Keep an eye on your results on the AMA website and not just the series that you race. This year I wanted to race the whole gncc series and I have spent the last few months trying to be ready for it. That being said I raced the first race at big buck and won my class so my son and I headed to Florida for round two and that's when I found out that the AMA had made a mistake posting my results from two years ago. When I got to the race to get my transponder they told me I couldn't race because I was protested and was an A class rider. Long story short is that I spent 600 dollars on renting a truck,$330 on gas and $70 for the gate fee for my son and I to get into the race. Luckily between our local series people and Olivia schlabach (AMA competition director) everything is fixed now but I'm out about 1200 bucks and my name has been deleted from the results and points from the first race . I'm so glad I pay for an AMA membership every year because atleast I got an " I'm sorry" when I got sent home after spending 1200 bucks.
Damn...
Two vet class brothers I know run A and B class in our local HS series, but sandbag C class at Big Buck every year for a trophy. They've done it for years, I can't believe no one has protested them yet, but they don't run the full gncc series only the first round.
They did you a favor … the race in Palatka was a complete swamp, bike killing shit hole….I need a new bike after that race! …sorry about your experience… just remember, your ama dues are going to support a lobbyist that does nothing for off road riding near you….
The ama has become such an embarrassing NGO. What is really the point of having them? Don't tell me trail access because they do nothing for that. The ama just wants to pretend to be some government body so they can convince you that you need to pay their fees. In reality the ama has helped destroy the sport of motocross at the grassroots level the last 20 years. Better off racing outlaw if possible
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I hate that but I have NEVER raced A class in any series. There is another John Lee that races A class and they mixed us up.
Yep same with the NRA IMO. I wouldn't pay ama fees but I race a few national enduro's and some club enduro's every year and you can't race w/o ama card.
In that case, that is a total fuck up and I'd be mad too.
That sucks man, I never have been or will be one for suing people or whatnot, mistakes happen, but if a national organisations incompetence leaves you $1200 out of pocket, then you'd hope they could at least stop taking membership fees off you and perhaps help any other way they're able to make it right.
The AMA makes sure the road rally's and poker runs get scheduled, and has anyone seen the AMA help pay any bills for a fallen rider? And of course they enforce the "rules" fairly for every rider.
From outside the US and only seeing AMA commercials and stuff and not their actual working, I always thought it was awesome there was an NGO keeping trails open and talking to government for riders best interests...
It sounds here like that is just talk though? That also sucks, if that's the case. What a let down.
I doubt they said you cant race at all. If you are already there just race Sportsman or any other non point paying class.
GNCC and pretty much all the other off-road racing organizers around here are very helpful I've found but you have so many different scoring systems and organizations that have results populated into the AMA database its amazing it doesn't get screwed up more often to be honest.
The AMA is a joke. Period.
It's too bad someone else wouldn't start an organization to help promoters get insurance, then the AMA could go away once and for all.
Any local/regional off road series that is AMA sanctioned only does so for access to the insurance, they literally bring nothing else to the table.
Don’t say that…they fight hard to make sure you can ride your Harley without a helmet!
They told me I could race A class. I'm 59 years old and started riding a few years ago so I'm not going to race a class and be stuck there.
I'd like to know where the AMA was when they let one of the largest states in the country green sticker program lapse I haven't heard a word from them on the subject!
They don't care.
You should of been allowed to race trail rider class or Sportsman Class these are non points paying and anyone can enter and its does not effect your AMA status at at all. Kailub Russel raced Sportsman last weekend...
Im just saying I would of raced anything if I was already there and had spent the money.
Trail rider would work according to the GNCC definition, Sportsman is divided into A, B, and 40+B
If it's "all fixed" as you say, your results from the Big Buck race should be reinstated. If they have not been reinstated, you should call the AMA and insist that it be rectified. Olivia Schlabach is the racing program manager. If she can't help you, you should contact Mike Pelletier...he's the Director of Racing at the AMA.
Pit Row
Most complaint threads my rule of thumb is to tell guys to "Get over it" however in your case I'd be just as pissed. It could be said that you should watch that stuff and ensure that you are legal to race in your class, but I would probably assume just like you did. I'm tempted to rip on them like you did but it was probably an honest mistake by people who didn't intend on you getting screwed over. I feel bad for you but sorry that doesn't help at all either.
I'm often so intent on seeing the bright side that I'll tell myself that maybe if I raced, I was destined to get a horrible injury so the foul up was the universe looking out for me.
Maybe there was a time when the AMA stood for something, like say, when I was a kid in the 80's and 90's. We raced with them, the NMA, GNC, etc.... At a large event, you kinda had a feeling that there was "something" that had a presence overall on the entire event. Today, it seems this whole "organization" is nothing more than a God Damn legal money grab off the guys and gals risking their necks to pad their so called legit outfit. They could care less about us...... We are just a small section of the motorcycle world, that they probably consider as a bunch of people that enjoy blowing money on our kids, or ourselves. Hell, I've tried using their so called "perks" for being a member, and folks have asked me directly "Who are the AMA??".......
I feel really bad for the parents that pay out some damn good retirement savings on a VERY talented child at an amateur National, He, or She, wins, only to have a rep from their camp hand them a 1 dollar piece of plastic, with a shit pre print background on it telling the planet they are the best. Seriously..... and the "Official" giving to them, usually goes home to go back to work on Monday as whatever they do to exist. If these folks consider their elite status as such, prove it. Give these "officials" a damn good salary.......and make them stick to a damn rulebook that cannot be bought by anyone that happens to be financing little Jonny Go Fast.
The AMA has proven to be a joke. It's fact. Saddest part of all, they control it all......and could care less about MX. Just keep those yearly dues coming in......
I'm old, seen a ton, went through it, then with my kid, who is now a grown man. It's pay to play, on their rules..... whenever they choose to enforce them. AMA is good material for an A list stand up comedian.
Cuss me all you want, I'm too old to care...........
NESC has run MX for decades in New England and no AMA connection needed. I let my AMA membership lapse as a sticker and magazine weren’t worth it.
Lest this thread get to be a full blown bash fest of the AMA, if there were no AMA a lot of us would not be able to hold races. The insurance for the races our club puts on has gone through the roof in the past couple years, so we have to be AMA sanctioned to use their insurance.
Like I said, if someone else could figure that out we could get the AMA out of dirt bike racing almost completely.
Since I’m so old I’m an honorary life ama member. No longer get the magazine, not sure if that is because I no longer pay a yearly fee or if they stopped publishing it 🤷♂️
my district used to publish a monthly magazine that had race results from ours and nearby districts. Some race reports and a free classified ad section. They have doubled the cost of district membership and no longer have the magazine. At a minimum they could update district website with these results and reports, but nope. Just more money for less return…
Truth be told, I have never raced an AMA MX race.........700+ races.
Jleews
call me on monday. I messaged you my cell phone number.
Another weird/lame rule by the ama. The rule is that once you move up from C to B or B to A, you can't move back down unless you stop racing for two years. Makes more sense to just let people choose their class depending on which race they are at and how they are feeling. Current rule just leads to sandbagging. More crowded C classes and small A classes
That’s not exactly true. The rule says you have to Apply to the AMA before going to a lower class even after not racing for several years.
Appealing advancement or classification
About page 14 of the rule book.
You should buy a small trailer so you don't have to rent a truck every weekend
Follow the money. Just saying, that’s usually where the answer is found. I agree, I can’t believe they didn’t drop everything to try and fix the off-road registration fiasco that is occurring here in California.
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