The two-time Pro Motocross 125cc Champion and four-time winner of the Hangtown Motocross Classic will be honored for his decorated career and contributions to the sport.

MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., in conjunction with event organizer the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club, has announced that Northern California racing legend and two-time Pro Motocross 125cc Champion Steve Lamson will be honored as Grand Marshal of this weekend’s Michael’s Reno Powersports Hangtown Motocross Classic, the second race of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. In this role, Lamson will participate in several engagements at the event, for which he is the co-winningest 125cc racer with four victories that spanned across the 1992 through 2000 seasons.
 
“We look forward to the opportunity to bring deserved recognition to one of Northern California’s most beloved racers, who proudly represented his home and enjoyed tremendous success in front of the local crowd here at Hangtown,” said Bob Messer, Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club. “His role as Grand Marshal will provide a memorable way to celebrate his career and contributions to building a passion for motocross within the region.”
 
A native of Pollock Pines, California, which sits less than 40 miles from Prairie City SVRA, the host venue of the Hangtown Motocross Classic, Lamson is one of a handful of racers that are synonymous with Honda’s storied legacy in American motocross thanks to his incredible success as a “Red Rider.” He became one of all-time greats of the hallowed 125cc division, where he captured back-to-back AMA National Championships in 1995 & 1996 and amassed 20 career wins, which places him fourth all-time alongside Jeremy Martin, a racer he guided to back-to-back class titles as team manager at Yamaha Star Racing. 

Lamson’s career started in 1988, and he captured his first career win in a hometown triumph at Hangtown in 1992 at the age of 21, riding for Suzuki. After a move to Honda and a season contesting the premier division, Lamson returned to the 125cc division in 1994 and began a memorable seven-year run with the Japanese marque that brought immense accolades. Along the way, he won the 1996 Hangtown Classic at the age of 25, the 1998 Hangtown Classic at the age of 27, and finally the 2000 Hangtown Classic at the age of 29 for his final career win that cemented his legend status. He also carries the distinction of being the first racer to win a moto outright aboard a 125cc motorcycle at the Motocross of Nations. Lamson’s career spanned an impressive 19 seasons (1988-2007), during which he made an incredible 108 career starts in the 125cc division. 
 
Upon retirement, Lamson served as team manager for several race teams, most notably the aforementioned Yamaha Star Racing unit. He helped guide the brand’s resurgence into the elite of the 250 Class, where Jeremy Martin and Cooper Webb blossomed into champions. 
 
“I’m certainly honored that the Dirt Diggers invited me to be Grand Marshal for Hangtown, but most of all I’m just really excited to be a part of what is sure to be an amazing race,” said Lamson. “This event is very special to me and there’s no better racetrack on the planet, in my opinion. I cannot wait to be a part of it all and look forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces.”

The Michael’s Reno Powersports Hangtown Motocross Classic will serve as Round 18 of the SMX World Championship this Saturday, May 31, from Prairie City SVRA in Rancho Cordova, California.