Blake Davis named 2019 Nicky Hayden AMA Road Race Horizon Award winner
Lynchburg, Va., resident among four to win AMA Racing Awards at 2019 AMA Road Race Grand Championship
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 after being hit by a car while training on a road bicycle. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Davis competed in the AMA Lightweight Twins Superstock Expert class at the AMA Road Race Grand Championship and finished in fifth place, while racing a 400cc motorcycle in a 650cc class. His 2019 successes included winning two WERA national championships and seven WERA regional titles.
He plans to make his MotoAmerica debut in 2020 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex Aug. 6-8.
The Barber event also featured 12 riders who claimed 14 AMA National Championships. Ray and Chris Bettis of Lawrenceville, Ga., claimed two class championships each.
“It was another year of excellent road racing at the AMA Road Race Grand Championship,” AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant said. “Congratulations to Blake, Eli, Charles, Will and all of our class champions, and we thank WERA Motorcycle Roadracing for putting on another great event.”
The winners of each competition class and AMA Racing Award are recognized as AMA national champions and are awarded AMA National No. 1 plates. They will be honored as part of the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend in Columbus, Ohio Dec. 6-7.
2019 AMA Road Race Grand Championship Class Champions
AMA 1000 Superbike Expert: Ryan Jones, Winchester, Va.
