It would take more than a decade to get there.

He switched teams, suffered mechanical failures, missed championships by heartbreakingly thin margins, and faced rivals backed by powerhouse European factories. Some seasons, the title slipped away in the very last races.

He could have walked away — many would have. But after joining Suzuki in early ’81, Lackey mastered the power and reliability of the works RN500 and found himself on the cusp of a world title at the final race of the ’82 season in Luxembourg. On the final lap of the first moto, he made his move —slipping past his teammate to take second, shattering his rival’s confidence. In the second moto, Brad left no doubt, crossing the finish line as America’s first — and still only — 500cc World Motocross Champion.

Brad’s legacy lives on within the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame — the story of an American who refused to quit.