Female Dirt Track Racer to Serve as Honoree.....

[KTMrad 508]

April 21, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Connie Fleming

Phone: (614) 856-1910, ext. 1258

E-mail: cfleming@ama-cycle.org

Nichole Cheza to serve as honoree at AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships

Trailblazing female racer will welcome amateurs from around the country to championship event

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Every summer, the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships, set for June 27-July 4 in Du Quoin, Ill., invites an active or retired star from the pro ranks to greet amateur racers at the event.

This year the honoree is an up-and-coming rider who has already made a significant impact on the sport, even though her career is still young: Nichole Cheza. Cheza, from Clio, Mich., joins riders such as Chris Carr, Kenny Coolbeth and JR Schnabel in holding the special honor.

The presence of the honoree is a highlight for the amateur competitors, who get to shake hands, take pictures, ask questions and just hang out with one of their heroes. Director of AMA Racing Joe Bromley said that selecting Cheza was easy.

"Nichole is one of the bright rising stars of American dirt track, and we're proud to have her come out and support the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships," Bromley said. "I've known Nichole for many years and raced against her father. Her dirt-track roots run deep, and she'll be a great example for both the youth riders and the vet racers as they battle for national titles in Du Quoin."

Cheza, whose sponsors include Global Products, Lancaster Harley-Davidson, National Cycle, KK Motorcycle Supply, Honda East Toledo and Bill's Machining Service, said that the appeal of working with kids attracted her to the role.

"I really like kids, and I think that its great that more kids are getting involved in the sport of dirt track," Cheza said. "I see a lot more young girls getting involved these days, and I think it's really cool that they have someone to look up to."

Cheza has a long history with the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships.

"I started when I was about six, and I rode the event all the way until I was 16," she said. "It was always a great week of fun. You get to be there with all your buddies, not only from the state that you're from, but you meet so many new people. There's so much to do. We'd go swimming and hang out in the pits and by the campfires at night. Of course, there's a lot of great competition there, too. There are so many great racers who you only get to race once all year, and it really proves who's number one."

Cheza joined the pro ranks in 2004, becoming one of a few female racers to reach the top level of the sport.

"I didn't really know I would move on to the next level until I was 14 or so," Cheza said. "I just raced because I loved racing, and I had that drive to compete. After 2003, winning some amateur championships and the (AMA Racing) Female Athlete of the Year award gave me a new goal to work toward. I thought that maybe I can do this. Maybe I can go all the way. I kept with it and made my first main event in Joliet in 2007 -- on '7-7-07' -- and it was then that I knew it was possible and that I could do it."

Bromley said that it's refreshing to have an AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championship Honoree who represents the gender neutrality of dirt-track racing.

"Motorcycle racing, particularly track racing, is a unique sport in that the top level welcomes all comers," Bromley said. "While it's undeniable that more men than women currently participate at that level, there is no artificial distinction. Women compete on the same racetrack as men, and Nichole is one who definitely has earned her spot on the grid."

Cheza will be on hand to meet, greet and answer racers' questions all week during the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships, but she did offer this early piece of advice: "Keep going. Anything's possible. Always follow your dreams. If what you want to be is a professional racer, you can make it happen. Ride as much as you can. Train as much as you can. And have fun. You should not be racing if you're not having fun."

The AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships is the premier amateur dirt-track racing event in the country. The week of racing features competition in all four dirt-track disciplines -- short track, TT, the half-mile and the Mile -- and crowns national champions based on their accumulated points from each individual event. Racers from around the country will converge on Du Quoin, Ill., this summer to battle for national championship honors, as well as the AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award, which honors an amateur racer poised to make a statement on the pro level.

More information and event registration forms can be found online at www.AMARacing.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycle organization with nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition events than any other organization in the world. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.