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Rob Dingman

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As closures begin to hit the United States due to the coronavirus, changing life as we know it into an isolated and dull affair, AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman has issued an open letter both to motorcycle organizations and motorcyclists individually.

The letter is full of good tips for how motorcycle groups can work within the constraints of the virus outbreak, and like any good AMA president, Dingman encourages us all to continue riding our motorcycles as much as possible.

While Dingman is certainly correct that there is plenty we can do as motorcyclists to distract ourselves from the seriousness of the events that are around us, I would caution just one thought to his “get out there and ride” message.

Before you take that ride, that track day, or that race, consider what effect those actions could have on the healthcare industry.

The point of social distancing is to help ease the strain that the coronavirus will put on our medical system, and before we get too far on that point, I know we are all aware of how dangerous riding motorcycles can be.

If the trends in China, Italy, Iran, Spain, and so on have taught us anything on what to expect here in the United States, it is that there will come a point in time when risky activities, like motorcycle riding, could legitimately put doctors and other healthcare staff in the tough position of deciding whether to save our life, which was threatened by an elective activity, or instead to save the life of someone who has contracted the virus and is having serious health results because of it.

Riding motorcycles has always been about taking managed risks, and we usually manage these risks quite well as motorcyclists. But, we also as a group tend to be a congregation of self-thinkers.

Before you swing a leg over a motorcycle, consider what the full repercussions of you crashing on the road, in the woods, or at the track will have not on just yourself, but also on others, especially in terms of medical resources, which are rapidly becoming a rare commodity.

If that still doesn’t compel you to have pause, let me float another thought that might have some bearing: do you really want to be laid up in hospital bed while a viral pandemic is going on?

For months now, we have been talking about a North American road racing series that would compete against the ailing AMA Pro Road Racing championship that DMG runs. The series in question was rumored to be headed by Dorna and Wayne Rainey, and today’s news confirms at least half of that partnership, as the three-time World Champion is affiliated with the project

Called MotoAmerica, the North America series is run by KRAVE Group LLC. Rainey is a partner in the KRAVE Group, along with Chuck Aksland who was a 20-year manager of Team Roberts and recently the Vice President of Motor Sport Operations at the Circuit of the Americas race track. Terry Karges, a marketing executive from Roush Performance is a part of the team, as is Richard Varner, a motorcycle industry entrepreneur.

According to the AMA, MotoAmerica will promote and manage the series, which will be sanctioned by the AMA and FIM North America. This means that MotoAmerica will be able to award AMA and FIM North America #1 plates to series class champions, replacing the role of AMA Pro Road Racing as run by the Daytona Motorsports Group.

Dal Smilie is certainly not smiling this week. The Former American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Chairman was sentenced yesterday for embezzling $100,000 in fraudulent travel reimbursement claims to the not-for-profit organization.  Smilie received a sentence of eight months in prison, and two years probation after pleading guilty for his misappropriation of organization founds over the course of years, ending in 2007. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and court costs.