AMA National Grand Prix Championship’s 2020 season kicks off Saturday

Off-road racing series features 10 rounds in southwestern United States

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association’s Grand Prix National Championship gets its 10-round 2020 season underway on Jan. 18 at Mavericks Stadium in Adelanto, Calif.

The series, which includes motorcycle and ATV classes, visits venues in three states in 2020 and is organized by Big 6 Grand Prix Series Inc.

“It’s the second year that Big 6 has operated the AMA Grand Prix National Championship, and the series has added two events for this year,” AMA Off-Road Racing Manager Erek Kudla said. “Big 6 has successfully operated an off-road grand prix series for more than 20 years, and we’re looking forward to the discipline’s continued growth.”

The AMA’s involvement in off-road grand prix racing dates to at least the 1950s, when some of the top competitors of the time — including AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Ed Kretz Jr., Nick Nicholson, Chuck “Feets” Minert and Walt Axthelm — took part in the Catalina Grand Prix (1951-1958) alongside local racers and celebrities. The discipline has remained popular since then, especially on the West Coast.

The Big 6 Grand Prix Series was started in 1995 by six motorcycle clubs in AMA District 37.

Off-road grand prix racing encompasses elements of motocross, off-road and track racing into a single discipline. Typical grand prix race courses are between 5 and 10 miles long, with races lasting 45 to 90 minutes.

2020 AMA Grand Prix National Championship Series Schedule

Jan. 18: Mavericks Stadium, Adelanto, Calif.
Feb. 8: Honolulu Hills Raceway, Taft, Calif.
Feb. 29: Glen Helen Raceway, Devore, Calif.
March 28: 29 Palms Motorsports, 29 Palms, Calif.
April 25: Primm Casino Resort, Primm, Nev.
May 16: Mesquite MX,  Littlefield, Ariz
Sept. 12: Hangtown, , Rancho Cordova, Calif.
Oct. 3: Desert Empire Fairgrounds, Ridgecrest, Calif.
Oct. 31: Quail Canyon MX, Gorman, Calif.
Dec. 12: Crazy Horse Campgrounds, Lake Havasu, Ariz.