2010 GLEN HELEN NATIONAL: OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Glen Helen Raceway regretfully announces that it will not host Round two of AMA 250/450 Nationals on May 29, 2010.
There has been long negotiations between MX Sports and Glen Helen Raceway in regards to the event. As a previous host of more than 14 AMA Nationals and three GP’s over the last 20 years, Glen Helen has proven to be a world class venue (and so do the fans who have flooded the gates in large numbers over the years).
From the beginning of the most recent contract negotiations, Glen Helen has asked for the same contractual terms as other tracks on the National circuit received in 2010. Due to the lack of equality in the terms, Glen Helen is unable to move forward with a National at this time.
The National Promoter’s Group (NPG) was formed 15 years ago to set the standard for motocross in America. As a charter member, Glen Helen has stood together with the other promoters for the entire 15-year period. We feel that our contributions to the promotion of the sport were integral to the progress that has been made in motocross. When MX Sports took over the organizing role from DMG/AMA Pro Racing last year, they dissolved the NPG (an organization that they were instrumental in starting). As the new sanctioning body, MX Sports no longer wants to abide by the NPG contracts they helped write. Many of the points in the contracts were designed to give the promoters a fair shake from the AMA sanctioning body—thus, Glen Helen attempted to negotiate a fair deal to no avail.
Glen Helen supports all the teams, riders, sponsors and other National promoters 100 percent and we are sorry that the fans who planned to come to Glen Helen to see “Real Motocross” will not get the chance to do it this year.
Glen Helen will still be hosting events every weekend and will give fans, riders and sponsors a venue that they can be proud to be part of. We have a pre-National event on May 16, 2010 with the MTA World MX Championships, which will give fans a first look at the outdoor teams for 2010. A large Pro purse will be included. More details to follow.
While not an official statement from MX Sports, the following comment was made by Davey Coombs on the Vital MX board.
There’s no way around it: change is never easy. Glen Helen’s decision to cancel their 2010 national over the length of their new contract is as surprising as it is disappointing. It leaves us no choice but to move forward and find a new facility in Southern California.
I feel bad for the fans of Glen Helen, as well as the ones who have already made travels plans for Memorial Day weekend. I promise everyone that we will do our best to find a suitable replacement, though the date will now likely be the second weekend in September.
I hope that what MX Sports and the rest of the promoters have managed to do in the last year to raise the quality of the events, the exposure of the series on television and online, to satisfy the riders and their teams, as well as their sponsors and their fans, is not forgotten in this moment of change. This was a business decision made by a longtime promoter, and I respect Mr. Feldkamp’s decision not to continue with the series.
MX Sports has a vision of what AMA Pro Motocross should be, and most in the industry seem to agree with what we’ve done so far. But we have a lot more work to do, and you can count on us to do it.
DC
MX Sports
Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
