Darrell Young (born May 7, 1966 in Clackamas, Oregon U.S.) is a former American "Old School" professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981–1988 and 1991 to 1994.
Racing career milestones
Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.
Started racing: In June 1979 at the age of 13 at the Y-BMX track, in Gladstone, OregonBMX World August/September 2006 Vol.1 Iss.5 pg.14 As it happens with many BMX racers a friend, Tim Murnane, talked him into racing.Bicycles and Dirt March 1984 Vol.2 No.6 pg.41
Sanctioning body:
First race result: First Place 13 novice.
First win (local): See above.
First sponsor: Bob's Bike Shop.
First National race result: First place in 13 Expert in the 1979 American Bicycle Association (ABA) Fall nationals in Tacoma, Washington. He also won 11-13 Trophy Dash and a third in Open Class.
First National win: See above
Turned professional: June 1984 at age 18.BMX World August/September 2006 Vol.1 Iss.5 pg.15
First Professional race result: He first raced a local track summer Series and emerged undefeated. In his first Professional national he came in first place in "A" Pro at the American Bicycle Association (ABA) Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado on July 1, 1984. He won US$240.BMX Plus! November 1984 Vol.7 No.11 pg.8 This is equivalent to US$475.15 in 2007 dollars.Cost of living Calculator
First Professional win: See above.
First Junior Pro* win: See above.
First Senior Pro** race result: Eighth place in "AA" Pro at the ABA Lumberjack Nationals in Clackamas, Oregon on August 25, 1985. He won US$30.BMX Plus! December 1985 Vol.8 No.12 pg.74 (US$59.39 2007)
First Senior Pro win: In "A" pro at the NBL National in Fort Wayne, Indiana on July 16, 1988BMX Plus! November 1988 Vol.11 No.11 pg.86 Due to injuries and sponsorship troubles it took approximately two years, ten months, and three weeks to get his first senior pro win.
Retired:
Height & weight at height of career (1990): Ht: Wt:lbs.
*In the NBL "B"/"Superclass"/"A" pro (depending on the era); in the ABA "A" pro. **In the NBL "A"/"Elite Men"/"AA" pro (depending on the era); in the ABA "AA" pro.
Career factory and major bike shop sponsors
Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever-changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are used.
Amateur Bob's Bikes: Late June 1979-October 1979Super BMX August 1980 Vol.7 No.8 pg.64 GT (Gary Turner) Racing Support Team: October 1979-April 1980 RRS (Riverside-Redlands Schwinn) (bike shop): April 1980-December 1980. JMC (James Melton Cyclery) Racing Equipment: January 1981-June 1985. Darrell would turn pro with this sponsor.
Professional
JMC Racing Equipment: Early 1981-July 1985. JMC went out of business in July 1985 after 11 years of being a bicycle component and later a complete bicycle manufacturer.BMX Action October 1985 Vol.10 No.10 pg.10 Bike Gallery (bike shop): July 1985-October 1985 This was a bike shop that had co-sponsored him back during his tenure with JMC.BMX Plus! January 1986 Vol.9 No.1 pg.12 Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd.: October 1985-May 1986. The February 1987 issue of Super BMX & Freestyle magazine implies he resigned in May 1986.Super BMX & Freestyle August 1986 Vol.13 No.8 pg.6 due to a personality dispute with the Kuwahara team manager Denny Henderson.Super BMX & Freestyle February 1987 Vol.14 No.2 pg.4-5 ("Around the Track") "Kuwahara" is Japanese for Mulberry Meadows.BMX Plus! April 1982 Vol.5 No.4 pg.23BMX Plus! December 1999 Vol.22 No.12 pg.32 The company is named after Sentaro Kuwahara who founded the company in 1916 in Osaka, Japan.Super BMX & Freestyle May 1986 Vol.13 No.5 pg.26 Bike Gallery (bike shop): May 1986-September 1986. Once again he was back with The Bike Gallery became his primary sponsor while he looked for a factory sponsorship.BMX Action September 1986 Vol.11 No.9 pg.30 KASL Racing: Sometime in between here. KASL Racing was a small private team from Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA that was started by Lesa Angelo and Ken Hicks (the "K" and "L" of KASL. The "A" and "S" stand for Albert and Sheldon, Lesa's two sons). They provided a jersey for Darrell to wear and paid some of his entry fees during the summer including the ABA Great Northwest Nationals in Eugene, OR. X-Caliber: September 1986-December 1986 First Class BMX (Bicycle shop): Mid July 1987- Titan: Early February 1988- Oregon ELF (Extra Light Frames): -Late April 1990 Northwest Kastan: Late April 1990-December 1990. The entire Oregon ELF team went over to NW Kastan in April 1990.American BMXer June 1990 Vol.12 No.5 pg.9 ("Short Stuff")
R&C Racing: January 1991-Mid 1992 Quick Silver/Bomber: Mid 1992-Late November 1992 SE (formerly Scot Enterprises now Sports Engineering) Racing: Late November 1992 – 1999. The 1992 ABA Grandnationals was his first race for SE Racing.American BMXer January/February 1993 Vol.15 No.1 pg.48 North Woods BMX: 2000- Supercross: November 2003- Arrow Racing: 2005
Career bicycle motocross titles Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.
Amateur National Bicycle Association (NBA)
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA) 1981 15 Expert Oregon No.1
1982 16 Expert, 15-25 Cruiser & Overall Amateur Northwest Gold Cup Champion 1982 16 Expert Utah All-State Champion 1982 15-25 Cruiser Jag World Champion (ABA Sanctioned) United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA) None International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
1982 15* Expert World Champion
*Under IBMXF rules at the time you stayed in the same age division as according to how old you were on January 1 even though you would have an intervening birthday during the racing season. Therefore, Darrell Young was still a 15 expert in July 1982 despite turning 16 the previous May.
Professional
National Bicycle Association (NBA) None National Bicycle League (NBL) None American Bicycle Association (ABA) 1987 Pro Oregon State Champion 1990 Oregon Governors Cup Pro Champion 1990 Canadian Amateur BMX Association (CABA)* Grandnational Champion 1990 Pro Cruiser National No.3 1991 Pro Cruiser National No.3 1992 Pro Cruiser National No. 1 1993 Pro Cruiser National No.2
*The Canadian Amateur BMX Association, formerly known as the Canadian American Bicycle Association was the Canadian affiliate of the ABA.
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA) None International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF) None Pro Series Championships
BMX product lines JMC Racing Equipment introduced the Darrell Young Design Signature Series Frame, Fork and Handlebars on October 24, 1983.JMCBMX.com site dedicated to the history of Jim Melton Cyclery bicycle firm. Magazine evaluations: Bicycles and Dirt March 1984 Vol.2 No.6 pg.42 Super BMX February 1984 Vol.11 No.2 pg.61 (Description only) Super BMX April 1984 Vol.11 No.4 pg.78 (Full testing and evaluation)
Notable accolades Named one of the "Terrible Ten", BMX Actions pick of fastest amateur racers in the world in 1983BMX Action May 1983 Vol.8 No.5 pg.86 Darrell Young is a 2003 ABA BMX Hall of Fame Inductee.
Significant injuries He had back-to-back collarbone breaks in the summer of 1981. The first was at the ABA Great Salt Lake National in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 28, 1981. He was laid up for approximately five weeks.Super BMX October 1981 Vol.8 No.10 pg.59 Six weeks after that first break he rebroke it in mid August at a national while jumping between motos and trying to avoid landing on a young racer also practicing. He was laid up again until late September.Bicycle Motocross Action February 1982 Vol.7 No.2 pg.22 Broke ankle in early January 1982 in an Australian skatepark. Laid up five weeks until the ABA Winternationals in Chandler, Arizona held on February 13 and 14.BMX Plus! April 1982 Vol. No.4 pg.17
Racing habits and traits
Miscellaneous
Darrell Young's racing career was in full swing. He had recently won the ABA's National #1 Cruiser title. Unfortunately in a state championship race, he got tangled up fighting for the lead spot with an A Pro local, Glen Cook in a main event. Both riders went down, but Darrell Young received a career ending broken hip injury. It was somewhat of a tragic event, because these two riders were rumored to be friends.
Young also competed in downhill mountain bike racing and won several regional and state downhill races in the Northwest, including the State Games of Oregon downhill race held on the legendary high speed Cannonball downhill race course.
BMX press magazine interviews and articles "Darrell Young" Bicycle Motocross Action February 1982 Vol.7 No.2 pg.22 Side bar. "JMC's Darrell Young: An Interview with a True Champion" Super BMX February 1984 Vol.11 No.2 pg.54 "JMC & Darrell Young" Bicycles and Dirt March 1984 Vol.2 No.6 pg.40 "Back in the day: Darrell Young" BMX World August/September 2006 Vol.1 Iss.5 pg.14
BMX magazine coversBicycle Motocross News:NoneMinicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:February 1984 Vol.11 No.2. In insert "Miss Mongoose" Austin Taylor poses with "Fubar The Robot", Super BMX's prop radio control robot mascot. In the centerfold Young is posing with celebrity soap opera actress Andrea Evans-Massey.(SBMX)Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:August 1986 Vol.11 No.8 (BMXA)BMX Plus!:Total BMX:Bicycles and Dirt:March 1984 Vol.2 No.6Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:NBA World & NBmx World (The NBA/NBmxA official membership publication):Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The NBL official membership publication under two names):ABA Action, American BMXers, BMXer (The ABA official membership publication under three names):USBA Racer''''' (The official USBA membership publication):
Notes https://www.pinkbike.com/news/mt-hood-downhill-series-3-2007.html
External links Oregonbmx.com article on Darrell Young. The American Bicycle Association (ABA) website. The National Bicycle League (NBL) website.