Cory Keeney - Motocross

Keeney made his way through the ranks of District 23, then turned pro in 1993. He was the first Minnesota rider to compete with success at the pro level since Donny Schmit. He was a regular top ten finisher in 125cc Supercross in the 90s, and finished in the Top Ten in the series four times in a row, 1994 - 1997.

He also competed in the Motocross series, his best overall finishes being in 1995, his only full season in the 125 class; 10th overall, and 16th in the series championship.

Years Pro:1993 - 2001

Competed in 74 AMA Supercross and Motocross events

19 Top Ten, 57 Top Twenty Finishes

Best Races Finishes: 5th (four times) 125 Supercross, 11th 125 Motocross, 11th 250 Motocross

Best Championship Finishes: 7th (twice)

Cory had a long history racing against national-level completion, starting with the Amateur nationals at Loretta’s. Always on a Kawasaki, his first race there was in 1984, competing in the 65 (7-11) class. He raced there every year from 1987 through 1994. His breakout year was 1991 where he finished 2nd in 250 A Stock and 4th in 125 Stock. In 1992, he won the 250/Open A Stock class. He turned pro the next year. While racing professionally in 1993 and 1994, he also posted good results in the premier 125A and 250A classes.

In 1993, Cory’s first taste of the pros was at Anaheim, the second round of the 125 West Supercross series. That night was also the first 250 Supercross win for Jeremy McGrath. Keeney qualified for the main when he raced his Kawasaki to a 5th in his heat race. Not getting the greatest start in the Main, the rookie finished a respectable 14th. After failing to qualify at San Diego, he made it into the main at the last 2 rounds, finishing 12th and 13th. After showing his potential, he committed to his sport by living in California for winter training and competition.

He competed in all 8 rounds of the 1994 125 West Supercross championship The first race did not go well. He qualified out of his heat for this East/West round, but had a DNF in the main. The next round at Anaheim went much better. He finished 7th with the riders in front of him all veterans. He had 3 races with issues leading to poor finishes, but his 7th at the last round in Las Vegas netted him 8th in the championship. He also qualified for 3 motocross races in the 125 class, finishing 20th overall at Millville.

Cory was back in the 125 West Supercross series in 1995, riding a YZ 125 for the Xtreme / PJ-1 / Atomic 22 / Burnsville Yamaha team. He posted 7-8-7 finishes early in the series, but some bad luck in the other rounds knocked him back to a still respectable 7th in the series. He competed in the entire 125 Motocross series, finishing 10th at Troy, Ohio and 16th overall.

In 1996, he switched to the 125 East Region of the Supercross series. He finished in the top ten 6 times, with a career-best 5th at Atlanta and Tampa, on his way to 7th overall in the championship. He also competed in a few rounds of 125 and 250 Motocross.

He was back out West in 1997, tying his career best finish with a 5th at Tempe, Arizona. His 9th place in the championship was the fourth season he finished in the Top Ten in 125 Supercross. He also qualified for 3 rounds of 250 Supercross, finishing 18th at Daytona. He did not compete in any Motocross nationals in 1997.

1998 was Cory’s last year of full time competition. He raced the 125 East Supercross series, finishing in the top ten 3 times, tying his career best with a 5th at Tampa. A few issues in other rounds left him 11th in the championship. He raced a 250 back home at Millville, but some tough luck prevented him from a strong finish.

From 1999 through 2001, Keeney raced a few rounds each year, a 250 at Millville every year, and a 125 Supercross in Minneapolis in 1999. He also ventured out of state, racing a 250 at Budds Creek in 1999, and 125 Supercross at Saint Louis in 2001.

As of 2020, Cory has not competed at Loretta’s, as some of the other former pros have done. He still enjoys riding with his family, and could probably show the young guns a thing or two if he chose to.

Elko, 2002