Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125990
~ VJ iii IlIllI IiI!l: IlIllI ..::I ~ g o uinesnewroa race pr g ram If) r-... OJ ...... r-... events with three classes and a minimum C'l purse of $ 10,000 - Co m b ined Grand Natio nal and in ternational eve nts with t hree classes >r;l and ;;E w ith in te rnatio nal sa nc tions availab le for both Ligh tweigh t and Heavyweight cla sses an d p urses b egin a t $25,00 0. M IA Co mpetition Director an d Pro Rules Co mmittees ch airman Bill Boyce cites fo ur major ad van tages of the new pro gra m , incl uding 1) encourag em en t of new and existin g p r omo ters through the variety of race p ack ages availab le 2) of the fu ture of encourage me nt international road racing in America thro ugh availability of in ternation al for lightweight eve nts sanctions 3) well-des erve d and lo ng-overdue recognitio n o f road raci ng specialists who do n ot com p e te: in d ir t tra c k ev en ts a n d thus have no real chanc e for a Grand Nat ional t itle and 4 ) preservation o f the unique nature o f Gr an d Nat io nal (Camel Pro Series ) racin g, wh ich re q uires th at ride rs excel on five different types o f tracks. The fo llo wing is a mo re de tailed o utl ine of th e n ew AMA roa d rac ing pac kage passed by th e Pro fessional Rules Co mmittee. I. Equipment ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : Competition will be on lightweight, heavywe ight or production motorcycles. 1. L i g h t w eights will include max imum 250cc for all multi -cylin der tw o-strokes and maximum 3 60cc for all o ther types o f en gines. 2. Heavy weight equipment in cludes a maxim um of 750cc fo r all m achines, with a mi nim um o f 25 1cc for multi-cyl inder two-strokes and a minimum o f 36 1cc for all o th er ty pes. 3 . Pro d uct io n equip me nt classes will be b y su p pl em en ta ry regulat io ns. II. Rider classification WEST ERVI LL E, OHIO, MAY 12 Acting on proposals which resuited from several months of intensive investigation, the Professional R ules Committee of the Ameri can Mo torcycle Associati on has pas sed major rule changes in tend ed to streng then mo to rcycle road racing in America . 36 The co m m ittee, which co nsists of AMA p rofessional racers, prom oters, manu facturer s ' rep resentatives , re ferees and AMA staff, met in Co lumb us, Ohio, o n May 6-7 . Its actions are effec t ive January I, 1976, unless overruled or implimented im mediately by vote of the M IA Boa rd of T rustees. Highligh ts of the new A.\IA road race pr ogram inclu de eli mination of t he Junior class and increased em phas is on light weight racing fo r Expert riders , estab lishment o f a U.S. Road Race Ch ampio ns h ip independ en t of t he presen t Grand National form at a nd th e availability o f a wider variety of eve nts for the pro moters, including: - Co m bined Pro fessio n al / Am a te ur (Pro-Am) programs with p urses o f , $1,500 an d up - Pro fe ssio n a l events w ith purses of $2,5 00 to $ 10,0 0 0 - U.S. Road Race Champ ionship ::;:::;;:::::;:;:::;:::;: :;:::;:::::;:;::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : : : Beginning in 1976, the Junior class will be eliminated. 1. All curre n t AMA Juniors will either advanc e to Expert or rever t t o Novice aft er t he 197 5 season. 2. 197 5 J un iors who earn re qu ired adva nc emen t points must advance to Expert an d will b e eligib le for both ligh t w e igh t and h e a v y w ei ght co mpetition. 3 . 1975 Jun io rs who co mpete o n heavy weight eq uip me nt in at least two AMA professional road races in 1975 may advance to Expert in I 976 and be eligible fo r competition in bo th Ligh tweigh t and Heavy weigh t classes, or they may revert to the Novice class. 4 . 1975 Jun ior swho do not compete o n heavyweight equipment in at leas t two Al\IA p rofessional road races in 1975 may. either advance to Expert in 1976 wi th a restri ct ion to ligh tweigh t equip me nt o r m ay revert t o Novice. S: Any 197 5 Junio r who does no t earn re q u ire d advancement points and does no t win his class at a 19 75 National m ay revert to Novice for 19 76. 6 . Nov ice and Junior riders who win their clas s at a 19 75 Na t io nal must advance t o Expert in 19 76 . Nov ices who adva nce in this man ner will be limited to lightweight equipment fo r o ne year. J uniors who ad vance in this manner both ligh tweight and m ay ride heavyweigh t eq ui p me n t in 19 76. Futu re advancement 1. Novice riders must earn 20 advancemen t p o ints in 1975 to become Experts in 1976. Beginning with the 1976 season, 40 ad vanc em en t points the above guidelines) will be limited to lightweight equipment. III. Types of AMA-sanctioned road race meets Pro-Am meets 1. Sancti one d wit h pro fessional purses of s1,500-1 0,000. 2. Ama te urs race for tr ophies only. 3. No vices will race lightweight equip me nt for $5 0 0 or o ne -t hi rd o f t he purse . 4. Experts will race in either a Lightweight or a Heavyweigh t class for $ 1,0 0 0 or tw o-th irds o f th e purse. Professional meets 1. Sancti o ned with purses fro m $2, 5 0 0-10 ,0 0 0. 2. Th re e pro classes will be run : Novice Lighweight - $5 0 0 o r 20% of purse Expert Lightweight - $ 10 0 0 or 4 0% of purse Expert Heavyweight - $ 10 0 0 or 4 0% of purse 3 . Amateur classes may be add ed at promoter's o ption. . U.S. Road Race Championship events 1. Single U.S . Ro ad Race Ch am p ionship events will be san ct ioned with a purse of at least $ 10 ,00 0 and three classes: No vice Lightweight - $1,000 or 10% o f purse Expert Support - $2,000 or 20% of p ur se Expert U.S. Championship - $ 70 0 or 70% o f purse U.S. Champio nship class may be either Ligh t weight or Heavyweight , op po site class designated support. U .S. Road Race 2. Du a l Ch am p ionsh ip even ts will be san ctioned wit h a pu rse of at least $ 15 ,0 00 and 3 classes: Novice Lightweight - $ 1,0 0 0 or six perce n t o f purse Ligh tw eigh t U. S. Championship $ 7,0 0 0 or 47 % o f p urse Heavyweight U.S. Champio nship $ 7,0 0 0 or 4 7% o f p urse classes both (U.S. Championship restrict ed to Experts) National/International events 1 . Si ng le Natio nal/ Int ern at ional even ts will be sanctioned with a minimum purse o f $25 ,0 0 0 and three classes: Nov ice Ligh twei gh t - $ 1,0 0 0 or fo ur percent of pu rse Expert Support - $6,000 o r 24 % of purse Expert Intern ation al - $18,000 or 72% of purse (Int erna tio na l class may be ei ther Ligh tweight or Heavyweight opposite class designated support.) 2. Dual National / In terna tional eve n ts will be san ct io ned with a m in imum purse of $35 ,000 and three classes: Novice Lightweight - $1,000 an d up $ 16,000 In terna t ion al Lightweight and up In terna tional Heavy weight - $ 18 ,00 0 and up Additional im po rtant points 1. Prod uct io n class races may be ad ded to any o f th e ab ove meets with th e ad di tio n of $5 00 m in imum in pu rse per class. 2. U.S . Road Racin g Ch ampionsh ip po in ts will be pai d in th e U.S. Cha m p io ns hip class at all U.S. Road Racing Champ io nship meets and in th e classes at all i n ternatio na l National/ Internatio na l meet s. 3. National poin ts will be pa id to will b e requ ired for Novices to advance international classes at Na tional / International m e e ts. Grand to the Expert class. 2. All first- year Experts (excep t 1975 Juniors who qualify under one of 4. U.S . Road Race Champions will be named in bo t h Lightweigh t and Heavyweigh t cl asses. •