American Motorcyclist Association extends condolences on the passing of Gavin Trippe

AMA Hall of Fame inductee pioneered ‘Superbikers’ with ABC Sports

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association offers its condolences to the family and friends of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Gavin Trippe, who passed away July 2 at the age of 78.

Mr. Trippe is perhaps best remembered for his involvement in 1979 with ABC Sports in creating and promoting “Superbikers” for the television network’s Wide World of Sports.

“Superbikers” was the first motorcycle competition to bring together the stars of various specialties of racing to compete head to head on such a prominent stage. The “Superbikers” concept spawned Supermoto racing, which became a popular national and world championship division by the early 2000s.

Mr. Trippe’s company, Trippe/Cox Productions, also produced the first U.S. Motocross Grand Prix in Carlsbad, Calif., in 1973. He promoted the first AMA national road races at Ontario (California) Motor Speedway, the Champion Spark Plug 200. After the demise of the Speedway, he took that event to Laguna Seca Raceway to launch the current history of motorcycle racing in Monterey.

He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005.

Trippe will always be remembered as one of the premier promoters in the history of American motorcycle racing and an innovator who helped create an entirely new genre in the sport.

For more information about Trippe and his contributions to motorcycling, visit the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame website at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/mobile-join