A former AMA insider says that AMA Pro Racing was plotting to end its Supercross deal with PACE Motor Sports (subsequently SFX Motor Sports and Clear Channel Motor Sports) four years ago, even as the series reached new heights of popularity and exposure.

And AMA officials actually turned down potential sponsorship deals because they didn’t want the money to go to PACE, the source said.

The source said that he was personally instructed by then-AMA-President Ed Youngblood that the association was not interested in any new business or sponsorship deals centered around the Supercross Series until after it had dissolved its relationship with PACE and thus could ensure that the money wouldn’t go to PACE.

How many potential sponsors were blown off under the directive, and how much sponsorship revenue was lost, is unknown.

Despite the plans, AMA Pro Racing went through the motions of negotiating with Clear Channel prior to making a new deal last month with JamSports, a Chicago-based concert-promoting company with no motorsports experience.