Motorcycle Racing's Best Honored at AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet
AMA Pro Racing’s SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year Award is the highest
honor an AMA racer can receive. Past recipients include such racing
greats as Bob Hannah, Scott Parker and Kenny Roberts, among others.
Essentially, the award goes to the rider judged to have had the most
successful racing year. A “lifetime achievement” approach can also be
considered if the season complements a remarkable career.
Ricky Carmichael was named the 2005 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel
Athlete of the Year. Setting yet another record, Carmichael is the only
rider to have won Athlete of the Year four times. In accepting the
award RC thanked his team, sponsors and complimented his fellow
competitors.
“It was a great night of celebration,” said AMA Pro Racing Vice
President and Director of Communications Kerry Graeber. “It was nice to
honor Ricky Carmichael as AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the
Year. Ricky had a remarkable season and added to his already solid
legacy among the greatest riders in the history of AMA racing. It was
also a real thrill to make the Toyota announcement. We look forward to
a successful relationship with them and hope to push AMA Motocross to
even higher levels of recognition.”
Others honored on Sunday night included the 2005 AMA Pro Racing Rookies
of the Year. Nick Cummings, of Mount Morris, Mich., was named the 2005
Ricky Graham Flat Track Rookie of the Year. Cummings, 19, battled back
from injury to finish ranked 15th in the 2005 AMA Ford Quality Checked
Flat Track Championship.
Jason Perez earned the 2005 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Award. The
21-year-old second generation AMA road racer from Brentwood, Calif.,
finished ranked 27th in the AMA Superbike Championship presented by
Parts Unlimited in spite of only participating in the final six rounds
of the 17-race series and battling back from a serious elbow injury.
Juss Laansoo made his first full season racing AMA Motocross a
successful one by earning the AMA Motocross/Supercross Rookie of the
Year honors. Laansoo, a native of Estonia, burst onto the scene this
year with a fifth-place finish in the 250 class at Hangtown in May.
Chris Carr was awarded the AMA Pro Racing Sportsman of the Year and Pro
Circuit’s Mitch Payton received the Award of Mechanical Excellence.
Along with Carr, the Motocross of Nations Team USA, Mat Mladin and
Danny Walker were nominated for the Sportsman Award. Richard Stanboli
and Kenny Tolbert were nominated along with Payton for the Award of
Mechanical Excellence.
Introduced in 2004, AMA Pro Racing recognized advertisers and agencies
for race win advertising. For the second year, Fox Racing took the
prize for best ad, and The Creative Works who represents Suzuki, won
for best campaign.
AMA President Rob Rasor presented the Chamberlain Trophy to the 2005
Motocross of Nations winning team of Ricky Carmichael, Ivan Tedesco and
Kevin Windham.
AMA Sports top athletes were also recognized. Honored for their
achievements in amateur racing were Horizon Award winners, Ryan
Villopoto for Motocross, Stevie Bonsey for Dirt Track and Blake Young
for Road Race. Juhu Salminen was crowned earlier on Friday with the
2005 AMA Sports Athlete of the Year.
