Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

....J three-year retail licensing agreement with Action Sports Team LLC lASn. The agreement. the first of its kind in the supercross industry, will propel the sport's top athletes into the world of officially licensed product retail distribution, according to the press release issued by Clear Channel. AST, a licensing company that has a client list that includes Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana, Mike laRocco, Mike Jones and other motorcycle racing celebrities, is led by the company's Manager and CEO, Chris Camicella, who has decades of experience in sports-related apparel marketing, and Jeff Glass, who is the Executive Vice President. The agreement will put AST-licensed products on the shelves of major retail outlets across the country by this holiday's shopping season, according to Clear Channel. Clear Channel Entertainment will also promote the sale of AST officially licensed products at all EA Sports Supercross live events this coming season and offer the products through its internet sites and mailorder catalogs. Action Sports Team is a limited liability company, specializing in licensing and athlete relations, along with retail sales & marketing of memorabilia and apparel. AST is the master licensor of all Clear Channel Entertainment - Motor Sports supercross events. Chad Reed may not be the only Australian on the Yamaha of Troy motocross team in 2002. Former Australian Motocross Champion and team manager of the Yamaha team in Australia Craig Dack will likely get the job of assistant manager for the YoT team, though no deal has been finalized yet. Dack, who is one of Australia's best-ever motocross riders, won several Australian titles and also represented his country in the Motocross des Nations throughout the 1980s. The introduction of Dack into the YoT team would be great news for J J Over the course of consecutive days last week, Clear Channel Entertainment reacted with several key announcements of its own following the announcement that AMA Pro Racing would not be renewing its contract with the entertainment giant to produce its Supercross events in 2003. The first shot in what figures to be an on-going war throughout the coming 2002 AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series came with the announcement from Clear Channel of its 2003 Supercross Series schedule. Hot on the heels of that came word from Clear Channel that it had re-upped with ESPN on a television contract that will see the Clear Channel Series aired on the networ1< through 2005, But they weren't finished yet. Clear Channel then announced that they had signed a new deal with Dirt Wurx, the company who designs and builds the Supercross tracks, through 2005. Charlie Mancuso, president of Clear Channel Entertainment's motor sports division said in the first release regarding the 2003 schedule, "Let there be no doubt about Clear Channel Entertainment's commitment to the sport of Supercross. Supercross racing is the fabric and heritage of our company. We have been promoting and producing Supercross racing events since the beginning of the sport. The experience, creativity and dedication of our team cannot be matched. In addition, the vast resources of our sister divisions at Clear Channel Worldwide, including Clear Channel Radio, Clear Channel Outdoor and Clear Channel Television give us unparalleled platforms to continue the rapid growth of the sport.' One day after announcing its 2003 schedule, Clear Channel Entertainment's motorsports division announced that the current agreement with ESPN to air EA Sports Supercross presented by Speed Slick on ESPN2 has been extended through the 2005 Supercross season. In addition, Clear Channel Entertainment announced that ESPN Regional Television (ERT) has been selected as the television producer for the 2002 season of EA Sports Supercross Presented by Speed Stick on ESPN2. "We are ecsttAtic to announce the extension of our agreement with ESPN to continue to air Supercross. They have been a tremendous partner over the years and instrumental in the growth of the sport,' said Mancuso in the release regarding the television contract announcement. Burke Magnus, director, Motorsports Programming and Acquisitions for ESPN said, "We are pleased to extend our agreement with Clear Channel Entertainment for Supercross through 2005. Super- Reed, who will spend his first season in AMA racing next year. Reed had ridden for Dack in 1999 and the two are good friends. Former National & Supercross Champion Donnie Hansen has finalized the west coast winter schedule for the Donnie Hansen MX Academy, which will visit California's Riverfront Park, Hollister Hills, LACR, Competition Park and Sunrise MX cross has been and will continue to be a significant part of our motorsports programming line-up_ It was important to us to get this extension done with Clear Channel Entertainment for the future growth of the racing series.' In 2002, with more than 90 hours of coverage, all 15 EA Sports Supetcross races will be broadcast on ESPN2, including the season opener at Edison International Field in Anaheim, California, according to the release. That race, along with Indianapolis, Houston and Dallas will also be broadcast on ABC Sports. The one-hour ABC specials wm be featured on Sundays on January 6, February 10, March 24, and April 21. According to Clear Channel, Regional Television has most recently produced all of the NHRA television programs aired on ESPN and ESPN2_ Their coverage of NHRA has received motor sports industry praise for capturing drag racing in a way never achieved before in a televised format. Along with being the producer of ESPN's RPM 2Night, ERT is also known for producing the CART series for ESPN and ABC, as well as acting as producer of select college football, college basket· ball and professional golf televised events. The Clear Channel 2003 Supercross Series schedule is as fol.lows: January 4 • Edison International Field, Anaheim, California January 11 • Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix, Arizona January 18 - Edison International Field, Anaheim, California. January 25 - "TBA, TBA February 1 . Edison International Field, Anaheim, California February 8 - Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California February 15 - Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota February 22 - Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia March I - RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana March 22 - The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missiouri March 29 - Reliant Astrodome, Houston, Texas April 5 • Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan April 12 - Texas Stadium, Dallas, Texas April 26 - Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah May 3 . Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada "Clear Channel Entertainment will soon announce a new venue and city for its 2003 Supercross Series, representing the entry of the sport into this market, according to Clear Channel. Park, as well as Arizona's Moto Grande during December and January. Fore more information

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