AMA Pro Racing News Release
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 7, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing is proud to announce the introduction of the XR Showdown, a $60,000 year-end points fund that…
Team Suzuki News Flash
CHINO, CA (November 7, 2011) - Yoshimura Racing and American Suzuki Motor Corporation are proud to announce plans for the 2012 AMA Pro Superbike Championship Series that…
Ducati Racing News Flash
After a positive first two days during the final round of the 2011 MotoGP season, the Ducati Team had an unfortunate and premature end to the Valencia…
Factory Yamaha Racing News Release
MOTOGP SEASON FINALE FREE PRACTICE: Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies made it count this afternoon in difficult weather conditions to take third on the grid for…
It is with mixed emotions that Yamaha Factory Racing arrives in Valencia this weekend for the final Grand Prix of the 2011 season.
MotoGP’s tragic loss of rising star Marco Simoncelli…
A Yamaha YZ450F was wheeled onto the top step of the prestigious Paris Bercy SX podium on Sunday evening as American Kyle Chisholm grabbed rostrum results across all three nights at the capacity Palais Omnisports stadium in the French capital.
Only a few days beforehand multi AMA Champion James Stewart confirmed his signature with the powerful JGR racing team to steer YZ450F technology in the 2012 AMA Supercross and Motocross series for what will be his fourth year in ‘blue’.
Stewart, who claimed the seventeen round contest in 2009 in what was his first season with Yamaha and his LandM squad, battled against a broken wrist in 2010 and was part of an exciting four-rider chase for the title in 2011.
The 26 year old last won a main event at Seattle this past April. JGR committed to Yamaha in 2008 and have now extended their agreement for the next three years to become one of the leading outfits for the company in the United States and the off-road racing scene.
“Joining our long term partnership with Yamaha along with the signing of James Stewart and the 2012 YZ450F at our disposal there is nothing holding us back from achieving all of our goals for 2012,” said Coy Gibbs about his team’s outlook on the 2012 season.
“Yamaha’s relationship with JGR has been a very positive one and we were very happy when they chose the YZ450F as their bike when they started the team in 2008”, said Yamaha Motor Co. Racing Division Manager, Keith McCarty, “and now with a long term contract the YZ450F and Yamaha will play an even bigger part in the team’s future.”
The motorcycle took centre-stage at Europe’s busiest and most popular Supercross meeting as Chisholm finished second, first and third on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in Paris to claim the King of Bercy accolade in what was the 29th edition of the event. The American travelled over for the second year in succession with support from Yamaha France and aced his first main event victory in front of what was a raucous Saturday night crowd.
The annual Supercross of Paris Bercy has been once more a huge success. Jake Weimer was one of the fastest riders in Bercy, and put his Monster Kawasaki on the final podium.
For its 29th anniversary the French classic met some of the fastest SX riders, including Americans Jake Weimer and Nick Wey, or regular GP contenders such as Tommy Searle, Gregory Aranda or Dylan Ferrandis.
Thanks to Weimer and Aranda there was one Kawasaki on the podium each night, and for his first attempt in a European Supercross Jake Weimer finished third in the ‘King of Bercy’ classification.
Riding his factory Monster Kawasaki in Paris, Jake Weimer was always among the fastest riders and posted twice the best lap time in the practice sessions.
Third on Friday and second on Sunday in the main event, Jake lost his chance to become “King of Bercy” when he hit a neutral and crashed on Saturday. But it was a great experience for him, who missed most of the Supercross season after his injury; he proved in Paris how fast he can be on a SX track!
Called just one week before the event to replace Christophe Pourcel, Tommy Searle flew to Paris after just a couple of hours of training on his KX 450 F Kawasaki since the Motocross of Nations! Tommy improved his results night after night; eleventh, seventh and finally sixth on Sunday despite a crash, he gained more experience in Supercross and was the best European competitor behind Frenchmen Soubeyras and Izoird, both Supercross experts.
Third overall before the third and last day, Nick Wey confirmed his good performances in the Monster Cup for his second race on a Kawasaki. Fifth and then fourth during the first two nights, Nick was unfortunate to crash on Sunday while recovering from a poor start.
As usual Gregory Aranda was one of the fastest riders in Bercy; twice winner and later runner-up of the Super Pole session – each rider has a single lap to post a fast lap – Greg got a strong podium on Saturday with a third position. But he retired on Friday after a collision at the start of the main, and crashed pretty hard in the tunnel on Sunday during his last race for the Bud Racing Kawasaki team. He suffers a concussion, and went to the hospital for more exams after his crash.
Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto captured his first career championship in the supercross class at the final event of the Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM Championship at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
Villopoto’s third-place finish was good enough to take home his first championship on the Kawasaki KX450F. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle overtook second-place in the final laps of the AMA Supercross Lites, Western Region main event to win his first professional championship.
The AMA Supercross Lites, Eastern Region main event saw Blake Baggett ride patiently and take his second win of the season aboard his Kawasaki KX250F, while Dean Wilson came through the pack to finish just off the podium in fourth.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Western Region riders Tyla Rattray and Josh Hansen picked up sixth and 10th place finishes, respectively, in their main event. The East/West shoot out race had Wilson again in fourth, Tickle finishing 10th, Rattray in 11th and Baggett ending the night in 12th. Villopoto’s teammate Jake Weimer came through the pack in the supercross main event from 15th on the first lap to finish an impressive sixth.
In one of the most exciting supercross seasons on record, Villopoto overcame the odds of coming back from a badly broken leg in 2010 to earn his first supercross. The season saw Villopoto win the first race of the year at Anaheim and slowly build a nice cushion in the points led, only to have three other riders fight their way into title contention. With just two races to go, only six points separated the top four in points. At the penultimate round, Villopoto took the win and set the stage for his Las Vegas triumph.
With his third-place finish at the finale, Villopoto earned his first championship amongst the fiercest competition. “To win during a season that has been marked the greatest season ever is an amazing feeling,” said Villopoto. “I put into this season and to see the hard work pay off is awesome. It’s really hard to describe just how much this means. I know I’ve won championships, but this one feels just as special as the ones before. I’m so grateful for all the people that are behind me and have supported me.”
Tickle entered the final round only two points ahead of second place and his task for the night was to make sure his Kawasaki KX250F was in front of the second-place points contender. After a tough start, Tickle methodically moved his way through the field, inching closer to where he needed to sit for the championship. On the final laps of the race, Tickle moved into second and finished exactly where he needed to be for the championship.
“I can’t even begin to say how I feel,” said Tickle. “This championship is something I’ve dreamed about since I was young and racing amateurs. The crazy part is that I always dreamed about winning the West Coast championship so it all doesn’t feel real. I don’t think it will hit me even when I see the number one plate on the door of the semi. I knew I could win the championship coming into the season, but I had to go through a lot to get here and I’m so thankful for everyone who helped me get it.”
San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart has finished the 2011 AMA SX series – also an FIM World Championship – in 4th position after suffering a crash and DNF at the seventeenth and final round of the competition in Las Vegas last Saturday.
Stewart did not break into the podium positions for the title after an exciting and unpredictable campaign but he did capture five victories and was the first of four YZ450Fs in the top ten of the season standings.
39, 506 spectators filled the Sam Boyd stadium for a tense climax to a schedule that has been relentless since the second week of January. Stewart started well and moved from third position into the lead where he stayed for three laps until a mistake through the whoops section caused him to fall and ended his evening.
2011 has seen ‘JS7’ experiencing the highs and lows of the racing spectrum and now the Floridian will make a late decision on whether to enter the AMA MX Nationals, due to start in two weeks at Hangtown.
“We didn’t end the season like we thought we would,’ he said afterwards. “I got a good start but struggled through the whoops. I dropped the front end. I have been crashing a lot in the whoops lately and I’m not really sure what is going on. We will keep trying to get better. We have some other things going on now that I am excited about. It’s a bummer year but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I appreciate all the support I’ve had this year and we’ll step it up.”
Austin Stroupe was the best Yamaha runner in Las Vegas with 6th position and finished one second ahead of Nick Wey while Kyle Regal was 9th.
In the 2011 points table JGR’s Davi Millsaps managed 8th in his first season on the YZ450F. His team-mate Justin Brayton took 9th while Wey made sure of 10th on his VMS Rockstar Yamaha. Ryan Sipes used his YZ250F to confirm 3rd overall in the AMA Supercross Lites East category.
Also finishing well in Vegas was Red Bull/KTM Team rider Andrew Short.
After getting a flat tire in his heat race Short had to get in the main event through the LCQ. Short easily won the LCQ and headed toward the main event where he lined up with his teammate, Mike Alessi, who qualified 5th into the main from his heat.
At the start of the Supercross main event, it was Alessi with the holeshot on his KTM 350 SX-F. Alessi remained inside the top five until a crash a few laps into the race sent him over the bars. Alessi tweaked his knee slightly and hit his head and decided to return to the pits to recover and was unable to finish the race.
Short did not have as decent of a start and began the race in almost last position. He quickly climbed through the pack and had moved into 11th by the fifth lap. In an amazing charge through the pack Short was able to remain smooth and pass a few more riders while also capitalizing on the mistakes of others as many riders hit the ground. At the end of the twenty lap main event Short had moved up to 5th overall. He remained in that position to finish the race in 5th place.
“I had no idea I was in 5th place. I knew that I had a bad start and thought that I was still so far back. I couldn’t believe when I crossed the finish line and saw my number on the top five board. I was really stoked to walk away with a 5th place result after the start I had at the beginning of the race,” remarked Short.
The team will now begin to prepare for the outdoor season. Alessi and Roczen will head to the Glen Helen MXGP next weekend while Short will prepare for the start of the Outdoor Motocross Series to be held on May 21, 2011 at Hangtown Raceway.
Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey raced to second place in Saturday night’s AMA/ FIM World Supercross final round, but lost his bid to defend the title.
The 2010 Champion trailed series leader Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) by 12 points and second-placed Chad Reed (Honda) by three points coming into the 17th and final round at Sam Boyd Stadium, and despite clawing back from sixth at the start of the 20-lap Main Event to finish in Reed’s wheeltracks, the 22-point haul wasn’t enough.
Reed won the race ahead of Dungey and Villopoto – who lifted his first Supercross title with 338 points. Reed finished second on 334 and Dungey was third overall on 328 points.
Dungey and his RM-Z450 showed their strength all day, starting with scoring the third fastest lap in the afternoon timed practices. The reigning Champion grabbed a second-place in his heat race, which resulted in the third best gate pick for the Main Event in front of more than 39,500 fans.
In the Main, Dungey blasted out of the gate to a solid start and into the front group. The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider was able to work his way into third by lap six and kept pushing hard to eventually pass for second on lap 12. From there, Dungey had the capacity crowd on its feet as he and the frontrunner battled for the remaining eight laps. He pushed hard on his Suzuki, catching the leader, but unfortunately was unable to make the pass and crossed the line in second.
“It was a good weekend,” said Dungey. “We got off to a good start with solid practices and I was able to get a second in my heat race, which gave me a good gate pick. I didn’t get such a great start in the Main, which is something I need to work on, but I was able to get up into second and got close to Chad Reed, right up to his wheel, but I wasn’t able to get around him.
“A big thanks to my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and my family. Without them and my great bike, I wouldn’t be able to be out here doing what I do. They are incredible. It was a long, tough season and I think we can learn a lot from it and apply it to the future and move forward and leave the past behind. The outdoor series is right around the corner and these next few weeks will be crucial to get ready and be in the best position to start the season.”
The Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event is the first round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, May 21st at Hangtown in Sacramento, California.
Red Bull/KTM rider Ken Roczen won his first race on the KTM 250 SX-F at the final round of the West Lites AMA Supercross Series in Las Vegas, NV.
The final round of the series had riders from both coasts compete in a final race for their respective series championships before taking the top 20 riders and placing them into a ten lap East/West Lites Supercross Shootout.
In the West Lites fifteen lap main event, Roczen nailed the holeshot on his KTM and pulled out to an early lead. Roczen led the first three laps before washing out in a turn before the finish line jump. Roczen recovered quickly and was able to move into 2nd place behind Cole Seely. He then closed the gap on Seely the next few laps and moved closer to retaking the number one position. Soon Seely suffered a crash and allowed Roczen to regain the lead.
Once back out front Roczen began to pull away from the rest of the riders and stretched his lead. Roczen went on to take his first career Supercross Lites win 12 seconds ahead of 2nd place rider Broc Tickle. “It feels so good to take the holeshot and the win in Las Vegas. I have always dreamed of racing in Vegas and to see the happiness on my teams face makes this the greatest win of my career,” remarked Roczen.
After only a short break Roczen was back in action and lining up for the ten lap shootout. Roczen had another decent start within the top six. He remained close to the lead riders and crossed the line the first lap in 5th. By the fourth lap he had climbed up to 4th and on lap six he passed Martin Davalos to move into 3rd. Roczen spent the next few laps all over the 2nd place ride of Cole Seely but was unable to make the pass at the end of ten laps. Roczen finished 3rd overall for the night putting his KTM on the podium for a second time.
Also finishing well in Vegas was Red Bull/KTM Team rider Andrew Short. After getting a flat tire in his heat race Short had to get in the main event through the LCQ. Short easily won the LCQ and headed toward the main event where he lined up with his teammate, Mike Alessi, who qualified 5th into the main from his heat.
At the start of the Supercross main event, it was Alessi with the holeshot on his KTM 350 SX-F. Alessi remained inside the top five until a crash a few laps into the race sent him over the bars. Alessi tweaked his knee slightly and hit his head and decided to return to the pits to recover and was unable to finish the race.
As the 2011 Supercross Championship enters the home stretch, American Honda is gearing up for an exciting title showdown at the final round in Las Vegas on May, 7. For 37 years Honda has amassed an unparalleled win record in AMA Supercross and Motocross, winning more championships than any other manufacturer, and that record is set to increase as Honda riders vie for the top spots in the Supercross and Supercross Lites East and West Championships.
Honda newcomer TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed is six points out of the Supercross Championship lead with two rounds remaining. With American Honda Racing’s Trey Canard and Josh Grant both sidelined with injuries, the American Honda team is lending its full support to the TwoTwo Motorsports team as Reed vies for his first title on a Honda CRF450R.
In the Lites championships, CRF250R racers GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac are also preparing to add to Honda’s win record. Barcia has a 20-point lead in the Supercross Lites East Championship with one round remaining, while Tomac is only seven points out of the championship lead in the Supercross Lites West Championship with two rounds remaining.
“The TwoTwo Motorsports team has done an awesome job all season long,” said American Honda Racing Team Manager Erik Kehoe. “Chad has done a great job putting together a highly talented team to support his 2011 racing efforts. We would love to see Chad win the Supercross title in his first season on a Honda. It’s also great to see the GEICO Honda team having such a strong season. Justin and Eli have also had tremendous success this year. We wish all these guys good luck in the final rounds.”
In addition to supporting Honda’s Supercross efforts, the American Honda Racing team’s preparations for the upcoming Motocross Championship are well underway. Both Canard and Grant are focused on making returns to racing early in the Motocross season. Additionally, fan-favorite and Honda racing veteran Kevin Windham will be racing the first few outdoor Motocross Nationals on the American Honda Racing team until Canard and Grant return to the outdoor National circuit. Windham will make his debut at the season-opener Hangtown National alongside American Honda Racing teammate Ashley Fiolek, who will be contesting the Women’s Motocross Association (WMA) Championship.
“The outdoor Nationals are something special,” said Windham. “The speed is not something you find in Supercross, and I’m pumped to be able to race for American Honda. The bike is good and I’m ready. We’ll just have to see what happens.”
Only a few days beforehand multi AMA Champion James Stewart confirmed his signature with the powerful JGR racing team to steer YZ450F technology in the 2012 AMA Supercross and Motocross series for what will be his fourth year in ‘blue’.
For its 29th anniversary the French classic met some of the fastest SX riders, including Americans Jake Weimer and Nick Wey, or regular GP contenders such as Tommy Searle, Gregory Aranda or Dylan Ferrandis.
Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto captured his first career championship in the supercross class at the final event of the Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM Championship at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart has finished the 2011 AMA SX series – also an FIM World Championship – in 4th position after suffering a crash and DNF at the seventeenth and final round of the competition in Las Vegas last Saturday.
Team Suzuki Press Release