Honoring Moto Pioneer Pat Maroney

This weekend, during the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross races at Unadilla, the Legends and Heroes of Motocross tour will honor former pro motocross local, Pat Maroney. A meet and greet autograph signing with the champ will also take place at the Legends and Heroes tour display after the first rounds of the 250 and 450 events.

Maroney, born in 1958, began riding a Briggs & Stratton on his father’s farm at the age of four. His riding ability was realized at the local Northeast racetracks where he began winning every. During his racing career Maroney raced for Husqvarna and many support teams across the country. His best year-end finish was a ninth in the AMA 125cc National Motocross Series, competing against riders like Bob Hannah, Jimmy Weinert and Marty Smith. His best race finishes were fittingly at his local New York stomping grounds, Unadilla Raceway.

The Metropolitan Sports committee in New York summed up the racer flawlessly, “Pat Maroney was just as famous as the rest of them and also had more than his fair share of fans and support. He was one of the first riders to totally whip it sideways going down into the infamous Gravity Cavity at Unadilla. He went down the seventy-foot drop sideways, one-handed and flipping a peace sign. How could you as a spectator not root for a guy who risked it all like that to salute you?” Seventies and eighties motocross fan-favorite, Pat Maroney was nothing less than a crowd pleaser.

After racing motocross, Pat went on to compete in AMA Enduro racing where he became an AA rider after one year. Still not satisfied with his accomplishments on two-wheels, his desire to race led him to road racing where he picked up a ride with Rob Iannucci, owner of “Team Obsolete” where he won the 750cc G.P. number one plate in 1990 and 1991.

By Tom Roderick