Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Competition
Dave Zanotti – Dirt Track
With four AMA Grand National Championships and 31 AMA Grand National dirt track event wins as a tuner, Dave Zanotti has a resume that few have replicated.
Using Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM and Indian engines, Zanotti elevated himself into the record books — capturing the third-most AMA Grand National championships and fourth-most AMA Grand National dirt track wins.
Along with his father, Mario, Zanotti helped propel AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Steve Eklund to an AMA Grand National Championship in 1979. Mario and Dave remain the only father-son duo to win individual AMA Grand National championships.
Zanotti remains a steadfast supporter of motorcycle racing through his support of the Bill Werner Fast Brain Award.
To have success at the professional level, every racer needs a great tuner. And very few match up to flat track tuner Dave Zanotti.
With four AMA Grand National Championships and 31 AMA Grand National event wins, Zanotti has a resume that few have replicated. With the third-most AMA Grand National Championships and fourth-most wins amongst tuners all-time, Zanotti’s efforts with Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM and Indian engines have not gone unnoticed.
Assisting Jake Johnson to a pair of AMA Grand Championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as Briar Bauman in 2019 and 2020, Zanotti’s reign as a top tuner in the circuit spanned more than a decade. Zanotti also built Indian Factory Race Team motorcycles for Bronson Bauman and Shayna Texter during their times with the marque.
Zanotti aided Briar Bauman to 23 overall event wins using Kawasaki, KTM and Indian powerplants, and helped Johnson secure seven victories with Harley-Davidson and Honda engines. He also assisted Henry Wiles with a win on a Honda.
Capturing championships is a family affair for the Zanottis. In 1979, he assisted his father, Mario, in helping AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Steve Eklund to an AMA Grand National Championship. Dave and Mario remain the only father-son duo to capture AMA Grand National Championships individually as tuners.
Off the track, Zanotti supports up-and-coming racers through his annual contributions to the Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award — which is presented each year at the Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship and includes a scholarship for the winning rider.
Kevin Windham – Motocross & Supercross
Kevin Windham’s 19-year AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross career is one for the history books.
During his long, illustrious career, Windham raced to 47 total AMA Pro wins and collected the third-most starts (325), third-most points (9,070) and the seventh-most podiums (130). While Windham saw success domestically, he thrived in international competition — winning the 1999 FIM United States Grand Prix and 2005 Motocross of Nations as a member of the American team.
Windham retired from AMA Pro Racing in 2013, marking the end of a dominant career in the AMA and international circuits.
As an ironman in his own right, Kevin Windham’s 19-year AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross career is one for the history books.
After turning professional in 1994, Windham raced to 47 total AMA Pro wins — including 18 Premier class AMA 250/450SX victories. Combining AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross, Windham has the third-most starts (325), third-most points (9,070) and the seventh-most podiums (130). Windham also captured 14 125SX wins, including a pair of victories in East/West Shootouts.
Throughout his long, illustrious career, Windham was a consistent presence in AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross title chases. The Centerville, Miss., native raced his way to five second-place finishes in AMA Pro Motocross (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006) and finished runner-up in AMA Supercross three times (2004, 2008 and 2010). Windham also registered a pair of third-place results in AMA Pro Motocross (2000 and 2004).
The most defining moment of Windham’s racing career came at the 1999 FIM United States Grand Prix at Budd’s Creek, Md. After four-time FIM World Champion Stefan Everts declared Europeans the best motocross riders in the world, and labeled American racers as “cowards,” Windham made the Belgian rider eat his words. Aboard his Honda, Windham dominated the field to cruise to the overall victory and secure a massive win for American racers.
Windham also represented the United States at the 2005 Motocross of Nations, in which the Americans raced to a first-place finish — edging out France and Belgium for the win.
Windham retired from AMA Pro Racing in 2013, returning to the track briefly in 2018 as part of the Puerto Rican Motocross of Nations team, marking the end of a terrific career.
Mike Lafferty – Off Road
Mike Lafferty was bitten by the enduro racing bug in 1982 when he was 7 years old, and he turned this passion into one of the most successful off-road careers ever. Racing throughout the 1980s, Lafferty broke through when he won back-to-back East Coast Enduro Association championships as a teenager in 1993 and 1994.
Lafferty hit a launching point in 1997, when he claimed his first AMA National Enduro Championship. In total he tallied 71 wins — second all-time — and eight titles, which leaves him tied for the most all-time, while racing national enduros. Lafferty also raced AMA Grand National Cross Country and was a member of four U.S. ISDE teams.
Mike Lafferty was bitten by the enduro racing bug in 1982 when he was 7 years old, and he turned this passion into one of the most successful off-road careers ever.
Racing throughout the ’80s, Lafferty broke through when he won back-to-back East Coast Enduro Association championships as a teenager in 1993 and 1994. With growing success, Lafferty became a full-time member of the Factory KTM Off-Road Team.
Lafferty hit a launching point in 1997, when he claimed his first AMA National Enduro Championship. This sparked a stretch from 1997–2007 in which Lafferty would claim a total of 71 wins and eight titles racing national enduros. His 71 wins put him second all-time. Lafferty’s eight titles has him tied for the most all-time.
For his 14 Alligator Enduro Daytona Bike Week wins, Lafferty earned the nickname “Mr. Alligator.”
During his successful enduro stretch, Lafferty also raced AMA Grand National Cross Country, collecting a pair of wins and 21 podiums in his career.
On the world stage, Lafferty was a member of the 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2003 U.S. ISDE teams.
Following two decades as a factory rider for KTM and Husqvarna, Lafferty settled into his current role as the U.S. National KTM Ride Orange manager. In this role, he oversees all U.S. market off-road, street and ADV demos, the annual U.S. KTM Rider Rally, and the KTM Junior Supercross challenge events.
Mat Mladin – Road Racing
In a 10-year span from 1999 to 2009 that continues to defy belief in hindsight, Mat Mladin notched seven AMA Superbike titles and won 82 AMA Superbike nationals in the process — each of those numbers more than anyone in history.
Mladin also won the legendary Daytona 200 three times during that period, achievements that have him tied for third all-time behind AMA Hall of Famers and multi-time D200 winners Scott Russell (5) and Miguel Duhamel (4). In 1999, he won his first of seven AMA Superbike titles — achievements that would make him, according to MotoAmerica, “the most dominant rider in the history of the AMA Superbike Championship.”
Among a long list of AMA Superbike road racing champions, with names such as Pridmore, Cooley, Lawson, Rainey, Merkel, Shobert, Chandler, Duhamel, Hayden, Spies, Hayes, Beaubier, Gagne and others, one name stands above the rest.
And that name is Australian Mat Mladin.
In what some call the most significant “decade of domination” in road racing history, from 1999 to 2009, Mat Mladin notched seven AMA Superbike titles and won 82 AMA Superbike nationals in the process — each of those numbers more than anyone in history.
Mladin also won the legendary Daytona 200 three times during that period, achievements that have him tied for third all-time behind AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers and multi-time Daytona 200 winners Scott Russell (5) and Miguel Duhamel (4).
Mladin began riding and racing motorcycles at an early age, winning a motocross title in 1981 and going on to win the Australian Superbike Championship in 1992. That led to a brief stint with Cagiva in the 1993 500cc World Championship.
Three years later he moved to the U.S., starting out with Yoshimura Suzuki before moving to the Fast by Ferracci Ducati squad in ’97, a season in which he’d win four races. He reunited with Yoshimura Suzuki in 1998, and in 1999 won his first of seven AMA Superbike titles — achievements that would make him, according to MotoAmerica, “the most dominant rider in the history of the AMA Superbike Championship.”
Mladin announced his retirement during his championship-winning 2009 season. “I didn’t retire because I wasn’t quick enough,” he said later in a Cycle News interview. “I retired because I’d had enough. I will miss riding the motorcycle…and the competition.”
Billy Hamill – Specialty Competition
Nicknamed “The Bullet,” Billy Hamill began racing junior speedway in 1983, and he turned professional in 1986. Just 10 years after turning pro, Hamill became the fourth American to claim the FIM Speedway World Championship with his win in 1996. Two years after his world title, Hamill raced alongside AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Greg Hancock to win the 1998 World Speedway Team Cup Championship for the United States. In 1999, Hamill claimed the AMA Speedway National Championship, which he went on to win five times. During this impressive run racing AMA speedway, Hamill also collected four U.S. National Speedway titles. Hamill was named the 2012 AMA Sportsman of the Year.
Speedway racing took Billy Hamill all over the world, and his journey resulted in plenty of hardware and success.
Nicknamed “The Bullet,” Hamill began racing junior speedway in 1983, and he turned professional in 1986. Just 10 years after turning pro, Hamill became the fourth American to claim the FIM Speedway World Championship, in 1996. That same year he also won the Swedish Grand Prix and Danish Grand Prix. In his world championship defense in 1997, Hamill was runner-up for the title. He finished second for the title again in 2000.
Two years after his world title, Hamill raced alongside AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Greg Hancock to win the 1998 World Speedway Team Cup Championship for the United States.
In 1999, Hamill claimed the AMA Speedway National Championship, which he went on to win five times. He also won titles in 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2012.
During this impressive run racing AMA speedway, Hamill collected a quartet of U.S. National Speedway titles (2002, 2007, 2012, 2013).
Claiming both the AMA Speedway National Championship and U.S. National Speedway Championship in 2012, Hamill was named the 2012 AMA Sportsman of the Year.
Hamill’s final racing accolade came in 2015, when he won the California State Speedway Championship.
He has remained involved in speedway by serving as a coach and mentor to young riders. Additionally, Hamill has been developing parts and accessories for speedway racing through his company Billy Hamill Racing.
Non-Competition
Sidney Biberman – Ambassadors & Industry
As one of Vincent Motorcycles’ greatest ambassadors, Sidney Biberman spent most of his life contributing to motorcycling culture in various ways.
Across his 60 years of involvement with the famed marque, Biberman elevated motorcycling as a drag racer, commercial engineer and overall advocate for motorcycle culture. As a drag racer, Biberman piloted “The Rattler”, widely regarded as one of the fastest bikes in the 1960s.
Biberman was also known for his prowess as a mechanic, dubbed a “motorcycle whisperer” by some of his biggest fans.
After Biberman passed away on June 23, 2013, the motorcycling community rallied around him and his family, honoring his contributions and commitment to furthering the lifestyle.
As one of Vincent Motorcycles’ greatest ambassadors, Sidney Biberman spent the majority of his life contributing to motorcycling culture in a variety of ways.
“Big Sid” spent more than 60 years of involvement with the famed Vincent marque and contributed to the growth of the British brand stateside. Spending time as a drag racer, commercial mechanic and overall supporter of the motorcycle lifestyle, Biberman left an undeniable mark on the motorcycling community.
Biberman purchased his first Vincent in 1951, beginning a life-long appreciation for the marque and motorcycling. According to Motorcycle Drag Racing, Biberman’s Vincent “The Rattler” was one of the fastest bikes in the country during the 1960s. After an illustrious drag racing career, in which Biberman captured many trophies, he began working in his own independent motorcycle repair and sales shop.
While Biberman’s efforts on the racetrack are striking, he built his legacy as a mechanic. Earning the distinction of a “motorcycle whisperer,” Biberman was known for his prowess for fixing and customizing bikes. Biberman also earned top prizes at the 1998 Daytona Bike Show for his custom-built Rapide and Egli.
During this period, Biberman’s advocacy for motorcycling entered another stratosphere. Aiding in his growth in popularity, Biberman’s son wrote Big Sid’s Vincati: The Story of a Father, a Son, and the Motorcycle of a Lifetime — which dove into their relationship and shared love for motorcycles.
After Biberman passed away on June 23, 2013, the motorcycling community rallied around him and his family, honoring his contributions and commitment to furthering the motorcycle lifestyle.
Gina Bovaird – Ambassadors & Industry
Gina Bovaird rose steadily through the ranks in the U.S. road racing scene, ultimately becoming the first woman to complete in the famed Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway in 1979. She reached 184 mph while qualifying, making her the fastest-qualifying rookie and fourth fastest overall.
As her career advanced, she attempted to qualify for the world’s premier class, the FIM 500cc Grand Prix Championships, achieving that goal in 1982 at the French GP at Nogaro.
Gina Bovaird rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a motorcycle racer.
She grew up in Barrington, R.I., just outside of Providence. As a young woman, Gina was interested in art and design and attended Rhode Island School of Design. There, fate intervened to change her trajectory forever.
Despite being forbidden by her parents to even date anyone who had a motorcycle, Gina’s classmates — who belonged to the college Motorcycle Club — turned her interest toward riding. The group favored bikes such as Vincent Black Shadows and racy Ducati 250s, and when a basket-case Honda 160 was offered to Gina for $100, she couldn’t say no. Her new friends helped her get it back together, and she was hooked.
Gina spent much of the next few months honing her skills on the streets of Providence. Soon, she made her way to a nearby racetrack. Gina graduated to a Moto Morini and started racing. She advanced to a production racer, a Yamaha TA125 two-stroke, and began working her way up the ladder, overcoming obstacles from officials who resisted women racing.
After college, Gina moved to Boston where she worked for Boston Cycles. At Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia, she met another racer who was also a talented tuner: Tom Bovaird, who was working on a doctoral degree in Oriental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania when he decided to open a motorcycle tuning shop called TMB Racing. Gina and Tom married, and Gina continued to hone her skills racing while Tom wrenched.
Racing Yamaha TZ250s, Gina picked up Hawaiian Tropic sponsorship and competed in the Caribbean road race series in addition to AMA-sanctioned Western Eastern Racing Association (WERA) events. In 1979, Gina reached 184 mph at Daytona while qualifying for the Daytona 200, making her the fastest-qualifying rookie and fourth fastest overall. At the time she was the first and only woman to compete the Daytona 200.
In 1981, Gina and Tom were back at Daytona on a Yamaha YZR500 two-stroke. Their privateer effort was given a big boost when it was covered on ABC television’s 20/20 show, hosted by Hugh Downs. The pair traveled to Europe, and Gina attempted to qualify for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Salzburgring in the narrow alpine valley. She missed qualifying by a scant 0.004 of a second. She returned to Europe in 1982, qualifying for the French Grand Prix at Nogaro. Gina was and remains the only woman to compete in a 500cc FIM motorcycle Grand Prix race.
Debbie Matthews – Ambassadors & Industry
Debbie Matthews has spent her life contributing to motorcycling, and has done so by serving in — and excelling in — almost every role the sport has to offer to increase opportunities for women riders. Known for her smooth and effortless racing style, Matthews set the record for longest consecutive pro and amateur career in women’s motocross when she raced for 27 years.
In 1996, she co-founded the Women’s Motocross League, and Matthews further worked on behalf of women riders when she met with AMA Congress and drove the change to give women “A” Rider classification for the first time in history. Recognizing Matthews’ work promoting women’s motocross, announcer Erv Braun described her as the “Godmother of Women’s MX.”
Debbie Matthews has spent her life contributing to motorcycling, and has done so by serving in — and excelling in — almost every role the sport has to offer to increase opportunities for women riders.
Known for her smooth and effortless racing style, Matthews set the record for longest consecutive pro and amateur career in women’s motocross, when she raced for 27 years. During her career, she set an additional record for placing in the top 15 of the national rankings for women’s professional motocross every year from 1977–1997.
Amidst her racing career, Matthews was recruited by the U.S. Women’s Motocross Team to serve as their promotion/race director in 1994. That same year, she worked with Danny Thompson to create “Stadiumcross” for women. In 1996, she continued her impact by co-founding the Women’s Motocross League (WML).
Continuing down the path of innovation, Matthews worked with the AMA and several groups to create the first women’s professional outdoor national motocross series championship — which would run in conjunction with the men’s series — in 1997.
Matthews also worked on behalf of women riders when she met with AMA Congress and drove the change to give women “A” Rider classification for the first time in history.
When Matthews retired from the WML in 1999, she dedicated herself to the promotion, marketing and teaching of women’s motocross. Recognizing Matthews’ work promoting women’s motocross, announcer Erv Braun described her as the “Godmother of Women’s MX.”
In 2012, Matthews was awarded the Lifetime Appreciation Award for her commitment as a women’s advocate, and in 2021 was inducted into the Hot Shoe Hall of Fame.
In 2014, Matthews founded the Professional Organization of Women’s Racing (POWR), which generated the largest Women’s Pro Purse & Bonus program in the history of women’s motocross.
Bud Maimone – Design & Engineering
With the invention of the famed Cobra, Bud Maimone is considered one of the great innovators in the world of youth motocross.
Maimone’s creation of the Cobra prior to the 1994 AMA Amateur Motocross National Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch helped signal the end of more than a decade of dominance by the Yamaha Y-Zinger.
With a strong showing in the 51cc Stock Class that year, the Cobra quickly boomed as one of the most utilized motorcycles in youth motocross from that point forward. Despite the Cobra’s humble beginnings, Maimone’s efforts have cemented him as one of the sport’s great innovators.
When it comes to innovation in the world of youth motocross, little lives up to the standard set by Bud Maimone.
The father of the Cobra minicycle, Maimone changed the way youth riders approached the sport — particularly in 51cc Pee-Wee racing. In a sport dominated by Yamaha’s legendary PW50 (also known as the Y-Zinger) since its introduction in 1980, Maimone’s made-in-America Cobra shifted the youth motocross landscape in a way that has never been replicated.
Introduced in the summer of 1994, the Cobra made waves at that year’s AMA Amateur Motocross National Championship. After just recently becoming eligible for racing use thanks to Maimone’s efforts to build the minimum required 50 units before the deadline, three Cobras appeared at the famed competition at Loretta Lynn’s that year.
One of those three units was ridden by Bud’s son Brent. This set up a classic battle between Brent Maimone on his Cobra and future AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer James Stewart, who rode a Yamaha PW50. In the first moto of the competition, Stewart’s Y-Zinger began having issues, causing his father to cross the track to work on the bike and knocking Stewart out of contention due to a rule violation.
Stewart would be the final racer to win the 51cc Stock Class aboard a Y-Zinger in 1993. With that hiccup at Loretta Lynn’s in 1994, the Y-Zinger lost its iron grip on the minibike racing scene and the Cobra emerged as one of the driving forces in the class.
Barry Willey- Design & Engineering
Barry Willey, a trailblazer with an eye for innovation, leaned on his upbringing in his family’s motorcycle accessory factory to help National Cycle greatly impact the motorcycle community. With Willey at the helm, National Cycle became the first company to introduce and use General Electric’s MR4000 polycarbonate material — which came to be known as FMR hard-coated Lexan — for motorcycle windshields. In total, Willey’s pioneering nature gave the motorcycling industry many innovations and more than 25 mechanical patents.
Born in 1949, Barry Willey grew up next to the Nation’s Cycle Center, the family’s motorcycle accessory factory. There, he learned to make parts and sparked a fascination to innovate that continued into adulthood.
On his 16th birthday, Willey bought his first motorcycle — a 1966 Suzuki X-6 Hustler. The years that followed saw Willey go off to college, remain on the West Coast for a time, and ultimately return to Illinois in 1974 to run the family business.
In 1975, Willey’s National Cycle became the first company to introduce and use General Electric’s MR4000 polycarbonate material — which came to be known as FMR hard coated Lexan — for motorcycle windshields. The design and material perfected the windshield’s optics, shape and durability, creating a safer and modern-styled option.
Called the Heavy Duty, the custom windshield was packaged into mount kits for both Harley-Davidson and Japanese motorcycles.
In 2000, National Cycle made strides with its exclusive Quantum hard-coated polycarbonate, which raised the bar worldwide for polycarbonate windshield scratch resistance. Four years later came a newly developed Quantum hard coating, which won the Innovation Award at the Honda Suppliers Forum.
Willey also noticed the need for quick-release systems, which influenced the aftermarket OEM manufactures. Many of Willey’s innovations became the standard for windshields, backrests, luggage and other accessories.
Willey’s trailblazing nature gave the motorcycling industry many innovations and more than 25 mechanical patents.
Today, more than 20 OEM manufacturers work with National Cycle, a company that has been running for more than eight decades.
Dana Bell – Leadership & Rights
A decade after her entrance into motorcycling, Dana Bell worked her way to being a nationally ranked enduro competitor. From 1992–1999, Bell shifted her focus to rights issues and worked as the western states representative for the AMA’s Government Relations Department. During this period, she also worked as a state partner for National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC).
For her role as one of the key voices for motorcyclists’ rights, the AMA Board of Directors presented Bell with the AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, an honor created to recognize those who have been leaders in fighting for the rights of motorcyclists. Bell was just the third person to receive the award.
Dana Bell began riding motorcycles in 1975 because of a friend’s suggestion, and she spent the following decades in service of motorcycling.
A decade after her entrance into motorcycling, Bell worked her way to being a nationally ranked enduro competitor. At the same time, Bell served as an AMA District 37 volunteer and helped with the LA-Barstow to Vegas Dual-Sport race.
From 1992–1999, Bell shifted her focus to rights issues and worked as the western states representative for the AMA’s Government Relations Department. During this period, she also worked as a state partner for National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC). Bell stepped up as project coordinator for NOHVCC in ’99, and she began focusing on helping riders create State Associations — which at the time only existed in three states.
Following this focus, she worked on OHV Management Workshops to help teach land managers how work more effectively and provide riders with quality recreational experiences.
In the theme of enhancing the rider experience, Bell played an important role in the Adventure Trail program, which has helped educate young riders.
For her role as one of the key voices for motorcyclists’ rights, the AMA Board of Directors presented Bell with the AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, an honor created to recognize those who have been leaders in fighting for the rights of motorcyclists. Bell was just the third person to receive the award.
She retired from NOHVCC in 2008 and said, “I hope to be able to do more volunteer work and actually get to ride my little Honda XR250L.”
Rob Rasor – Leadership & Rights
For decades, Rob Rasor was instrumental in carrying out the AMA’s mission to promote motorcycling and protect the motorcycle lifestyle.
Hired in 1973 as part of the AMA’s Government Relations Department, Rasor helped ward off a federal “superbike” ban, helmet requirements and bike bans in several states and cities, and aided in the fight to ban healthcare discrimination against motorcyclists. Rasor was also a champion for off-road riding, and assisted in the AMA’s efforts to accommodate off-road riders on public lands.
Rasor’s efforts extended beyond the United States, and he was awarded the FIM Nicolas Rodi Del Valle Gold Medal in 2019.
With decades of experience at the American Motorcyclist Association, Rob Rasor played a key role in shaping the AMA — particularly on the government relations front — into what it is today.
During his time with the AMA, Rasor served as a legislative analyst, Vice President of Government Relations, and President, and played an instrumental role in several major legislative wins for motorcyclists.
First hired by the AMA in 1973 to work as part of its new Government Relations Department, Rasor was a key figure in the fight to protect the future of motorcycling. Under his leadership, the AMA navigated several legislative battles, including the fight to stop the federal government from banning “superbikes,” preventing bike bans and helmet requirements in several cities and states, and the mission to ban healthcare discrimination against motorcyclists.
Rasor was also instrumental in helping public land managers accommodate off-road motorcycling after the signing of Executive Order 11644 and the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, each of which aimed to control the use of OHVs on public lands.
In addition to his work with the AMA, Rasor maintained close ties with the Féderation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) for 45 years, where he served as an FIM Vice President and President of the Commission for Mobility, Transport, Road Safety, Industry and Public Affairs. For efforts internationally, Rasor was awarded the Nicolas Rodi Del Valle Gold Medal, which is the highest honor in the FIM.
Gary Sellers- Leadership & Rights
Since the 1970s, Gary Sellers has given his life to motorcycle education and advocacy in his home state of Ohio and throughout the country. Sellers was one of the founding members of ABATE of Ohio, and he served as legislative agent for the organization for a decade. He was awarded the honorary Life Membership Award by ABATE of Ohio in 1997. Alongside John “Farmer” Eggers, Sellers built a successful motorcycle safety training program in Ohio; it is estimated the program has saved thousands of lives over the years. Sellers is also a member of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Freedom Fighters halls of fame.
Since the 1970s, Gary Sellers has given his life to motorcycle education and advocacy in his home state of Ohio and throughout the country.
Sellers was one of the founding members of ABATE of Ohio, and he served as legislative agent for the organization for a decade. Also serving as chairman of both ABATE’s Political Action Committee and its Board of Directors, he was awarded the honorary Life Membership Award by ABATE of Ohio in 1997.
Alongside John “Farmer” Eggers, Sellers built a successful motorcycle safety training program in Ohio; it is estimated the program has saved thousands of lives over the years. In 2003, the Ohio Department of Public Safety presented an award for his work in rider education and motorcycle safety.
Within the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), Sellers is a charter life member and a former MRF state representative for Ohio. He also served on the MRF Board of Directors as an active officer or as an ex officio for many years. For his service to the MRF, Sellers received the Lifetime Achievement Award (1998), MRF Founder’s Award (2007) and President’s Cup Award (2013), and he was inducted into the MRF Hall of Fame in 2022.
Beyond MRF recognition, the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame — which recognizes individuals for their commitment and sacrifices to protect the rights of motorcyclists —inducted Sellers in 2007.