Episode 79 - Mark Blackwell
Few people have influenced American motorcycling from as many angles as Mark Blackwell. A pioneering racer, instructor, team manager, product-development specialist, executive, and industry advisor, Blackwell has spent more than five decades helping shape the sport and business of motorcycles.
Growing up in Southern California, Blackwell became fascinated by motocross just as the European sport was arriving in America. After watching four-time World Champion Torsten Hallman race at Saddleback Park, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. At 17, Blackwell traveled to Sweden to race, study the sport, and learn at the Husqvarna factory. He later became America’s first national motocross champion and one of the earliest Americans to compete in European Grands Prix.
An eye injury shortened Blackwell’s racing career, but opened several new chapters. He created a motocross school for Suzuki and personally trained approximately 2,500 riders before moving into race-team management, product development, and executive leadership. At Polaris, he helped transform Victory Motorcycles, improving the brand’s quality and launching models including the Vegas and Vision. He later advised KTM and helped relaunch Husqvarna in North America.