Local teen qualifies for AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s ranch in Tennessee ...

Carson Johanningmeier (pictured at right), son of Roxie Johanningmeier of Waukon and Travis Johanningmeier of Harpers Ferry, has ridden his way to qualification in two different racing classes for the largest and most prestigious amateur motocross race in the world, the Monster Energy American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the national championship event has been hosted since 1982 at the ranch home of country music legend Loretta Lynn near Hurricane Mills, TN, and it is scheduled for August 2-7 this year.

Referred to as “The World’s Greatest Motocross Vacation”, the national finals event has served as a career launch pad for some of the biggest names in professional motocross and supercross racing, including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Ryan Dungey. The national qualifying program for the annual grand finale consists of 54 Area Qualifier races held in February through May throughout the nation, with a top-10 finish in one of those Area Qualifiers then earning a rider advancement to one of the 13 Regional Championship races held May through June at select motocross facilities across the country. According to AmericanMotorcyclist.com, nearly 22,000 racers attempted to qualify in 36 classes for the 1,446 available positions at the Loretta Lynn’s National Championships event in 2020. The annual championship event consists of 36 racing classes ranging in age from just four years old to over 50 years of age, with the two classes Johanningmeier is competing in requiring riders to be at least 14 years of age. For more information, visit www.mxsports.com.

The 16-year-old Johanningmeier has qualified for that national championship event in both the 250cc and 450cc classes, despite riding the same 250cc bike in each class. He advanced out of both an Area Qualifier event held at Oak Ridge MX in Garwin April 18 and then out of the Regional Qualifier hosted by Spring Creek MX in Millville, MN June 19-20. Adding further challenge to his advancement out of the April 18 Area Qualifier was the fact that he was competing with a cast on an arm he broke the previous weekend while practicing at Sandy Corners MX in Ionia.

In his 250cc race at the Oak Ridge Area Qualifier, Johanningmeier finished seventh, and in the 450cc class, he placed fourth, defying both his broken arm and his lower-powered 250cc machine. Easily meeting the top-10 finish advancement requirements to earn qualification for the Spring Creek Regional, Johanningmeier then finished sixth out of 59 riders there in the 250cc class just over a week ago, and in the 450cc class, he placed third out of 52 riders, again on just a 250cc machine. Both of those placewinnings earned him a spot at the August 2-7 National Championships at Loretta Lynn’s, as evident in the photo above where he is holding his qualification “tickets” for the national event and has his regional placewinning trophies displayed in front of him.

Between now and that season grand finale event in Tennessee, Johanningmeier continues to race the motocross season at Spring Creek MX in Millville, MN, doing so this past weekend and planning to again the weekend of July 17. He also plans to race in the Allamakee County Fair motocross event scheduled for July 22 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. Anyone who would like to sponsor Johanningmeier in his AMA Amateur National Championship debut in early August may contact him at 563-217-0640.