AMA Supercross Series 2011 Opens at Angel's Stadium, LA

The 2011 AMA Supercross series (also an FIM World Championship) got underway in front of a capacity crowd of 45,000 fans Saturday, January 8th at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Los Angeles. 

Kawasaki rider Ryan Vilopoto stepped up to the podium in first position and Suzuki's Ryan Dunney took second position.

Yamaha rider and 2009 championship title holder, James Stewart (pictured above) took the third position on his YZ450F. The series of 17 indoor races continues Saturday (Jan. 15th) at Chase Field in Phoenix. Source: yamaha-racing.com

The 25 year old Floridian was competing in his first Main Event in almost a year and had to exercise patience and caution in recovering from a mid-pack start to work his way onto the podium. “There were only two spots on the track where you could do it [overtake] and I was just trying to make sure I made clean passes,” he said. “You know, it’s hard; you get in one side of the track and just follow all the way from the sand section until you get back through the whoops. Overall I’m happy though. Coming from 17th to third, I think that’s pretty good and lets me know that I still have the speed. Get a couple good starts and I think we’ll be right there.”

While Stewart needed half of the twenty laps to reach the leading group and was then unable to shut-down the four-five second gap to defending number one Ryan Dungey and winner Ryan Villopoto other Yamaha riders such as Kyle Chisholm and Nick Wey found the difficult track even harder going as they placed 11th and 12th respectively. Stewart’s new team-mate, Kyle Regal, was 13th.   Nick Paluzzi was the highest runner on the YZ250F with ninth place in the first round of the West Coast SX Lites.

2011 AMA-SX United States Angel Stadium 10/01/2011 20 Laps 1 Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 19'55.986  2 Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 0'03.671  3 James Stewart Yamaha USA 0'05.700  4 Trey Canard Honda USA 0'09.832  5 Chad Reed Honda AUS 0'27.453  6 Kevin Windham Honda USA 0'32.742  7 Ivan Tedesco Kawasaki USA 0'37.591  8 Brett Metcalfe Suzuki AUS 0'45.981  9 Josh Grant Honda USA 0'49.902  10 Andrew Short KTM USA 0'54.349  11 Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 0'58.861  12 Nicholas Wey Yamaha USA -1Laps  13 Kyle Regal Yamaha USA -1Laps  14 Mike Alessi KTM USA -1Laps  15 Jason Thomas Suzuki USA -1Laps  16 Justin Brayton Yamaha USA -1Laps  19 David D Millsaps Yamaha USA -2Laps  20 Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA -17Laps  AMA-SX World Standing Rider Standings After Race 1 of 17 1. Ryan Villopoto Kawasaki USA 25 2. Ryan Dungey Suzuki USA 22 3. James Stewart Yamaha USA 20 4. Trey Canard Honda USA 18 5. Chad Reed Honda AUS 16 6. Kevin Windham Honda USA 15 7. Ivan Tedesco Kawasaki USA 14 8. Brett Metcalfe Suzuki AUS 13 9. Josh Grant Honda USA 12 10. Andrew Short KTM USA 11 11. Kyle Chisholm Yamaha USA 10 12. Nicholas Wey Yamaha USA 9 13. Kyle Regal Yamaha USA 8 14. Mike Alessi KTM USA 7 15. Jason Thomas Suzuki USA 6 16. Justin Brayton Yamaha USA 5 19. David D Millsaps Yamaha USA 2 20. Thomas Hahn Yamaha USA 1

Crowd: 45,000 Weather: Dry Lap Record: 0'44.601 (Ricky Carmichael , 01/01/2006) Last Years Winner: Ryan Dungey Manufacturer Standings 10/01/2011 1 Kawasaki 25 2 Suzuki 22 3 Yamaha 20 4 Honda 18 5 KT

AMA Race Hall of Fame Champions Honored in Las Vegas - In Memory of Eyvind Boyesen - Motorcycle Event News

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) took the Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction ceremony out of a tent in Ohio and bought it to Las Vegas!

The class of 2010 inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame included legendary two-stroke engine tuner Eyvind Boyesen, who unfortunately died on Friday, Nov. 19th on the eve of the event.

Also honored was dirt-track racer Don Castro, sidecar roadracing champion Larry Coleman, off-road rights activist Clark Collins, AMA 250cc Roadrace Champion David Emde, competition apparel pioneers and JT Racing founders John and Rita Gregory, desert racing champion and team manager Bruce Ogilvie, and championship team owner and Pro Circuit founder Mitch Payton. 

Here's the video:

The AMA welcomed a full house of AMA Racing champions and their families, friends and fans to the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday, Nov. 20, for the AMA Racing Championship Banquet, presented by World of Powersports. The banquet celebrated racers' championship seasons and awarded a number of special awards that acknowledged the standout performances of a few top competitors.

The AMA Racing Athlete of the Year award was won by Charlie Mullins, the overall champion of the 2010 AMA Racing Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series, presented by Moose Racing. Mullins excelled in the 10-round series, winning six rounds, while also competing in the AMA-sanctioned Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, where he finished second in overall points to Josh Strang.

"This is kind of a dream come true," Mullins said. "I never expected to win an award like this. It's a great honor, and I can't thank everybody enough. It's really special for me to win this."

Chris Borich won the AMA Racing ATV Athlete of the Year Award. Pennsylvania's Borich had a remarkable season in both the GNCC series and the AMA Racing ATV Hare Scrambles National Championship Series and won the overall title in both. Borich won 11 races in the 13-race GNCC series.

The AMA Racing Youth Rider of the Year was Jake Pinhancos. Jake won the national No. 1 plate in the 65 Stock (10-11) class at the AMA Racing Amateur National Motocross Championships, presented by AMSOIL. Pinhancos also won a World Championship in 2010. Jake led AMA Team USA to the overall win at the FIM Junior World MX Championship by taking the title in the Junior 65cc class.

"The most fun and exciting thing is going to all these races, hanging out with my dad and mom and seeing all these riders have fun," Pinhancos said. "To go out there and win this award just means so much to me." When asked about his aspirations, Pinhancos wasn't afraid to set high goals. "I dream of being the next Ricky Carmichael," he said, referring to the multi-time AMA Motocross and Supercross Champion believed by many to be the greatest motocross racer of all time.

Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Fredette was named the AMA Racing Vet/Senior Rider of the Year. Fredette, already a legend in off-road racing, added to his reputation in 2010 by not only successfully competing in his 30th consecutive International Six Days Enduro, where he won another gold medal, but in winning two AMA Racing National Championships. Fredette won the Senior 40+ A class title in the AMA Racing Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series and claimed the 86cc-200cc Modern class No. 1 plate at the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships. After accepting his award, Fredette was asked what advice he had for younger racers. "The longer you ride, the easier it becomes," Fredette said. "Keep focused, and make friends along the way. They come in handy in every aspect of your racing career."

The AMA Racing Female Rider of the Year was Maria Forsberg, from Brier, Wash. Forsberg had a phenomenal year in the GNCC series, where she won 11 of 13 races in the Women's class. Forsberg rode for the RPM/KTM team.

Randy Texter, a longtime fixture in the dirt-track racing community, was named the AMA Racing Sportsman of the Year. This award is given to an individual who has elevated the sport of motorcycle racing through his or her unselfish demonstration of outstanding sportsmanship. Texter passed away on Aug. 28, 2010, from an extended illness.

In announcing the award, AMA Director of Racing Joe Bromley recalled how Texter generously supported amateur dirt-track racers for decades and raised two children -- a son and a daughter -- who ascended to the highest levels of competition in AMA Pro Racing Grand National Championship competition.

AMA-chartered organizers, the clubs and promoters who run AMA-sanctioned events around the country, also were recognized for their efforts. Winners in those categories were Victory Sports, AMA Racing Motocross Organizer of the Year; Rausch Creek, AMA Racing Off-Road Organizer of the Year; BUB Racing Inc., AMA Racing Track Racing Organizer of the Year; Salinas Ramblers, AMA Racing Club of the Year; Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, AMA Recreational Road Riding Organizer of the Year; Buckeye Dual Sporters, AMA Off-Road Organizer of the Year.

Racer X Illustrated won the 2010 AMA Racing Media Award for its in-depth coverage of AMA-sanctioned events over the course of the season.

The AMA Racing Championship Banquet, presented by World of Powersports (WorldOfPowersports.com), was part of a two-day celebration honoring motorcycling's greats at Las Vegas' Red Rock. That celebration also included the 2010 Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by JT Racing (JTRacingUSA.com), and the annual Motorcycle Hall of Fame Concours d'Elegance bike show, which featured some of the country's most-stunning original and immaculately restored classic motorcycles.

In addition, the weekend featured the final round of the AMA Racing GEICO Powersports EnduroCross Championship Series on Saturday as well as the Las Vegas debut of the movie "Carlsbad USGP: 1980," a look at an iconic motocross race that has been dubbed "the Woodstock of motorcycling."

Source: ama.com


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Harley-Davidson XR1200 launched in America

The Harley-Davidson XR1200 in action


The Harley-Davidson XR1200


Although we had the European launch of the new Harley-Davidson XR1200 here in the UK and Europe back last April, it's not until now its been released in its home country the United States of America.

Born out of the legendary flat-track racer the XR750 the new XR1200 was received input in its design from flat-track racing legends Scot Parker and Rich King, together with European GP racing champion Adrien Morillas.

The XR750 was the most dominant American dirt track racing motorcycle of all-time, winning the Number One plate in 26 AMA flat track seasons!! In tribute to the XR750, there is a pre-sale of only 750 XR1200 models from 1 December to 12 December in the US.

More details of the XR1200 can found on www.inter-bike.co.uk.

Ride safe.

Jon Booth
Email: webmaster@inter-bike.co.uk

Blog: http://inter-bike.blogspot.com/
Swicki: http://motorcycling-swicki.eurekster.com/