Award nominees announced for 2017 AMA Championship Banquet
Voting for AMA Racers of the Year is open to AMA members
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association has announced the nominees for the 2017 AMA Championship Banquet awards. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that excelled in AMA-sanctioned competition and recreational activity in 2017.
“The AMA Championship Banquet is one of the most prestigious events in motorcycle racing and riding,” said AMA Director of Racing Kevin Crowther. “The racers and organizers honored at this event come from a variety of motorcycle, ATV, competition and recreational backgrounds and are among the country’s best. We look forward to spotlighting their hard work each year.”
AMA members help choose the winners of selected categories, including the coveted AMA Athlete of the Year award.
Visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com/raceroftheyear to cast your votes for the 2017 AMA racing awards. Voting ends Dec. 15.
The special award winners will be announced at the 2017 AMA Championship Banquet on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Hilton Downtown Columbus in Columbus, Ohio.
Among those recognized at the banquet are top clubs and promoters in both competition and recreational riding categories.
Class champions from national and regional motorcycle and ATV championships will be honored with AMA National No. 1 plates at the banquet, while second- and third-place finishers also receive awards.
The AMA Championship Banquet — which includes dinner, door prizes and refreshments — spotlights hundreds of top racers from across the country in disciplines ranging from dirt track to motocross to woods racing, and everything in between, from 2017 competition.
Recreational organizers will be recognized in road-riding and off-road categories. And awards will be presented to the AMA Club of the Year and to the media.
To reserve your space at the event, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com/events/ama-championship-banquet. Tickets are $75 each. AMA Life Members receive a $10 discount and children 4 years old and younger are free.
Special room rates are also available for those attending the banquet at Hilton Downtown Columbus. Call (614) 384-8600 or use group code AMA18 online. Visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com/events/ama-championship-banquet to learn more.
2017 AMA Racing Award Nominees:
AMA Athlete of the Year: National Championship Series
Billy Janniro – Champion, AMA Speedway National Championship Series
Steward Baylor – Champion, AMA National Enduro Championship Series
Gary Sutherlin – Champion, AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series
Gavin Faith – Champion, Arenacross National Championship Series
Kailub Russell – Champion, AMA Grand National Cross Country Series
Pat Smage – Champion, AMA/NATC MotoTrials National Championship Series
Cody Webb – Champion, AMA Endurocross National Championship Series; Champion, AMA Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro Grand Championship
AMA Athlete of the Year: Grand Championships
Hunter Brooks – AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award Winner, AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship
Joseph Blasius – AMA Road Race Horizon Award Winner, AMA Road Race Grand Championship
Bodee O’Neil – AMA Hillclimb Racer of the Year, AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship
Quinn Wentzel – AMA Vintage Off-Road Grand Champion, AMA Vintage Grand Championship
Justin Cooper – AMA Motocross Horizon Award Winner, AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
AMA ATV Athlete of the Year
Walker Fowler – Overall ATV Champion, AMA Grand National Cross Country Series
Colt Brinkerhoff – Pro ATV Champion, AMA National Hare & Hound Championship Series
Noah Mickelson – Pro-Sport Champion, AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series
AMA Veteran/Senior Racer of the Year
Pete Desantis – 60+ Vintage Open, 1980s Vintage 250cc, 1970s Vintage 360cc Champion, AMA Vintage Dirt Track National Championship Series
Mike Brown – Junior 25+ Champion, Senior 40+ Champion, AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
Brian Storrie – Multi-time FIM ISDE U.S. Team member
Destry Abbott – Vet Champion, AMA Endurocross National Championship Series
Jeffrey Odell – Senior 40+ A Class Champion, AMA Grand National Cross Country Series
AMA Youth Racer of the Year
Ty Masterpool – Supermini 1 (12-15) Champion, Supermini 2 (13-16) Champion, AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
Mason Matthies – Big Wheel 150cc Champion, AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series; Big Wheel 112cc 2t/150cc 4t Champion, AMA West Hare Scramble Championship Series
Zach Davidson – Supermini Senior (14-15) Champion, AMA Grand National Cross Country Series
Sebastian Palmese – 250 Youth Champion, AMA Speedway National Championship
Tyler Scott – 65cc Modified (7-11), 85cc DTX (7-11) and 85cc Modified (7-11) Champion, AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship
AMA Female Racer of the Year
Tayla Jones – WXC Champion, AMA Grand National Cross Country Series; Women’s Pro Overall Champion, AMA Full Gas Sprint Enduro Championship Series; Women’s Elite Champion, AMA National Enduro Championship Series
Kayla Yaakov – AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year, AMA Road Race Grand Championship
Tayler Allred – Girls (11-16) Champion, AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
Kacy Martinez – Women 85cc-Open A Champion, AMA National Hare & Hound Championship Series
2017 AMA Organizer Award Nominees:
AMA Motocross Organizer of the Year
2x Promotions – Porterville, Calif.
Victory Sports – Blountville, Tenn.
Ohio Motocross Association – New Philadelphia, Ohio
AMA Off-Road Organizer of the Year
Racer Productions Inc. – Morgantown, W.Va.
National Enduro Promotions Group (NEPG) – Lansing, Mich.
North American Trials Council – Mesa, Ariz.
AMA Track Racing Organizer of the Year
Supermoto West – Saratoga, Calif.
Belleville Enduro Team – Belleville, Ill.
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing Inc. – Canton, Ga.
AMA ATV Organizer of the Year
Iowa ATV Hare Scramble Series (IATVHSS) – Carlisle, Iowa
Western New York Off-Road Association (WYNOA) – Newfield, N.Y.
ATV Promoters Group – Morgantown, W.Va.
AMA Recreational Road Riding Organizer of the Year
Greater Akron M/C – Akron, Ohio
Southern California Motorcycling Association – Norwalk, Calif.
York Motorcycle Club – York, Pa.
AMA Recreational Off-Road Organizer of the Year
Lake County Off Road Conservation Inc. – Mentor, Ohio
Family Riders MTC – Charleston, S.C.
Penguins Motorcycle Club at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, Calif.
AMA Club of the Year
Christian Motorcyclists Association – Hatfield, Ark.
Square Deal Riders M/C – Binghamton, N.Y.
Hi-Winders – Millville, Minn.
AMA Media Award
Brian J. Nelson – Flagstaff, Ariz.
Adventure Motorcycle Magazine (ADVmoto) – Chantilly, Va.
Racer TV – Morgantown, W.Va.
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