DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.--The American
Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced today that the
Association has entered into an agreement in principle to sell
the sanctioning, promotional and management rights for its AMA
Pro Racing properties to the Daytona Motorsports Group (DMG),
based in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Led by Roger Edmondson, the founder of the
CCS motorcycle racing series and currently the President of the
Grand American Road Race Series LLC, and Jim France, Vice
Chairman/Executive Vice President of NASCAR, DMG will assume
responsibility for the AMA Superbike Series, the AMA Motocross
Series, the AMA Flat Track Series, the AMA Supermoto Series, the
AMA Hillclimb Series and ATV Pro Racing. The agreement in
principle does not include the AMA Supercross and AMA Arenacross
Series, the rights to which are held by Live Nation. Daytona
Motorsports Group will license the use of the AMA name and
trademarks to promote their motorcycle racing activities.
"For as long as I can remember, the AMA
name has been synonymous with professional motorcycle racing in
America," said France. Added Edmondson, "Our goal is to guide
the sport into the mainstream of American culture and showcase
the extraordinary abilities of the competitors and their teams."
"We are honored to be working with the
Daytona Motorsports Group," said AMA President and CEO Rob
Dingman. "This group of individuals has supported the AMA and
motorcycle racing for decades. There isn't a better-resourced or
more qualified entity in which to entrust the future of AMA Pro
Racing."
The agreement between the AMA and DMG came
as a result of an RFP (request for proposal) process undertaken
by the AMA in September, 2007 to seek promotional partners for
its professional racing series. The AMA will continue
sanctioning amateur motorcycle racing and club activities.
"Today is a great day for professional
motorcycle racing and for the AMA," Dingman said. "By placing
AMA Pro Racing in the hands of people with a proven record of
excellence in motor sports organization and promotion in a
fashion similar to our successful partnership with Live Nation,
the AMA will be able to focus its resources on its core mission
to be a member advocacy organization."