Jake
April 30th, 2003, 12:38 AM
The motocross world was abuzz during the Salt Lake Supercross weekend over rumors that there may big changes in store for the AMA U.S. Motocross Championships series - a.k.a. the outdoor nationals, starting in 2005.
The word was that AMA Pro Racing had sent out letters to all 11 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championships series promoters, notifying them that their sanction agreements for 2005 and beyond were up for renewal. That in and of itself was no cause for concern, except that four tracks - Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, MX338 in Southwick, Massachusetts, and Kenworthy's MX Park in Troy, Ohio - received letters from AMA Pro Racing with language suggesting that those four events would be dropped from the outdoor schedule after the 2004 season. The remaining eight tracks received letters stating that AMA Pro Racing was intent upon keeping those events on the 2005 schedule and beyond.
According to Glen Helen Raceway Track Manager Lori Yarnell, the notification came as quite a shock.
"There has been no communication with us," Yarnell said. "There is no explanation as to why they [AMA Pro Racing] do not want to renegotiate with us. We knew that our agreements were up, and we are willing to renegotiate, but nobody has given us any explanation. We're going to have to work to find a better solution for all of us. Hopefully, we'll have some more answers soon."
Cycle News contacted AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth and AMA Pro Racing Marketing Manager John Farris, who said that while letters were sent out with different wording to some of the tracks, there are no firm plans to drop any track from the schedule as of yet.
"Nobody is off the schedule," Farris said. "We have sent a letter to each of our promoters, and there is specific language that states that we will be getting back to them. We do have more complicated issues to work out with some of those tracks."
Hollingsworth said not to expect huge changes in the 2005 schedule.
"A couple of tracks have safety issues long-term, and we are also taking a look at whether or not we are serving the appropriate markets when taking supercross into account. We are looking into the future, and we have to undertake our long-term planning at some point."
Farris said that AMA Pro Racing feels compelled to look at the interplay between the motocross and supercross series, but both men said that AMA Pro Racing continues to view them as separate entities.
"We are looking at them as two stand-alone series that need to be kept separate but on complementary paths of development," Farris said.
Hollingsworth said that it is far-sighted to suggest that the two might become one series.
"We're not looking at it that way," he said.
Farris said that AMA Pro Racing has already been in contact with all the promoters, but Racer Productions' Rita Coombs, promoter of both the High Point and Steel City, Pennsylvania, rounds of the MX nationals said that she has not been contacted other than by the notifications - as the promoter of both tracks, Coombs received one copy of each letter from AMA Pro Racing. She said that she is wary of AMA Pro Racing's motives.
"We feel totally blind-sided by this," Coombs said. "High Point has been an AMA National facility since 1977, and the AMA has never had an issue with us, nothing that we couldn't or didn't immediately fix. We have been a strong supporter of the AMA, promoting MX nationals, GNCC events, Amateur National Motocross Championships, dual sport events and road tours. We generate a lot of memberships for the AMA. We are totally devastated by this move and the way it was done. We don't want to cause any hard feelings or go to battle with the AMA - that has never even been a thought - but something is wrong here, and it needs to be fixed. We have invested heavily in High Point for the past five years. I feel we deserve some sort of explanation. After over 25 years of service to the AMA, why hasn't someone at least called me and talked to me?"
Stay tuned.
The word was that AMA Pro Racing had sent out letters to all 11 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championships series promoters, notifying them that their sanction agreements for 2005 and beyond were up for renewal. That in and of itself was no cause for concern, except that four tracks - Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, MX338 in Southwick, Massachusetts, and Kenworthy's MX Park in Troy, Ohio - received letters from AMA Pro Racing with language suggesting that those four events would be dropped from the outdoor schedule after the 2004 season. The remaining eight tracks received letters stating that AMA Pro Racing was intent upon keeping those events on the 2005 schedule and beyond.
According to Glen Helen Raceway Track Manager Lori Yarnell, the notification came as quite a shock.
"There has been no communication with us," Yarnell said. "There is no explanation as to why they [AMA Pro Racing] do not want to renegotiate with us. We knew that our agreements were up, and we are willing to renegotiate, but nobody has given us any explanation. We're going to have to work to find a better solution for all of us. Hopefully, we'll have some more answers soon."
Cycle News contacted AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth and AMA Pro Racing Marketing Manager John Farris, who said that while letters were sent out with different wording to some of the tracks, there are no firm plans to drop any track from the schedule as of yet.
"Nobody is off the schedule," Farris said. "We have sent a letter to each of our promoters, and there is specific language that states that we will be getting back to them. We do have more complicated issues to work out with some of those tracks."
Hollingsworth said not to expect huge changes in the 2005 schedule.
"A couple of tracks have safety issues long-term, and we are also taking a look at whether or not we are serving the appropriate markets when taking supercross into account. We are looking into the future, and we have to undertake our long-term planning at some point."
Farris said that AMA Pro Racing feels compelled to look at the interplay between the motocross and supercross series, but both men said that AMA Pro Racing continues to view them as separate entities.
"We are looking at them as two stand-alone series that need to be kept separate but on complementary paths of development," Farris said.
Hollingsworth said that it is far-sighted to suggest that the two might become one series.
"We're not looking at it that way," he said.
Farris said that AMA Pro Racing has already been in contact with all the promoters, but Racer Productions' Rita Coombs, promoter of both the High Point and Steel City, Pennsylvania, rounds of the MX nationals said that she has not been contacted other than by the notifications - as the promoter of both tracks, Coombs received one copy of each letter from AMA Pro Racing. She said that she is wary of AMA Pro Racing's motives.
"We feel totally blind-sided by this," Coombs said. "High Point has been an AMA National facility since 1977, and the AMA has never had an issue with us, nothing that we couldn't or didn't immediately fix. We have been a strong supporter of the AMA, promoting MX nationals, GNCC events, Amateur National Motocross Championships, dual sport events and road tours. We generate a lot of memberships for the AMA. We are totally devastated by this move and the way it was done. We don't want to cause any hard feelings or go to battle with the AMA - that has never even been a thought - but something is wrong here, and it needs to be fixed. We have invested heavily in High Point for the past five years. I feel we deserve some sort of explanation. After over 25 years of service to the AMA, why hasn't someone at least called me and talked to me?"
Stay tuned.