James Povolny - Motocross

James was a District 23 regular, but always had an eye to the national stage. He competed at Loretta Lynn s Amateur Nationals for many years before giving turning pro. He raced professionally for nearly 20 years, earning an AMA national number for 12 consecutive years. He had a few unusual accomplishments in his pro career, the least of which is appearing in several stories on the old MX Bob web site.

Years Pro: 1994 - 2008

Competed in 145 AMA Supercross and Motocross events

6 Top Ten, 95 Top Twenty Race Finishes

Best Race Finishes: 6th 125 Supercross, 9th 250 Motocross, 13th 250 Supercross (3 times), 15th 125 Motocross

Best Championship Finishes: 7th 125 Supercross, 17th 250 Motocross, 20th 250 Supercross

Unusual Accomplishment: James is one of only a few riders to race rounds in East and West 125 Supercross regions in the same year (1999), and to qualify for the 125 and 250 Supercross mains on the same night (2004). Both are rather small clubs.

Yearly Recap

Before the Pros - James competed in two 85cc classes in 1988 at Loretta s but was unable to put together good finishes. He competed again in 91, 93, and 94. He generally finished well in very competitive classes, his best finish, a 6th in 250/Open A Stock in 1993.

1994 Like many did during that era, his first Pro Motocross national was close to his home, at the hills of Millville. He rode a Kawasaki 125 to 23rd overall, just out of the top 20, but a good rookie finish.

1995 Still on a Kawasaki, James qualified for the 125 Supercross Main at Cleveland, Ohio, finishing 16th. He rode one round of 125 Motocross, like the previous year, tantalizing close to the top 20, with a 22nd at Unadilla.

1996 James switched to the 250 class and the Suzuki brand. He qualified for 5 250 Motocross rounds, his best result being a 17th at Budds Creek, for 25th in the points.

1997 - Back on a 125, but still riding a Suzuki, he qualified for 4 125 East SX Mains, his best finish being 13th at Daytona, for 24th overall.

He went back to Loretta s, still eligible to compete as an amateur, and finished 5th in 125 A Modified, 2nd in 250/Open Modified, two very competitive classes.

He also qualified for 3 125 Motocross nationals, his best finish being a 20th at High Point.

1998 - This was his first year riding the complete series, both Supercross and Motocross. He was on a KTM, which was somewhat unusual at that point in time. In 125 West Supercross, he had 2 Top Tens, including his career best finish a 6th at Daytona, on his way to a 7th in the championship. He also qualified for a round of 250 SX, finishing 18th in Minneapolis.

James was having a hard time getting in the points at the 125 nationals. At the end of the year, he raced one round on a Suzuki 250, and tied his best Motocross finish, a 17th at Steel City.

1999 - Now on a Yamaha, he raced 3 rounds of 125 Supercross, 2 West and 1 East. The rules prevent that now, but then, it was still allowed under certain conditions. His best finish was a 12th at Dallas.

In the 125 Motocross series, he would fight for every point, his season best being a 15th at Budds Creek.

2000 This year, he would change to the brand most people know him for, Honda. He raced 2 rounds of the 125 East SX series, but then switched full-time to the 250, and never looked back. He qualified for 9 250 Supercross Mains, his best finish being a 13th at Joliet and Las Vegas, for 21st in the championship.

In 250 Motocross, he finished in the points in nearly every race he rode in, his season best being 13th at High Point, on his way to 17th in the points, his career best outdoors.

2001 - Back on what would become a familiar ride for James and many other privateers at that time, a Honda 250, he qualified for 10 rounds of 250 Supercross with a season best 11th at Saint Louis, for 22nd in the championship.

James qualified for 7 rounds of 250 Motocross, with a season best 17th at Broome-Tioga.

2002 Still on the Honda, James qualified for 10 250 Supercross Mains, his best finish being a 13th in New Orleans. He finished 20th in the championship.

He qualified for 7 250 Motocross races, his best being a 10th at Broome-Tioga, finishing 25th in the championship.

2003 - Once again on the CR250, he qualified for 3 250 Supercross Mains, his best finish being a 17th at Detroit and Salt Lake City.

He qualified for 6 250 Motocross races, his best finish an 18th at Red Bud.

2004 Still on his Honda 250 in Supercross, when the 450s were starting to become more popular, James qualified for 8 250 Supercross mains, his best being a 13th at Salt Lake City, for 25th in the championship.

He also accomplished something only a few riders have done. At Atlanta, he qualified for a 125 and 250 Main on the same night. He rode his 125 against many 250Fs, finishing 18th.

When it came time for the Motocross series, James switched to a Honda 450. He qualified for 10 rounds, busting out a top ten with a career best 9th at Budds Creek, on his way to 21st in the points.

On a break from the nationals, he went back to Minnesota and stopped at Elko Motocross.

2005 - James qualified for 2 250 (450 by this point) Supercross races on his Honda, finishing 17th at Phoenix, and then qualifying for what would turn out to be his last Supercross Main on January 29, 2005, in San Francisco.

He rode 2 rounds of 450F/250 Motocross on a Suzuki, carding a 20th at Red Bud.

2006 - James appeared yet again in the MX Bob web site when he raced the Boo Koo Arenacross at the Target Center in 2006. It is unknown if he competed in other rounds as information about that series is not available.

He rode 3 rounds of 450F/250 Motocross on a Suzuki, improving his last year's effort there by finishing 19th at Red Bud.

2007 - James raced 3 rounds of 450 Motocross on a KX450, but his focus was no longer on riding the entire national circuit. He explained his plans in this Racer X Privateer Profile.

2008 - James raced his last National at Millville. Late in the year, he had plans for racing 2009. He discussed these plans and his recent involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in yet another Racer X Privateer Profile.

2009 - Present (as of June 2020) For whatever reason, he did not compete in 2009 as planned. The Minnesota Hall of Fame Research Division was trying to get information about it, but has stalled out.

After a 14 year hiatus, He returned to the Loretta Lynn's Amateur National. From 2011 - 2014, he raced the 25+ and 35+ classes, never out of the Top Ten, finishing 2nd or 3rd overall 6 times, often racing against some familiar rivals. In 2016, he won the 40+ class Championship.

The Povolny name appeared again when his son raced the Supercross Futures race at Indianapolis in 2019.