The American Motorcyclist Association has race team manager Keith McCarty and dirt-track racer Alex Jorgensen to its list of inductees to the Hall of Fame Class of 2015. Together with their fellow inductees, McCarty and Jorgensen will be inducted to the Hall of Fame->ke3196 on October 17, 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

McCarty’s name may not be as famous as some of his peers in the Hall of Fame, but Yamaha Racing’s legendary race team manager is responsible for helping launch the careers of riders who are now in the Hall of Fame. His been involved in motorcycle racing for the better part of 42 years and in that time, McCarty has helped riders like Tony DiStefano, Erv Kanemoto, and Gary Nixon each carve Hall of Fame careers of their own. Those guys may have gotten the spotlight for their racing exploits, but it’s guys like McCarty who work behind the scenes to give these riders the best chance of winning that are often not given the recognition they deserve.

Turns out the American Motorcyclist Association understands the contributions McCarty has made for the sport and it’s only right that he’s going to have a place in the Hall of Fame for it.

The same can be said for Alex Jorgensen, who traveled a different road on his way to the Hall of Fame. Jorgensen’s career one of the greatest AMA Grand National competitors is well-founded. He’s the only rider to ever achieve the feat of winning his first four Grand National titles in all four dirt-track disciples: short track, TT, half-mile, and mile. That achievement also came while riding four different motorcycles - Can-Am, BSA, Norton, and Harley-Davidson - making him the only AMA rider to ever pull of that feat.

McCarty and Jorgensen will join motocrosser and off-road racer Rodney Smith and entrepreneur John Parham in the AMA Hall of Fame Class of 2015. Two more names are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as we inch closer to the induction ceremony on October 17, 2015.

Continue reading to read more about Keith McCarty and Alex Jorgensen's induction to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Why it matters

Congratulations to both Keith McCarty and Alex Jorgensen for their induction to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2015. I must say that I don’t know too much about Jorgensen’s exploits in the Grand National title scene, but I have heard of Keith McCarty, specifically his role in recent years as Yamaha’s racing manager.

If anybody deserves to be in that role, it’s McCarty. He began his career with Yamaha in 1977 and has been a steady influence with the team ever since. He’s got an incredible career story, too, beginning with his role as a mechanic for DiStefano, who ended up winning a pair of 250cc AMA National Motocross Championships. When he wasn’t doing that, McCarty also assisted Kanemoto and Nixon in their road racing exploits, further entrenching his role as a vital part of any championship-winning outfit. Today, McCarty is Yamaha’s racing manager and remains a steady influence in the team’s racing exploits.

For all that he has achieved, his induction to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2015 is well and truly deserved.

As far as Jorgensen is concerned, all I know is that he enjoyed one of the longest and most successful runs of any dirt track racer in history. Jorgensen didn’t race for just one team, but his versatility made him a valuable asset to whichever team he was racing for.

It’s not everyday that the American Motorcycle Association bestows awards like this so when it honors you for the contributions you made to the sport, you should know that it’s an honor that’s well-deserved.

Congratulations again to Keith McCarty and Alex Jorgensen!