Joey Savatgy Bio
Joey Savatgy, born on 19 February 1994 in Thomasville, Georgia, is an American professional motocross and Supercross racer. He is a five-time winner in the 250 classes of the AMA Supercross Championship and is widely regarded as one of the most versatile riders of his generation, having competed successfully in 250 and 450 machinery on both American and international stages.
Since turning professional in 2013, Savatgy has built a career that bridges domestic and world-level competition. He captured two overall Grand Prix wins and finished as runner-up in the WSX class of the FIM Supercross World Championship in both 2022 and 2023, and he added the SX1 Australian Supercross Championship title in 2024. As of 2025, he competes for Quadlock Honda Racing.
Early Life and Background
Joey Savatgy grew up in Thomasville, Georgia, where he was introduced to motocross at a young age through the strong amateur racing culture of the American Southeast. He worked his way through the ranks of the American amateur system, appearing at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship for the first time in 2005 as a young rider. He continued to develop his skills on smaller-displacement machines, sharpening his race craft in regional and national amateur events.
At the 2008 edition of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, Savatgy won two titles while riding an 85cc Honda, signaling his potential on a national stage. Upon moving up to a 125cc motorcycle, he joined the Rockstar Energy Suzuki Amateur team, a move that helped him secure the Schoolboy 2 class title at the 2010 edition of the event. The following year, Savatgy became the 2011 FIM Motocross Junior World Champion in the 125cc class, establishing himself as one of America’s most promising young riders before he even turned professional.
Path to Professional Racing
Savatgy’s final amateur season came in 2012, highlighted by two third-place finishes at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. That success set the stage for his professional transition, and at the beginning of the 2013 season he left Suzuki to make his professional debut with the JDR J-Star KTM Racing Team in the 250SX West class of the AMA Supercross Championship. He recorded six top-ten finishes and was named the 2013 Supercross Rookie of the Year, an early indicator of the consistency that would define his career.
After a short stint with the FMF Orange Brigade KTM team for the outdoor season, Savatgy signed with the Rockstar Energy Racing team for 2014. A pre-season crash cost him the entire supercross season, but he returned strongly outdoors, earning his first professional podium with a second overall at the penultimate round. That performance was enough to earn him a place on the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team for 2015, where his most significant results in the 250 class would follow.
Joey Savatgy Career
Early Career (2013-2014)
Savatgy opened his professional career with the JDR J-Star KTM Racing Team in 2013 and immediately showed promise in the 250SX West class, ending the championship ninth overall. After the JDR team folded, he joined FMF Orange Brigade KTM for the AMA Motocross Championship, where a fifth place in the second race at the fourth round hinted at his potential before a broken wrist ended his rookie outdoor season.
In 2014, Savatgy moved to the Rockstar Energy Racing team but missed the entire supercross season following a pre-season crash. He returned for the outdoor nationals and steadily improved, posting five top-ten overall finishes in the final five rounds, including his first professional podium with a runner-up result at the penultimate round. These results were enough for Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki to sign him for the 2015 season.
250SX and AMA Motocross Breakthrough (2015-2018)
Savatgy’s move to Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki in 2015 produced immediate results. In the 250SX East class of the AMA Supercross Championship, he recorded his first professional supercross podium with a third-place finish at the opening round and ended the year fourth in the final standings. Outdoors, he was equally competitive, scoring four podiums and his first overall professional motocross win at Unadilla, finishing the 2015 AMA Motocross Championship third overall.
The 2016 season marked Savatgy’s most dramatic title fight. After taking his first professional supercross win in Oakland, he and Cooper Webb battled throughout the year. Savatgy added a second win in San Diego and then won the final round in Las Vegas, finishing as runner-up in the 250SX West class by a single point. He also won the opening round of the AMA Motocross 250 class, sweeping both races, and took two more overall wins before ending the outdoor season third in the standings.
In 2017, Savatgy opened the 250SX East class with a win in Minneapolis and remained in a tight three-way championship fight heading into the final round, where an incident with eventual champion Zach Osborne defined the closing laps. Outdoors, he secured three overall wins and four race wins in the 2017 AMA National Motocross Championship before a foot injury ended his season fifth overall. In 2018, he tied for the 250SX West championship lead after winning the third round but finished the year fourth overall, with one race win and a third overall at the ninth round of the outdoor series as his strongest result.
450SX Era and Factory Transition (2019-Present)
Late in 2018, it was announced that Savatgy would join Kawasaki’s factory team in the 450 class. He made his 450 debut at the Monster Energy Cup, where he finished third overall and briefly led the final race before yielding to teammate Eli Tomac. His full-time 450SX debut came in the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship, where six top-six finishes and a best result of fourth in Minneapolis earned him the 2019 Rookie of the Year award in the 450SX class, despite a qualifying crash at the final round.
After the 2019 season, Savatgy left factory Kawasaki for JGR Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing, but a broken heel and navicular bone suffered in Australia kept him out of the entire 2020 AMA Supercross Championship. He returned to action with the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM team in 2021, posting eight top-ten finishes in supercross and a consistent outdoor campaign. He rejoined the factory Monster Energy Kawasaki team in mid-2022 as a replacement rider, recording his strongest 450 outdoor results, before winning the second round of the 2022 FIM Supercross World Championship and finishing as the WSX series runner-up.
Quadlock Honda Racing Era (2024-Present)
With Triumph’s return to off-road racing in 2024, Savatgy was signed by the manufacturer as part of their factory team in America, but he was unable to race in the AMA Supercross Championship due to AMA eligibility rules tied to his prior 250 results. He parted ways with Triumph at the end of the 2024 AMA National Motocross Championship and joined Fire Power Honda for the 2024 FIM Supercross World Championship and the Australian Supercross Championship, where he won a race at the third round of the world series and claimed the SX1 Australian Supercross Championship title. The team has since been renamed Quadlock Honda Racing.
Staying with the renamed Quadlock Honda Racing squad, Savatgy returned to the 450SX class for the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship, recording nine top-ten finishes including two fifth places in Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, ending the series eleventh in the final standings. He opened the 2025 AMA National Motocross Championship with an eighth overall and a sixth overall at the fourth round before a leg injury at the sixth round ended his outdoor campaign, though he returned for the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship playoff rounds and finished the postseason ninth overall.
Driving Style and Strengths
Savatgy is known for his smooth, calculated riding style and his ability to adapt quickly to new motorcycles and race formats. He has shown particular strength in technical supercross circuits and in outdoor races that demand consistency over a long moto. His willingness to move between manufacturers and team structures has helped him refine a versatile skill set that translates across both 250 and 450 classes.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments in Savatgy’s career include his 2011 FIM Motocross Junior World Championship title in the 125cc class, his 2013 Supercross Rookie of the Year award, his dramatic 2016 250SX West runner-up finish decided by a single point in Las Vegas, and his 2019 450SX Rookie of the Year award. More recently, his SX1 Australian Supercross Championship title in 2024 and his consistent 2025 450SX campaign stand out as defining chapters of his international career.
Joey Savatgy Career Wins
Across the AMA Supercross Championship’s 250 classes, Joey Savatgy is a five-time race winner, with his first professional supercross victory coming in Oakland in 2016. He has also built an impressive outdoor record, highlighted by his first professional motocross overall win at Unadilla in 2015 and additional overall victories that have placed him among the more prolific 250 riders of his era.
AMA Supercross Championship Highlights
Savatgy’s five 250-class supercross wins span both the 250SX West and 250SX East divisions, with standout results including the 2016 Oakland and San Diego rounds in the West, the 2017 Minneapolis round in the East, and additional victories across the 2017 and 2018 seasons. His best championship result was the 2016 250SX West runner-up finish, decided by a single point in Las Vegas, while his 2017 250SX East campaign ended in a tight three-way title fight decided at the final round.
AMA Motocross Championship Highlights
In the AMA Motocross Championship’s 250 class, Savatgy earned his first professional overall win at Unadilla in 2015 and added multiple overall wins in subsequent seasons, helping him to third-place overall finishes in 2015 and 2016. He also secured three overall wins in the 2017 AMA National Motocross Championship before a foot injury cut his season short.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his American results, Savatgy has enjoyed significant international success. He became the 2011 FIM Motocross Junior World Champion in the 125cc class, took two overall Grand Prix wins in the WSX class of the FIM Supercross World Championship in 2022 and 2023, and won the SX1 class of the Australian Supercross Championship in 2024.
Joey Savatgy Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Joey Savatgy grew up in Thomasville, Georgia, in a family that supported his early interest in motocross. His development through the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship and his selection to the Rockstar Energy Suzuki Amateur team reflect a family environment that backed his racing ambitions from a young age.
Personal Life
Savatgy has spent much of his professional career traveling between the United States, Europe, and Australia as part of his international racing schedule. His willingness to compete in multiple championships on different continents has shaped a lifestyle built around the global motocross calendar.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season saw Joey Savatgy return to the 450SX class full-time with Quadlock Honda Racing. He posted nine top-ten finishes, including fifth-place results in Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, and ended the 2025 AMA Supercross Championship eleventh in the final standings, marking a steady comeback year with the new squad.
Outdoors, Savatgy opened the 2025 AMA National Motocross Championship with an eighth overall and improved to sixth overall at the fourth round. A leg injury sustained at the sixth round forced him out of the remainder of the outdoor schedule, though he returned in time for the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship playoff rounds, scoring two ninth places and an eighth in the final to finish the postseason ninth overall.
Looking ahead, Savatgy’s combination of experience across multiple manufacturers and his renewed partnership with Quadlock Honda Racing position him for another full 450SX campaign and a healthy outdoor season if he can put the leg injury behind him. His international commitments, including potential WSX and Australian Supercross outings, remain a key part of his long-term racing plans.
