American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to announce the results of officer elections for the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) Board of Directors, which raises money for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.
Jack Penton, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame off-road racer with more than 40 years of industry experience, was elected chairman. Tom White, founder of White Brothers and the Early Years of Motocross Museum in Villa Park, Calif., was elected vice chairman. Jeff Heininger, founder of automotive travel product company Heininger Automotive, was elected secretary/treasurer, an office the Directors also voted to combine at the July 26 meeting.
Penton’s current term extends through February 2011. White and Heininger’s terms expire in February 2012. AMHF Board officers are elected annually.
"The members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame are among history’s greatest defenders of motorcyclists’ rights, the most skilled racers on track and trail, and represent motorcycling’s premier advocates in the court of public opinion," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman, who also serves on the AMHF Board. "As the AMA expands its support of the Hall of Fame, we’re looking forward to working with the highly capable and dedicated motorcyclists elected to these positions of leadership."
Penton said he’s excited about the opportunity to advance the core mission of the Hall of Fame and extend its cooperation with the AMA.
"Our mission is to preserve the history of motorcycling in America and celebrate the individuals who lived that history," Penton said. "I feel a real urgency right now — a sense that there’s much work to be done — because we have such a rich, living history available to us today that must be documented for tomorrow. I’m looking forward to working with the fantastic group of people who make up the AMHF Board of Directors to elevate the Hall of Fame among the eyes of both motorcyclists and the general public."
Penton added that his immediate focus is the 2009 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, scheduled for Dec. 5 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The 2009 class of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame includes motorcycle apparel pioneer Robert Bates, off-highway rights activist Mona Ehnes, industry entrepreneurs and technological trailblazers Geoff and Bob Fox, off-road racer Randy Hawkins, longtime motorcycle safety proponent David Hough, noted race team manager Gary Mathers, successful dirt-track racer and tuner Chuck Palmgren, and suspension pioneer Gilles Vaillancourt.
The 2009 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony follows the Dec. 4 AMA Racing Champions Banquet, also scheduled for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, where AMA Racing’s amateur champions will be honored for their 2009 accomplishments. The two-day celebration will provide a unique opportunity for racers and fans to both honor the accomplishments of racing’s present and witness the elevation of individuals from all of motorcycling’s past.
