BMX legend turned rally car driver, Dave Mirra, dies at 41 - MotorSportsTalk

One of the icons of the extreme sports world, BMX legend Dave Mirra, has died at 41 from an apparent suicide.

According to the Associated Press, Mirra was found dead in Greenville, North Carolina from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities reportedly found Mirra’s body in a truck.

“We mourn the loss today of a great friend and wonderful human being who touched the lives of so many around the world with his gift. He called Greenville, North Carolina home and was as humble a guy talking with kids on a street corner about bikes as he was in his element on the world stage. A young life with so much to offer was taken too soon,” said City of Greenville Mayor, Allen Thomas, via NBC affiliate WITN in Greenville.

Mirra’s X Games career was among the most decorated in the sport, along with other legends and extreme sports pioneers such as Tony Hawk and Bob Burnquist.

He had medaled in every X Games from 1995 to 2008 and held the all-time medal record of 24 until Burnquist passed him in 2013.

Dave Mirra
• 19 X Games appearances
• 24 total medals
• 14 gold medals
• 6 silver medals
• 4 bronze medals pic.twitter.com/SGqDuYrra5

— X Games (@XGames) February 5, 2016

Mirra was known for his bicycle skills but he also extended his career by moving into rally cars, and both Rally America and the Global Rallycross series, from 2011 to 2013.

In 17 career GRC starts, Mirra’s best finish of fourth occurred in Atlanta in 2013.

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Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

*Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles*

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.

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