Robert MacPherson (BMX rider)

For other people named Robert Macpherson (or MacPherson), see Robert Macpherson.
Robert MacPherson
Personal information
Full name Robert D. MacPherson
Nickname "MacFearsome", "Big Mac"
Born (1971-02-09) February 9, 1971
Norwalk, California, United States
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
Role Racer
Rider type Off road
Amateur team(s)
1982 Valencia Schwinn
1983 Zap Clothing
1983-1985 Vans
1985-1986 CW Racing
1986-1994 Retired for eight years
1994-1995 Mongoose
Professional team(s)
1995-1998 Mongoose
1998-2001 Diamondback
2001-2002 Too Fitness/Diamonback
2002 Free Agent/O'Neal
Infobox last updated on
April 23, 2009

Robert D. MacPherson (born February 9, 1971 from Norwalk, California United States) is a former professional American "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1995 to 2001. His nicknames were "MacFearsome",[1] and "Big Mac".

Racing career milestones

Note: Professional firsts are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.

Started racing: MacPherson started racing in 1976 at the age of four, where crashed on his first lap around the track in practice. He didn't attempt to race again until 1981, and this time he did not qualify. In his third race he got fourth place. He had a successful child amateur career after that, and then left the sport in late 1986 at 15 years of age. He resumed racing in 1994 with the ABA Fall Nationals in Burbank, California on October 21–23, 1994.

Sanctioning body district(s): American Bicycle Association (ABA) California 9 (CA-9) (1983), CA-22 (1985)

First race result: Did not qualify in 1981.

Turned professional: November 1995, moments after his victory in becoming National No.1 Amateur at the ABA grand nationals.[2] He was 23 years old.

First professional race result: Eighth place (last) in Superclass at the National Bicycle League (NBL) Christmas Classic in Columbus, Ohio on December 28, 1995 (Day 1).[3][4]

Retired: MacPherson first retired after the 1986 ABA grand nationals to pursue football. He resumed racing in 1994 after an eight-year layoff at 23 years old. He missed the travel and camaraderie.[5] He retired again in December 2002 to spend more time with his daughter.[6]

Career factory and major bike shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are used.

Amateur

Professional

Career bicycle motocross titles

Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Only sanctioning bodies active during the racer's career are listed.

Amateur

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

National Bicycle League (NBL)

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

*In 1985 the ABA experimented with dividing the district points season from one year lasting from January 1 to December 31 to three four-month-long time periods at which a racer could earn a plate number for that time period and/or their age group and could race the rest of the year with it. The experiment lasted only for a year before the ABA reverted to a single year long points gathering season in 1986.

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

**The 7-Up World Championship race was the direct descendant of the Jag BMX World Championship races held from 1978 to 1983. Renny Roker, the promoter of the JAG BMX World Championship gave the rights to the WC to the USBA in 1984 in return for the cable television rights.

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*

United States Cycling Federation (USCF)

Independent Events, Race Series and Invitationals

*See note in professional section

Professional

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

*Note: Beginning in 1991 the IBMXF and FIAC had been holding joint World Championship events as a transitional phase in merging which began in earnest in 1993. Beginning with the 1996 season the IBMXF and FIAC completed the merger and both ceased to exist as independent entities being integrated into the UCI. Beginning with the 1997 World Championships held in Brighton, England the UCI would officially hold and sanction BMX World Championships and with it inherited all precedents, records, streaks, etc. from both the IBMXF and FIAC.

Pro Series Championships

Notable accolades

BMX product lines

Product evaluation
BMX Plus! February 1998 Vol.21 No.2 pg. 71 Note: this bicycle was jointly evaluated with the GT Speed Series Team bicycle.
Product evaluation
Snap BMX Magazine December 2000 Vol. 7 Iss. 12 No. 50 pg. 118

Significant injuries

Post BMX career

BMX press magazine interviews and articles

BMX magazine covers

Note: Only magazines that were in publication at the time of the racer's career(s) are listed unless specifically noted.

BMX Plus!:

ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (the official membership publication of the ABA under three different names):

Notes

  1. ↑ Snap BMX Magazine March/April 1997 Vol.4 Iss.2 No.15 pg.101
  2. ↑ Snap BMX Magazine March/April 1996 Vol.3 Iss.2 No.9 pg.21 (sidebar: "am title race:")
  3. 1 2 BMX Plus! April 1996 Vol.19 No.4 pg.11
  4. ↑ Snap BMX Magazine March/April 1996 Vol.3 Iss.2 No.9 pg.80 (results)
  5. ↑ Snap BMX Magazine March/April 1997 Vol.4 Iss. 2 No. 15 pg. 102
  6. ↑ BMXpros.com
  7. ↑ Snap BMX Magazine May 1999 Vol.6 Iss.3 No.31 pg. 78
  8. ↑ BMXtreme article
  9. ↑ Snap BMX Magazine July/August 1997 Vol. 4 Iss. 4 No. 17 pg. 13
  10. ↑ bmxonline.com article on Robert Macpherson teaching BMX as a course curriculm.
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