Cycle News Staff | July 28, 2023
Quinn Wentzel and Jim Gawne recognized for their off-road racing prowess during the AMA Vintage Grand Championship in Lexington, Ohio.
Quinn Wentzel of Canfield, Ohio, captured his elusive fifth AMA Vintage Grand Championship and was joined on the podium by AMA Senior Vintage Grand Champion Jim Gawne, who hails from Oxford, Michigan.
The following is a press release from the AMA…
Pickerington, OH (July 27, 2023) — As competition raged across all three days of the 2023 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Royal Enfield, which ran July 21-23 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, a pair of riders set themselves apart from the rest by claiming AMA Vintage Grand Champion and AMA Vintage Senior Grand Champion honors.
Quinn Wentzel of Canfield, Ohio, captured his elusive fifth AMA Vintage Grand Championship and was joined on the podium by AMA Senior Vintage Grand Champion Jim Gawne, who hails from Oxford, Mich.
The Grand Champions are decided based on competition in the AMA Vintage Grand Championship, which runs in conjunction with AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. The AMA Vintage Grand Champion and AMA Vintage Senior Grand Champion are determined by the cumulative points earned across the AMA Vintage Grand Championship’s three off-road events: hare scrambles, trials and motocross.
Having previously claimed AMA Vintage Grand Championships in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018, Wentzel was determined to return to the podium in 2023 while riding aboard his Can-Am 175cc—which he built from the ground up during the last year—for hare scrambles and trials and his Penton 400cc during motocross events.
“For me, it’s just trying to get through the whole weekend,” Wentzel said. “In past years, we’ve had some bad luck in the hare scramble or motocross. So, it was good to get through each event with good finishes.”
Gawne, also a previous AMA Senior Vintage Grand Champion having claimed the honor in 2017, was aided to his second title by a first-place finish in the hare scrambles Super Senior (50+) A division on July 21, which set the tone for his strong weekend of racing.
“I come in knowing that I’m not good at all three, so I focus my practice on hare scrambles and trials,” Gawne said. “I have a trials background and I’ve been riding trials since I was 10, so that’s my strong point. So, I was focusing on hare scrambles, trying to win that, and I did this year. So that made me feel good coming into Saturday motocross and Sunday trials.”
For more information about the AMA Vintage Grand Championship and AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, visit www.vintagemotorcycledays.com.
AMA Thanks Partners, Supporters and Attendees Who Made 2023 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Presented by Royal Enfield a Record-Breaking Event
PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 26, 2023) — Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Royal Enfield—one of the largest single-weekend events in all of motorcycling, including North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet — brought tens of thousands of motorcyclists from around the country and the world to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, July 21-23, for three jam-packed days of racing, riding and vintage-bike fun.
Organized and co-promoted by the American Motorcyclist Association, along with facility owner and co-promoter Green-Savoree Racing Promotions, the annual event raises funds for the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that helps fund the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s mission to promote and preserve the history and heritage of motorcycling in America.
“Each year the AMA takes great pride in organizing AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, which provides motorcyclists with a weekend of celebrating vintage bikes, spending time with friends, and the chance to enjoy the freedom offered by two wheels,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “This event wouldn’t be possible without a long list of partners, supporters and volunteers. We appreciate them all, and everyone who attended from the diverse motorcycling community, for enabling us to raise money for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”
The Grand Marshal for the 31st running of the event was AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and jack-of-all-trades motorcycle racer Steve Wise, who spent time greeting fans, participating in question-and-answer sessions and signing autographs. Each day, he also led the Lap of History aboard a Royal Enfield kindly provided to him by the presenting sponsor of the event—Royal Enfield North America.
“Having AMA Hall of Famer Steve Wise at Vintage Motorcycle Days was so cool and appropriate,” said Editorial Director Mitch Boehm. “What he did during his career—winning nationals in motocross, Supercross and road racing, and winning the annual Superbikers event twice—is amazing, and something that will never be done again. Being back at Mid-Ohio, where he won that AMA Superbike national in ’83, was really special for him, and the fans loved seeing and hearing from him. Good stuff.”
AMA Business Development Manager Michael Kula thanked the many companies who provided financial support for the event.
“A huge thank you to Permco, who was our Title Sponsor this year,” Kula said. “We also greatly appreciate Royal Enfield, who stepped up as the event’s Presenting Sponsor. Old Bike Barn, Biltwell, Federal Motorcycle Transport, ICON Motorsports, Kenda Tire, Total Energies, B’laster, Triumph, American Motor Drome Company, Bad Ass Gnomes, Classic British Motorcycle Club, Concerned Veterans of America, Glockner Oil, Iron Pony, Vapor Honing Technologies, Mimi & Moto, Moto Motion, Skidmark Garage, Smart Massage, SSR Motorsports, Motorcycles and Coffee, Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club and Vintage Rides all generously supported the event.
“Our friends at Royal Enfield and Triumph,” Kula continued, “also had demo bikes for attendees to test ride all weekend. We can’t thank them, and all of these companies enough, because all the proceeds help support the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”
Kula added his appreciation for the hundreds of vendors who made up the country’s largest motorcycle swap meet. They not only provide financial support for the AMA Hall of Fame, but they bring a fun, distinct atmosphere to the event that motorcyclists won’t find anywhere else.
Along with being the Presenting Sponsor of the event, Royal Enfield also brought its one-of-a-kind Project Origin bike—an authentic, working replica of the company’s very first motor-bicycle originally constructed in 1901, which was painstakingly rebuilt using old photographs and promotional ads from the turn of the century—to the event. Project Origin was on display throughout the event, and on Saturday evening, Royal Enfield historian Gordon May — one of the only people on the planet who can operate the motorbike—rode the bike on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course track, which was its inaugural ride on North American soil. The motor-bicycle also closed out the final Lap for History on Sunday with another lap around the track for cheering fans.
“Project Origin has been a 30-year passion project of Royal Enfield historian Gordon May,” said AMA Director of Marketing and Communications Joy Burgess, “and we’re grateful that Royal Enfield brought this piece of motorcycle history along to the event. To see the 1901 replica get a push start and go around the 2.4-mile roadracing track was a special moment, and it only seems appropriate that Royal Enfield history would be made at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.”
AMA Director of Membership Amanda Donchess expressed her appreciation of the AMA members who helped make the event a success.
“It’s always great to meet and hear from our members at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days,” Donchess said, “and they showed up in a huge way this year. We appreciate all the members who came out, and the new ones who joined.
“A record-breaking number of members joined over the weekend,” Donchess continued, “and we’re already looking forward to seeing them next year.”
In addition to AMA President & CEO Rob Dingman, several other AMA Board members were in attendance volunteering and supporting the event, including Directors Brad Baumert, Chris Cox, Mark Hosbach and Gary Pontius. They supported the event in racing, swap meet operations and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame collections management, among other activities.
Many AMA members, as well as AMA-chartered and partner organizations, showed up to the event as volunteers as well.
“Over 100 volunteers—including 84 AMA member volunteers, volunteers from our partner Motorcycle Ohio and from AMA-chartered organization the Christian Motorcyclist Association—came out to help with the event,” said AMA Volunteer Coordinator Bob Davis. “We can’t thank them enough for committing their time and effort to help make the weekend a success.”
Vintage racing at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days brings in thousands of race entries every year in vintage motocross, trials, hare scrambles, flat track and road racing.
“We enjoyed one of the most successful events in history,” said AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier, “and none of it could be accomplished without the support of our racing partners and volunteers. They provide the foundation needed to put on this great event every year, and we appreciate their efforts.
“The Roadracing World Action Fund is one of our most important racing partners,” Pelletier continued, “and we appreciate them providing us with soft barriers for the road-race course.”
Pelletier also thanked BAJA MX Inc. for motocross operations and racing registration, WERA for road race operations, Mandy Mastin for hare scrambles operations, announcer Kevin Kelly, Trials Inc. for the trials event, the Christian Motorcycle Association for flagging duties, motocross track builder Jeff Beerbower/Log Road MX, MX Referee Ray Bergeron, Race Line Ministries (Mark and Dawn Merical) and Rapid 2-Way, Brian Kozicki Events for AV assistance, Ryan Rutkowski and Connor Torrel for installation and maintenance of soft barriers, and the many race officials.
For flat track racing, special thanks to Ashland County Fairgrounds, Chris and Jamie Daronco for racing registration and scoring, and all the flaggers and race officials who made the evening a success.
AMA Chief Operating Officer James Holter expressed appreciation for the AMA’s most important operational partner for the event, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is one of the few facilities in the country that can accommodate all the activities that make AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days what it is: motorcycling’s most varied event,” said Holter. “That wouldn’t be possible without the experienced and professional team that runs the track. Led by Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course President Craig Rust, track personnel work behind the scenes to make sure fans, sponsors and AMA staff are safe, entertained and free to have fun and do their jobs.”
