AMA helps get racing back on track

The Safe-to-Race Task Force—a coalition of 20 motorsports organizations, including the AMA—has developed guidelines to help motorcycle event organizers resume operations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, while following the direction of health officials and government restrictions.

The guidelines—known as the “Resumption Plan and Best Practices Toolkit: Motocross & Off-Road”—were released May 4 and can be downloaded at americanmotorcyclist.com > organizer resources > covid-19 resources.

The toolkit’s recommendations include developing a medical action plan for symptomatic event participants, attendees or crew members; forbidding overnight camping for one-day events; requiring that vehicles park 10 feet apart; closing bleachers and other fixed spectator seating; eliminating fan activities, such as autograph-signing sessions and podium celebrations; using advance registration to limit participation; encouraging the use of credit cards for on-site payments; and having competitors bring their own pens to sign documents.

Photo by Jen Muecke

Safe-to-Race Task Force Participants

• AMA
• MX Sports
• MX Sports Pro Racing
• Feld Entertainment
• MotoAmerica
• Racer X
• AMA Pro Racing
• MyLaps
• Trackside Software
• MotorsportsReg
• Daytona International Speedway
• Medical professionals (3)
• Local government officials (2)
• NBC Sports/Ignite Partners
• United States Motorsports Association
• J.H. Leale
• Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series
• RedBud MX
• Lucas Oil Speedway
• TicketSpice
• American Specialty Insurance
• Airstream Ventures

Participating motorsports organizations included AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship and Grand National Cross Country Series organizer MX Sports, AMA Pro Motocross Championship promoter MX Sports Pro Racing, AMA Supercross promoter Feld Entertainment, AMA Superbike Championship organizer MotoAmerica and AMA Pro Racing. Two local government officials and three medical professionals also participated in the project.

The project was an off-shoot of another collaborative effort, the Race Leadership Team, which was formed to coordinate scheduling for MX Sports’ AMA-sanctioned series and events.
The group quickly realized that a broader collaboration was needed to help motorcycle competition get started under pandemic-driven restrictions.

The Race Leadership Team recruited other organizations and professionals to take part in the Safe to Race project.

The AMA had representatives on four of the task force’s five committees. Cumbow was on the medical and IT committees, and was joined on the medical committee by Brennan.

Alex Kovacs, AMA motocross coordinator, was the AMA’s second representative on the IT committee. Mike Pelletier, AMA Supercross manager, sat on the competition committee.

Mike Sayre, AMA director of government relations, was on the government relations committee.

Though the task force has published its guidelines, it will carry on updating them as the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop.