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/641289
VOL. 53 ISSUE 6 FEBRUARY 17, 2016 P25 2016 AMA AWARDS RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED T he AMA announced that AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Craig Vetter is the winner of the prestigious AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016. The annual award acknowl- edges the highest level of service to the AMA in any area of activity, and its recipients are individuals whose contributions are nationally recognized. Vetter, well known for his many contributions to motorcy- cle design, has also distinguished himself by a lifetime of service to the AMA and the American Motor- cycle Heritage Foundation. The AMA Dud Perkins Award is one of six categories in which awards were made in 2016. The other 2016 AMA Awards recipi- ents include: AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award: Chris Ulrich, MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superbike racer, Roadracing World journalist and fundraiser for the Roadracing World Action Fund AMA Outstanding Road Rider Award: Brad Berson, founder of the New York Motor- cycle & Scooter Task Force AMA Outstanding Off-Road Rider Award: Barrett Brown, longtime member of the Oregon Motorcycle Riders Association; designer and builder of the ST240, a purpose-built single- track trail dozer AMA Bessie Stringfield Award: The late Jeanne Clen- denon, the AMA member who inspired the "AMA Get Women Riding" campaign Friend of the AMA Award: The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative GRANT program; the Oakland Motorcycle Club, AMA Charter No. 72; Brad Baumert, CEO for the North American Trials Council and principal of Trials Inc. These motorcyclists and organizations were selected for AMA Awards by the AMA Board of Directors because they have made outstanding contributions to the motorcycling community, and their efforts support the AMA mission to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. "Hearing that I was being given the Dud Perkins Award was most unexpected and wel- come," Vetter said. "The AMA has always been a very special organization to me. "I first joined in the 1960s so I could do scrambles racing in Illinois. I also won the AMA logo design contest in 1973, and donated my motorcycle and fairing collection to the Hall of Fame. Decades of my life have been spent to improve motorcy- cling by making it easier to use as everyday transportation and streamlining our bikes to maxi- mize fuel economy. "This is especially meaningful to me right now, as I am strug- gling to return to health after a collision with a deer on my bike last August that put me in the hospital for several months," Vetter added. "Recovery has been slow, and this award is a real bright spot in my life right now. Thank you for honoring me in this way. I love motorcycles, and I love the AMA." Long known for his accom- plishments as a motorcycle inventor, designer and racer, Craig Vetter was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. He designed the iconic Wind- jammer fairings of the 1970s, the Triumph X-75 Hurricane and the limited edition Mystery Ship. More recently Vetter has conducted a series of motorcycle fuel econo- my runs that push the boundaries of everyday streamlining. Equally significant is Vetter's longtime service to the AMA and to the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which raises funds for the Hall of Fame. For years, Vetter served on the AMHF Board of Directors (2008- 2013) and as the chairman of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Design and Engineering Committee. He is also a significant donor, having provided more than $100,000 in funds and historic motorcycles to the AMHF. In 2012, he was the grand marshal for the annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, the primary fundraiser for the Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was the featured guest at the annual AMA Mo- torcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona, another successful AMHF fundraising activity. CN