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AMA/ATVA Pro ATV MX racer Dustin
Wimmer nominated for 2008 AMA SPEED Athlete of the Year award
PICKERINGTON, Ohio
-- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is proud to announce
that 2008 ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA Pro Champion Dustin Wimmer
is one of five nominees for the 2008 AMA SPEED Athlete of the Year
award. The winner will be announced at the 2008 AMA Pro Racing
Awards Banquet on Sunday evening, Nov. 23, at the Barber Vintage
Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.
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.
The nominees so far announced for the 2008 award include AMA Flat
Track Champion Kenny Coolbeth, AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies, AMA
Motocross Champion James Stewart, and Wimmer.
Wimmer, from Center Valley, Pa., won five of the 11 rounds on the
ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA/ATVA Pro Championship calendar. The
21-year old opened the season with two wins, then held off a charge
by veteran racer and defending champion Joe Byrd. Wimmer won the
title by 67 points, with 438 to Byrd's 371.
"It feels great to be nominated for the AMA SPEED Athlete of
the Year award," Wimmer said. "I worked hard this
off-season and during the racing season to win the championship this
year. It's a great thing to be on top of your sport, but it's going
to be harder to stay on top."
Wimmer said that the major lesson he learned this year was the
importance of patience to develop the consistency necessary to win a
championship.
"I learned how to focus more on working harder in the beginning
part of the race so I could relax more by the end," Wimmer
said. "I had a lot more motivation for this year because I was
runner-up the last two years. Another lesson I learned is to relax
when you're not in the lead, just work your way up slowly. You have
25 minutes to do it, so don't rush it and make a mistake."
Wimmer's first full year as a pro was 2004 after dominating the
Pro-Am 250 and 250 A classes in 2003. Wimmer started racing in 1996
when he was 9.
To see first-hand whether Wimmer 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 is also 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.
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