Rider

Kenny Roberts Jr. reminded a lot of people of Kenny Roberts Sr. Like his dad, he became MotoGP World Champion. They remain today the only father-son duo to claim road racing’s highest honor. Roberts ascended to the premier 500cc class in 1996 with Yamaha, then spent two years with his father’s Team Roberts developing the Malaysian Modenas KR3 racing bike. Moving to Suzuki for 1999, Roberts won his debut race and three more to finish a close second in that year’s MotoGP title chase. He won four more races the following season on his way to his historic 2000 MotoGP title over a talented rookie named Valentino Rossi who would rule the championship the next five years. Roberts’ results fell after that until he teamed with his father again to develop the Honda-powered KR211V and KR212V into serious challengers. He was inducted into the FIM MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2017. Every other American MotoGP champ — Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Roberts Sr., Kevin Schwantz, Freddie Spencer and Nicky Hayden — has been inducted into the MSHFA.