AMA Regional Motocross Champions Vie for National Titles

The American Motorcyclist Associatioon congratulates the AMA Regional Motocross Champions who will compete for AMA National No. 1 plates at the 2015 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., July 26 through Aug. 1.

The AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship has produced a long list of AMA Supercross and Motocross superstars. Riders who have progressed through the program include AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael, as well as Kevin Windham, Travis Pastrana, James Stewart, Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto and many more.

“Thousands of competitors give every ounce of energy and talent they have for a chance to earn a spot in the regional championships and then advance on to the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship to vie for a much sought-after AMA National Championship title,” said AMA Motocross Manager Kip Bigelow. “In a few days, regional champions who are among the most elite amateur motocross racers in the country will face off for 38 AMA National No. 1 plates.

“It’s our pleasure to be working with MX Sports at the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship once again,” Bigelow said. “MX Sports continues to produce a superior event, not only through their organization skill but also through their immense promotional effort. These factors have contributed to the growth of the championship over the past three decades of partnership.”

MX Sports event director Tim Cotter said: “The 2015 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship is a historic event that MX Sports is once again honored to produce. With more than 22,000 total entries and 1,482 gate positions for 59 area qualifiers, to say the competition was intense is an understatement.

“Those who advanced to the 13 regional championships continued to display the utmost level of talent and dedication,” Cotter said. “To give the riders their glory and the fans their action, we hope that you will tune into this year’s event from wherever you are located, as RacerTV.com will feature 40 hours of live streaming throughout the week.”

Additionally, the best riders will compete for the AMA Motocross Horizon Award, presented to the amateur racer who demonstrates the talent and readiness to shine immediately in the pro ranks. Eligible riders compete in the fastest classes — typically, the Open Pro Sport, 250 A and 450 A classes.

These include multi-class regional champions, such as Kawasaki’s Isaac Teasdale from Robbinsville, N.C., the Northeast Region Open Pro Sport and 450 A champion; Honda’s Chase Marquier from Newcastle, Okla., the South Central Region Open Pro Sport, 250 A and 450 A champion; and Yamaha’s Ryan Surratt from Corona, Calif., the Mid-West Region’s 250 A champion and the Southwest Region’s Open Pro Sport champion.

Individual Open Pro Sport regional champions include the Mid-East Region’s Lorenzo Locurcio (Yamaha) from Cairo, Ga.; the Mid-West Region’s Joachim Falden (Kawasaki) from Lake Elsinore, Calif.; the North Central Region, as well as the South Central Region’s Benny Bloss (Yamaha) from Oak Grove, Mo.; the Northwest Region’s Brandon Leith (Kawasaki) from Eagle Mountain, Utah; and the Southeast Region’s Chase Bell (Kawasaki) from Cairo, Ga.

Individual 250 A regional champions include the Mid-East Region’s Mitchell Harrison (Kawasaki) from Cairo, Ga.; the Mid-West Region’s Bradley Taft (Yamaha) from Nixa, Mo.; the North Central Region’s Cody Williams (Yamaha) from Barneveld, Wis.; the Northeast Region’s Martin Castelo (Kawasaki) from Cairo, Ga.; the Southeast Region’s Cody Chisholm (Kawasaki) from Seminole, Fla.; and the Southwest Region’s Josh Mosiman (KTM) from Sebastopol, Calif.

Individual 450 A regional champions include the Mid-East Region’s Josh Osby (KTM) from Valparaiso, Ind.; the Mid-West Region’s Axell Hodges (Kawasaki) from Encinitas, Calif.; the North Central Region’s Jerry Robin (Honda) from Corcoran, Minn.; the Northwest Region’s Tanner Berry (Kawasaki) from Washougal, Wash.; the Southeast Region’s David MacFarlane (Yamaha) from Pinellas Park, Fla.; and the Southwest Region’s Ikua Hughes (Yamaha) from Porterville, Calif.

The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship includes classes for riders from 4 years old to 50-plus on a range of motorcycles, including 50cc minibikes to state-of-the-art highly modified 450cc motocross machines. Riders can compete in a maximum of two classes at the event.

For more information www.americanmotorcyclist.com/racing.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.