The long-awaited AMA Pro Road Racing calendar for the 2014 season has been released, and motorcycle racing fans will be shocked to hear that America’s premier series has been reduced to just five race weekends this year, with the hopes of a sixth weekend being added to the mix.
As usual, the season starts in March at Daytona, and features the Daytona 200. AMA Pro Road Racing will then take a month and a half break, until it reconvenes at Road America at the end of May / beginning of June. Barber, Mid-Ohio, and NJMP then follow, with Laguna Seca hopefully being added to the list once that whole mess is resolved.
With television coverage still up in the air, 2014 could mark a critical decline for American road racing as a sport. Talking with riders, teams, and sponsors, the uncertainty around both the schedule and amount of coverage has caused a great deal of panic in the AMA paddock.
As a result, we have seen the departure of the Army National Guard and GEICO Insurance, two mainstay sponsors for the series in the past. We have also seen the exodus of top teams like Michael Jordan Motorsports and the Erik Buell Racing squad. Meanwhile, we have begun to see riders leaving the AMA for series abroad, with current AMA Superbike Champion Josh Herrin being the most notable defector.
2014 AMA Pro Road Racing Schedule:
- March 13 – 15 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
- May 30 – June 1 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.
- June 21 – 22 – Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.*
- July 19 – 20 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio*
- September 13 – 14 – New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J.*
*These events will feature the two-day event schedule
Source: AMA Pro Racing
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