TODAY’S BIRTHDAY BOY: SUPER 125 CHAMP, MCGRATH NEMESIS & STILL TALKING

Jeff Emig was born on December 1, 1970 and is 54 years old.

Jeff won four titles at the AMA Amateur National Championships at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Tennessee. He turned Pro in 1990, when he was signed by the Kawasaki team. Jeff was fifth in the 1990 AMA 125 National Championship and switched to the Yamaha team for 1991. The next year, 1992, Emig won six of the seven 125 Nationals to earn the 1992 AMA 125 National Championship. In 1993 Jeff was the runner-up in the 125 Nationals behind Doug Henry and 10th in the AMA Supercross Championship. In 1994, his last year in the 125 class, Jeff finished fifth, but proved himself on the big bikes with a 4th in the Supercross series. The 1995 season saw Jeff finished second in the 250 Nationals and third in the Supercross series.

Jeff’s first and only 125 championship was in 1992 with mechanic Steve Butler.

In 1996, Emig returned to Kawasaki team and repeated as the 250 National Champion and then won the Supercross title in 1997. In the next four seasons at Kawasaki, Jeff only earned one top five finish in series points (1995 AMA outdoor Nationals). Unfortunately Jeff was arrested for marijuana possession and was fired by Team Kawasaki. His final win would come at the 1999 U.S Open in Las Vegas, a non-points paying event.

In Jeff’s last year of racing, he won the 2000 U.S. Open of Supercross for his own Edge Yamaha team.

During his 11-year professional career, Emig earned 39 AMA National wins and four AMA National Championships. He also was on three Motocross des Nations winning teams in 1992, 1993 and 1996 (and competed for Team USA at six MXDNs). He is best known by modern day riders are the color commentator on many National and Supercross TV shows.