U.S. MXoN Team Wins 2022 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year Award
Loretta Lynn, Brian Schaffran and Molly Vaughan, and Chris Real receive 2022 AMA Board of Directors Awards
PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Dec 14, 2022) — Following a winning performance at the 2022 FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) that brought the MXoN Chamberlain Trophy back to the United States, the U.S. MXoN team — which included Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper, with five-time World Champion and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Roger DeCoster as Team Manager — has claimed the 2022 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year award.
It had been 11 years since the U.S. claimed the Chamberlain Trophy, and this year the U.S. MXoN team took the long-awaited win in front of thousands of fans on home soil at Red Bud Track ’N’ Trail in Buchanan, Mich., on Sept. 25, 2022.
“Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper accomplished something extraordinary at Red Bud this year,” said AMA Board of Directors Chairman Russ Ehnes. “Bringing the Chamberlain Trophy back to American soil after 11 years was a feat worthy of recognition, which is why we selected the team as the 2022 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year. We’re proud of these riders’ stellar example of American greatness, and we’re proud to have them as AMA members.”
The AMA Board also awarded the AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award to the late AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Loretta Lynn, who passed away in October, for her massive impact on the motocross community.
Recipients of the award showcase the highest level of service to the AMA in an area of activity. Since 1982, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch has welcomed more than 60,000 AMA riders vying for AMA National No. 1 plates at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, making her the perfect candidate for this honor.
The AMA Bessie Stringfield Award, which is presented to an individual who has been instrumental in introducing or promoting motorcycling to emerging markets, is being awarded to Brian Schaffran and Molly Vaughan.
The husband-and-wife duo are the owners of Skidmark Garage, a community garage in Cleveland and leaders of Motogo, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that serves as the garage’s educational wing to teach middle school and high school students how to solve problems through working on motorcycles. The program works with schools around the Cleveland area, bringing back shop class to kids with a two-wheeled twist.
Rounding out the AMA Board of Directors Awards, Chris Real is being recognized with the AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award — an honor given to individuals or organizations that generate good publicity for motorcycling.
Real, an expert in the specialty transportation industry focusing on motorcycles, has provided the technical background, equipment and additional support to the AMA’s sound meter program for more than a decade. He’s trained countless enthusiasts and enforcement organizations to properly conduct field tests and accurately measure sound levels, ensuring tests are conducted consistently and accurately.
More information about the U.S. MXoN team and their historic win can be found in the December and January editions of American Motorcyclist.