US motocross legend, the late Marty Moates from San Diego in California, raced down under between 1981 and 1985. 

Moates and three other Americans – Legend Brock Glover, Gary Semics and Warren Reid – competed in the 1981 Ratshirts Yamaha International at Amaroo Park in New South Wales, the Melbourne International Supercross the following night and Bunbury Supercross (WA), which he won

He and fellow American Jim Ellis loved Australia so much, they ended up staying for many years and in 1983, for the first time, became the first Americans to contest the Mister Motocross series with Moates racing a Motorsport Suzuki and AMA Supercross legend Ellis competing the series on a KTM 495 supplied by Bert Flood.

Moates won the second round at Mallala in South Australia on a countback, after tying with Gall.  And with double points up for grabs in the final round at Broadford in Victoria, he still had a realistic chance to take out the series – in third place behind series leader Gall and Vandenberg.

In heat 2 at Broadford, Moates sensationally crashed into a television cameraman breaking his own collarbone and the cameraman’s leg. But amazingly, he rejoined the race and still finished third.  Despite the injury, Moates continued to ride all day and even won the final fourth leg after winning the holeshot, with Vandenberg content to cruise home in third with enough points to clinch the prestigious title.

In 1983 Moates was the runner-up 500cc Australian Motocross Champion at Acusa Park (SA), he won the Newcastle Supercross (NSW) and was second in the King of the Cross (WA) behind Vaughan Style.  In 1984, he finished second in the prestigious Manjimup 15000 behind WA rider Jeff Leisk, who won most major events that year.

That year in the west, he also competed in the Western Classic, Manjimup 15000 and Fremantle Supercross, where another US legend Danny LaPorte (1982 250cc World Champion) and Swede Hakan Carlvist (1983 and reigning World 500cc Champion) were competing.

Moates was a tough and tenacious rider, as he showed at Broadford and earlier in 1980 when he received world recognition after winning the 500cc USA Grand Prix at Carlsbad, in California as a privateer.

Moates, who co-founded the No Fear Carlsbad-based sportswear firm, would return to the US after the 1985 season, but Ellis made Australia home after winning two Australian Championships that year at Noble Falls in Western Australia.

Sadly, on 7 December 2006, at age 49, Marty Moates died of gunshot wounds in an apparent suicide near his family home in La Costa. Friends said Moates was living in great pain from old motorcycle-related injuries, sustained over 12 years of racing across more than 20 different countries.