TEN THINGS ABOUT RACING AN AMA NATIONAL

(1) First step. Requirements for earning an AMA Pro license are simple. If you qualify for and race the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National in the Open Pro Sport or 250 Pro Sport class, you’re in. Or, you have to earn at least 60 AMA Pro-Am advancement points in a single class within a year and a half when you apply for the license. Foreigners have it easy, though; they only need a release form from their home country’s motorcycle federation stating that the federation agrees that the rider has the competence and ability to compete as a Pro in the States.  

(2) Racer fees. To have a Pro license, first you need a standard AMA license ($39 a year). The Pro license costs $500 per year (plus a $15 service fee). Race entries are $273 per round if you sign up two weeks in advance, and it costs an extra $50 if you sign up after the pre-registration deadline. 

(3) Crew fees. All mechanics are required to have an AMA license, and their wristband is $75 per weekend. Guest credentials are also $75 for the weekend, and that gets you in and out of the pits all day. Thankfully, you don’t have to pay for parking or the transponder, but things get expensive quickly if your family wants to watch you race. 

(4) Pit-parking procedure. Parking is always a challenge for privateers. They wait all morning on Friday while the factory teams pit first, then the satellite teams who pay can park, then the big privateer rigs who don’t pay, and then the rest of the privateers who drive in vans and small trailers. Everyone can get on the schedule for parking early, but there is a cost for that, too. It’s $4700 for the Feature package, which comes with a team-manager credential, six crew credentials, two track-access passes, and a team cart pass for the season. The bigger teams can purchase the Premier package, which is the same but includes four extra crew credentials and two extra track passes. 

(5) Press day. This is a sensitive subject for privateers. Press day is available to everyone at the season opener, then to only a handful of riders at each of the following races. The factory teams get to choose multiple rounds a year to ride press day, while the privateers can sneak into press day—if it’s their local round and they have connections with the track or a media relations guy. Privateers who agree to talk on camera with the local news channel have a better chance of getting into press day and riding the track on Friday before the big show.  

(6) Qualifying. One of the toughest parts of racing a National is qualifying. There is no free practice session; instead, there are only two 15-minute timed qualifying sessions. Incorporated into the first session is a parade lap, and then the green flag waves and qualifying kicks off. If you don’t make it in the top 36 based on lap times, there’s a last-chance qualifier race for the last four spots. 

(7) Start procedure. Thirty minutes before the gate drops, a horn will be sounded signaling the “first call” for riders to come to the starting line. At 20 minutes before gate drop, the staging area closes, and if your bike isn’t there in time, you’ll forfeit your starting position to alternates who were on the bubble of qualifying through the LCQ. 

(8) Mechanics. All mechanics and crew members must have an AMA license and must wear a collared shirt to accompany the rider to the starting line. Also, open-toed shoes and sleeveless shirts/tank tops are not permitted. 

(9) Equipment requirements. Because the Pro Motocross series (and AMA Supercross) has a production-based rule, all race bikes must be homologated. The OEMs pay up front to have their bikes homologated, and the certification lasts for five years. Sadly, that means that only bikes from 2020 on up can be raced in the Nationals. 

(10) Merchandise. Unfortunately, the Pros aren’t allowed to sell merchandise at the race unless they have a pre-arranged deal where MX Sports gets a slice of the pie. If you want to support your favorite Pro, many of the top riders (and even some privateers) sell their merchandise online.