AMA Congress Report

[wardy]

AJ and I attended the AMA congress this last week and here are a few of the many items that were addressed.
Some stuff is really going to make big changes in the near future.

1. We established a time line to have all districts have a similiar advancement system.
2. AMA will monitor and help maintain a NATIONAL rider classification database, along with a web site so anyone can see how any rider is classified. ( kinda like i have for d-17)
3. the classification will be on riders ama card.
4. birth date will probably be placed there also.
5. Youth or minor cards will be a different color.
6. Eventually we will have AMA cards with scanner strip to get sign up to go a hell of alot faster!

anyway this was only one item that I personally was invovled with. AJ had a ton of stuff in his committee also.
The stuff above will make AMA a bunch stronger, more up to date, and could very likely change its reputation with alot of people. IF this all happens in the next couple of years like our game plan is laid out, it will be really cool.

wardy




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"don't wake me.......I am working."

 

[KWJams]

Wardy,
On number two does that mean C or Novice riders ?
That would be a great incentive to encourage competition.
Thanks for your report and all your's and AJ's efforts.
Was anything brought up about expanding Armour insurance to cover play riding or other non sanctioned events ?

 

[wardy]

especially those classes.

on the insurance front I wasn't in that part of the meetings so it could have been addressed and I just missed it? or it didn't get touched not sure.

wardy

 

[KWJams]

That is great! Everyone who competes can now get National recognition and an "earned number".

I have written about the insurance thing before. To many motorcyclists between the age of eighteen and say twenty five ride with out any insurance because most of the employers of that age group does not provide the benefit, and they can not be carried on their parents after eighteen.

What a great reason for being a member if there was a policy available that would cover riding a bike period, not just at AMA events.

 

[James980]

Wardy, that is great news. FINALLY, the AMA is going to take major steps to legitimize its position as an amateur sanctioning body. Not that it did a terrible job before, but the lack of a national advancement system, relying on district volunteers to handle everything without clear, specific direction from above carried with it a "ramshackle" feel.

Just imagine if everything was electronic some day, like you implied. You could publish an entire database of riders on the Web...the scorers could feed results directly to it via Palm Pilots on a lap-by-lap basis...anyone, anywhere could look up any rider, at any moment, on any sunday and get an up-to-the-second report of points, position, class, etc.!

OK, I may be getting ahead of myself, but the foundation has to be laid sometime. Keep on top of 'em, buddy!

James
00CR250

 

[KawBoy]

Was anything mentioned about possible changes/additions to the National mx format (ie, a new 'open' class, or a combined open/250 class?)

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- Mike
88 KX500
87 KX500

Georgia Off Road  

 

[mcrider_trh]

There were no changes in the National mx program. I was not on that committee, so I don't know if it was decussed. But no rules were changed.

There was a youth class added: 0-85cc 9-13

Chris

 

[AJ Waggoner]

Kawboy-
This answer is not directed towards you personally but your question presents an opportunity to "clear the air " so to speak...
One very common misconception on how the AMA is structutered leads people to complain bitterly about how the AMA runs things.
Most of these are AMA members upset with the Pro racing division and its rules and schedules.
The misconception is that it is one big "AMA"
This is NOT how things are..and its always confusing to most members.

The amatuer department is TOTALLY seperate from AMA Pro racing.
AMA is a registered Non-profit Organization made up of its membership..and elected
( by the members and clubs) volunteer congressmen meet once per year to represent those members in the advisement of new rules and structure of the AMA.All of amateur racing is handled thru this staff and district volunteers.

The AMA pro department is a registered
FOR profit corporation ( big difference) who has no membership or members and is a sanctioning and promoting body unto itself with a totally seperate staff.
That staff runs what you see as the "MX nationals" SX etc.

There is no imput from AMA members or AMA congress delegates..

So when you asked about the rule changes to the MX or SX format ..those decisions are made by the staff of AMA Pro Racing ..

not by reguler AMA staff or congressmen

 

[James980]

Who, then, would coordinate the national amateur rider classification system that wardy began this thread with? Obviously, AMA Pro Racing would not. Is the personnel already in place or would a new entity need to be created?

James

 

[AJ Waggoner]

James,
Since it is AMA members riding and participating in ama amateur events that would fall under the current regular AMA staff.I would guess they might have to hire an extra person or 2?
but probably it will work more along the lines of each District having the "same type" of advancement for its districts riders,and keepinmg track of them as they do currently.
Then that would be turned into the AMA each year and filed.
The only real diffrence would be that with a uniform system it is much easier to catch and regulate riders that ride several diffrent Districts.
Plus the fact that the clasification would nbe on the actual AMA card.