![]() ![]() Winning over 200 regional events on country fair tracks across the Midwest earned Morehead a strong grassroots following of fans. His bread and butter came from racing the numerous regional dirt-track races around Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. In his early years, Morehead raced only the nationals that were close to home. He became an Expert class rider in 1974 and competed against the likes of Kenny Roberts, who successfully defended his Grand National Championship that year. Morehead obtained his professional license in 1972 at the age of 16. Roeder and Ronnie Rall became Morehead’s big childhood heroes. ![]() There he saw George Roeder sliding his big Harley-Davidson around the white crushed-limestone track and he knew that’s what he wanted to do. Morehead appeared to be headed in the direction of becoming a motocross star, but for a fateful visit to the Lima Half-Mile in Ohio. Morehead’s brother was also a top amateur racer who specialized on indoor concrete race tracks. Morehead began winning early, and before he turned pro he already had sponsorship deals with Bultaco and Kawasaki. His dad had to take the seat off his Hodaka and replace it with a wooden board with a little padding on it just so young Steve could touch the ground. He began competing in amateur motocross, roadrace and dirt-track events as a schoolboy. Born in Findlay, Ohio, in 1955, Morehead got his first motorcycle, a 100cc Hodaka, from his dad when he was 8 and rode countless laps around his backyard. The motorcycle racing bug bit Steve Morehead at a very young age. Morehead became a fan favorite and was one of the oldest riders on the professional dirt-track circuit when he retired. He finished ranked in the top-10 a remarkable 17 times. 42 won a total of 23 AMA Nationals during his 26-year professional racing career. Steve Morehead, aka the "Findlay Flyer," was one of the leading AMA Grand National dirt-track racers from the mid-1970s through the 1990s. Currently operations manager for AMA Flat Track. Upon retirement he was ranked tenth on the all-time AMA Grand National win list, and fourth-ranked in half-mile victories. Career spanning three decades dirt-track racer from 1972 to 1999. ![]()
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