AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, 1981 AMA Grand National Champion, race promoter, motorsports executive, and one of the most respected people in American motorcycle racing, Mike Kidd, has passed away at the age of 72.

A Texan who was born and raised in Ft. Worth, Kidd started racing quarter-midget cars at a very young age and won a national championship before he reached his teens. When he turned 13, he switched his interest to motorcycles and quickly discovered that he was equally as talented on two wheels as he was on four. As a young flat track and motocross racer, Kidd progressed rapidly and stacked up multiple Texas state championships.

In 1972, Kidd turned pro, and he was part of the Class of ’72 that also included Kenny Roberts and Gary Scott. Racing in his very first national event at the Houston Astrodome short track, Kidd finished second to Roberts and had an exceptional rookie season that included three top-five finishes against what was obviously very stiff competition.

In 1979, Kidd attracted support from the U.S. Army, which was, and still remains, one of the most unique and impressive sponsorships any motorcycle racer has ever garnered.

“The draft was gone, and I knew the armed forces were aggressive in their recruitment efforts,” Kidd said. “I approached a lot of different companies, and one of them was the Army. Their advertising agency in New York liked my proposal, and the Army became my sponsor for two years. They set up recruitment booths at the races, I made all kinds of appearances at high schools, and I think I spent twice as much time working for the Army as I did racing.”

Looking back, Kidd’s relationship with his sponsors portended his later career as a motorcycle racer promoter.

In 1981, Kidd was sponsored by Mert Lawwill and Kenny Roberts and on the strength of his eight podium finishes, including wins at Ascot Park and Du Quoin, Kidd won the 1981 AMA Grand National Championship.

After retiring from racing in 1983, Kidd remained active in the motorcycle industry. He owned a Yamaha dealership for a time, and then started Mike Kidd Promotions, which was one of the leading promoters of AMA races in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1985, he launched the AMA Arenacross series, which became a major success that still excsts to this day, thanks to Kidd’s expert guidance.

Inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998, Kidd was also a vice president with Clear Channel Motor Sports, had leadership roles with AMA Pro Flat Track, and served as AMA Pro Racing Director of Sales.

MotoAmerica offers its most heartfelt condolences to Mike Kidd’s wife, Sandra, their two children, Randy and Tammy, and to everyone who knew and admired him.

Godspeed, Mike.