David Clinton
Encyclopedia
David Clinton is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1973 to 1979. Nicknamed "Dynamite" early in his career David Clinton could be truthfully said to be the sport's first true superstar. He was the first racer to win an official National No.1 plate of any kind when the first BMX sanctioning body, the National Bicycle Association
(NBA), introduced the title in 1975. During the previous year he won the junior class division of a series of what could be called proto Nationals, a part of the first major BMX series, when he took first place in the Junior class at the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup which decided the California State Champion. Clinton along with Scot Breithaupt
and John "Snaggletooth" Palfryman participated in the first true National sanctioned by the NBA in Phoenix, Arizona
in 1975 and became the first official pro in BMX in 1977 (although Thom Lund could be considered the first BMXer to race for money. He raced for a share of the US$200 purse and won the Scot Breithaupt sponsored Saddleback Park race in Irvine, California
in 1975).
Started Racing: 1971 at age 11. He was doing halftime show BMX races between the minicycle races at the Indian Dunes track in Valencia, California
.
Sanctioning Body: None.
First race result: Unknown.
First win (local): Some time in 1971 at the Indian Dunes Motorcycle Motocross track in Valencia, California At the time some BMX tracks where made out of active MX tracks.
First sponsor: Pedalers West 1972.
First national win: Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Final on September 14, 1974 in Junior class* age 14. While the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup was not a true national-no national points were awarded to any participant who resided outside of the state-it was the very first large, heavily promoted race series up to that time in BMX. Clinton's first true national win was in 14 & Over Expert at the National Bicycle Association
(NBA) Tri-State National in Tucson, Arizona
on March 30, 1975. It was the second true national in BMX history. The first one was the previous day's NBA Winternationals held in Phoenix, Arizona
. John George
won the 14 & Over Expert class. Because records only published the first four placers it is not known through available public records what position Clinton came in that day, or even if he made the main.
Turned professional: 1977 at 17 years of age with the NBA. He was the very first official pro.
First Professional race result**: First place at NBA National in Chandler, Arizona
on April 30, 1978.
First Professional win: See above.
Retired: Late 1980 at age 20. He made a brief comeback in 1982 at the ABA Fall Nationals in Lancaster, California
on October 16 and 17 but a preexisting knee injury forced him to retire from BMX permanently. He also was still doing obsolete one pedal starts when most other pros (Andy Patterson being one notable exception) had adapted the quicker reaction two pedal balance starts. His failure to adapt also contributed to his truncated comeback.
Height & weight at height of his career (1975–1978): Ht:5'3" Wt:135-~230 lbs.
Note: the 230 pounds figure is for roughly at the end of the peak in his career.
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
American Bicycle Association (ABA Founded January 1975, defunct December 1975)*
National Bicycle League (NBL)
National Pedal Sport Association (NPSA)
American Bicycle Association (ABA Founded 1977)
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championships
Bicycle Motocross News:
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA publication):
NBA World & NBmxA World' (The NBA/NBmxA official membership publication under two names):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The NBL official membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The ABA official membership publication under three names):
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1973 to 1979. Nicknamed "Dynamite" early in his career David Clinton could be truthfully said to be the sport's first true superstar. He was the first racer to win an official National No.1 plate of any kind when the first BMX sanctioning body, the National Bicycle Association
National Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA), introduced the title in 1975. During the previous year he won the junior class division of a series of what could be called proto Nationals, a part of the first major BMX series, when he took first place in the Junior class at the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup which decided the California State Champion. Clinton along with Scot Breithaupt
Scot Breithaupt
Scot Alexander Breithaupt is an entrepreneur, "Old School" former professional Motorcycle MX and Bicycle Motocross racer and a founding father of BMX in 1970 whose prime competitive years were from 1970 to 1984...
and John "Snaggletooth" Palfryman participated in the first true National sanctioned by the NBA in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in 1975 and became the first official pro in BMX in 1977 (although Thom Lund could be considered the first BMXer to race for money. He raced for a share of the US$200 purse and won the Scot Breithaupt sponsored Saddleback Park race in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
in 1975).
Racing career
----Started Racing: 1971 at age 11. He was doing halftime show BMX races between the minicycle races at the Indian Dunes track in Valencia, California
Valencia, California
Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...
.
Sanctioning Body: None.
First race result: Unknown.
First win (local): Some time in 1971 at the Indian Dunes Motorcycle Motocross track in Valencia, California At the time some BMX tracks where made out of active MX tracks.
First sponsor: Pedalers West 1972.
First national win: Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Final on September 14, 1974 in Junior class* age 14. While the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup was not a true national-no national points were awarded to any participant who resided outside of the state-it was the very first large, heavily promoted race series up to that time in BMX. Clinton's first true national win was in 14 & Over Expert at the National Bicycle Association
National Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA) Tri-State National in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
on March 30, 1975. It was the second true national in BMX history. The first one was the previous day's NBA Winternationals held in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. John George
John George (BMX racer)
John George was a professional American "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from .-Racing career milestones:----Started racing: September 1972...
won the 14 & Over Expert class. Because records only published the first four placers it is not known through available public records what position Clinton came in that day, or even if he made the main.
Turned professional: 1977 at 17 years of age with the NBA. He was the very first official pro.
First Professional race result**: First place at NBA National in Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
on April 30, 1978.
First Professional win: See above.
Retired: Late 1980 at age 20. He made a brief comeback in 1982 at the ABA Fall Nationals in Lancaster, California
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
on October 16 and 17 but a preexisting knee injury forced him to retire from BMX permanently. He also was still doing obsolete one pedal starts when most other pros (Andy Patterson being one notable exception) had adapted the quicker reaction two pedal balance starts. His failure to adapt also contributed to his truncated comeback.
Height & weight at height of his career (1975–1978): Ht:5'3" Wt:135-~230 lbs.
Note: the 230 pounds figure is for roughly at the end of the peak in his career.
Amateur
- Pedalers West: 1972-1973
- Rick's Bike Shop: 1973-August 1, 1974
- Kawasaki Motors: August 1, 1974-Late August 1974
- Dirtmaster Racing Products: Late August 1974-September 1974
- Kawasaki Motors: September 1974-July 1976. Clinton briefly "retired" from BMX to race MX in Early 1976 for his then sponsor Kawasaki MotorsKawasaki Heavy Industriesis an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
.
- Jimmy Weinart (Laguna Distributing): Late September 1976-April 1977. David Clinton would turn pro with this sponsor.
Professional
- Jimmy Weinart: Late September 1976-April 1977.
- D.G. Performance Specialist (The initials stood for Dan Hangsleben, Gary Harlow): April 1977-December 31, 1977
- Shimano Sales Corporation/Diamondback: January 1, 1978-December 31, 1978. Diamondback was Clinton's second Primary sponsor, providing the racing frame.
- Redline Engineering: January 1, 1979-August 1979.
- D.G. Performance Specialist: August 1979-September 1979. Brief one month stay. This was Clinton's second stint with DG.
- Shimano Sales Corporation: September 1979-December 1979.
- Diamondback (Centurion): January 1980-December 1982. In the last months of his career (after a very brief racing comeback) and after his retirement he was the supervisor of the sales department at Western States Imports, the parent company of Centurion Bicycle Company.
Amateur
Independent race events- 1974 Junior class California State Champion at the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup (a.k.a the Bicycle Motocross Championship of California State).
- 1975 15 & Up Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup Champion.
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
- 1973 12 Western States Champion.
- 1973 California Champion.*
- 1974 13 Western States Champion.
- 1975 14 & Over Expert Western States Champion
- 1975 National No.1.
American Bicycle Association (ABA Founded January 1975, defunct December 1975)*
- 1975 National No.1
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- None
National Pedal Sport Association (NPSA)
- 1975 National No.1
American Bicycle Association (ABA Founded 1977)
- None
Professional
National Bicycle AssociationNational Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA)
- 1978 Open Pro & Overall Western States Champion.
- 1978 Pro Class Grandnational Champion.
National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
- None
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
- None
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
- None
Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championships
- 1977 16 Expert NBA/Mongoose Exhibition winner (Second main race; Jeff BottemaJeff BottemaJeffery Bottema was an American professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1976 to 1981. He had the nickname of "Battling".-Racing career milestones:----...
won the first 16 Expert main).†
Notable accolades
David Clinton has numerous first attributed to him:- He became one of the first officially recognized title holders in what was the first BMX championship series when he became the Junior Class California State Champion of the Yamaha Bicycle Gold Cup series along with Stu ThomsenStu ThomsenStuart L. Thomsen was an American bicycle motocross racer.Stu Thomsen was one of the first of the "Old School" of professional BMX racers who gained fame in the early days of the sport beginning in 1974. His prime competitive years were from 1976-1985...
(Expert Champion) and Mark Whitehead (Novice Champion). He also set the fastest elapse time for a single lap on the quarter mile course at 69.9 seconds.
- He is considered to be the sport's first Superstar.
- He was the first factory sponsored rider in the sport of BMX.
- He has been credited with performing the first "Table Top", a BMX stunt maneuver. He was photographed performing in July 1975 at Saddleback track.
- He earned very first National No.1 plate of any kind. It was with the NBA in 1975.
- He became the very first licensed professional of a sanctioning body in 1977, the NBA.
- He became the very first ABA BMX Hall of Fame Inductee in 1985.
- He was one of the founding members of the Professional Racing Organization (PRO) racers guildGuildA guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
in 1977.
- He was inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of FameUnited States Bicycling Hall of FameThe United States Bicycling Hall of Fame, located in Davis, California, is a private organization formed to preserve and promote the sport of cycling.-Location:...
on October 17, 2006
Significant injuries
- Had several knee injuries late in the 1977 season, including one during a practice session that laid him up for six months, putting him out of contention for the NBA national number one plate. These knee problems would eventually force him into retirement some three years later and keep him there after a brief comeback attempt in 1982.
Miscellaneous
- Clinton shares his birthdate of January 2 with another BMX icon: Doug Davis, who was born on January 2, 1969. Clinton was born in 1960
Post BMX career
- He raced Mountain bikes for a time during the 1980s as would a lot of former and present BMX racers would and have gone on to do; some simultaneously.
- As of 2005 He is the inside sales manager and in charge of answers bmx co-factory program.
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "What Makes David Run" Bicyicle Motocross News September 1974 Vol.1 No.4 pg.19
- "David Clinton" Bicycle Motocross Action January/February 1979 Vol.4 No.2 pg.40
- "Flashback: Dave Clinton" Snap BMX Magazine October 1999 Vol.6 Iss.8 No.36 pg.83 Retrospective of the racer.
- "Dave Clinton" "Bicycle Motocross Collector On line Magazine" April 2005 Old School BMX Dave Clinton Interview
BMX magazine covers
----Bicycle Motocross News:
- October 1974 Vol.1 No.5 with Bobby EncinasBobby EncinasBobby Encinas is a former professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1973 to 1980. He was one of the first superstars in BMX and one of its most savvy promoters...
- December 1974 Vol.1 No.7
- January 1975 Vol.2 No.1 with Bobby Encinas, John GeorgeJohn George (BMX racer)John George was a professional American "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from .-Racing career milestones:----Started racing: September 1972...
, & Jack Shannon - July 1975 Vol.2 No.6
- May 1977 Vol.4 No.5
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- BMX Action September/October 1978 Vol.3 No.5 with Scott ClarkScott Clark (BMX rider)Scott Clark is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1985....
and Harry LearyHarry LearyHarry Clarence Leary Jr. was a "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer....
in second and third respectively.
BMX Plus!:
- January 1979 Vol.2 No.1 In insert. Anthony SewellAnthony SewellAnthony Sewell was a professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1984. He was nicknamed "The Panther". He got the moniker jumping curbs in his neighborhood and neighborhood kids likened his jumping to that of a cat. This was soon converted to...
main image. - March 1980 Vol.3 No.3
Total BMX:
- None
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA publication):
- None
NBA World & NBmxA World' (The NBA/NBmxA official membership publication under two names):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The NBL official membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The ABA official membership publication under three names):