AMA Superbike
Champion Ben Spies nominated for 2008 AMA SPEED Athlete of the
Year award
PICKERINGTON,
Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is proud to
announce that three-time AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies has been
nominated for the 2008 AMA SPEED Athlete of the Year award for his
dominating title-winning performance in AMA Superbike. The winner
of the award will be announced on Sunday evening, Nov. 23, at the
2008 AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet at the Barber Vintage
Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.
The nominees so far announced for the 2008 award include AMA Flat
Track Champion Kenny Coolbeth and Spies. In all, five of this
year's top riders will be nominated for 2008 AMA SPEED Athlete of
the Year.
In 2008, Spies won his third consecutive Superbike
championship--and his fifth AMA title since turning pro in
2000--with a series of performances that saw him finish outside
the top two only once. He notched a commanding 10 wins and eight
second-place finishes, ending the season with a 95-point lead on
his closest competition, teammate Mat Mladin.
Spies said he was honored to be nominated for the award.
"It's pretty cool that the AMA has taken it to the next level
of involvement," he said. "That they watch the various
athletes that they have on board and commend them for their
efforts is good stuff."
Dating back to 1976, the AMA SPEED Athlete of the Year award is
the highest honor bestowed to a professional motorcycle racer
competing in AMA events. Past recipients of the award include such
legendary names as Bob Hannah, Scott Parker, Kenny Roberts and
Ricky Carmichael.
This is the third time Spies has been nominated for the AMA SPEED
Athlete of the Year award.
To see first-hand whether Spies wins the AMA SPEED Athlete of the
Year award, attend the AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet, where AMA
Pro Racing will honor its professional champions, joined by their
families, friends, fans and industry leaders. Held at the Barber
Vintage Motorsports Museum, the banquet will take place among a
collection of more than 1,200 historic and popular motorcycles.
Tickets to the AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet are $125. Tickets to
the AMA Sports Awards Banquet, which honors the champions of AMA
Sports events on Saturday evening, Nov. 22, are $85. Tickets can
be purchased online at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. A
downloadable registration form also is available. Printed orders
can be faxed to: (614) 986-1962, Attn: Cyndi Freeze-Cain; or
mailed to: AMA Racing, Attn: Cyndi Freeze-Cain, 13515 Yarmouth
Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147.