I wanted to share a story about a situation that recently affected a hard-working young man in our sport, as it highlights both the obstacles we sometimes face in this sport and the integrity of the system meant to protect it.
As many of you know, navigating the rules between different racing series can be tricky. This rider recently ran a few “Quad Open B” Supercross races at a local, unsanctioned series simply because it was the absolute lowest skill-level class offered at that track for his machine size. In fact, I explained to this young man that it is OK to do so, and that in two decades I have never heard of a problem doing this. There was literally no “C” class available. He also naturally assumed that since it was the entry-level option, it fit his experience level.
Unfortunately, following a good finish in “Quad Open C” at a Mankato Motocross event on May 16th, an official protest was filed against him for “riding out of class” due to that technicality.
Because of the protest, the AMA originally handed down an administrative advancement to the B class. This is where we run into the bureaucracy of the AMA specifically. The AMA, as of December 2025, recently hired a brand new National Motocross Manager. This manager likely did not have the historical context nor experience needed to make an informed decision. Instead of asking around or researching the situation himself, he enforced the literal letter of the law based on the paperwork in front of him, regardless of nuance. He insisted the rules were the rules, and that the decision had to go through the formal $50 appeal process.
The AMA appeal process consists of a 3 person appeal board that acts as the “Judge”. Their job when an appeal comes up is to look beyond the rigid rulebook, look at the actual facts, and determine the spirit and intent of the rule. The rule regarding class exists to prevent intentional sandbagging, not to punish a kid trying to find a place to ride at a track with limited classes. Only 4 days later, on June 26th, thanks to a strong appeal written by the affected young man, and some incredible advocacy from some local, long-time advocates of the sport, the appeal board made the right call. They saw the protest for what it really was, and officially approved his move back to the C class where he belongs!
With that hurdle cleared, I want to address the situation openly, specifically to the individual who filed the protest. Not with anger or bitterness, but in the spirit of the sport we both clearly care about.
When you went up to file that paperwork, your actions created unnecessary stress and financial impact for a recent high school graduate who rebuilt his machine with his own hard work over the winter. To be completely transparent, the protest didn’t change the competitive landscape. Even without the protested rider in the mix, it would have been the difference of a single position and a couple of points. It wouldn’t have meant a podium appearance either way. The other racer rode very well and his hard work stands on its own merit, and he seems like a great young racer who I’m sure had absolutely nothing to do with this. I truly believe he just wants to go out and have fun, race, and meet new people too.
Filing a protest on a technicality like this ultimately feels unsportsmanlike and embarrassing for the community. It’s the kind of action that hurts the growth of ATV motocross rather than helping it flourish. We should be building these young riders up, not trying to sideline them on administrative technicalities.
In the end, though, we choose to look at your protest the same way we look at a new track. It was daunting at first, but with proper analysis, teamwork, and skill, we adapted fast.
A group of us have already worked with the non-sanctioned track ownership to adjust their class name to “Quad B/C” moving forward so that no other young racer gets caught in this administrative trap again. We’re also hopeful that this removes an additional barrier for beginner ATV riders, offering additional reassurance that it is OK and has always been OK to get more seat time by racing these other series. My hope is it also offers a safe path forward for racers at non-sanctioned tracks wanting to give AMA-sanctioned racing a try.
Let’s all try to spend our energy lifting up all the riders out there and give them every riding opportunity possible!
) were both OK.
