McIntosh rides vintage Yamaha to national motocross titles

The roar of a vintage Yamaha and the pride of a small mountain county carried Mike McIntosh through one of the strongest racing seasons of his life. The longtime Unicoi County native wrapped up the year with multiple national championship honors on the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association circuit, marking a milestone that he said still feels unreal. McIntosh lined up his trophies on the table in front of him, each one representing a race or finish earned across months of travel. "These are my championship awards for the whole year," he said. "These are the awards that I won in Henryetta, Oklahoma, just a few weeks ago — three different places." McIntosh, owner of Model A Mac's, is a 69-year-old rider racing on a 1974 Yamaha 250 YZ. He said he competed in 36 motos, winning 26, finishing second in eight and taking third in one or two, a record that underscored his place among the top riders in vintage motocross. According to the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association, Mike McIntosh finished first place several times this year across the 2025 AHRMA/Motobilia VMX national board. For Sportsman Novice, he finished first place overall with a total point score of 280 for the season. Michael Welden of Yukon, Oklahoma, finished behind him with a cumulative score of 236. He also finished first place on the Vintage Open Age Novice with 276. Charles Eiman of Kapolei, Hawaii came second with 223. He also finished first in Vintage 60+ Novice at 238 points, with competitors far behind. Second place went to John Matthewson of Valley Mills, Texas, with 166. McIntosh said he and his wife drove to Virginia Beach to pick up his racing motorcycle before the season, noting they had to disassemble the bike to transport it home. Once it was reassembled — he said the rest was history. "It's fast," he said. "It's not the rider. I just get out in front, give it gas and hang on." McIntosh said the bike was a nod to his roots, and that although it looks rough around the edges, it's priceless to him. "I'm partial to Yamahas because my dad was the manager of a real small Yamaha shop in Johnson City," he said. "It's super collectible and I've got a lot of people who want to buy it." McIntosh grew up riding with friends in Unicoi County and got his start on motorbikes in his youth. He remains close to many of those friends, several of whom still race in vintage circuits. "It's been a great year," he said. "I grew up here, and I have friends that still race and do vintage racing. They're all happy for me. I've had a lot of phone calls and messages lately." The season sent him through Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and more. McIntosh said the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama brought one of the biggest crowds of the year. Riders packed the starting gate for motocross, cross-country and other races that filled the weekend schedule. Oklahoma delivered just as much intensity. The Henryetta double points event makes it one of the most important races on the calendar. McIntosh said he studied his lap times there because next season he will move into a more competitive class. "My lap times were like 2:02 or 2:04," he said. "The intermediate third-place rider was turning 1:58 and 1:59. That's not too far, but you multiply it four times because you ride four laps. They'll add up to about 14 or 15 seconds so I have to improve." One of the highlights of his year came at the championship banquet, surrounded by more than a hundred racers from across the country. One of his plaques carries the signature of two-time world champion Trampas Parker. "He's a two-time world champion in 1989 and 1991," McIntosh said. He also noted that family and community support has been crucial to his success. He said his wife, Melissa, traveled with him to races, helped manage logistics, and captured many of the photos and videos documenting his season. "Melissa was a lot of help," he said. "I went to Mississippi by myself. Boy, that was hard without her. That was a long drive." McIntosh's hometown friends and fellow riders have also cheered his accomplishments. He said the messages and calls from people who have followed his career make the victories even more meaningful. Looking ahead, McIntosh said his focus will be on continuing to race, enjoying the journey and sharing the sport with family and the community. "I wouldn't take money for that," he said, referring to the experiences and memories of racing. "It's just unreal. I'm proud of what I've been able to do, and it's just a real honor."