04/03/2024
From the Black Hills Pioneer – STURGIS — AMA Pro Racing executives remain committed to working with the city and its residents to find a way to stage a street race through downtown Sturgis, said Gene Crouch, chief executive officer of AMA Pro Racing.
On Tuesday Sturgis voters will decide whether the city can move forward with the enabling contract for a downtown street race that is sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, with livestream coverage on FloSports. The deal also includes an hour-long special about the race, the city of Sturgis, and the Rally, which is scheduled to be broadcast on FOX Network. The Sturgis City Council authorized Council President Beka Zerbst to sign the agreement on Feb. 20, but on March 14 citizens submitted a petition to refer the agreement to a vote.
The ballot question states “Should the action of the Sturgis Common Council authorizing the council president to sign the professional services contract (host agreement) with AMA-Pro, AFT-E, and Outerkind, passed on Feb. 20, be rejected?” “Yes” votes will reject the contract, while “No” votes will retain the enabling host agreement for the Spirit of Sturgis TT race.
While the five-year host agreement includes an exit clause that allows for termination of the contract “upon mutual agreement of all parties,” it does not address what will happen if the agreement is not able to be implemented at all. However, Crouch said AMA Pro Racing is committed to ongoing dialogue and negotiations with the city and its residents to ensure the race happens, even if voters reject this host agreement.
“Our primary goal has always been to bring this new and exciting element to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in a way that benefits the city, it’s residents, and the broader motorsports community,” Crouch said. “We understand the concerns that have arisen in connection with the petition and the city’s decision to refer that decision to the voters. Our approach to this situation has focused on dialogue and collaboration, rather than confrontation. We respect the process and the right of the citizens of Sturgis to express their opinions on matters that affect their community. Should the voters decide against proceeding with the contract, we would explore all our options. We would look to engage the city council, the community and all stakeholders involved to better understand their concerns and explore alternative solutions or adjustments that can be made to the event format or the agreement itself to address those concerns.
“Our ultimate aim is to work together with the city of Sturgis and its residents to find a path forward that aligns with the community’s interests and continues to build on the legacy of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally,” Crouch continued. “We believe in the Spirit of Sturgis TT and it’s potential to bring significant benefits to the city, and we look forward to finding a way to make the event a reality in a manner that respects the will of the community.”
Crouch explained that AMA Pro Racing has worked with the city since 2022 to figure out how to stage the street race, which will be unique — a hybrid circuit that includes both dirt and asphalt parts for the course. The race is not unprecedented though, as the Daytona 200, which started in 1937, included a circuit of beach sands, dirt, and asphalt. The hybrid circuit, he said has given the racing industry an opportunity to create a new class for the sport, called AFT Adventure Trackers, which is based on adventure bikes as the fastest growing segment in motorcycling. The Adventure Trackers draw a younger demographic to motorcycling and racing, which is what the city of Sturgis hopes to attract.
In 2023 the AMA team began meeting with Sturgis public works and emergency services crews, stakeholders, and business owners who would be affected by the race. Crouch said plans were shifted and changed in many ways to accommodate local business owners, including moving the race from Aug. 10 to Aug. 11, and making plans for a single-day setup and tear down.
The setup and tear down process for the event is significant, and involves a major investment of time and money, which is the reason for the high price tag of $653,000 a year that the city is contractually bound to pay. In order to safely stage this race, Crouch said his company would purchase large, interlocking plastic barriers with a 6-foot overhead fence. That kind of equipment is not typically needed for flat track racing that is held on an established dirt track.
Under the host agreement, the setup on the proposed track that includes Sturgis Main Street, Sherman Street, First Street and Third Street, will start when crews finish cleaning the street at about 2 a.m. Sunday morning. The streets will be closed throughout the day, and Ashley Robinson, director of marketing and communications for AMA Pro Racing said they expect to have the streets opened back up by sundown at the latest.
Part of the proposed track set up includes filling the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church parking lot with dirt and constructing a small jump ramp. Crouch said AMA Pro Racing has been in active negotiations with St. Francis of Assisi pastor Father Timothy Castor, to negotiate a lease agreement with funds to benefit the ongoing restoration of the historic St. Martin’s Church in Sturgis.
Every race is made possible with sponsorships, Crouch said. Part of the negotiations with the city is that AMA Pro Racing has leveraged its resources and relationships with major motorcycle manufacturers, industry sponsors, and corporations to secure sponsorships for the event. Already, he said the company has secured hundreds of thousands of sponsorships to help pay for the race and generate even more revenue for the city and local charities. In fact, he said the first part of negotiations had verbal pledges from enough sponsors to completely pay for the race. But delays related to negotiating a contract with the city for this unique event, could cause some sponsors to back out to look for other opportunities.
“Over the course of Q4 (fourth quarter) of last year, and going into Q1 (first quarter) of this year, there were verbal pledges that would have covered this in its entirety,” he said. “But we can’t contract something we can’t be sure we can deliver. Some sponsors will understandably be looking for other opportunities, because we’re now heading into Q2 (second quarter) of 2024. There’s still hundreds of thousands of dollars to be pledged and we’re confident that we can secure on behalf of the city of Sturgis. If we had been able to begin contracting partners in Q4 of last year, I can confidently say that 100 percent of this would have been covered.”
According to the host agreement, all sponsorship dollars, less any commission fees, will go toward retiring the city’s $653,000 bill for the race. After that obligation is met, Sturgis will retain money for sponsorships that the city sells, less 20 percent given to AMA Pro Racing. AMA Pro Racing will retain funds for sponsorships that it sells, less 20 percent to be given to the city of Sturgis.
In addition to sponsorship funds, Crouch said the company is looking for ways to give back to the city of Sturgis.
“Our humble desire is to be given the opportunity to show the residents of the city of Sturgis that we appreciate being invited into your home and to prove our commitment by contributing to the community in a positive and meaningful way, with the sincere hope that we’ll be welcomed back with open arms for many years to come,” he said.
One of the major components to the Spirit of Sturgis TT Race is the FOX Broadcast Network special that is already scheduled to air at noon, Aug. 17. The special, Crouch said, will be filmed by AMA Pro Racing production crews to FOX Broadcast Network’s specifications, so the racing company controls the content. Past efforts to broadcast American Flat Track racing on this level have been unsuccessful, Crouch said. But the combination of the street race with the city of Sturgis and the 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, captured the attention of the major network and made the special possible.
“Street races are in the zeitgeist right now,” he said. “NASCAR has their Chicago race that was very successful. So, this is an opportunity for motorcycle racing to catch that wave and both American Flat Track and the city of Sturgis will be the benefactors.”
The television special will also give AMA Pro Racing the opportunity to tell the story of Sturgis and the Rally, to reach a broader audience.
“The intent is to create this major exposure opportunity that would allow the city to be communicated and marketed and advertised to a major audience, with the aim of driving attendance in future rallies,” Crouch said.
But if the citizens reject the enabling host agreement, Crouch said it remains to be seen what will happen with the FOX special that has already been scheduled.
“That’s something we would need to work with our broadcast partner to determine next steps on,” he said. “But again, our goal here is to find a path to hosting this event and to having this event in a way that respects the will of the community and delivers value that the community views as something they would like to return each and every year.”
AMA Pro Racing will hold a community forum to discuss the race with the citizens of Sturgis from 5-6 p.m. on Thursday at the Meade County Commission meeting room on the second floor of the Erskin Office Building, 1300 Sherman St. Citizens are invited to attend, learn more about the race, and ask questions ahead of the April 9 election.
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STURGIS — AMA Pro Racing executives remain committed to working with the city and its residents to find a way to stage a street race through downtown Sturgis, said Gene
