CN: Last time we got together for an interview you
were new to the harness, but you had some plans
for improving the lot of the pro racers. promoters
and the AMA in general. So far. what have you
accomplished and how's it going?
OM: I think we've made substantial progress on
several fronts . One thing I !"anted to do was to bring
more sponsors into AMA racing and with more
sponsors, more money. We 've been very fortunate in
being able to renegotiate the Mr . PiBB contract for
1978 from a $6,000 point fund in the 500cc class only
in 1977 to a $30,000 point fund ($10,000 in each
class - 125cc, 250cc and 500cc) .
I think if there's a highlight to what I've done so
far in sponsorship, it's bringing in the Toyota deal.
Renaming the Stadium Motocross Series the Toyota
Supercross Series , providing substantial promotional
funds for promoters and a $50 ,000 point fund for
competitors. That is, I think, a very big highlight.
We 've also been fortunate to bring aboard Nikon
Cameras as the official camera of the AMA. It's a
very smaii dollar sponsorship deal, but it includes a
Rookie of the Year award for each class of motocross
and a Rookie ofthe Year award for the rookie Expert
on the Camel Pro Series trail and the rookie Expert
who did not go on the Camel Pro Tour but stayed at
home and rode . It 's $500 for each of those categories.
So there's something essentially for ev::rybo
