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2004 - Hamblin raced in the AMA 250cc Supercross series, his best finish a fifth-place at Salt Lake City… His best AMA 250cc Motocross Championship overall result was fourth-place at Southwick, Mass… Raced with American Suzuki team.
2003 - Hamblin contested a limited AMA 250cc Supercross season, his best result a fourth-place at Pontiac, Mich...He raced the AMA 125cc West Region Supercross series, his best result a fourth-place at Phoenix...Hamblin raced a limited AMA 250cc U.S. Motocross Championship season, his best result sixth-place overall at Sacramento, Calif...Raced with American Suzuki team.
2002 - Hamblin raced in the 250cc AMA U.S. Motocross Championship, earning his season-best, third place overall finish at Binghamton, NY...Raced with SoBe Suzuki team.
2001 - Raced events in the Canadian 125cc and 250cc National Championship series...Entered the Binghamton, NY round of the AMA 125cc U.S. Motocross Championship and placed 22nd.
2000 - Won the Canadian 125cc National Championship.
According to an old Welsh proverb, "Without perseverance, talent is a barren bed." This perhaps best captures Sean Hamblin's rise to Factory Suzuki in 2002 - a rise that was anything but meteoric. Hamblin's "Cinderella story" can only be attributed to his own commitment, hard work and an unrelenting never-say-die attitude.
Sean Hamblin started riding dirt bikes at the urging of his father, a desert racer, at the tender age of two. At age eight, he entered his first race on a 60cc motorcycle. A few years later, Hamblin was a top amateur with a bright future. In 1995, he won the 85cc 12 - 13 Modified Class at the World Mini GP Championships. He went on to win an AMA Amateur National title at Loretta Lynn's in the 125cc B Stock Class in 1999.
Unfortunately, when Hamblin turned pro in 1999 the silence from factory and satellite teams was deafening. Unable to land a slot on a U.S. team, Hamblin traveled to Canada in 2000 where he competed in and won the 125cc National Championship.
In 2001, Hamblin returned to California, hoping that his success in Canada had garnered the attention of the U.S. teams. However, team offers remained scarce. He raced in the 125cc Western Supercross Series as a full-blown privateer. Hamblin's lack of experience in supercross caused him to finish a disappointing 33rd overall. With no other options in the U.S., Hamblin headed back to Canada to contest the outdoor series. Although Hamblin put in good results during his second season in Canada, he missed his family and friends and decided to return home to California.
In early 2002, the story was the same for Hamblin: no team offers. Then, a few of Hamblin's friends pitched in and bought him a 125. For the first part of 2002, Hamblin lugged his donated dirt bike to local races in Southern California. At this point in his career, he was racing for the sheer love of competition…and the little money he was able to make to survive.
At the request of some friends, he hit some of the Four-Stroke Nationals later that spring. He won the Four-Stroke National in Boise and attracted the attention of some people from Bill's Pipes at the Glen Helen round. They asked Hamblin to ride an RM250 at the Glen Helen and Hangtown rounds of the outdoor nationals.
The 19 year-old was determined to prove his worth. He won his qualifier at Glen Helen and finished the event 16th overall. At Hangtown, he improved his performance by putting in a 7th place overall finish. Both stellar performances caught the attention of Roger DeCoster, Team Suzuki Manager. Injuries had plagued DeCoster's 250 team, sidelining stars Travis Pastrana and Kevin Windham. The big yellow tent was empty, and DeCoster asked Hamblin to move in.
Hamblin did not disappoint, single-handedly breathing life into Suzuki's 250cc factory effort. He finished in the top ten in seven of twelve outdoor rounds and even took home third place at the Binghamton round. Hamblin finished the season 8th overall, but more importantly, he earned the respect for which he had worked so tirelessly.
In September, Hamblin was chosen to represent Team USA at the World Cup of Motocross, a successful replacement event for the ill-fated Motocross des Nations. The honor was a fitting formality. Sean Hamblin was already an American hero in the hearts and minds of those who had witnessed his rise to glory.
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