MX Sports Pro Racing, organizers of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, salute Selvaraj Narayana on being named recipient of the 2020 AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award. The native of India, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this month, currently serves as Executive Director of KTM North America, and has enjoyed a highly successful and influential career within the motorcycle industry that spans five decades.
Over the course of his time within the industry, which began in the 1970s, Narayana has left a significant impact on the off-road motorcycle community. Notably, he has played an instrumental role in creating many of the racing initiatives for KTM, including developing the beloved KTM Junior Supercross program. Narayana’s influence on the Austrian brand’s ascension to become a formidable and perennial contender for any racing championship it competes in is undeniable, and his fingerprints can be found on virtually every single championship trophy the orange brigade has hoisted.
“Sel Narayana is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished figures in the history of off-road motorcycle racing here in the U.S. He ventured overseas chasing the dream of working in motorcycles, and over the course of the past five decades he has left an indelible impact on both KTM and the industry as a whole,” said Roy Janson, MX Sports Pro Racing Competition Director. “Thanks to Sel’s contributions, a once fledgling European manufacturer has become a racing powerhouse, resulting in a dramatically more dynamic consumer marketplace. His immense experience and knowledge spans half a century, and his impact on the industry cannot be overstated.”
During his many years at KTM, Narayana has served a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the brand’s global business outside of racing, from parts and accessories to apparel, dealer development, sales, and service. Additionally, he has served on the Board of the Directors of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) as well as the Board of Trustees for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). He received the MIC Chairman’s Award and the AMA Supercross Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, along with the Mickey Thompson Award of Excellence in 2009. He has been a member of the American Motorcyclist Association since 1969.
