Jeff Emig

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Cam Jeffrey Emig (born December 1, 1970 in Kansas City, Kansas) was one of the premier motocross racers of the 1990s with 4 major titles for Yamaha and Kawasaki. His main rival was Jeremy McGrath. Emig won more motocross races than any other competitor in the 1990s with 29 wins and 3 titles. He was also the only rider in the '90s to win back to back 250cc motocross national championships in 1996 and 1997. He was a six time member of the United States Motocross des Nations team, with the U.S. team winning the Championship in 1992, '93, and '96. In 1998 he was injured after a five race span in which he won four, and placed second in the other. He was often overshadowed by McGrath in the indoor supercross series.

In 1997 Emig had one of his best seasons. In the 13 round series he won seven races finished second five times and had one fifth place. He won 17 of the 26 motos that year.

In 1999, Emig was stopped for suspicion of drug use. The officer noticed a bulge in Emig's pocket and asked him to remove it. The object was a soda can, made into an implement for smoking marijuana. Emig was arrested and subsequently dropped by the Kawasaki racing team. He would return as a privateer with a few sponsors and riding a Yamaha YZ250. He had a victory just a few weeks after being dropped by Kawasaki; winning the US Open of Supercross in Las Vegas.

But this was not the end of his problems. At the backyard track of fellow Yamaha rider and neighbor Stephane Roncada in Riverside County, California, Emig came up short on a triple jump, reportedly snapping both forearms above the wrist. The end of Emig’s career came when he was preparing for the Outdoor season later that year and had another horrific crash where he was badly injured and forced into retirement.

Emig's starting prowess was legendary. His clutch control and first corner fearlessness saw him lead many races into the first turn in the 1990s. He was notoriously hard to pass, and always rode with his elbows high up in an outward position. He now has a wife and a child, still involved in MX on several levels, including television color commentary. Emig was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2004.