David Vuillemin (born 18 October 1977) is a French former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1995 to 1999 and won the 1999 supercross world championship. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2000 and 2008 before returning to the Motocross World Championships for one final season in 2009. Although Vuillemin never won a major championship, he was twice the runner-up in the AMA Supercross championships and, was one of the few competitors who could beat both Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael in their prime.
Motocross racing career
World championship career
Born in Berre-l'Étang, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vuillemin began riding motorcycles as a child because his father was a motorcycle road racer but, he preferred to play football. He began motocross racing in 1985 and made his world championship debut riding a Kawasaki in the 1995 125cc motocross world championship, finishing the season ranked 31st.
Vuillemin made his first AMA motocross race appearance when he competed in three rounds of the 1996 AMA 125cc Western Supercross championship. In the 1996 125cc motocross world championship, his results improved with a 16th place finish. Vuillemin returned to compete in the 1997 AMA 125cc Western Supercross championship competing as a privateer with assistance from the FMF racing team. He posted first and second place finishes in six races and, was ranked fourth in the championship final overall standings. Riding for the Yamaha of France racing team in the 1997 125cc world championships, he ended the year ranked 6th in the final overall standings.
Vuillemin began the 1998 season in the AMA 125cc Western Supercross championship where, he scored three consecutive victories and finished second to John Dowd in the championship final overall standings. 1998 marked the best year of his 125cc career as, he won three consecutive Grand Prix races as well as a fourth victory later on to end the season ranked second in the 125cc motocross world championship behind the defending champion Alessio Chiodi.
Vuillemin moved up to the 250cc class in 1999 appearing in five rounds of the AMA Supercross championship including his best result at the San Diego Supercross where he led the main event for 14 laps ahead of Jeremy McGrath and Ezra Lusk on a mostly unmodified Yamaha YZ 250 and, finished the race in fourth place. His impressive performance earned him an offer to race in the United States in 2000.
He won his first major championship in 1999 when he claimed the short, three-round World Supercross Series championship ahead of second place finisher Sébastien Tortelli. In the 1999 250cc world championship, he won two Grand Prix races to end the season ranked third in the championship.
AMA career
Vuillemin joined the Yamaha USA factory racing team to compete in the 2000 AMA Motocross Championships. He began the 250cc Supercross season with a fifth place in the opening round, followed by a second place before scoring his first victory in the third round in San Diego when McGrath experienced mechanical troubles. At the fourth round in Phoenix, Vuillemin came from behind to pass several top competitors including the previously dominant McGrath to score an impressive victory. It marked the first time that a competitor had been able to catch and pass McGrath from behind. He won two more supercross events to finish the season ranked second behind defending champion McGrath.
In the 2000 250cc outdoor motocross national championship, Vuillemin won the Hangtown motocross national over an impressive field of competitors including Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham Sebastian Tortelli and Greg Albertyn. He followed with another victory at the next race at High Point Raceway but, then Carmichael dominated the remainder of the season with Vuillemin ranked fourth in the final overall standings.
His 2001 season was hampered by injuries but, he was able to repeat as winner of the High Point Raceway national race. In September 2001, Vuillemin joined Yves Demaria and Luigi Séguy as members of the French team competing in the Motocross des Nations event held at the hilltop Citadel of Namur motocross circuit. He scored a third and fourth place results to help the French team win their first Motocross des Nations event since its inception in 1947.