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| Amateur divisions | Vintage division | Professional division | 2010 Professional Entry List | Professional Rider Numbers | The AMA Grand National Championship |
The competitors have amateur competition licenses from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).
The Vintage competitors also carry amateur competition licenses from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and for the Dairyland Classic must be at least 25 years of age (although most are over 40 with some approaching 70). They are also limited to competing on older hand-built racing motorcycles that were used in the Grand National Championship prior to 1981, the most popular of which are:
The professional competitors carry professional competition licenses from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and compete (at the Dairyland) on 450cc off-road motorcycles that have been modified for flat track use (front brakes removes, suspension lowered, smoother tires installed). Most of these riders travel the country from March through October chasing the AMA Grand National Championship series, the premier dirt track racing series in the country. While the Dairyland Classic is not part of the AMA Grand National Championship series, we are blessed in that most of the top professional racers in the country do participate in our event each and every year. In fact, every AMA Grand National Champion since 1999 has participated in at least one Dairyland Classic event since 2004:
The top professional flat track motorcycle racing series in the world is the AMA Grand National Championship, also known as the U.S. Flat Track Series. Since 1954, the Grand National Championship has rewarded the rider who scores the most points on a variety of different race tracks with the coveted #1 plate. From 1954 until 1985, the series consisted of events on five different types of ractracks: dirt ovals less than half mile in length (called "short tracks"), dirt ovals half mile in length (called "half miles"), dirt ovals one mile in length (called "miles"), dirt TT Steeplechase courses (which were typically modified dirt ovals that contained at least one right-hand turn and one motocross-style jump), and road racing courses. In 1986, the road course events split off and became the separate AMA Superbike Championship.
In 2006, the remaining dirt track events were split into two separate championships - the Grand National Singles Championship (for the short track and TT events that utilize 450cc single-cylinder motorcycles) and the Grand National Twins Championship (for the half-mile and mile events that utilize 500cc-1000cc twin-cylinder motorcycles), and #1 plates were awarded for each.
For 2010, the unified Grand National Championship returns, with all twenty-one events counting towards the sole #1 plate.
'Pro' is the entry professional level. Pro riders are noticable on the racetrack by their double-digit red numerals with trailing letter on their 10"x12" white number plates. If a rider is successful at the Pro level, they can graduate to the Expert level. Pro riders cannot compete in U.S. Flat Track Championship events.
'Expert' is the advanced professional level. Expert riders are noticable on the racetrack by their double-digit black numerals with trailing letter on their 10"x12" white number plates. Only Expert riders may compete in Grand National Championship events. Expert riders who earn National Championship points (by competing in the main event at a Grand National Championship event) are eligible to earn a National Number the following year.
National Number are the top Expert riders, those who earned points during the previous year's Grand National Championship. In 2007, one hundred and sixty-five riders competed in the Grand National Championship but only fifty-five earned Championship points, giving them the right to wear 2008 National Numbers. National Numbers are noticable on the racetrack as their 10"x12" white number plates have black numerals, but no trailing letter.
The single digit National Numbers (1-9) are reserved for the defending National Champion, who wears #1, and any former National Champions, who choose #2 through #9. For 2008, Kenny Coolbeth of Warren, Connecticut wears #1, while #3 is worn by the 2000 National Champion Joe Kopp of Mica, Washington; #4 is worn by the 1992/1999/2001-2005 National Champion Chris Carr of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania.
National Numbers 10-99 are chosen on a yearly basis those riders who earn them. Most riders who earn a National Number each year choose to keep the same number (although a few have changed numbers mid-career). Riders selecting their first National Number must choose from those numbers available. Consequently, the number itself - other than #1 - does not indicate a rider's talent level compared to other riders. Thus, #21 is not necessarily a better rider than #22.
In 2008, four Wisconsin riders earned National Numbers for 2009: Brock Schwarzenbacher of Beaver Dam wears #30, JR Schnabel of Campbellsport wears #33, Jeremy DeRuyter of West Bend wears #34, and Jesse Janisch of Hartford wears #45. Since 1954, when the Grand National Championship was formed, only 25 Wisconsin riders have earned National Numbers.
Every professional rider has a unique rider number assigned by AMA Pro Racing. The AMA assigns most riders a two-digit number with a trailing letter to designate the rider's home state (except for National Numbers).
| LETTER | DESIGNATION |
| A | Pro & Expert racers from Pennsylvania or West Virginia |
| B | Pro & Expert racers from New York |
| C | Pro & Expert racers from Alabama, Florida, Gerogia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee |
| E | Pro & Expert racers from Southern California, Hawaii, or Japan |
| F | Pro & Expert racers from Ohio |
| G | Pro & Expert racers from Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, or Wyoming |
| I | Pro & Expert racers from United Kingdom |
| J | Pro racers from Indiana or Michigan |
| K | Expert racers from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, or Wisconsin |
| L | Pro racers from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, or Wisconsin |
| M | Pro racers from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Australia or New Zealand |
| N | Pro & Expert racers from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas |
| P | Pro & Expert racers from Illinois |
| S | Pro & Expert racers from Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia |
| T | Pro & Expert racers from Canada |
| U | Pro & Expert racers from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, or Vermont |
| W | Expert racers from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Australia or New Zealand |
| X | Expert racers from Indiana or Michigan |
| Y | Pro & Expert racers from Northern California |
| Z | Pro & Expert racers from Northern California |