Kidd Passes
Away
T
he flat track and motorcycle
community lost another
legend last week with the pass-
ing of 1981 AMA Grand National
Champion and AMA Hall of
Famer Mike Kidd. He was 72.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas,
Kidd built one of the most
respected careers in American
motorcycle racing, first as a rider
who overcame repeated adver
-
sity to reach the sport's highest
level and later as a promoter and
executive who helped shape the
future of flat track and indoor
motorcycle racing.
Kidd turned professional in
1972 and quickly established
himself among the elite riders
of the Grand National era. His
first AMA Grand National vic
-
tory came at the 1974 Charity
Newsies Half Mile in Columbus,
Ohio. He went on to win 12 AMA
national titles during his profes-
sional racing career.
His greatest competitive
triumph came in 1981. Riding for
the Lawwill/Roberts team, Kidd
earned eight podium finishes
and won the national Ascot Park
TT and the Du Quoin Mile. The
championship battle came down
to the final race at Ascot Park,
where Kidd finished second, se
-
curing the AMA Grand National
Championship by five points
over Gary Scott.
After the 1981 title, Kidd joined
Honda's newly formed dirt track
effort and played a key role in
developing the machinery that
would help power Honda riders to
multiple Grand National Champi
-
WIND
IN THE
P38
(Above) Mike Kidd, who won the AMA Grand National Championship in
1981, passed away at the age of 72. (Below) After his racing career,
Kidd began promoting motorcycle races and is credited with creating the
AMA Arenacross Championship in 1985.
