The American Motorcyclist Association has announced that AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Craig Vetter is the winner of the prestigious AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016.
The annual award acknowledges the highest level of service to the AMA in any area of activity, and its recipients are individuals whose contributions are nationally recognized. Vetter, well-known for his many contributions to motorcycle design, has also distinguished himself for a lifetime of service to the AMA and the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation.
Vetter was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame 1999. He designed the iconic Windjammer fairings of the 1970s, the Triumph X-75 Hurricane and the limited-edition Mystery Ship. More recently Vetter has conducted a series of motorcycle fuel economy runs that push the boundaries of everyday streamlining.
Equally significant is Vetter’s longtime service to the AMA and to the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which raises funds for the Hall of Fame. For years, Vetter served on the AMHF Board of Directors (2008-13) and as the chairman of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Design and Engineering Committee.
“Hearing that I was being given the Dud Perkins Award was most unexpected and welcome,” Vetter said. “The AMA has always been a very special organization to me.
“This is especially meaningful to me right now, as I am struggling to return to health after a collision with a deer on my bike last August that put me in the hospital for several months,” Vetter added. “Recovery has been slow, and this award is a real bright spot in my life right now. Thank you for honoring me in this way. I love motorcycles, and I love the AMA.”
The AMA Dud Perkins Award is one of six categories in which awards were made in 2016. The other 2016 AMA Awards recipients include:
AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award: Chris Ulrich, MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superbike racer, Roadracing World journalist and fundraiser for the Roadracing World Action Fund
AMA Outstanding Road Rider Award: Brad Berson, founder of the New York Motorcycle & Scooter Task Force
AMA Outstanding Off-Road Rider Award: Barrett Brown, longtime member of the Oregon Motorcycle Riders Association; designer and builder of the ST240, a purpose-built single-track trail dozer
AMA Bessie Stringfield Award: The late Jeanne Clendenon, the AMA member who inspired the “AMA Get Women Riding” campaign
Friend of the AMA Award: The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative GRANT program; the Oakland Motorcycle Club, AMA Charter No. 72; Brad Baumert, CEO for the North American Trials Council and principal of Trials Inc.
These motorcyclists and organizations were selected for AMA Awards by the AMA Board of Directors because they have made outstanding contributions to the motorcycling community, and their efforts support the AMA mission to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling.
For more information about the AMA Awards Program, visit americanmotorcyclist.com/about/amaawardsprogram.
