FIM Speedway World Cup Championship News
The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to announce that world and multi-time AMA Speedway champion Billy Hamill will serve as the U.S. team manager for the 2013 Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) Speedway World Cup and Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship campaigns.
Jeff Massey (AMA Vice President of Operations) says: “Billy Hamill is among America’s greatest speedway champions, and we’re honored that he will help with the AMA’s latest and most-focused effort to succeed at the sport’s highest level.”
In his role as team manager, Hamill will assist with team selection, advise the AMA on team management, serve as a mentor and coach for the riders, and develop team strategy for both FIM team world championships.
Billy Hamill says: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to help elevate American speedway to an international level. We accomplished a lot with qualifying for the Speedway World Cup in 2012 and hope to build on that success. We are looking toward the future and preparing young American speedway riders for international competition on a world-class level. Guidance and preparation for this is key, and I feel that my team and I can provide both.”
Hamill’s speedway credentials are impressive. The Carlsbad, Calif., native won the world title in 1996 and is a six-time U.S. champion, the last title coming in 2012. Hamill rode for the for the U.S. team as recently as last year, as well as when it was victorious in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1998.
Hamill, who won the 2012 AMA Sportsman of the Year award, is not only a world-class athlete but in recent years he has donated his own time and resources to promote the sport of speedway racing to America’s youth.
The U.S. team will kick off its FIM Speedway World Cup campaign on May 20 in Miskolc, Hungary, followed by Kings Lynn, Great Britain, on July 15. If the team advances, it will move to the final in Prague, Czech Republic, on July 18-20.
Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship qualifying will begin in Neustadt Donau, Germany, on April 28. The finale will be Sept. 28 in Pardubice, Czech Republic.
The FIM Speedway World Cup has been contested since 1960. Relaunched under a new format in 2001, the event features multiple days of competition by a number of national teams, with four teams qualifying for the finals. The winner of the Speedway World Cup collects the Ove Fundin Trophy, named after the five-time world champion.
The FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship began in 2005. In the event, countries from all over the world compete for team championship honors, fielding riders under 21 years old.
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. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
