Mike Kidd (No. 72), 1981 AMA Grand National Champion and 1998 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee. [Photo: AMA Pro Racing] 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 8, 2026) –  AMA Pro Racing joins the motorcycle racing community in mourning the passing of Mike Kidd, the 1981 AMA Grand National Champion, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, race promoter, series builder, and former AMA Pro Racing executive. Kidd was 72.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Kidd authored one of the most respected careers in American motorcycle racing, first as a rider who overcame repeated adversity to reach the sport’s highest level, and later as a promoter and executive who helped shape the future of flat track and indoor motorcycle racing.

Kidd turned professional in 1972 and quickly established himself among the elite riders of the Grand National era. His first AMA Grand National victory came at the 1974 Charity Newsies Half Mile in Columbus, Ohio, and he went on to collect 12 AMA national wins during his professional racing career.

His greatest competitive triumph came in 1981. Riding for the Lawwill/Roberts team, Kidd earned eight podium finishes and victories at the Ascot Park TT national and the Du Quoin Mile. The championship battle came down to the final race at Ascot Park, where Kidd finished second to secure the AMA Grand National Championship by five points over Gary Scott.

After the 1981 title, Kidd joined Honda’s newly formed dirt track effort and played an important role in the development of machinery that would help power Honda riders to multiple Grand National Championships in the years that followed.

Kidd retired from professional racing after the 1983 season, but his influence on the sport only expanded. He was named AMA Promoter of the Year in 1984, built and operated Boyd Raceway in Texas, and created the AMA National Arenacross Series in 1985. He later worked as a vice president with Clear Channel Motor Sports and continued to shape motorcycle racing through event promotion, sponsorship development, and television initiatives.

Kidd also served the sport from within AMA Pro Racing, including leadership roles with AMA Pro Flat Track and later as AMA Pro Racing Director of Sales. Across those roles, he brought the same racer’s determination and promoter’s vision that defined his life in motorcycling.

Inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998, Kidd leaves behind a legacy that reaches far beyond his 1981 Grand National Championship. He was a racer, promoter, innovator, salesman, and advocate whose work helped sustain and grow the uniquely American discipline of flat track racing.

AMA Pro Racing extends its deepest condolences to Kidd’s family, friends, former competitors, colleagues, and the many fans whose lives he touched.

About AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships across multiple disciplines. The organization is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. More information is available at AMAProRacing.com.

About Progressive American Flat Track
Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in motorsports history.