thing that plastic bottles with PTFB in them do, mimic estrogen. Makes girls go through puberty too early and makes boys, well, more like girls. Your question about oil vs fertilizer is simple and disturbing at the same time. Clean oil will naturally degrade after about 8' into the ground, dirty oil is not as quick but will do the same after time. Most fertilizer is made from petro chemicals and is concentrated so if over applied will kill the plant easily. The scary part is these fertilizers kill all the good micro-organisms, bacteria, fungi and so on, which makes the soil even more devoid of nutrients. In turn it makes the soil sterile so to speak making you use more of the same product that is killing it to begin with. By the way, when I had 2-strokes I used to use Amsoil 100-1 and loved it and had no problems. Clean as a whistle power valves. I currently don't use Amsoil because I would have to order it and it costs more that way, not because I think it is not good. If someone near me had it I would buy it.
I remember loannig Jeff a pair of googles at Marysville Ca when he was on an 80 telling him just to leave them on our trailer but finding him gone along with my goggles. I guess he is the reason I never loaned anything again after that.
McGrath broke his triple clamps in 98 on the Yamaha not 97, still had a lot of bad luck that year though. He also sliced his heal on a broken bottle towards the end of the season too. Read his book if you want to know his thoughts on the Suzuki that year!
Emig rocks...it was really rough listening to him as a color analyst at first, but he does a great job now- it wouldn't be the same broadcast without him. Did anyone notice how much RC ragged on him during the MEC broadcast? IMO that sucked- Emig deserves respect for his accomplishments!
Watched Emig win both motos, wire to wire, at Red Bud in '93 (may have been '92?). No one was even close to him all day. So fluid and so smooth with the bike just wrung out!!!
Been a fan ever since...
Watched Emig win both motos, wire to wire, at Red Bud in '93 (may have been '92?). No one was even close to him all day. So fluid and so smooth with the bike just wrung out!!!
Been a fan ever since...
Yeah, what was with RC ragging on Emig?
Tough to diss on the G.O.A.T., but I'd rather listen to Fro commentate over RC, any day!!
Plus, Fro - I'm sure - has a grip of great party stories, which is right up there with race wins, in my book.