Career
Born in Los Angeles, California, LaPorte began riding in the early 1960s when the sport of motocross enjoyed a period of explosive growth. He began racing professionally when he turned 16 and by 1976 he was offered a job with the Suzuki factory racing team Seeking new challenges, LaPorte decided to compete at the world championship level in 1982 riding for the Yamaha factory racing team
In his first attempt, he claimed the FIM 250cc motocross world championship against the heavily favored Georges Jobé.
In the 1990s, he competed in international rally events, winning a stage and finishing second overall in the 1992 Paris-Dakar Rally. LaPorte currently resides in Southern California and still competes occasionally.
In 2000, he was inducted into the American Medical Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame.