AMA Congratulates 38 Cham pions Crowned at AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
AMA Congratulates 38 Champions Crowned at AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
Benny Bloss wins AMA Motocross Horizon Award
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship presented by AMSOIL, held July 26-Aug. 1, pitted hundreds of the country’s top riders against one another at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. When the dust cleared, 38 champions emerged.
Among them were four honored with special recognition from the AMA, including Yamaha rider Benny Bloss of Oak Grove, Mo., who captured the AMA Motocross Horizon Award.
“MX Sports always does an outstanding job of organizing this prestigious event, and this year the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship was no exception,” said AMA Motocross Manager Kip Bigelow. “Additionally, the track builder for the event, Randy Poulter, did a great job, as it was very tough and demanding.
“The weather was extremely hot, with near 100-percent humidity, which tested the riders’ physical strength and endurance,” Bigelow said. “Riders ages 4 to 50-plus vied for national championships and top specialty awards from the AMA.”
The AMA Motocross Horizon Award, captured by Bloss, is given to the rider who shows the most promise heading into the professional ranks. Bloss won the Open Pro Sport class and finished third overall in the 450 A class.
“I definitely was not expecting it, but it feels amazing to be added to the list of names of people that have been given the award,” Bloss said. “It’s crazy to think that I’m on that list now.”
Bloss said the track conditions were the best he had ever seen and that he was able to have a great week by being consistent.
Bloss will immediately turn pro, competing at an upcoming round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
“I’m feeling really, really excited,” Bloss said. “I will be riding for CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha, and I think it will be a really fun experience.”
The AMA Motocross Amateur Rider of the Year Award was clinched by Austin Forkner of Richards, Mo., who claimed the 250 B and Schoolboy 2 (13-16) B/C championships on his Kawasaki. The award recognizes an outstanding non-A-class rider at the event.
Forkner was signed to the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team following the event, although he will continue to race for Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green until the start of the 2016 AMA Pro Motocross season.
The AMA Motocross Youth Rider of the Year Award was won by Jett Reynolds of Bakersfield, Calif., who swept all six motos in 85cc (9-11) and 85cc (9-11) Limited on his Kawasaki. The award is presented to a rider under 16 years old.
Sebastian Tortelli of La Jolla, Calif., won the AMA Motocross Vet/Senior Rider of the Year Award, based on his performance in the vet classes. Tortelli — a two-time FIM World Motocross Champion — took the Vet 35+ championship and took second in the Junior 25+ class aboard his Yamaha.
Another notable accomplishment came from last year’s AMA Motocross Amateur Rider of the Year, Tristan Charboneau, who set the fastest lap time of the week at 1:53.547.
Below are the 38 AMA National Champions crowned at the event:
Open Pro Sport: Benny Bloss
250 A: Mitchell Harrison
250 B Limited: Joey Crown
250 B: Austin Forkner
250 C Limited: Sam Franklin
250 C (12-16) Limited: Levi Newby
250 C: Sam Franklin
450 A: Bradley Taft
450 B Limited: Brandon Hartranft
450 B: Jon Ames
450 C: Dylan Gillespie
Two-Stroke (16+): Justin Cooper
College (16-24): Justin Cooper
Junior 25+: Ricky Renner
Vet 30+: Paul Perebijnos
Vet 35+: Sebastian Tortelli
Senior 40+: Douglas Flinner
Senior 45+: John Grewe
Masters 50+: Earl May
51cc (4-6) Special Limited: Emile Lacher
51cc (4-6) Shaft Drive Limited: Canyon Richards
51cc (4-6) Limited: William Canaguier III
51cc (5-7) Limited: Casey Cochran
65cc (7-9) Limited: Ryder Difrancesco
65cc (10-11) Limited: Maximus Vohland
65cc (7-11): Matthew LeBlanc
85cc (9-11) Limited: Jett Reynolds
85cc (9-11): Jett Reynolds
Mini Senior 1 (12-13): Carson Mumford
Mini Senior 2 (12-14): Pierce Brown
Super Mini 1 (12-15): Garret Marchbanks
Super Mini 2 (13-16): Garret Marchbanks
Schoolboy 1 (12-16) B/C: Marco Cannella
Schoolboy 2 (13-16) B/C: Austin Forkner
Girls Senior (12-16): Hannah Hodges
Girls Junior (9-13): Jazzmyn Canfield
Women (16+) All-Star: Mackenzie Tricker
Women (14+): Gracie Van Horn
Complete results from the 2015 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship can be found at http://lorettas.tracksideresults.com/index.asp.
RacerTV.com also provided over 40 hours of live coverage throughout the week, and the archived footage is available at RacerTV.com.
For more information about the event, see www.mxsports.com. For more information about AMA-sanctioned competition, see www.americanmotorcyclist.com/racing.
About the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
The AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship represents one of the longest-running motorsports championships in the country. The American Motorcyclist Association launched the national championship program in 1975. That year, a series of regional races qualified 135 riders in three classes — 125cc, 250cc and Open — for the championship round in Baldwin, Kan. The program evolved over the next few years to include additional classes, with championship finales run in varying locations across the country. In 1982, the AMA partnered with MX Sports and the event moved to its current location at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. There, the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship continues to crown the country’s top amateur motocross racers every summer.
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