AMA’s new Extreme Off-Road State Championship Series serves as a qualifier for the 2018 TKO

Last November, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced their new AMA Extreme Off-Road State Championships series for 2018.

Extreme Off-Road is the AMA’s name for “a specialized form of racing that tests a rider’s skill and their machine’s capabilities over the most challenging terrain that each venue has to offer.” They have designated our Kenda AMA Tennessee Knockout Extreme Enduro as the AMA Grand National Championship for Extreme Off-Road. (The AMA’s Grand Championships are stand-alone events that crown the country’s best amateur racers in various disciplines.)

In 2018, riders will not only be crowned AMA Extreme Off-Road State Champions at each of four regional events. They will also have the chance to qualify for the 2018 TKO on August 18-19 at the TTC, both for the Amateur round on Saturday and for the PRO round on Sunday. Here are the AMA supplemental rules for qualifying:

  1. Overall: The top 3 riders overall at each AMA State Championship Event, including pre-qualified riders, will be qualified directly into the Tennessee Knockout PRO event. (Tennessee Knockout announces pre-qualified PRO event riders based on AMA National Championships, World Extreme Events and past TKO results)
  2. Amateur: The top 10 riders overall at each AMA State Championship Event who are not pre-qualified into the Tennessee Knockout PRO event, will be qualified directly to the first 10 rows of TKO 2 at the Tennessee Knock Out Amateur Event. (TKO 2 is the second of three rounds at the Tennessee Knockout Amateur Event the Saturday prior to the Tennessee Knockout Pro Event on Sunday)
  3. TKO 1 Qualifiers: The top 10 riders in TKO 1 at the Tennessee Knockout Amateur Event will qualify to the first 10 Rows of the TKO 2 Round. The final 115 riders in TKO 1 to finish within the allotted time will qualify to the remaining rows of TKO 2
  4. Riders may attempt to better their qualifying position at each AMA State Extreme Off-Road Championship Event. A rider’s best finish will determine his final start row
  5. Amateur qualifying riders will pay full entry into the Tennessee Knockout Amateur event by August 1, 2018
  6. If a rider declines his qualifying position, or qualifies for a better starting position, there will be no back-up or replacement riders to fill the position. Riders qualifying through TKO 1 will fill the position based on finish result

The four 2018 regional Extreme Off-Road events:

  • Jan. 13-14: RevLimiter Extreme Enduro at the Rocky Ridge Ranch in Decatur, Texas, hosted by MotoKolors Racing
  • June 9: Last Dog Standing at the Glenn Helen Raceway in Devore, California, hosted by Prairie Dogs MC
  • June 17: Mad Moose Hard Enduro in Marquette, Michigan, hosted by UP Sandstormers MC
  • June 30-July 1: Tough Like RORR in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, hosted by Reading Off-Road Riders