Motocross/Supercross team owner to be inducted into AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

Courtesy of American Motorcyclist Association
The AMA is pleased to announce the first member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2010: accomplished race team owner Mitch Payton (below, left, in the above photo of last year's AMA Team USA). Payton, whose Pro Circuit teams have collected 26 AMA Pro Championships in Motocross and Supercross since 1991, will be among the legends of motorcycling honored at the 2010 induction ceremony at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas this Nov. 19.

"In AMA Pro Motocross and Supercross, one team is perhaps more synonymous with winning than any other, Pro Circuit, and the motive force behind that team is one of the industry's most driven individuals, Mitch Payton," said Jack Penton, incoming AMA director of operations and a Hall of Famer himself. "Payton is an architect of not only championship teams, but champions, having developed some of this sport's greatest racers."

Payton's parents, James and Norma Payton, introduced him and his brother, James Jr., to motorcycling at a young age. By the time he was 10, Payton was competing in family enduros and a few years later was racing competitively in AMA District 37. In 1977, at the age of 17, Payton was one of the district's top desert racers and won the 125 class in that discipline. Unfortunately, the next year Payton's racing career was cut short by injury.

Instead of allowing discouragement to turn him away from motorcycling, Payton refocused his efforts on the business side of the sport. At 18, he bought and ran a local Husqvarna shop. His skill and reputation as a tuner grew, and his parts were being used by some of the biggest motocross teams of the mid-1980s. Then, in 1991, Honda asked Payton to run its 125 team. Payton accepted, and over the next 19 years, racing other brands as well, his teams won more championships than any other.

Tom White is chairman of the Hall of Fame Motocross/Supercross committee, and the company he founded, White Brothers, was one of the first distributors of Payton's products.

"I've known Mitch from when he was racing to when he was starting his company," White said. "It is one of my proudest moments to see somebody who overcame what some might see as a major disability and not only build the best motorcycles, but to be able to pick the riders and bring them up to a level of performance that makes them better than they ever thought they could be. Mitch Payton is absolutely what the Hall of Fame is about -- recognizing the people who have made the best and most lasting contributions to motorcycling."

Payton, an AMA Life Member, said that he's honored by his induction into the Hall of Fame. But, he said, he recognizes the legends he looked up to in his youth are the true heroes of the sport.

"I look around the industry, and there are a few guys I hold in real regard," Payton said. "One is Malcolm Smith. When I was a kid, we'd go to Malcolm's shop, and I was the 10-year-old punk who would bother the guys at the counter for stickers and sit on all the bikes. Another is Roger DeCoster. Those guys are just awesome.

"So, to be in the same Hall of Fame, for that honor, I'm really proud about that," Payton continued. "It's there forever. It means that anyone looking back on history years from now will see what you've done."

Payton, and the other members of the class of 2010, will officially be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame this Nov. 19 as part of the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend. In addition to the induction ceremony, the weekend includes the 2010 AMA Concours d'Elegance on Saturday, Nov. 20, featuring some of the country's most impressive original and restored classic motorcycles. The AMA Racing Championship Banquet closes out the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 21, where AMA Racing amateur champions of all ages will be recognized for their 2010 accomplishments

The event will be held at the Las Vegas Red Rock Resort, a world-class spa, hotel and casino, featuring a range of entertainment, dining and family-friendly attractions. The facility's expansive ballrooms will provide a stunning backdrop for the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend, which is certain to be memorable for the 2010 inductees, champions, families, friends and fans. More information is available online at RedRockLasVegas.com.

Lodging reservations can be made now at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Accommodations. An announcement regarding ticket information will be made after June 1.

Located on the park-like campus of the AMA in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made lasting contributions to protecting and promoting the motorcycle lifestyle. Its members include those who have excelled in racing, road- and off-road riding, pushed the envelope in motorcycle design, engineering and safety, and championed the rights of riders in both the halls of government and the court of public opinion.

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Committee includes nine members in addition to the chairman. There are eight sub-committees, each representing a different aspect of motorcycling.

More information about the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org.Was this post helpful? Add yours to our service or subscribe to our feed above.

Hangtown Race Report...Rockstar Makita Suzuki

Courtesy of Suzuki Racing
-The Motocross season opener at Hangtown provided a tough track, and Ryan Dungey finished eighth overall for the day and earned 26 points toward the championship.
-Matt Moss made his U.S. racing debut, but was unable to finish the second moto when another racer landed on Moss’ wrist in the eighth lap.
-The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team is now preparing for Round 2, which takes place at the Freestone National in Texas.

Brea, Calif. – Rockstar Makita Suzuki battled its way through the Hangtown AMA Motocross opener on Saturday. With a tough track and hungry competition, Ryan Dungey and Matt Moss fought their way to the finish. Dungey finished eighth overall after going 10-6 in the motos, and Moss had a tough day, finishing 27th in the first moto and was unable to complete the second moto after another racer landed on him.

In the first moto, Dungey was near tenth place coming out of the holeshot. After stalling his bike on the second lap, he fell back in the pack. “Ryan didn’t have the best start off the gate and in the second lap he stalled the bike,” Team Manager Roger DeCoster explained. “That dropped him back to 20 or 21st place, and it took him some time to get back to his rhythm.” Dungey worked his way from the middle of the pack, made up a lot of ground, and was able to finish 10th. Moss, in his first U.S. race, battled with a past wrist injury that limits his range of motion. After getting his bearings, Moss came across the finish line in 27th place.

Moto 2 had a better result for Dungey. Though he wasn’t the first off the line, Dungey pushed his way through the pack with his fuel-injected RM-Z450 and made it to sixth place by the time the checkered flag waved over Hangtown. “I don’t think we got the best setting, suspension and chassis-wise, but we made some adjustments for the second moto that seemed to work better,” DeCoster said. “We need to go back and check our bikes, because I feel like that wasn’t a normal result. We should’ve been much closer to the front than we were, but Ryan finished both motos strong. We’ll go back to work and sort it out and hopefully do better at the next race.” Moss, unfortunately, was not able to finish the second moto after another racer clipped him coming off a jump in the eighth lap, hitting Moss’ previously inured wrist.

Overall, Dungey finished the day in eighth place, earning 26 points toward the championship. Dungey, Moss, and the rest of the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team will take the bye week to work on settings and prepare for Round 2 of the AMA Motocross series at Freestone in Texas.
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