Scott Summers raced, won and trained his way.
He won off-road titles on an unorthodox motorcycle. He fostered a new level of professionalism in his discipline. And he helped usher in an era of commercial success for his sport.
While fans may remember the Kentucky native for famously racing Honda XR600Rs to nine AMA national off-road racing championships, the industry also respects Summers’ contributions to the off-road industry.
Summers’ race program itself—his training, his team, his interactions with fans and sponsors—inspired his competitors to emulate his professionalism. Bolstered by his status as a member of the venerable factory Honda racing team, Summers and his mechanic and manager Fred Bramblett helped off-road competition reach new levels of commercial success while maintaining its ties to its sportsman roots.
“Scott won and thrived, becoming one of the most prolific off-road champions in AMA-sanctioned national competition, and in the process helped bring a new level of professionalism to off-road racing in America,” says Ken Ford, a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame executive committee and assistant treasurer of the AMA board of directors.
Summers won the 1990, 1991 and 1992 Grand National Cross Country championships racing a Honda XR600R against riders on much lighter and more agile motorcycles. After a three-year GNCC dry spell, Summers reclaimed the AMA national No. 1 plate in 1996 and successfully defended his title the following year. Summers also won four AMA Hare Scrambles National Championships in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1995. In addition, he collected three gold medals competing for the U.S. team at the International Six Days Enduro.
“I’m humbled and honored, but to be honest, I feel like any success I achieved was a result of a group effort,” Summers says. “I was surrounded by some visionary people who contributed to my racing—my dad, Wade, was instrumental in persuading me that four-strokes could be competitive and my friend, Fred Bramblett, was my mechanic, my business manager, my agent and my publicist. I was blessed in that I don’t know if any off-road racer ever had the support that I had. I don’t feel like I’m responsible for all the accolades that I received while competing, and I’m happy to share the limelight with all those who drove my success.”
Summers earned a reputation for versatility and skill for racing a big four-stroke Honda that was primarily designed for high-speed, open terrain. Summers raced in mostly tight, rocky woods in the eastern United States.
Although Summers acknowledges that the XR600R had a weight disadvantage compared to the smaller two-strokes ridden by his rivals, he says its smoother power delivery and torque gave him a performance edge.
“In 1982, I got a Honda XR200 for Christmas, and I fell in love with the type of power that bike made,” he says.
The humble XR200 helped Summers develop the skills that would one day win nine national titles.
“There came a day when I felt I was capable of going faster than that bike would let me,” Summers says. “That was in 1985 when I got an XR600. It was very similar to the XR200, only much more in every way. I loved the power characteristics, and it more than compensated for the fact that I was riding a bike 50 to 100 pounds heavier than the other bikes. Because of the smooth power, I could relax more, and that paid big benefits during a three-hour race.”