From an AMA press release, and no, we don’t know why they picked Pearl Harbor Day as the date of the banquet:

2001 AMA PRO RACING CHAMPIONS AWARDS BANQUET
RETURNS TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Pro Racing recaptures a bit of tradition by returning to Southern California after a six-year hiatus to host the 27th annual AMA Pro Racing Champions Awards Banquet, Dec. 7, 2001, at the luxurious Desert Springs Marriott Resort & Spa in Palm Springs.
Fans are invited to join AMA Pro Racing staff as they honor America’s best motorcycle racers from the fields of road racing, supercross, motocross, flat track, speedway, hillclimb, drag racing and more. The banquet has been in Las Vegas since 1995, but is moving back to the heart of the American motorcycle industry. To cap it all off, the 2001 AMA Speedvision Professional Athlete of the Year will also be crowned.

Fans and participants may enjoy the hospitality of the Desert Springs Marriott Resort & Spa by calling (877) 804-4060 to make reservations through Nov. 7. The ticket price for the banquet is $100 per person and tickets can be purchased through Nov. 23. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Formal attire is requested.

Following the banquet will be a day of golf, benefiting the Road 2 Recovery Foundation, which helps pro riders who suffer career-threatening injuries while racing. The Road 2 Recovery Foundation is dedicated to providing financial, motivational, emotional and spiritual support to AMA licensed members in the event of a career-ending injury. This fundraiser will also be held at the Marriott Desert Springs, on the Palm Golf Course. The entry fee of $200 includes 18 holes of golf on this premier course plus a special gift package. To register for this Dec. 8 tournament or obtain more information, call (866) 686-6889.

To purchase tickets to the awards banquet or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact AMA Pro Racing at (614) 856-1900.