Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

An AMA Sports Road Racing Grand Championships club racing event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car course has displaced Thursday practice, and organizers have barred many AMA Pros from participating in Thursday’s 6 and 8-lap races.

The list of barred riders includes anyone who has finished in the top 10 in an AMA Superbike race, or in the top 3 in an AMA Superstock, Supersport, 250cc Grand Prix or Formula Xtreme race, or who has won an AMA Pro Thunder race.

Those rules, newly enacted this year, eliminate a wide range of AMA regulars who rely on Thursday practice to set up their racebikes, while allowing their wheel-to-wheel competitors to participate.

The restrictions apply to any finish in 1999 to present day.

Under the rules, John Haner and Ty Howard would be able to participate on Thursday while Opie Caylor and Eric Wood would not be able to participate.

Ed Sorbo, Colin Jensen and Perry Melneciuc will be excluded on Thursday while Chris Pyles, who they frequently race wheel-to-wheel, will not.

Restricted riders will be able to participate in 12-lap Heavyweight, Mediumweight and Lightweight solo races on Wednesday, although solo classes typically exclude 250cc GP bikes.

The restrictions mean that the amount of track time available for many AMA riders will be greatly restricted, and that any riders who want to get that time will have to arrive at the racetrack a day earlier, on Tuesday, to set up.

Mid-Ohio has largely ignored the demand for Thursday practice in recent years, either scheduling restricted school events or, now, the AMA Grand Championships club race on Thursday.

AMA Sports officials allowed regulars on the AMA circuit to participate last year but did not score them for the AMA Horizon Award. The reason behind the change in policy is unknown.

Allowing anybody to enter the races and restricting eligibility for the AMA Horizon Award could have avoided penalizing AMA members who participate in AMA Pro Racing events and need Thursday to set-up their bikes.

Another solution could have been to hold the AMA Sports event on Tuesday and Wednesday and hold a proper Thursday practice for AMA members who hold Pro licenses.