Anthony Sewell

Anthony Sewell

On the Murray Ohio team circa 1981
Personal information
Full name Anthony Sewell
Nickname "The Panther"
Born (1962-08-03)August 3, 1962
Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Died April 3, 2009(2009-04-03) (aged 46)
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight 65.7 kg (145 lb)
Team information
Discipline Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
Role Racer
Rider type Off Road
Amateur team(s)
1978-1979 JAG BMX
Professional team(s)
1979-1980 JAG BMX
1981 Kuwahara Cycles, Ltd
1981 Huffy Corporation
1981-1984 Murray Ohio Corporation
1985 KHS
1985 Birmingham Wheels (England)
1985 GT Racing (England)
1988 S&M
Infobox last updated on
April 13, 2009

Anthony Sewell (August 3, 1962 – April 3, 2009, in Los Angeles, California U.S.) was a professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1984. He was nicknamed "The Panther".[1] He got the moniker jumping curbs in his neighborhood and neighborhood kids likened his jumping to that of a cat.[2] This was soon converted to Panther. He was also known as "The Professor" due to his glasses with their thick lenses.[2]

Racing career milestones

Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.

Started Racing: 1974 at 12 years old at the Palms Park race track.[3] Sewell was an accomplished track star in the 120 meter low hurdles. He made it to the state finals but they were held on Saturdays and Sundays, the same days BMX races are typically held. He had to make a choice: He decided on BMX.[3]

Sanctioning body:

First race bike: A girl's Schwinn.[3]

First race result:

First win (local):

Home sanctioning body district(s): National Bicycle Association (NBA) District "X" (Orange/Los Angeles County);

First sponsor:

First national win:

Turned professional: 1979 at 17 years old.

First professional race result:

First Professional win:

Height and Weight at height of his career (1978–1983): Ht:5' 6" Wt:~145 lbs

Retired from Senior A/AA pro racing: 1986 at age 24. He raced in England until the spring of 1986. He then returned to the United States and raced sponsorless for a few months in early 1986, then dropped out of sight. Briefly reappeared at the ABA U.S. Nationals in Bakersfield, California in April 1988. He then dropped out of sight again. His disappearances became somewhat of a running joke.

Career factory and major bike shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are used.

Amateur

Professional

Career factory and major bike shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are used.

Amateur

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

*At the time the overall champion was decided by a trophy Dash between the age winners in points and open classes. With the oldest Amateurs, the 16 & over class and 16 & over open they also race the pro winners, so the overall world champion could be a professional or amateur. This rule was changed in 1983 and the Pros no longer raced the Amateurs.

National Bicycle League (NBL)

United Bicycle Racers (UBR)

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)

Professional

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

National Bicycle League (NBL)

*At this time professionals could race in the older amateur classes.

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

United Bicycle Racers (UBR)

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)

Independent races; Pro Series and Invitational Championships

Notable accolades

*There were minimal foreign participation at the time, but given the fact that BMX during that era was virtually a US exclusive sport(with some then small Canadian and Mexican participation), the title of "World Champion" had some legitimacy. The only question was that it was not part of a series but just one race. Many felt that a World Champion could not be decided by just one race given the luck factor. The winner could have been having one good day by coincidence while an otherwise more consistent racer could have had one bad day at a bad time to have it.

Racing habits and traits

Post BMX career

BMX and general press magazine interviews and articles

BMX magazine covers

Bicycle Motocross News:

Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:

Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:

BMX Plus!:

Total BMX:

Bicross Magazine: (French Publication)

BMX Action Bike: (British Publication)

Bicycles and Dirt (ABA Publication)

NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication):

Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL membership publication under one name change):

ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA membership publication under two name changes):

USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):

Non BMX magazine covers

Notes

  1. Bicycle Motocross Action May 1979 Vol.4 No.3 pg.50 & 51
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Snap BMX Magazine May 2000 Vol.7 Iss.5 No.43 pg.91
  3. 1 2 3 4 BMX Plus! December 1981 Vol.4 No.12 pg.39
  4. BMX Plus! April 1982 Vol.5 No.4 pg.23
  5. BMX Plus! December 1999 Vol.22 No.12 pg.32
  6. Super BMX & Freestyle May 1986 Vol.13 No.5 pg.26
  7. BMX Plus! August 1981 Vol.4 No.8 pg.17
  8. Super BMX November 1981 Vol.8 No.11 pg.43
  9. Super BMX January 1982 Vol. 9 No. 1 pg. 22
  10. BMX Action Bike early 1985
  11. BMX Plus! September 1989 Vol.12 No.9 pg. 49
  12. BMX Plus! August 1988 Vol.11 No.8 pg.60
  13. BMX Action April 1989 Vol.14 No.4 pg.12
  14. Bicycle Motocross Action June 1979 Vol.4 No.4
  15. TV.com episode guide page with brief synopsis.
  16. BMX Plus! December 1981 Vol.4 No.12 pg.37
  17. BMX Action September 1988 Vol.13 No.9 pg.16
  18. airdriebmxnews blogspot April 10, 2009.

External links

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