USCRA Founder and Director, and AMA Hall of Fame nominee Bob Coy named Grand Marshal of the 2023 FIM North America Vintage Road Racing Championships

Loudon, New Hampshire – The United States Classic Racing Association (USCRA), the oldest vintage motorcycle road racing organization in the U.S., announced Founder and Director, and AMA Hall of Fame nominee, Bob Coy as Grand Marshal of the 21st annual FIM North America Vintage Road Racing Championships, June 10-11, 2023 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

More information on the event, which kicks off the 100th Annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, can be found at www.race-uscra.com.

“I have been extremely fortunate that motorcycle racing has been my passion for the past 58 years,” said Coy. “I have been very lucky to have raced all over the world. I was the only American to have ever raced the Cuba Cup races through the city streets of Havana, Cuban on the Canadian team in the 1976 and 1977. I have always said that I wasn’t a great racer but I was good enough to be there racing among and against world champions.

“Running and developing the USCRA as a club has been my passion for the past 43 years, It has provided FUN and safe racing to hundreds to riders over the years for riders from sixteen to 85+ years of age.  The USCRA embodies the concept of fun and competitive racing in a family atmosphere of people helping people enjoy the sport. Make no mistake, the USCRA states the concept that racing motorcycles can be a very dangerous sport that one must enter it on his own terms. Volunteerism is the backbone and strength of the club. Unbelievably, n 43 years there has never been an official protest registered at an event. That speaks volumes of the participants and their willingness to promote fun, safe and competitive racing.”

Born in 1945, Robert Coy grew up in a racing family in Chappaqua, N.Y., first getting the racing bug when he attended his first sports car race in the back luggage well of his father’s 1949 MG TC at the age of five.

Coy began his competition career racing go-karts in 1958, and went on to race motorcycles beginning in 1965, getting started racing scrambles and flat track and, later, road racing with the AAMRR organization. and CMA of Canada. He progressed to professional status in the late 1960s, in AMA racing. Through his 45-plus years of racing he raced TZ Yamahas, AMA Superbikes, AMA National Sidecars, AMA Battle of the Twins, competing in international races in Canada, South America, the Caribbean, Cuba, Italy, and Japan.

In 1976, Coy founded and organized the first vintage motorcycle road races in North America at Bridgehampton NY with fellow enthusiast Rob Ianucci. In 1980, he formed the United States Classic Racing Association (USCRA), for which he is still the Director. The USCRA conducts vintage road racing events, including the FIM/NAMU North America Vintage Road Race Championships.

In addition to the USCRA, Bob’s achievements in classic racing are numerous:

• Started the Vintage Sidecar Racing Series in 1990 building 10 outfits to promote the class,

• Revived the AMA National Gunstock Road Races on the original course (Laconia Classic)

• Developed and initiated the FIM Vintage Trials series

• Resurrected the AMA Gypsy Tour from Laconia to NHMS for vintage races

• Founded, organized and promoted Motogiro USA, the Streets of Laconia Vintage Road Races, and the Vintage Invitational Tower Hill Climb

*Organized a team and took 14 USCRA members to race in Philip Island, Australia in 2014.

Through his years as a race and event promoter, Coy also sponsored several notable riders, including Todd Henning, Frank Camilleri, and even put Gary Nixon back on his Kawasaki KR750 a few times when the bike was part of his collection.

Coy was appointed to the AMA Track Racing Commission in 2019, the AMA Specialized Sports Commission. He was nominated for the AMA Hall of Fame in 2022 and 2023..

In recent years Coy has focused on recording and maintaining the history of the sport. A fixture of New England motorsports, he serves on the Board of Directors for the New England Racing Museum and is also a nominating and voting committee member for the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Daytona.

About the United States Classic Racing Association (USCRA) www.race-uscra.com

The USCRA is the oldest vintage motorcycle road racing organization in the United States and includes over 400 active members. The club promotes four general types of events: Road racing on both proprietary built road race circuits and real roads courses (Gunstock® and the Streets of Laconia®), as well as Observed Trials, Motogiro USA® and Pewter Run® touring events held on open public roads.

About the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) www.fim-live.com

The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) founded in 1904, is the governing body for motorcycle sport and the global advocate for motorcycling. The FIM is an independent association formed by 113 National Federations throughout the world. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognizes it as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport. Among its 50 FIM World Championships the main events are MotoGP, Superbike, Endurance, Motocross, Supercross, Trial, Enduro, Cross-Country Rallies and Speedway. Furthermore, the FIM is also active and involved in the following areas: public affairs, road safety, touring and protection of the environment. The FIM was the first international sports federation to impose an Environmental Code in 1994.