AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2026 Nominees

Voting is now open to determine the
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2026

PICKERINGTON, OH – May 13, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame has announced 16 nominees for the Hall of Fame Class of 2026, and voting has officially opened to select the members of the class.

“Each of these 16 nominees has left an indelible mark on motorcycling — through competition, advocacy, engineering, or the simple, profound act of living this lifestyle with purpose,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is built on legacies like theirs, and we are proud to advance them as candidates for the Class of 2026. Now we invite eligible voters to weigh in and help us honor those who have given so much to the sport we love.”

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame selection committee has identified 16 nominees from various areas of influence within the motorcycling community, including Ambassadors, Industry, Design & Engineering, Leadership & Rights, Dirt Track, Motocross & Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition.

Voting for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be decided by past Hall of Fame inductees, AMA and American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) Board of Directors, members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Category Selection Committees and AMA Life Members. Voting closes on June 10, at 11:59 p.m.

Those eligible to vote may do so at MotorcycleMuseum.org/hall-of-famers/current-class-voting/ .

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be announced shortly after voting is closed, and the class will be celebrated at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sept. 10, in Pickerington, Ohio.

Tickets for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are available for purchase at MotorcycleMuseum.org/events-experiences/induction-ceremony/ .

Competition

Russell Bobbitt — Off-Road

Georgia native Russell Bobbitt is an icon of modern AMA off-road racing, renowned for his technical precision in the woods. Representing the factory KTM team, Bobbitt became a dominant force in the AMA National Enduro Series, securing five championships (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2016). His 2016 title was particularly impressive, marking a triumphant comeback following significant injuries.

A master of the traditional enduro timekeeping format, Bobbitt was named AMA Athlete of the Year in 2011 and represented the U.S. with distinction at the International Six Days Enduro. Even after retiring from full-time racing, he proved his enduring talent by winning the 2019 National Enduro season opener. Today, he shares his passion through Gnarly Routes, leading adventure tours across the American West.

Damon Bradshaw — Motocross & Supercross

Few riders left a mark on American motocross like Damon Bradshaw. Known for his aggressive style and raw speed, the Mooresville, N.C., native — dubbed “The Beast from the East” — signed with Factory Yamaha at just 15. He quickly became the youngest rider to win an AMA Supercross race in 1989.

Competing against legends throughout the 1990s, Bradshaw tallied 19 premier-class Supercross wins and six National Motocross victories. His 1992 season remains legendary yet heartbreaking, as he dominated nine rounds but lost the title by only three points. After a shocking early retirement at 21 and a brief 1996 comeback, he transitioned to Monster Jam, winning the 2009 World Finals Freestyle Championship. Today, he remains an influential mentor and industry ambassador.

Udo Gietl — Road Racing

There’s a long history of race-team managers, builders and tuners in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, names such as Dave Arnold, Rob Muzzy, Bill Werner and many others, all of whom contributed mightily to race-bike design, race wins and championships over the years.

And if you examine the career and achievements of German-born Udo Gietl, who put BMW on the performance map with his technical and managerial efforts with the Bulter & Smith R90S racing machines that won the inaugural AMA Superbike race at Daytona, as well as that first AMA Superbike championship in 1976 with Reg Pridmore in the saddle, and then went on to help make Team Honda the AMA Superbike and Formula One powerhouse it became in the late ’70s and early 1980s, you’d be hard-pressed to ignore the man.

Gietl did all that and more during an amazing career on the AMA National and international racing scenes, working with AMA Hall of Fame riders such as Pridmore, Steve McLaughlin, Freddie Spencer and others, all while notching nine AMA National titles and more than 50 national and international championship event wins.

Jake Johnson — Dirt Track

Jake Johnson stands out as one of the most accomplished riders of the modern AMA Pro Flat Track era and is known for his technical precision and versatility. Born in Camden, N.J., he started out on a Honda Z50, rose through the grassroots dirt track ranks, and turned professional in the early 2000s. He earned AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year honors in 2002, then captured AMA Grand National Singles Championships in 2006 and 2008. Johnson reached his peak with back-to-back Grand National Championships in 2010 and 2011, including an “Overall” title in 2010. Over his career, he tallied 20 Grand National wins, excelling — and winning — across all track types: TT, Short Track, Half-Mile and Mile. Renowned for adaptability, he won titles on multiple brands and remained competitive well beyond his championship years, later transitioning into a respected mentor and development rider.

Mike Penland — Specialty Competition

Nicknamed “The Quadfather,” Mike Penland and his famous handlebar mustache are very recognizable worldwide. Through his racing experience, Penland brought an element of professionalism the sport of ATV racing had never seen before, all while capturing 12 GNCC National titles and more than 400 National Championship event wins.

Penland also racked up 10 total wins at the famed Baja 1000 and Baja 500 events aboard Kawasaki and Can-Am machinery. Toward the end of his 4×4 racing career, Penland, like many other racers, took up racing the side-by-side class at the GNCCs. Once again, Mike quickly adapted and earned his last GNCC National title. Penland was always willing to share his racing knowledge and mechanical skills with other racers, as well.

Brent Thompson — Dirt Track

Brent Thompson was one of the most prolific tuners and unsung heroes of the 1970s and 1980s, capturing 16 AMA Grand National wins and two Grand National Championship titles. While he got his start with Triumph, where he worked with many AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers — including Dick Mann, Gary Scott, David Aldana and Mike Kidd — Thompson found his groove in the ’80s when he joined Harley-Davidson’s factory dirt track team and formed a dynamic duo with AMA Hall of Famer Randy Goss, the pair winning the Grand National Championship title in 1980 and ’83. The pair won their last AMA National at the Ascot Half-Mile in 1986.

Belen Wagner — Specialty Competition

Daughter of AMA Hall of Famer Wiltz Wagner, Belen Wagner has become a staple of land speed competition at the Bonneville Salt Flats. A pioneer for women in a competition that did not see many women competing on a regular basis, Wagner has collected more than 69 records — 31 being FIM world records and 11 being AMA national records — across her nearly four decades in the sport. She was the inaugural recipient of the sheEmoto Award, given to the female racer who best exemplifies the spirit of land speed racing at Bonneville. Beyond her racing prowess, she has served as the FIM Environment Steward for trials for a quarter of a century.

Dave Zanotti — Dirt Track

With four AMA Grand National Championships and 31 AMA Grand National event wins as a tuner, Dave Zanotti has a résumé few have replicated. While with Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki and Indian Motorcycle, Zanotti power-slid himself right into the record books — capturing the third-most AMA Grand National Championships and fourth-most AMA Grand National wins. Along with his father, Mario, Zanotti helped propel AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Steve Eklund to an AMA Grand National Championship in 1979; Mario and Dave remain the only father-son duo to win individual AMA Grand National Championships. More recent successes include his Grand National Championship-winning efforts with Jake Johnson (2010 and 2011) and Briar Bauman (2019 and 2020).

Non-Competition

Selvaraj Narayana — Industry

As a man who has dedicated his entire professional career to the motorcycle industry, Selvaraj Narayana — affectionately known throughout the industry as Sel — is one of motorcycling’s most accomplished and recognizable figures. His passion for motorcycling in the earlier years led him to join Germany’s Maico motorcycle brand, and Sel quickly became a key figure, especially in its racing department. Later, Narayana came to the U.S., joined KTM in the early 1990s, and was instrumental in developing the Austrian company’s rise to prominence in AMA Supercross and motocross while growing the brand into a worldwide motorsports powerhouse. Sel later became the first Motocross/Supercross Team Manager for KTM U.S. racing and was one of the driving forces behind the KTM SX Junior Challenge now seen at every Supercross race since its inception in the late ’90s. Narayana was the Executive Director at KTM USA and the longest-tenured executive management team member prior to his retirement this year. For his many accomplishments, Narayana was awarded the AMA’s prestigious Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Gary Sellers — Leadership & Rights

Since the 1970s, Gary Sellers has given his life to motorcycle education and advocacy in his home state of Ohio and throughout the country. Sellers was one of the founding members of ABATE of Ohio and served as legislative agent for the organization for a decade. He was awarded the honorary Life Membership Award by ABATE of Ohio in 1997. Alongside John “Farmer” Eggers, Sellers built a successful motorcycle safety training program in Ohio; it’s estimated the program has saved thousands of lives over the years. Sellers is also a member of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Freedom Fighters halls of fame.

Buddy Stubbs — Ambassadors

Showcasing a wide skillset, Buddy Stubbs earned podiums in several disciplines: road racing, desert racing, hillclimb and scrambles. In 1966, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Walter Davidson called upon Stubbs to run a struggling Harley-Davidson dealership in Arizona, and Stubbs made the dealership a thriving place for those in the area. Adding a free-to-the-public museum to the dealership (with nearly 200 motorcycles) and serving as a stunt rider in multiple movies (including the Then Came Bronson TV series and several Bob Hope films), Stubbs promoted motorcycles and the motorcycling lifestyle to the public. He also supported several children’s charities, raising close to $2 million for those in need.

Dale Walker — Design & Engineering

A lifelong devotion to drag racing led Dale “Holeshot” Walker to become one of the most noteworthy engineers in all of motorcycle racing. Walker not only produced top-tier products for racers, including a clutch-less air shifter and an engine management system, but also transformed how people tuned their machines. Walker created detailed guides — including illustrations and videos — so those with a basic understanding of mechanics could install and utilize his groundbreaking equipment.

Walker was also a successful national-level drag racer with a noteworthy résumé, which included 50 national event wins and four National Drag Racing Championships. He continues to design and build high-level racing equipment with his brand, Dale Walker’s Holeshot Performance.

Well-Qualified

Eraldo Ferracci — Road Racing

Born in 1938 in Italy, Eraldo Ferracci established himself first as a National Championship-winning road racer and, after moving to the U.S., a record-setting drag racer and producer of go-fast parts through his Fast by Ferracci business, which launched in 1980. Racers of all stripes clamored for his expertise, and the late 1980s Ducati asked him to form the first American-based factory road racing team. The team roared to two FIM World Superbike Championships in ’91 and ’92 with Doug Polen aboard, and two more AMA Superbike championships, in ’93 with Polen and ’94 with Troy Corser. Ferracci is a member of the FIM World Superbike Hall of Fame, as well as a founding member of the Ducati North America Hall of Fame. But, perhaps more importantly, Ferracci helped make Ducati a world road racing powerhouse, and one of the world’s most successful producers of performance motorcycles.

Richard Gross — Dirt Track

Richard Gross was a master tuner for the Indian Wrecking Crew that dominated dirt track racing during the 1950s, one of the most exciting and contested eras in American motorcycle racing, when Indian and Harley-Davidson were locked in a fierce national rivalry. Gross-tuned racing motorcycles won 20 national championship races in the late 1940s and the 1950s, six of those in 1952 alone. During that time, Gross developed a unique camshaft that provided higher rev ability and horsepower, and was a pioneer in using aluminum components to lighten bikes by as much as 45 pounds, a huge benefit to suspension performance and overall handling. Gross stands as one of the most important behind-the-scenes figures in Indian Motorcycle’s final years of factory racing glory.

Richard Uhl — Design & Engineering

Given the complexities and cost of new-model development, it’s not often that a consumer or dealer has any serious input or effect on the creation of a new motorcycle. But when it comes to the legendary Trail 90 series from Honda (which became the Trail 110 and, more recently, the Trail 125), a dealer very much affected things. That dealer was Herb Uhl, father of AMA Hall of Fame enduro racer Billy Uhl, who was taking Honda 50 Cub streetbikes and converting them into woods- and trail-capable off-road machines that fit perfectly with the mountainous regions of Idaho and the Boise area where Uhl’s dealership was located. Honda showed interest in what Uhl was doing, shipped one of Uhl’s bikes to Honda Japan, and a year later came the CA100T, the precursor of the CT90…which eventually led to the legendary Trail 90 and Trail 110.

Charles Umbenhauer — Leadership & Rights

Charles Umbenhauer has devoted more than 30 years to motorcyclist advocacy in Pennsylvania, working with ABATE and the AMA to safeguard funding for rider education, ensure voluntary adult helmet use, reduce tolls for motorcycles and secure motorcycle parking at state-owned facilities. Umbenhauer founded BikePAC, a political action committee for motorcyclists that became a model for other state motorcyclists’ rights organizations’ PACs. He is the 2015 AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and the recipient of a large handful of other honors, including induction into the Sturgis Hall of Fame and recognition by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation for his extraordinary effort to improve funding for the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Source: American Motorcyclist Association 

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