[RideApart] - AMA Announces 2018 Ice Racers of the Year

[Ninjette Newsbot]

AMA Announces 2018 Ice Racers of the Year

Wherein a pack of Michiganders take home some prestigious ice racing awards

The American Motorcycle Association announced its 2018 Ice racers of the year this week, and if these results are any indication, the kids are gonna be all right after all.

ICE: Five Reasons You Need to Go Ice Racing

According to Motorcyclist, the AMA named Michigan Native Kyle Martinez its 2018 Ice Racer of the Year for his performance in the 2018 AMA Ice Race Grand Championship. During that race, which was held in Cadillac, Michigan in early February, Martinez won the 451 Open Class.


Kyle Martinez“I was speechless when I realized I won the award. It was a great surprise,” 17-year-old Martinez said. “I’ve been riding ice since I was 3 years old. The first time I rode on ice was on a ’70s*Honda*50*with a sidecar that my uncle and grandpa made for me to ride. I couldn’t even touch the pegs. There were blocks on the sidecar, so I could touch.”

ICE: Racing on Ice

Another Michigander, Dominic Huey of Howell, won the 2018 AMA Youth Ice Racer of the Year title. Nine-year-old Huey*(Holy crap, you guys. He's NINE! -JM)*won the 65 MOD GP, the 65 MOD Oval, and the 85 MOD Oval classes to clinch his title.


Domenic Huey“It was quite surprising to win the award,” said Huey.(Yeah, right. No nine year old says "quite surprising" -JM) “I didn’t really know how much it meant. But it made me feel good for myself.”

BABY: Return of the Coolest Bike on Earth

A*third Michigander, Omer, Michigan's Bryan Bigelow, took home the AMA Vet Senior Ice Racer of the Year prize at a positively*ancient 37 years of age.


Bryan Bigelow“I wasn’t even thinking I was eligible for an award like this,” he said. “I was very surprised and proud, to say the least. It was most special, because it was presented to me from my old friend [AMA Track Racing Manager] Ken Saillant. Ken and I go way back to the early ’90s, racing in Indiana. It is very cool that our friendship has come full circle.*I have been racing on the ice for 31 years, it is where I first learned to ride a motorcycle. And in northern Michigan, what else is there to do?”

What else indeed?

Source:*American Motorcycle Association/Motorcyclist

Photos:*Mike Barton

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