2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

AMA Announces 2010 Vintage Motorcycle Days

October 15, 2009 - The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced the 2010 dates of the country's premier annual celebration of motorcycling heritage.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will take place next year on July 9-11, 2010, at the world-class Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Tickets will go on sale Nov. 30.  Please visit MidOhio.com or call (800) MID-OHIO for more information or to order tickets.

The 19th Annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days features classic motorcycles of all makes and styles, and honors the riders who made them famous.

Husqvarna Named Marque of the Year for 2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

Husqvarna, the legendary make that ruled AMA Racing off-road competition throughout the 1970s and 1980s, has recently made a full-throttle return to national championship contention. 

This July 9-11, the iconic brand will celebrate its heritage and build toward its future as the Marque of the Year at the 19th annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

"Arguably the most dominant off-road racing brand in the United States for a generation of racers, Husqvarna has recently returned full force to AMA Racing national competition,'' said Tigra Tsujikawa, AMA special events and marketing manager.  "We're pleased to showcase both Husqvarna's history and the company's renewed investment in motorcycling's present and future at this year's AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days."

"Husqvarna Motorcycles is delighted to be the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Marque of the Year for 2010," said Husqvarna Motorcycles North America President Mark Brady.  "Launching the new decade with this prestigious recognition is indeed an honor.  Everyone at Husqvarna Motorcycles is very much aware of the great history of the brand, and we are determined to bring back the glory days.

"We believe that developing a closer relationship with the AMA is an important part of growing and protecting the rights of every rider in America," Brady added.

As part of Husqvarna's participation in AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, fans will be able to get up close and personal with the Husqvarna's moto-history, from its genesis in Sweden in the early 1900s to the high-tech off-road, motocross and dual-sport bikes the company sells and races today.

Although many U.S. riders first became familiar with Husqvarna in the early 1960s, the company had been selling motorcycles since 1903 when it fitted Husqvarna frames with engines from makers such as FN and Moto-Reve.

In 1920 Husqvarna began building its own engine, a 550cc four-stroke 50-degree side-valve V-twin.  Another early milestone was the legendary "Svartkvarna," built in 1946. It was a lightweight, reliable two-stroke that could endure hard use with minimal maintenance.  The machine established a reputation that would define the Husqvarna marque for decades to follow.

By the early 1960s the two-stroke revolution had yet to reach the United States. U.S. riders were still tackling the woods and deserts on converted Harley-Davidsons, Triumphs and BSAs.  It was about this time that a man named Edison Dye, now a member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, took a motorcycle tour of Europe during which he became instantly enthralled with the European sport of motocross, and a new breed of lightweight two-stroke bikes favored by its competitors.

A few years later, Dye put a Husqvarna motocross bike in the hands of a young American rider named Malcolm Smith for evaluation. Smith, also an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, gave the bike a thumbs up. This persuaded Dye to become the U.S., Husqvarna importer in 1966.

As part of a marketing campaign Dye organized visits to the U.S., by the reigning Swedish world motocross champion Torsten Hallman, who also has since taken a seat in the Hall of Fame.  Not only did Dye sell Husqvarna motorcycles but he also introduced a new style of motorcycle racing to America.

While educational displays and seminars at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will focus on Husqvarna's rich history, the machines also will be among the many brands that amateur racers will test on the racetrack in the multiple racing disciplines that are part of the weekend's competition schedule.

GET YOUR GEAR With This Link to BMG and help support webBikeWorld!

AMA Hall of Famer Malcolm Smith to serve as Grand Marshal for 2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

One afternoon in the mid-1960s, a man walked into a Southern California motorcycle shop looking for someone to race an unproven motorcycle with a foreign-sounding name.  Lucky for that man, he walked into the right shop and found the right racer.  Malcolm Smith took Edison Dye's offer, and their partnership would help establish the Husqvarna motorcycle brand as a force in American off-road.

In recognition of Malcolm Smith's contributions to the success of Husqvarna, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and Husqvarna Motorcycles North America are pleased to announce that Smith will serve as Grand Marshal at the 19th annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days this July 9-11 in Lexington, Ohio.

"Even today, decades after Malcolm Smith's racing prime, his fan base rivals some of the top names in the sport," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman.  "To anyone who has met him, the reason for that is clear: Malcolm Smith is synonymous with everything positive about motorcycling -- fun, sportsmanship, and excitement. He will serve as an exceptional Grand Marshal at this year's AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days as we celebrate the brand on which he became famous: Husqvarna."

Added Husqvarna National Sales and Marketing Manager Scot Harden: "When it came to honoring a Grand Marshal at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Malcolm Smith was the obvious choice.  We look forward to celebrating the storied history of Husqvarna with Malcolm, as well as a large number of other past Husqvarna legends and champions on July 9-11."

Smith says he's looking forward to meeting fans and enjoying the activities himself at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

"I was last at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days three years ago and had a wonderful time," Smith said.  "I particularly liked walking around the large field where they sell all the old bike parts, buying a truckload and then figuring out how to get it all back to California.  I'm spoiled.  I like to ride new bikes, but I really enjoy working on old motorcycles.  I work on them every day."

Smith said that he remembers the day he was introduced to Husqvarna motorcycles like it was yesterday.

"When Edison Dye brought me the bike, we laid out a track and some trail that went up into the hills," Smith said. "When I came back from that ride, I said, 'Mr. Dye, you have yourself a rider.'  The bike was so far ahead of anything else available at the time, and so reliable."

Following his encounter with Dye, Smith's success and influence wasn't limited to the track.  Smith's positive evaluation of those first Husqvarnas also persuaded Dye to become the U.S. Husqvarna importer in 1966.

That decision paved the way for Dye to bring in reigning Swedish world motocross champion Torsten Hallman to race the bikes in the United States.  Not only did that move further advertise the quality and speed of Husqvarnas and help Dye sell a lot of motorcycles, but it also established the sport of motocross on American soil.

In his role as grand marshal, Smith will participate in numerous fan-friendly activities, from autograph signings to discussions of his history with Husqvarna.  This will be a rare and unique opportunity for Smith's thousands of fans to meet and greet the off-road legend.

As a racer, Smith gained fame for his accomplishments in the Baja 1000 and for his gold-medal-winning rides in the International Six Day Enduro competitions, but his notoriety reached well beyond the motorcycling community as the star of the influential 1970s motorcycle movie, "On Any Sunday."

The scenes of Smith play-riding with his buddies, which included popular actor Steve McQueen, showed people across the country just how fun motorcycling could be. The movie helped launch an explosion in the popularity of off-road motorcycling in America.

More on the 2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Event

Activities include the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships, which feature road racing, motocross, hare scrambles, trials and dirt-track racing.

The event will also inlude North America's largest motorcycle swap meet; bike shows and awards; a Marque of the Year display that showcases the history of a unique brand; a Grand Marshal; a new-product vendor midway; stunt shows; demo rides of current production bikes; and seminars on a number of topics by noted motorcycling experts.

"AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is the highlight of many motorcyclists' calendars," said AMA Special Events and Marketing Manager Tigra Tsujikawa. "By announcing the dates now, we hope to provide our fans, enthusiasts and racers ample opportunity to set their schedules for next year."

"As always, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will be a treat for motorcycling fans of all eras -- and ages -- and we don't want anyone to miss out on this unique opportunity."

Michelle Trueman Gajoch, president of TrueSports Inc., which owns and operates the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Mid-Ohio School, added: "The AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days weekend is a special event that we are proud to host for the 16th straight year."

"Classic sportbikes on a historic track like Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course make the races a real spectacle to see. The on-track action, coupled with one of the world's largest motorcycle swap meets, is a treat for fans as well as riders."

Proceeds from AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days benefit the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.  The goal of the Hall of Fame, located on the campus of the AMA in Pickerington, Ohio, is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling's legends and heroes.

For more information, call (614) 856-2222, or visit the Hall of Fame's website at MotorcycleMuseum.org.

For more information about AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, visit AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com

BUY GEAR With This Link to the Motorcycle Superstore And Help Support webBikeWorld!

Note:  For informational use only.  All material and photographs are Copyright © webWorld International, LLC - 2000-2011.  All rights reserved.  See the webBikeWorld® Site Info page.  NOTE:  Product specifications, features and details may change or differ from our descriptions.  Always check before purchasing.  Read the Terms and Conditions!