Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

2001 AMA/EA Sports Supercross Series Presented by Speed Stick ~mmm AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series Standings Top 10 250cc 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 8. 9. 10. Yamaha Yamaha Honda Honda Kawasaki Honda Suzuki Kawasaki Kawasaki Honda Jeremy McGrath David Vuillemin Mike LaRocco Kevin Windham Ricky Carmichael Sebastien Tortelli Damon Huffman Larry Ward John Dowd Heath Voss Jeremy McGrath 125cc Eastern Re ion 1. Stephane Roncada 2. Brock Sellards 3. Travis Pastrana 4. Nick Wey 5. Ernesto Fonseca 6. Branden Jesseman 7. Tyler Evans 8. Michael Brandes 9. (Tie) Kelly Smith Yamaha Honda Suzuki Kawasaki Yamaha Suzuki Suzuki Honda KTM Honda (Tie) Paul Currie AI illie.ll-)le.llill- Kawasaki Suzuki Yamaha Honda KTM Honda Suzuki Yamaha Honda Kawasaki Shae Bentley David Pingree Greg Schnell Jiri Dostal Rodrig Thain Casey Lytle Travis Preston Justin Buckelew Chris Gosselaar 10. Billy Payne Shae Bentley Dr.SX SFX Motor Sports and knee-brace-maker Innovation Sports have teamed up to expand the safety services available to riders at all EA Sports Supercross events. The two companies have agreed .to underwrite the costs for Dr. John Bodnar to attend all of the rounds. Dr. Bodnar has been a regular fixture for nearly a decade at all Supercross events in the southwest region, overseeing emergency medical assistance services for injured riders. Bodnar will now be attending all of the SFX series rounds, adding consistency to this critical aspect of Supercross racing. "Rider safety is our paramount concern at SFX Motor Sports," reported SFX Supercross Director Todd Jendro. "By having Dr. Bodnar at every SFX-produced event, riders that require emergency assistance will now be greeted by a familiar face, regardless of where the event is held." A native of San Diego, Bodnar completed his undergraduate studies at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, and finished his residency in emergency medicine at the University of California at Irvine Medical Center. "I appreciate this opportunity, " said Bodnar. "( look forward to working the entire tour alongside these great athletes. As a former racer, I know the importance of quality health care when competing in such a physically demanding sport." All In the Famll Originating in 1999, the Non-Alcoholic Family Section offers family-ori.ented fans a r~ce view in the comfort of a non·alcoholic envIronment. The Non-AlcoholIc FamIly SectIon has been a hit ever since, selling out at every round. "AT SFX Motor Sports Group, we pride ourselves on listenin9 to what the fans want and improving the live-event experience." said Mark Abernethy, Director of Marketing for Supercross, "Two years ago, fans all over the country had started requesting a seating area that caters to the families that attend Supercross. Since then the Non-Alcoholic Family Section has been a welcomed enhancement." If you are interested in the Non-Alcoholic Family Section, make sure to request this special seating when ordering tickets to Supercross. 12 JANUARY 10, 2001 • cue I e EA Sports Supercross is gettin9 more and more support from outside the industry, and one of the main reasons for that is the television coverage it continues to get the country and world over. The Pontiac round of the series will air on ABC Sunday, April 8 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 4:00 p.m. Central Time, and 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Not only that, but the all-new Salt Lake City round will air on ABC Sunday, April 29 at 5:00 p.m. Eastem Time, 4:00 p.m. Central Time, and 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time. This marks the fourth season that Supercross has reached the mainstream audience. "We are extremely pleased that we are able to bring two events of EA Sports Supercross to ABC Sports: said Michael Weber, Executive Vice President of Television and Licensing, SFX Motor Sports Group. "This allows us to expose the sport to even more fans, as Supercross continues to excite fans from around the world: Supercross made its fltst appearance on ABC in 1998 from Dallas' Texas Stadium. Since then, the sport has been broadcast from Houston's Astrodome and Indianapolis' RCA Dome in 1999, and Chicago's Route 66 Raceway in 2000, posting ratings as high as 3.4. As usual, the entire series (with the exception of the Daytona, Florida, round) wiIJ be aired on ESPN2. Most rounds will be aired approximately one week after they occur, and then again a few days after that. Whereas last year's coverage featured the 125 and 250cc classes together in the same two-hour program, this year will see the two classes being aired in two separate one-hour programs. For a while, it looked like announcer Art Eckman wouldn't be returning for 2001, but he will indeed be back with color man David Bailey (a former Supercross and National Motocross Champion) and floor announcer Davey Coombs. Stephane Roncada 125cc Western Re ion 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. BeestTube _ n e _ s . I,el-Ies ~ Riders of the 2001 AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series will be racing for more than a million dollars that is up for grabs in the 16-round tour. Entering its 27th year of competition, the Supercross Series wiIJ be offering the largest purse in history $1,081,850 - and a record-breaking $2,109,350 of combined purse and bonus money. SFX Motor Sports Group has upped the ante for 2001 with a $325,000 points fund. The record-breaking $325,000 that will be awarded to riders competing in EA Sports Supercross competition will be paid out with a mid· season points fund and a year-end points fund. . . After the halfway point of the s e a s o n . (round eight in New Orleans), $100,000 will be distributed to riders based upon thelt mIdseason points standing. Then, at the end of the season, nders will cash In on an addItIonal $225,000 that will be distributed based on their season·end points standing. New for 2001 will be the addition of $75,000 to the event purses to bring the winner's share at each event to $10,000 - the largest purse in the sport's history given to the winner of a 250cc main event. Once again, footwear and apparel maker Vans will be offering a half-million dollars to any rider who can win three predetermined rounds of the 2001 AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series. If one rider can win the second Anaheim round, and the Dallas and Las Vegas rounds, he will take home a check from Vans for $500,000. Last year, Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin came within a win of cashing in on the big Vans Triple Crown prize, but still took home $25,000 for being the top-placing rider in the three events (Phoenix, Minneapolis and Las Vegas). Additional bonuses that will be llwarded throughout the 200 I EA Sports Supercross Season are the SFX Privateer Bonus ($100,000 wiJI be divided among the privateers who make the 250cc main events); the C.E. Altman Top Privateer Award ($5,000 will be given to the privateer with the highest points in the 250cc class); the SFX Holeshot Bonus ($22,500 will be presented to the 125cc and 250cc riders who take the holeshots at each race in the respective divisions); the Dave Coombs Sr. 125cc EastlWest Shoot-Out ($25,000 will be distributed to the riders of the event, with $5000 going to the Shoot-Out winner), and the Privateer Main Event Winner Bonus ($5000 will be presented to any privateer who wins a 250cc main event). Racer X Illustrated will offer its exclusive Racer X Gas Card to privateers competing in 250cc competition. The idea is simple - give an award to the riders who need it most, namely the top privateers who do not qualify for the 250cc main event. The Racer X Gas Card, worth $250 each week, goes to the third-place finishing rider in the 250cc Last Chance Qualifier - in other words, the highest-placing rider not to make it into the main event. Last year Racer X Illustrated paid out $3750 to help out riders who did not quallfy, making it a little easier to get to the next round. "Supercross racers rank as some of the best athletes In the world, and this is Racer X's little way of showing them that we appreciate and respect how difficult racing at this level can be," said Davey Coombs, editor-in-chief of Racer X, as well as the pit reporter the ESPN2 television broadcasts of EA Sports Supercross. "For the privateers and the guys who don't make the main event, it can be a struggle getting to the next race, for both your confidence and your wallet. We know that the Racer X Gas Card helps out a little."

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