450 Class
250 Class
WMX Class
For the past two years the Troy Lee Designs / Lucas Oil / Honda team has been supporting amateur standout Jessy Nelson.
Jessy was one of the original members of the Red Bull Jams program so it is only fitting that he makes his way to Red Bull’s support team. Nelson has been very successful early on this year winning several championships along the way. Originally Jessy was supposed to join the pro team after Loretta Lynn’s but he has been spending some time in California doing motos with his teammates and it was decided by all parties to move him up for the 2012 outdoor season.
Nelson is already signed for the 2013 season with an option for 2014.
“We’ve had him out doing some motos and riding with the other guys,” said Tyler Keefe, the team’s manager. “We started thinking about him doing the nationals with us back then. We talked with Jessy about it and at first he wanted to think about it a little. After weighing his options he made the call to start his pro career this weekend at Hangtown.”
Nelson is excited about his first pro race.
“I’m pretty anxious to get out there and see how I do,” says Jessy. “I’m really happy with the bikes and I feel like I’ve been riding well. This will be a great opportunity for me to get some experience for the 2013 season. I think it’s a good idea to start with motocross and then I’ll have less to stress out about when we show up for Anaheim 1 next year. This should be fun.”
Nelson will be running the #136 bike this weekend in Sacramento at what is technically his home track. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the newest team member this weekend!
“I’m really pumped to join the team again seven years later,” said Tedesco. “I’m hoping to have a lot of fun this summer and get some good results. Ultimately, the goal is to be a factor in the title hunt by the end of the series. Working with Mitch and Bones again on the 250 is going to be really cool. I feel right at home here.”
Tedesco joins new teammates Dean Wilson, Blake Baggett, and Broc Tickle as they embark on the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, which will host its opening round May 19 at the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, Calif. Wilson will be defending his 2011 250 Championship Title, while Baggett and the rest of the class chomp at the bit for a chance to contest his campaign. After getting his feet wet on the big bike during the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross season, Tickle will represent the team in the 450 class. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team member Darryn Durham will soon undergo surgery due to a shoulder injury sustained while testing for the upcoming outdoor season. He will be recuperating for the next several weeks, at which time his injury will be re-evaluated. The team will make another announcement about his recovery at that time.
Masontown, WV (May 17, 2012) Preston County is no stranger to hosting large events. However, instead of a music festival, Marvins Mountain Top in Masontown, W. Va., will become the mecca of motorsports. Over 1200 GNCC Racers and their families are set to come into the community Memorial Day Weekend, May 26 and 27, for Round 7 of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series.
Masontowns Mountaineer Run GNCC will bring the worlds top talent in off-road motorcycle and ATV racing to the all-new facility. Professional racers will include top international talent, such as U.S. National Champions and World Champions from Europe, Australia and New Zealand, while hosting a full slate of classes for amateur racers all weekend long.
Top-level racing competition isnt the only positive aspect the Can-Am GNCC Series plans to bring to the community. As a part of GNCC Racings Help Students Stay on the Right Track Program, professional athletes travel to local schools and afternoon programs to speak to students about the importance of positive living. Topics include: goal setting, anti-bullying, perseverance and motorcycle and ATV safety. The group will head to the Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club in Morgantown on Friday, May 25, as one stop on their positive living tour.
We are pretty fortunate as professional racers to be able to do nothing but train and race for a living, said Pro ATV racer Adam McGill, Clarksburg. Its always fun to have a race close to home like this and be able to hang out with the kids and share some of our experiences in a positive way.
The inaugural Mountaineer Run GNCC is expected to draw several thousand spectators to the Marvins Mountain Top facility, in addition to the approximate 1200 racers, without the previous burden to community residents.
The event will ultimately bring an estimated $3 million in revenue to the surrounding communities through lodging, restaurants and fuel needs. GNCC families are dedicated to the sport of off-road racing and they strive to spend local dollars in order to continue attending premiere racing events in the communities that host GNCC events.
Four-wheeled ATVs will compete throughout the day on Saturday, May 26, and dirt bikes will race on Sunday, May 27. Local riders are invited to race the event, as GNCC racing offers classes for riders of all skill and experience levels. The amateur racer entry fee is $40 and riders can sign up at the track.
Spectator passes run $15 for the full weekend, with pro pit access and pro autographs at no additional charge. On both Saturday and Sunday, youth riders race at 8 a.m., amateur riders race at 10 a.m., and the top amateurs and the pros race at 1 p.m.
To get to the track, take I-68 Morgantown WV, Sabraton exit, take RT.7 east approx. 11 miles to Masontown, WV make left at main pharmacy follow signs 3 miles to Marvins Mountain Top.
For more information, visit the official series website at www.GNCCRacing.com or call 304-284-0084.
About GNCC Racing:
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country series is America’s premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1975, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,500 riders through tracks ranging in length from ten to 12 miles. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed and draw talent from all over the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. GNCC Racing is televised and airs every week on NBC Sports Network. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (May 9, 2012) – The JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Team is pleased to announce the addition of 20 year old Kyle Regal to race the 2012 AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series. Regal will join Davi Millsaps, who finished second in the recently concluded AMA Supercross Championship in contesting the series.
“We are coming off a great supercross season with Davi Millsaps and both Davi and Kyle are turning some very fast laps at our test track. We are excited about the upcoming outdoor national season,” said team manager, Jeremy Albrecht.
“I am excited about this opportunity, the bike is awesome and the team has been great getting me comfortable with the set-up. I am looking forward to Hangtown and the 2012 outdoor season,” commented Kyle Regal.
The next race for the JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Team will be the Lucas Oil AMA National Championship season opener, the Hangtown Classic, held in Sacramento, Calif. on May 19. FUEL TV will air the first motos live from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. (EST). There will also be a live broadcast on allisports.com. The second motos will be telecast on the NBC Sports Network between 12:00 – 2:00 a.m. (the 19th).
Irvine, Calif. – Monster Energy Kawasaki enters the 2012 AMA Pro Motocross Championship as the reigning championship team. In defending champion Ryan Villopoto’s absence, Tyla Rattray will compete along side Jake Weimer in the 450cc class aboard a Monster Energy Kawasaki KX™450F. Rattray, a former World Champion, finished second overall in the 250cc Motocross Championship last summer and finished second overall in the MX1 classification at the 2011 FIM Motocross of Nations.
“We are excited to welcome Tyla to the team,” said Reid Nordin, Monster Energy Kawasaki Senior Manager. “He has proven to be a contender for a national championship each and every year, and we are confident he can put Kawasaki up front this summer.”
Rattray has spent the last two weeks preparing for the outdoor season and is excited about the opportunity to race for Monster Energy Kawasaki on the championship proven KX450F.
“I’m pumped to race the 450cc class with Monster Energy Kawasaki,” said Rattray. “I know both the team, and the bike can win championships. I couldn’t be more thankful to everyone allowing me to have this opportunity.”
The 2012 AMA Pro Motocross Championship kicks off with the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, Calif., May 19th, 2012.
Kim McGrath, the wife of 7 time supercross champion Jeremy McGrath, is suffering from leukemia and needs your support. The best way to help is to get tested with just a simple mouth swab to check for the right bone marrow donor to help save her life. CLICK HERE to register and learn more about the National Marrow Donor program or contact your doctor for more information.
CHINO, CA (May 7, 2012) – Yoshimura Suzuki Racing is proud to announce the signing of famed Supercross and Motocross Champion, James Stewart, to a multi-year contract effective immediately. Stewart will compete in both AMA Pro Motocross and Supercross aboard the Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 beginning with the first round of the 2012 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Sacramento, CA on May 19th, 2012.
Stewart, often called the “fastest man on the planet”, comes to Yoshimura Suzuki with a long list of accomplishments. The 26-year old, native Floridian has amassed 6 AMA Championships, including two AMA Supercross titles and a perfect season, AMA Pro Motocross Championship. He also has a FIM World Supercross Championship as well as two Motocross des Nations titles to his credit.
“I’m really looking forward to joining the team,” said Stewart. ”It’s been a pleasure to get to test with these guys and meet the team. I’m very excited – I love the bike – Ever since I rode it from day one I knew it was a great opportunity for me to come out and showcase my talent. With Mike Webb as the team manager and Don (Sakakura), the President of Yoshimura Racing – It’s been great what they’ve been doing – The whole team is phenomenal. We’re all excited to get the ball rolling and see what we can do over the next few years. I just want to thank everyone at Yoshimura and American Suzuki for giving me this opportunity.”
“James is a great addition to our team,” said President of Yoshimura Racing, Don Sakakura. “He is an amazing rider and gifted athlete and we feel very fortunate to have him join Yoshimura Suzuki. We will do everything possible to help ensure his and the team’s success. Our company has been built on racing and winning championships and we intend to keep that tradition alive with James and his incredible skill on a motorcycle.”
Team Manager, Mike Webb, as well as long-time Team Suzuki mechanic, Lee McCollum, and the rest of the Yoshimura Suzuki squad, will support Stewart in his run for the 2012 AMA Motocross Championship and beyond.
“We’re extremely pleased with the announcement of James joining the Yoshimura Suzuki team,” added Team Manager, Mike Webb. ”We all look forward to working with James and a rider of his caliber. We feel very confident we can provide him with the equipment that he needs to ride to his capability. We’re working hard right now, though we don’t have a lot of time, but we’re very focused on getting ready for Hangtown and we’re definitely looking forward to the opener.”
Stewart will join Yoshimura Suzuki Racing teammate, Brett Metcalfe, at the first round of the 2102 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Hangtown in Sacramento, CA on Saturday, May 19th.
About Yoshimura R&D of America: Yoshimura is “The Leader in Performance” and has been for more than 55 years. With unmatched skills, knowledge, and passion for racing, Yoshimura is on the forefront of the aftermarket exhaust industry. Yoshimura pipes are race bred and feature the same legendary performance, fit and quality that has been their trademark for more than five decades. To learn more about Yoshimura and view their wide variety of performance products, visit www.yoshimura-rd.com.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) founded the Motorcycle and ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, CA, in 1963. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, automobiles and marine engines. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries. For more information visit www.suzukicycles.com.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki is grateful for the support of their sponsors: Yoshimura R&D, Dunlop, Motorex, Vortex, ONE Industries, Showa, Renegade Fuels, Pro Taper, Hinson Clutch Components, D.I.D, Twin Air, Works Connection, Thor, Excel, Mechanix Wear, CP Pistons, Matrix and NGK.
Mechanicsville, Md. (May 5, 2012) Sometimes in motocross, its not always the rider who wins the races that ends up taking home the overall win. For Joel Hetrick at round four of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series, two second place finishes was enough to put the sophomore rookie on top of the podium at Budds Creek MX, where he scored his first overall win of the 2012 season.
Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/Yamahas Chad Wienen continued his five-race win streak in Moto 1 as he made his way out front immediately and went on to lead all twelve laps of the race. But it was Baldwin Motorports/PEPs Josh Upperman who grabbed the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and led for a brief moment before Wienen put himself into the lead. Hetrick put in a solid second place finish, coming in less than three seconds behind Wienen. Upperman worked hard to fend off TBROWN Yamaha Racing/Moto-X-Perts rider Thomas Brown to maintain third place in Moto 1, while Brown finished a close fourth after getting off to a rough start.
ATVRiders.com Fastest Qualifier Joe Byrd landed the fastest lap time in the morning qualifying sessions and the veteran made his way up to fifth place after getting off to a bad start in Moto 1. Motoworks/Can-Am rider John Natalie began the race inside the top five until he overshot a corner, causing him to go off the track and lose a significant amount of time and positions. The Ironman was able to work his way back into a sixth place finish, despite his early fumble.
Moto 2 began in a similar fashion as Wienen took control of the race early on, but this time it was Joe Byrd on his heels, while Upperman, Natalie and Hetrick chased from close behind. Byrd went wheel-to-wheel with Wienen in the early parts of the race, but as the race wore on, Byrd began dropping positions, where he eventually settled into sixth place.
Wienen also began dropping spots around the halfway point and it wasnt long before the points leader found himself outside of a podium position for the first time this season. I got off to a great start in the second moto and things were going well until I stuck a rut and kind of tweaked my hand, but we salvaged a fourth place out of it, Wienen said. I dont like not winning but Im stoked to come away with some solid points!
Natalie capitalized on Wienens shortfall and gunned in to take over the Moto 2 lead. The defending champ didnt look back as he sealed the win on this one. I said at round 2 that I would be back and ready to go as soon as we got to a real rough track, said Natalie. Well, here we are and we did what we wanted to do in Moto 2 and thats win! Unfortunately things didnt go as planned in the first moto, but third overall and a moto win is still a good weekend!
Hetrick and Brown eventually made their way around Wienen too, each grabbing a podium finish in Moto 2, while Upperman fell into the fifth place spot behind Wienen.
Im pumped to get the TBROWN Racing team a top three race finish for the first time this season, Brown said. Weve been setting goals each weekend and pushing hard to reach them, so were looking forward to maintaining top three finishes from here on out.
Hetrick kept a consistent feel all day as he went 2-2 for his first overall win of the season, while Wienen took home the runner-up spot, ending his perfect record thus far. Natalie finished with the third place spot, just in front of Thomas Brown and Josh Upperman, who rounded out the top five overall.
Joe Byrd (HON) finished sixth overall, just ahead of Derek Swartfager (HON) in seventh, and rookie Jeff Rastrelli (SUZ) took home eighth place. Adam Clark (HON) and Nick DeNoble (HON) rounded out the top ten.
The 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Championship heads to Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, Ill., for round four of the ten-race circuit. For more information, please visit www.atvmotocross.com.
AMA Pro ATV Results
AMA ATV Motocross Championship Pro Point Standings
About the AMA ATV Motocross Championship
The AMA ATV Motocross Championship is the nation’s premier amateur and professional ATV motocross series, hosted at top motocross facilities nationwide. The 10-round series features the Nation’s best racers, teams and sponsors, and is America’s largest and longest-running ATV national motocross program. Since 1985, the series continues to expand and produce top talent from the amateur ranks, while premiering the professional class. For more information, please visithttp://www.atvmotocross.com.
Torrance, CA: American Honda is proud to welcome Justin Barcia to Team Honda Muscle Milk for the 2013-2014 seasons. Barcia will contest both the AMA Supercross Championship and AMA Motocross Championship aboard a factory-prepared Honda CRF450R race machine.
Barcia has been a part of the Honda family for many years, riding several models as he rose through the amateur ranks. After winning numerous amateur titles, Barcia made his professional motocross debut in 2009 aboard a GEICO Honda CRF250R. The GEICO Honda Race Team program allows top amateurs to take the next step into their careers as professional Lites riders. The team has proven quite successful with Trey Canard, Eli Tomac and Justin Barcia all coming through the ranks to win AMA Lites Championships.
“It has taken a lot of hard work to get our program where it is today,” stated Factory Connection President and GEICO Honda Team co-owner Rick Zielfelder. “We pride ourselves on having an elite program that offers support to top amateur racers and gives them the opportunity to further their careers in the professional ranks. The GEICO Honda Team has given riders the tools to reach their ultimate goal of winning professional championships. It also creates a seamless integration for the rider to make the move to racing the 450s with the Honda factory team. And like Trey Canard, we are pleased to see Barcia make the transition to Team Honda Muscle Milk.”
In the 2011 AMA Supercross season, Barcia appeared on the podium at every round of the nine-race series and was able to clinch his first Lites East Championship title. During the 2011 outdoor motocross season, Barcia was given the opportunity to ride the last four rounds aboard a factory CRF450R. He showed that he could run up front by taking third place overall at both Unadilla and Pala, and grabbing a moto win in Southwick. Barcia’s 2012 season has proven just as successful as he earned five race wins and wrapped up his second Lites East Championship in New Orleans with one round remaining.
“It’s an awesome feeling to sign with Team Honda Muscle Milk,” said Barcia. “It is something that I have dreamed of since being an amateur. I’ve been riding and winning on Hondas for years because it’s the bike I feel best on. I am excited to continue my career with Honda aboard the CRF450R. I got a glimpse of what I have to look forward to after getting the opportunity to race the 450 last year. After working with Jeff Stanton I have learned that hard work really pays off and I plan to continue that work ethic into my 450 career. With a great team behind me and an amazing bike, I believe I can be a contender for the championship.”
Team Manager Erik Kehoe welcomes Barcia to the Honda lineup. “We are pleased to have Justin on board for the 2013 season. With two Lites East championships under his belt, Justin has proven time and again that he has what it takes to run up front and win races,” said Kehoe. “He has also shown that he can be a front runner aboard a CRF450R. We believe that with his pure determination to win, Justin will be a consistent threat to climb the podium. His focus and drive make him a great fit for our team.”
About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and MUVs in the U.S. American Honda’s Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to www.powersports.honda.com.
