AMA Presents 2022 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award to Clarke Morian V
Congratulates Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award winner Declan Bender, and Vet/Senior and Youth Racer of the Year winners
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — After wrapping up the week-long Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship, the American Motorcyclist Association congratulates Clarke Morian V, winner of the 2022 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award, and Declan Bender, winner of the 2022 Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award.
These outstanding flat track competitors, along with the Vet/Senior and Youth Racers of the Year, were selected from riders who participated in the event, which took place at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill., June 7-13. They were among the 23 AMA amateur national champions crowned during the seven days of bar-banging action.
“The AMA is proud to present Clarke Morian and Declan Bender with our two most prestigious awards for amateur flat track racing,” said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. “Both Clarke and Declan are great riders and competitors. Clarke is a very grounded, hardworking and well-focused kid, and as a racer he’s fast, smooth and clean on the track. Declan isn’t just fast on the racetrack, but he’s even better in the classroom, an outstanding student who’s earning straight As in Advanced Placement classes.”
The Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon award honors the legacy and success of Nicky Hayden while recognizing the amateur racer who’s demonstrated the skill, character and aptitude to make a significant impact at the professional level. Previous winners of the AMA’s most prestigious racing award include Chase Saathoff, Kody Kopp, Dallas Daniels, Briar Bauman, Jared Mees, Bryan Smith and Roger Lee Hayden.
Morian started racing just six years ago and got his first taste of bar-banging action at the Lawrenceburg Motorcycle Speedway, where he got second place aboard a borrowed Honda XR100. Since then he’s won the Half-Mile in the 250cc Modified class at the 2020 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship and at this year’s event showed excellent consistency with multiple top-five finishes.
“I decided to go for the award just a couple months ago,” Morian said, “[because] I wanted to be a part of that legacy that Nicky Hayden started. I’m proud to be a part of something this big in the flat track community. I have to thank my mom and dad, who’ve put in countless hours helping to get me to this point, and Chad Wells my motor guy, who puts in countless hours, as well.”
Declan Bender, who was presented with the 2022 Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award, started riding at the age of 3, and began his racing career on Yamaha PW50s. Since then he’s won 12 National Championships, three district titles, and previously won the Fast Brain Award in 2015. At this year’s Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship, he took second in the 450cc A Production class and fourth in the Open Heavyweight class.
“It was definitely unexpected to win the Fast Brain Award,” Bender said. “I was excited to win it, especially because it was presented to me in front of the younger racers. I help a lot of little kids out racing, and some of them look up to me, so the presentation was perfect.”
“I’d also like to thank my mom and dad,” Bender continued. “They’re always behind me and in my corner, and they do everything to get me to the races. Tyler Raggio was my mechanic throughout the week, too, and he did a lot for me. I have so many people who help me out, and I’m very thankful.”
The Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award includes a $1,500 educational scholarship and is presented to a racer who understands — and demonstrates — that academic excellence is just as important as good performance on the racetrack. The AMA thanks AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Bill Werner, Estenson Racing, and Zanotti Racing’s Dave Zanotti for funding this award in 2022.
The AMA also awarded AMA Vet/Senior Racer of the Year to Dallas Mayer, who won the honor last year, and named Sam Drane the AMA Youth Racer of the Year.
The complete list of AMA amateur national champions crowned at the Mission Foods AMA Flat Track Grand Championship includes:
50cc Production Chain Drive Jr. (4-6)
Skylar Loucks
Christopher, Ill.
50cc Production Chain Drive Sr. (7-8)
Brentley Krimminger
Collinsville, Ill.
50cc Production PW Shaft Drive (4-8)
Odin Music
Pinconning, Mich.
50cc Production Chain Drive Shift (4-8)
Odin Music
Pinconning, Mich.
65cc Production (7-11)
Colton Shafer
Fresno, Calif.
65cc Modified (7-11)
Jed Fyffe
Jindera, NSA, Australia
85cc Production (9-13)
Sam Drane
Forbes, NSW, Australia
85cc Modified (9-11)
Sam Drane
Forbes, NSW, Australia
85cc Modified (9-13)
Sam Drane
Forbes, NSW, Australia
85cc Modified Supermini (12-15)
Jack Brucks
Neenah, Wis.
Veteran (25+)
Daniel Wicks
Gunnedah, NSW, Australia
Senior (40+)
Dallas Mayer
Carbondale, Ill.
Super Senior (50+)
Monty Smatt-Klein
Ocala, Fla.
Masters (60+)
Dallas Mayer
Carbondale, Ill.
Women 86cc and Up (12+)
Morgan Reinhold
Bethalto, Ill.
250cc Production
Walker Porter
Athens, Ala.
250cc Modified
Ryder Reese
Elmira N.Y.
250cc Open Singles (12+)
Bradon Pfanders
Bethlehem, Penn.
450cc A Production
Evan Renshaw
Kinzers, Pa.
450cc A Modified
Logan Eisenhard
Barto, Pa.
450cc B Production
Brandon Pfanders
Bethlehem, Pa.
450cc B Modified
Brandon Pfanders
Bethlehem, Pa.
Open Heavyweight
Brandon Pfanders
Bethlehem, Pa.
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. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
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