Monday, October 22, 2018 | 3:55 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(304) 284-0101
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2019 Women’s Motocross Championship Announced
WMX Championship Held in Conjunction with Loretta Lynn’s National
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (October 22, 2018) - MX Sports Pro Racing, organizers of the Women’s Professional Motocross Championship (WMX), an AMA National Championship, announced today that the 2019 WMX National Championship will be held in conjunction with the 2019 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship and will no longer be recognized as a separate National Championship series.
Competitors will be required to qualify through the Area Qualifier and Regional Championship process for an opportunity to compete for the WMX National title at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee on July 29 - August 3, 2019. All WMX athletes will be required to have a current AMA competition membership only. No other license will be required, and MX Sports Pro Racing will no longer issue a separate WMX license.
“Our female racers are amazing athletes with unbelievable talent. Unfortunately, with an average participation of only 12 riders per event, we can no longer support the class at this level. At this time there are simply not enough premiere female athletes challenging the series to continue this premiere class,” advised MX Sports Race Director Roy Janson. “However, if things change and the support is there, we will certainly revisit the matter.”
The 2018 WMX race season consisted of 7 rounds held at Daytona RCSX, Freestone Spring Championship, Tomahawk MX, High Point National, Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals, Ironman National and The Jessica Patterson Classic. The highest attended round was Loretta Lynn’s with 18 entries. The final two rounds, Ironman National and the Jessica Patterson Classic, garnered only 7 and 8 entries respectively.
Ken Hill
“The feedback we received is that the female athletes just don’t have the support and cannot afford to challenge a full series. Hopefully with a more compact series like the Loretta Lynn program we can attract more female athletes and rebuild the program,” continued Janson.
Although premiere amateur events such as RCSX, Freestone and Loretta Lynn’s will continue to have a WMX class as the premiere female class in their race program, class eligibility or restrictions will not be determined by prior participation in the WMX program. Hence, all previously licensed WMX athletes will be eligible for these race programs, including Loretta Lynn’s, where the WMX National Champion will be crowned.
For more information on the AMA Amateur National, visit the series official website at www.mxsports.com or call (304) 284-0101. Join the conversation on the event’s social media channels, along with receiving the most up-to-date news and exclusive content.
- Facebook: @LorettaLynnMX
- Instagram: @LorettaLynnMX
- Twitter: @LorettaLynnMX
About the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship is the world's largest and most prestigious amateur motocross racing program. The national qualifying program consists of 57 Area Qualifiers (February through May) and 13 Regional Championships (May through June), hosted at select motocross facilities across the country. The qualifying system culminates in the National Final (first week in August) hosted annually since 1982 at the home of country music star Loretta Lynn in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. Nearly 22,000 racers attempt to qualify in 35 classes for the 1,446 available positions at the National. Christened "The World's Greatest Motocross Vacation", the National event serves as a launch pad for some of the biggest names in professional motocross and supercross, including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, and Ryan Dungey. The national program is produced by MX Sports, Inc., a West Virginia-based race production company and sanctioned by AMA. For more information, please visit www.mxsports.com.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join.