Racing

Bay City’s Valley Springs Motorcycle Club to host amateur national championship event in August PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The nation’s best amateur hillclimb competitors will duke it out for AMA National No. 1 plates at Valley Springs Motorcycle Club this summer. The club hosts the 2020 edition of the AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship at its Bay City, Wis., grounds Aug. 7-9. The club’s 500-foot hill also was the site of AMA Hillclimb Grand Championships in 2012 and 2014. “The Valley Springs Motorcycle Club has a reputation for putting on stellar hillclimb events, and its facility has proven to be a great host for an amateur national,” AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant said. “We’re looking forward to another year of great battles between the best up-and-coming hillclimb racers in the United States.” In addition to competing for AMA No. 1 plates, racers will vie for awards recognizing the AMA Hillclimb Racer of the Year, AMA Vet/Senior Hillclimb Racer of the Year and AMA Youth Hillclimb Racer of the Year. The King of the Hill award will go to the fastest competitor in a run-off. Riders with the 10 fastest times during the weekend will compete for King of the Hill in

East and West regional series to decide 2020 U.S. ISDE Club Team members PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Two American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned International Six Days Enduro Qualifier Series will be used to determine which amateur off-road racers will represent the United States at the 95th edition of the FIM International Six Days Enduro in Rivanazzano Terme, Italy, on Aug. 31-Sept. 5. The 2020 AMA East Region ISDE Qualifier Series and the 2020 AMA West Region ISDE Qualifier Series will consist of three rounds each, beginning in February and ending in May. The 2020 FIM ISDE will be in August or September. “The U.S. ISDE Team is coming off its best-ever results at the 2019 ISDE, and now it’s time to determine which amateur riders will attempt to repeat that success in Italy in 2020,” AMA Off-Road Racing Manager Erek Kudla said. “The qualifier series test racers in race formats similar to the ISDE, and hopefully one of our Club teams will be able to defend the United States’ Club division title next year.” The U.S. ISDE team won the World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy championships at the 2019 ISDE, as well as the Club Cup title. The American Junior World Trophy

Athletes of the Year, Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award winners among those recognized COLUMBUS, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association honored the 2019 season’s fastest amateur motorcycle racers and top event organizers at the KTM AMA Championship Banquet at the Hilton Columbus Downtown on Saturday, Dec. 7. The AMA sanctions thousands of motorcycle and ATV races each year on dirt, sand, asphalt, ice and snow. The competitors attending the banquet placed in the top three in their classes and are among the elite amateur motorcycle racers in the country. AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman highlighted the importance of those in attendance to the sport. “This night is for the riders, racers and their families who invest emotion, time and money into the sport we all love,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “Your dedication and passion are the fuel that powers AMA racing and riding. You are the heart of the most expansive sanctioned motorsports program in the world. Thank you for your commitment to motorcycling in all its forms.” The evening’s program was emceed by Laurette Nicoll and Kevin Kelly. Pat Smage of Elkhorn, Wis., was recognized as the AMA Athlete of the Year from AMA National

Qualifying system for 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship opens 26 more spots PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Nine events in two qualifying series provide more opportunities to secure a spot in the 2020 AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship, the Tennessee Knockout on Aug. 14-16 at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tenn. The new format and additional events open up 26 more spots at the TKO. “With this new format, more riders can qualify directly to the Saturday afternoon and Sunday races, instead of having to race their way in on Saturday morning,” AMA Off-Road Racing Manager Erek Kudla said. “The nine qualifying events bring extreme off-road competition to regions across the nation, and we welcome back several events to the qualifier schedule that did a great job serving as AMA State Championships in 2019.” Riders can secure starting spots in the Saturday afternoon TKO 2 race based on their participation at any of the qualifying events. The top 10 finishers in each event move directly to the TKO 2 competition. Additionally, the top three riders from each qualifying series — who are not on the “invited riders” list — skip Saturday’s TKO 1 and TKO 2 competitions and compete against

Nation’s best ice racers to compete for AMA National No. 1 plates at charitable events PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The nation’s best motorcycle ice racers will have two opportunities to compete for AMA No. 1 plates in 2020, with AMA Ice Race Grand Championship events scheduled a week apart in January in Wisconsin. The first event, the High Voltage Ice Races, takes place Jan. 12 and features oval racing at Wilson Park in downtown Milwaukee. The second event is a grand prix-style competition that runs concurrently with the Steel Shoe Fund’s three-hour endurance race on Jan. 19 at Kettle Moraine Lake in Campbellsport, Wis. The events will be scored separately, and class winners at each event will be awarded AMA National No. 1 plates. “We are delighted to be working with the Steel Shoe Fund for the second consecutive year, and we’re happy to welcome High Voltage to the ranks of AMA Championship promoters,” AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant said. “Both organizations work hard to support good causes, and we’re looking forward to some great ice racing in January.” This will be the first year the High Voltage Ice Races will be sanctioned as an AMA Grand Championship. The event

Partnership allows MRA competitors to earn points toward pro license PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association welcomes the Motorcycle Roadracing Association to its ranks of AMA-chartered competition organizations for the 2020 season. The Colorado-based amateur road racing organization will sanction all of its 2020 events with the AMA. The sanctioning agreement also allows MRA racers’ championship points to be counted toward earning an AMA professional road racing license, which is required for competing in MotoAmerca, the home of the AMA Superbike Championship. “The MRA is one of the best road racing organizations in the country, and the AMA is delighted to have a sanctioning agreement in place with them for 2020,” said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. The series features 17 competition classes for a wide variety of motorcycles, as well as its SuperStreet program that allows street riders to try riding their motorcycles on a track without first investing in track bike preparation work and riding gear. MRA riders will be required to purchase an AMA membership to compete in 2020 MRA events, which will allow them to enjoy a wide range of benefits and discounts. AMA memberships are available at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/join.  

Haaker wins third career title PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association congratulates the five riders who won AMA National Championships in the 2019 AMA EnduroCross National Championship Series. About 300 entries took part in the official U.S. extreme off-road indoor championship series, which kicked off on Aug. 24 and featured rounds in Arizona, Colorado and Idaho. Among the class champions is Colton Haaker of Perris, Calif., who claimed his third career Super EnduroCross Pro Class title. Haaker scored two wins and a runner-up finish in the three-round series, beating Taddy Blazusiak by 5 points to win the top-class championship. The only rider to score three wins on the season was Shelby Turner of Barons, Alberta, Canada, who also claimed the Women’s Class crown. Nick Tolman of West Jordan, Utah, won the Intermediate Class; and the Vet 35+ Class title went to Craig Thompson of Fresno, Calif. Ty Cullins wrapped up the Junior Class Championship, which recognizes Super Pro Class riders who are 21 and younger. “Congratulations to our five EnduroCross AMA National Champions,” AMA Off-Road Racing Manager Erek Kudla said. “EnduroCross is one of the wildest action sports on two wheels. It combines the race format of motocross with

Lynchburg, Va., resident among four to win AMA Racing Awards at 2019 AMA Road Race Grand Championship PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Blake Davis was named the 2019 Nicky Hayden AMA Road Race Horizon Award winner and was one of four riders to receive AMA Racing Awards at the 2019 AMA Road Race Grand Championship on Oct. 27 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Other riders to win AMA Racing Awards included AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year Eli Banish, of Burlington, Ky.; AMA Vet/Senior Road Racer of the Year Charles Ivey, of Augusta, Ga.; and AMA Novice Road Racer of the Year Will Ray, of Etowah, Tenn. Davis, 13, from Lynchburg, Va., is no stranger to winning AMA Racing Awards, having won the AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year in 2018. “I was definitely surprised,” Davis said. “There are a few other people I was expecting to win it.” The Nicky Hayden AMA Road Race Horizon Award honors the amateur racer who is poised for success at the professional level. The award is named after AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Nicky Hayden, who won the first AMA Horizon Award in 1997. The 2006 MotoGP champion died in 2017