Carmichael Tops AMA Awards Banquet
AMA Pro Racing’s SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year Award, the highest honor an AMA racer can receive, was given to Ricky Carmichael during the 31st Annual AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet, held Nov. 20 at Paris Las Vegas.
Carmichael is the only rider to have won Athlete of the Year four times. Others honored included the 2005 AMA Pro Racing Rookies of the Year: Nick Cummings as Flat Track Rookie of the Year; Jason Perez Superbike as Rookie of the Year Award; and Juss Laansoo as Motocross/Supercross Rookie of the Year.
Chris Carr was awarded the AMA Pro Racing Sportsman of the Year; Pro Circuit’s Mitch Payton received the Award of Mechanical Excellence; the Chamberlain Trophy went to the 2005 Motocross of Nations winning team of Ricky Carmichael, Ivan Tedesco and Kevin Windham; and, honored for their achievements in amateur racing during a ceremony Nov. 18, were Ryan Villopoto for Motocross, Stevie Bonsey for Dirt Track and Blake Young for Road Race. Juhu Salminen was crowned with the 2005 AMA Sports Athlete of the Year.
It was also announced that Toyota signed as the new series sponsor of the AMA Motocross Championship. “We look forward to a successful relationship with them and hope to push AMA Motocross to even higher levels of recognition,” said AMA Pro Racing Vice President and Director of Communications Kerry Graeber.
