Although Ryan Clark has never won a championship in the AMA Motocross or Supercross series, he has consistently been a staple in every one of them since 1996. Clark is a veteran of the sport, and he seems to get better with age.

Clark’s first year saw him claim thirteenth overall in the 125cc West Coast Supercross series. In 1999, he again raced the west coast series, where he earned a career-best sixth overall. In 2001 and 2002, Clark was busy man as he competed in the East and West Coast 125cc divisions, as well as the 250cc Outdoor Nationals and Supercross series.

Clark’s first full-time year in the big-bike class was 2003, and it was also the first year of his Team Solitare. His best Supercross finish was a sixth place at the Salt Lake City, Utah race. He would finish the season in the eleventh spot in the season points standings.

The 2004 season once again saw Clark consistently plugging away. He competed in the premier divisions where he finished twelfth in Supercross and sixteenth in the Outdoor series. He also raced in the East Coast 125cc series, where he earned thirteenth overall.

The 2006 supercross season was Clark’s best to date. He finished ninth overall in the Supercross championship, his only finish inside the top ten in points during his career. He backed that up with a consistent twelfth overall in the outdoors.

The 2008 Supercross season did not go as planned for Clark, as he missed races due to injury. However, he did claim a best finish of eleventh, only one spot outside of the top ten. Watch for Clark well into the future, as he is always close to being a top-ten threat.

Amateur Career

Clark had a relatively quiet amateur career when compared to some other racers. His only Loretta Lynn’s title came in 1994 where he won the 125 B Stock championship.

Clark has twenty-one years of racing experience, with nine of those being his amateur career.

Personal

Ryan Clark is definitely more than just a motocross racer, he is also a fine businessman. He started Team Solitare, which became a model for those aspiring to create a successful privateer racing operation.

Besides motocross, Clark is a family man. He and his wife Cassandra have two children; Everett and Audrey. He enjoys music: mostly acoustic rock. Some of his favorite bands include The Ataris, Rufio and the Beatles. His favorite food is Mexican food, and one of his long-term goals is to continually improve from past years. Clark has definitely achieved that, whether it’s by better results, new teams or family accomplishments. John Leonard

Contributors: Alissa Gilligan