Fans of Supercross, off-road, flat track and road racing competition had opportunities to enjoy AMA-sanctioned racing in their favorite disciplines during the 10 days of 2019 Daytona Bike Week in March.

As hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists gathered in East-Central Florida for the rally, hundreds of motorcycle racers were also on hand, vying to capture one or more AMA national No. 1 plates.

In the 250SX East main event, Kawasaki Team Green rider Austin Forker put in a dominating performance to take the victory and extend his championship points lead.

When the 450SX class took their turn on the track, Eli Tomac was the star of the show. He rode his Kawasaki to a commanding main event win, closing the points gap between himself and 450SX Championship leader Cooper Webb.

After the pro event concluded, the track was modified to be raceable for riders of all skill levels, and the two-day Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross got underway on March 10.

When all 34 amateur Supercross main events concluded on March 11, Jarret Frye stood out among his peers. The Yamaha rider from Mechanicsville, Md., won three AMA No. 1 plates.

Nine riders won two class titles at the event, including 2018 AMA Youth Motocross Racer of the Year Nate Thrasher and 2018 U.S. World Junior Motocross Championship team member Ryder DiFrancesco.

On March 12, vintage motocross machines took to the speedway’s Supercross track.

Robert Berry of Concord, N.C., was the standout performer of the vintage competition, taking three class titles on the day aboard a Maico.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Stanton of Sherwood, Mich., and Mitchell Zaremba of Avon, Ohio, took two wins apiece.

 

 

Grand National Cross Country

Off-road racing in the form of the opening round of the 2019 AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country Series, presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, took place at the Wild Boar GNCC near Palatka, Fla.

The action kicked off on March 9 with ATV racing, where reigning ATV XC1 Class Champion and 2018 AMA ATV Athlete of the Year Walker Fowler scored the overall win in the pro race.

The victory was anything but easy for Fowler, as a crash early in the contest nearly knocked him out of the top 10 on the first lap. The Yamaha rider from Rogers, Ohio, quickly regained his composure and sprinted through the field to take the victory.

Cole Richardson of Edinburg, Pa., finished second overall in the ATV pro race, and Sunbury, Pa., resident Chris Borich rounded out the podium.

It was the bikes’ turn on the sandy Palatka track the next day. In the pro bike race it was KTM rider Stewart Baylor Jr. who took the overall win over reigning XC1 Class Champion Kailub Russell. Husqvarna rider Thad Duvall finished third overall.

Flat Track

The action kicked off March 8 with the first of five consecutive days of flat track racing.

As pro flat track racers like Indian factory rider Jared Mees took part in two rounds of the AMA All-Star National Flat Track Series, vintage and amateur flat track competitors from the AMA Vintage Flat Track National Championship Series and the AMA Daytona Bike Week Flat Track Championship Series, an AMA Major Event, were on track three times.

Racing took place on the half mile at Oglethorpe Speedway Park in Pooler, Ga., as well as the half mile and short track at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

The big winners from the AMA Daytona Bike Week Flat Track Championship Series were Bradon Pfanders of Bethlehem, Pa., who won three class championships, and Colton Smith of Street, Md., who claimed two class titles.