Mini road racing coming to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days July 8-10

Road race kitted mini bikes will compete on course in upper paddock

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — For many prospective road racers, the triple-digit speeds, large grids and relatively high-costs of a modern amateur road race program are daunting. But there is a solution, and future asphalt carvers can find it during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, July 8-10.

Mini road racing includes all the fun, nearly all the thrill and a fraction of the cost of road racing full-sized bikes.

“A core part of the AMA’s mission is to promote motorcycling, and mini road racing is a great way to expose potential road racers to the sport,” said AMA Chief Operations Officer Jeff Massey. “We’re excited to have the Ohio Mini Roadracing League team join us at this year’s event.”

The AMA-chartered Ohio Mini Roadracing League will operate the three-day program during the event, including practice on Friday and racing on Saturday and Sunday. Pre-registration for the OMRL program is available now at www.ohiominiroadracingleague.com/ama-vmd-race/. Detailed class descriptions and a mini road racing FAQ are provided on the OMRL website.

OMRL President Kent Klawon says several club members are looking forward to competing during the country’s premier celebration of vintage motorcycles and the people who love them.

“AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days has always been about having a good time on motorcycles of all eras, and we’re thrilled to be part of the program this year,” Klawon said. “We have club members who race in the vintage road race program every year. Not only will the mini road racing give our club members more to do, but we hope to attract both new racers as well as experienced racers of full-sized bikes who are looking for a fun time.”

Klawon said the top riders in each class will be recognized based on the cumulative points earned during both days of competition.

Gavin Anthony, 13, from Hilliard, Ohio, said he hopes to be one of those riders. Anthony will compete on a CRF100F and a CRF150R at the event. He is applying the skills he’s learned from mini road racing to competition on full-sized bikes.

“I did motocross for a few years, then I came into mini road racing because it’s more fun for me, and I’m better at it,” he said. “It teaches you to ride the bike fast without having much power. With less power, you have to pick up more corner speed. You can’t just make it up by going fast down the straits.”

Adam Anthony, Gavin’s father, said another benefit of mini road racing is it’s relatively inexpensive.

“You could pick up and set up a 100cc bike for $1,000 or less,” he said. “You’ll probably have as much money in the gear, but the cost of entry is very low all around.”

For more details on AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, see www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com and www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, a fundraiser for the nonprofit AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, includes vintage and post-vintage motocross, trials, hare scrambles and vintage road racing. A half-mile dirt track event will be held at the nearby Ashland County Fairgrounds.

Additional activities at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days include North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Bike Show, the American Motor Drome Wall of Death, a classic motorcycle field meet, demo rides of current production bikes, seminars, live music, Builder’s Row featuring some of the country’s best custom bike builders, two premier raffle bikes on display, a beer garden with the region’s best craft beers, the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Adventure Bike Challenge, the AMA Pit Bike TT and displays by some of the AMA’s most active classic clubs.

For 2016, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will celebrate the championship-winning career of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Wes Cooley and the 40-year anniversary of AMA Superbike racing. Cooley will be on hand throughout the weekend to sign autographs, participate in Q&A sessions and perform demonstration laps on his championship-winning GS1000 each day.

AMA members who buy event tickets directly from the AMA before June 6 receive an exclusive price discount. AMA members can call (800) 262-5646 to purchase a weekend pass for $45, a one-day pass for $25 for Friday or Saturday, or a $20 pass for Sunday, a $5 savings off the regular advance rate. There is no service charge for AMA members when purchasing through the AMA.

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/membership/join