Off-road racer Randy Hawkins grew up in the city of Travelers Rest, S.C. He first raced in a 1976 motocross event, launching a career that captured a long list of AMA National victories, championship titles, and international gold medals.
Between 1987 and 2004, Hawkins earned 73 AMA National race wins. He won the AMA National Enduro Championship seven times, and was runner-up for the title four times. He also competed in the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), earning 13 gold medals and two silver medals. He captained his club team at the 2003 ISDE in Brazil, taking the overall second-place finish.
Hawkins’ titles also include the 1991 and 1994 AMA 125cc National Reliability Series Championships, and three Southeastern Enduro & Trail Riders Association (SETRA) Enduro Grand Championships. He also races on four wheels, competing in the NASCAR Late Model class.
Other awards Hawkins has received include the 2003 Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) Sportsman of the Year and Most Popular Off-Road Rider in Japan in 1992. The mayor of the city of Travelers Rest presented Hawkins with the keys to the city for his accomplishments.
Hawkins is involved with several off-road business ventures. He manages the Am-Pro Racing Team for Team Yamaha and has served as an instructor at the GNCC University. He recently produced an off-road racing DVD entitled Champions at Play.
"To think that I started riding a motorcycle for fun, never dreaming it would be a career, then to have it become my entire lifestyle, and now to receive this honor is just very humbling," Hawkins said. "The off-road racing industry is so friendly, so family-oriented, and I've met so many wonderful people throughout my career that I feel truly blessed to be associated with all the other great riders in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. I'm excited about it, and I'll do whatever I can to help carry the banner. This sport has given more to me than I could ever give back, and I want to be involved as long as I can.”
Hawkins continues to be a vital part of the off-road racing community and is an enduring ambassador for the sport. He is known for never turning away a fan, and he regularly serves as a speaker and presenter at awards banquets. At the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame he lived in the city of Travelers Rest with his wife Cathy, daughters Catherine Jewel and Adeline, and son Mitch.
Hawkins was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in 2009.