Andrew Short

Any fan of motocross and Supercross in the past 20 years has to be familiar with the name Andrew Short. After turning pro in 2001, he rose steadily through the ranks, earning factory rides and winning both in AMA Nationals plus Supercross. “Shorty” claimed his best overall series result in 2009 when he was runner-up in the 450MX final tally; the following year, he was one of the three Americans who together claimed the heralded Motocross of Nations title.

     Subsequent to retiring from MX/SX in 2017, he surprised many by veering off the expected path of former motocrossers and jumped into the off-road world—specifically rally raid with his aim focused purely on the sport’s crown jewel: the Dakar Rally.

     Despite a very brief timeframe to learn rally navigation, Short proved willing and able to absorb what is probably the most crucial aspect of the sport, one that often takes years to learn. In his first Dakar in 2018, he finished a creditable 17th and followed that up with sixth in 2019 and 10th in 2020. (Unfortunately, his 2021 attempt ended prematurely when his bike quit as the fuel load he’d received from the organization at one pit stop contained over a gallon of water.)

     To be a rally racer, one must like to ride motorcycles—a lot!—and Short fits this mold perfectly. When not training on his rally practice bike, he can often be found burning laps on his motocrosser or imparting his vast knowledge base to his young son.

     Therefore, it’s not surprising to see him embrace the Speed & Sport Adventures concept. On these dual-sport tours, he’ll get to enjoy riding in new places with spectacular scenery and spending time off the bike with fellow enthusiasts. Unlike the races he’s paid to do, he’s not expected to produce results so it’s the perfect vacation!

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