Cycle News Staff | July 22, 2022
The AMA announced the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees, which includes Speedway World Champion Greg Hancock, Supercross/Motocross Champion James Stewart, AMA Superbike and WorldSBK Champion Ben Spies, GNC champ Kenny Coolbeth, Effie Hotchkiss and Sandy Kosman. The six inductees will be honored during the 2022 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on October 28 in Pickerington, Ohio.
James Stewart is one of six who will be inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame later this year.
AMA Release:
“The Class of 2022 includes men and women who have excelled in competition, engineering, design, motorcycle adventure and more,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Some are champions in many of our premier racing disciplines — motocross, road racing, dirt track and speedway — while others excelled in limit-expanding adventures, or helping riders and teams reach their on-track potential. We are honored to recognize these motorcycling greats this Oct. 28 at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”
The induction ceremony will include a cocktail reception at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at the nearby Violet Township Event Center on Friday evening, with the following day to include an Open House and Class of 2022 installation exhibit in the AMA Hall of Fame Museum on the AMA campus.
Tickets for the 2022 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are now available to the public at https://services.americanmotorcyclist.com/hofreg/.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact AMA Business Development Manager Michael Kula at (949) 466-7833 or mkula@ama-cycle.org
Hall of Fame inductees are selected from eight areas of influence: Ambassadors/Industry, Design/Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership/Motorcycle Rights, Motocross/Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition.
KENNY COOLBETH
Kenny Coolbeth began his national flat track racing career in 1994, winning the AMA Rookie of the Year award, and went on to win three AMA Grand National Championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008 while part of the factory Harley-Davidson team. Throughout his quarter-century career he compiled 27 AMA Grand National wins — sixth on the all-time list — and 108 AMA Grand National podiums.
GREG HANCOCK
Racer Greg Hancock has earned four Speedway World championships and eight AMA U.S. National Speedway championships in a career spanning four decades, with 2019 marking his 27th and last season competing in the Speedway World Championship series. While logging a record 218 Speedway Grand Prix appearances, he has finished in the top five in World Speedway competition 17 times, and finished in the top three eight times.
EFFIE HOTCHKISS
The first woman to complete a transcontinental motorcycle ride, Effie Hotchkiss began riding aboard small used motorcycles such as a single-cylinder Harley-Davidson. She purchased a brand-new 1915 Harley-Davidson 3-speed twin and left her job to travel by motorcycle to California. Effie’s mother, who worried about her daughter’s safety, joined her in a sidecar. Their journey began on May 2, 1915, and once they reached California, the two turned around and headed home in late August, finally completing the dream adventure in October.
SANDY KOSMAN
The late Sandy Kosman was a true pioneer in aftermarket chassis design and fabrication, an early producer of motorcycle-specific drag racing, flat track and road racing parts and products from the mid 1960s to the 2000s. Kosman found solutions to the increased demands upon competition motorcycles as horsepower increased over the years by creating chassis, brake and wheel systems that excelled in the most demanding racing applications. His chassis and parts designs in the drag racing world are perhaps his best-known contributions to motorcycle competition.
BEN SPIES
Ben Spies is considered one of the greatest American road racers in the history of the sport. Nicknamed “Elbowz” due to his signature riding style that showcased his always-protruding elbows, Spies’ five AMA National Championships include the 2008, 2007 and 2006 AMA Superbike titles, the 2007 AMA Superstock title, and the 2003 AMA Formula Xtreme title. He also competed successfully in World Superbike and MotoGP competition, scoring the 2009 World Superbike championship.
JAMES STEWART
James “Bubba” Stewart was a dominant force in AMA Pro Motocross and AMA Supercross, winning two AMA Supercross national championships, three AMA Pro Motocross titles, two Motocross des Nations championships and seven AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s. In 2008, Stewart won every race and every moto in the AMA Pro Motocross season, only the second motocross racer to ever notch a perfect season. CN
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