Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128180
Continued from page 2 in the AMA 600 Supersport and Formula Xtreme series. l!l&JfJD @@fJD [ff3@~@OD \2lDfJDf;5 g)G!J{j)@[]fliJ®f1@ ©OD&J[flJD{j)D@[JD~OD D)j{ 1-C'- 0_ _ American Honda also announced its oRroad racing teams for 2003. "We are really looking forward to 2003. - said Miller. "The team is looking stronger than ever. Ricky Carmichael is coming off a great season and is motivated more than ever, and Mike laRocco can't wait to get back out onto the track after winning the U.S. Open. Everybody is working so well together, and that makes good things happen. - This year in Supercross, Team Honda will consist of defending champion Ricky Carmichael, hot off his undefeated 250cc AMA National season. Ernesto Fonseca and CRF450Rmounted Nathan Ramsey. The Hondasupported Factory Connection team will return intact with the newly crowned U.S. Open Champion Mike laRocco, defending 125 West Supercross Champion Travis Preston, Christopher Gosselaar and 125 East Supercross competitor Michael Byrne. The 2003 season will also see the addition of a new support team campaigning Honda motorcycles. Team MX3/Yoshimura will be running the CRF450R, with Kyle Lewis and Larry Ward at the controls, In the AMA Western and Eastern 4-stroke Nationals, Honda will continue its support for the White Brothers Racing Team with defending champion in both the West and the u East, Paul Carpenter and past champion Spud Walters. In the desert, Honda will have the services of eight-time Baja Champion Johnny Campbell, along with teammates Steve Hengeveld and Andy Grider, The XR650R pilots will see action in the Best In the Desert Series as well as the SCORE racing series, Tamer Racing will receive support from Honda in 2003, to compete in the Arenacross series. The team will feature riders Justin f ' Brayton and Jeremy Buehl aboard CR250Rs and CR 125Rs, With one GP to go and having won all the races won so far, French supermotard star Thierry Van Den Bosch won the maugural FIM SuperMoto Championship at the Greek GP m Athens, Greece, on November 3, Run at the city's old international airport, this sixth round of the championship boasted attendance that confirmed the big interest the new series has been gaining throughout the season. The first corner after the start of the main event saw Italian Max Manzo turning first, followed closely by Van Den Bosch who, during the same lap, took the lead and ran away from the field to take the win. "It's incredible that I won every GP, but at every round I just tried to be focused on the race and not on the title which came with the wins," Van Den Bosch said. "I want to thank KTM so much for their support and I'm happy to pay them back with this World Title that I add to the European I recently won, Next year I won't do supermoto anymore, as I'll do World Supersport (on Yamaha - ndr) to then maybe make the further steps to the final dream, the MotoGP series." Manzo finished second, and right behind him was his factory Husqvama teammate William Rubio in third. Mario Marini ages start with passes to watch supercross practice the afternoon before the races, followed by exclusive, behind-thescenes paddock tours and track walkthroughs conducted by AMA Pro Racing officials. During the paddock tour, fans can discuss technical topics with race officials and meet AMA Supercross stars. On race day, of course, AMA Travel & Tours provides its spectators with some of the best reserved seats in the house. AMA Supercross packages include quality accommodations - often the same hotels used by the racers, usually within easy walking distance to the race locations - along with programs and souvenirs of the event. The AMA can also assist its clients with air travel and other transportation. For more information, contact AMA Travel & Tours at 800AMA-JOIN, extension 1196. " ~ C o ~ U C Leading videogame publisher THQ Inc. and Clear Channel Entertainment's Motor Sports division announced in a press release today that beginning with the 2002-2003 race season - THO has entered into a three-season agreement to be the new title sponsor (replacing rival video-game company EA Sports) of THQ World Supercross GP, which includes the AMA Supercross Series. THO World Supercross GP includes 17 events across North America and Europe, with live event spectators totaling more than 800,000 people, as well as significant AMA Travel & Tours has announced I' its 2003 lineup of Supercross racing spectator packages. These excursions allow race fans to attend top AMA Supercross Series events across the U.S. and experience them as never before. AMA Supercross packages, sponsored by Racer X Illustrated, are available for Anaheim Edison International Field on January 3-5, the San Francisco Pacific Bell Park on January 24-26, the Indianapolis RCA Dome on February 28-March 2, the Pontiac Silverdome on April 4-6, and Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium on May 2-4. AMA Travel & Tours' Supercross pack- Yamaha has brought push-button starting to its popular TTR 125 and TTR90s for the coming season. The electric-start TTR90E (pictured) will be in dealer showroom this month, with the TTR 125LE and TTR125E slated to be in showrooms in January, The TTR90E will carry a sugi;lested retail price of $1699 (compared to the non-electric starUng TTR90 at $1599), the TTR125LE will go for $2699, and the TTR125E will sell for $2399 (compared to the standard model's MSRP of $2499). 122 NOVEMBER 13. 2002' cue • e n e _ os broadcast exposure. The AMA Supercross Series is comprised of the 15 events held in the United States that are produced by Clear Channel Entertainment (as well as the supercross event held in Daytona, Florida, which is produced by the International Speedway Corporation). The World Supercross GP events consist of top riders from all over the world competing in 250cc and 125cc bike classes. The three-season agreement will enable THO to use the series to promote its video game line-up, including the top-seiling motocross videogame franchise MX Superfly featUring Ricky Carmichael. The sponsorship also includes extensive support through Clear Channel Entertainment's television, print, radio and on-site exposure throughout the entire fivemonth series. Additionally, THO will be included in more than 30 hours of original programming on ESPN2. Newly-crowned AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr and AMA U.S. Superbike Champion Nicky Hayden have received nominations for the 2002 AMA Pro Racing Speed Channel Athlete of the Year Award. Carr, only the third rider in the history of the AMA Grand National Championship to win four titles, follows AMA Motocross and Supercross champ Ricky Carmichael as the second rider nominated for the prestigious award. "It's an honor to once again be nominated for the AMA Pro Racing Speed Channel Athlete of the Year Award,· said Carr, who began hiS professional racing career In 1985 and was that year's AMA Dirt Track Rookie of the Year. "There are so many great athletes in AMA racing; just to be considered one of the best of the best IS something that makes me feel proud." Carr took the 2002 AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship lead at the Memorial Day weekend race on the Springfield Mile, round four of the 20· race series, and held it for the rest of the year. In all, he scored eight podium finishes including three wins - two victories on the Springfield Mile and a win at the newto-the-series half-mile circuit in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. He follows in the footsteps of AMA dirt-track racing legends Carroll Resweber and Scott Parker as the only riders in the nearly half-century history of the series to win at least four AMA Grand National titles. This year marks the fifth time Carr has been nominated for the Athlete of the Year. He was previously nominated in 1992, 1995, 1999 and 2001. This August, at the age of 21, Nicky Hayden became the youngest champ in the history of AMA Superbike racing. Additionally, Hayden rode part-time in the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship and was the winningest rider in that series with four national victories. This marks Hayden's second nomination for the AMA Pro Racing Speed Channel Athlete of the Year he won the award in 1999. "It's a real pleasure to be nominated," said Hayden, who is slated to race in MotoGP for Honda in 2003. "I raced in the Superbike and Rat Track Championships this year and I watched a couple of supercrosses so I know what kind of athletes we have in AMA Pro Racing. These guys are some of the best athletes in the world and I'm happy to be among them. It was a real team effort with Honda this year and I don't want to forget to thank them for making this possible." Hayden won nine AMA Superbike races this year, which marked the highest number of wins in a season in the series since 1984. Bell Sports IS bringing Bell motorcycle helmets back into the family, according to a release issued by the company on Monday, November 4, The company has acqUired the North American rights to the Bell Helmets brand of motorcycle helmets and accessories from Bieffe, an Italian motor sport company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Bell Sports also announced it has created a new division called Bell Powersports, based in Santa Cruz. California, to manage and rejuvenate the Bell brand name in the motorcycle helmet industry. Bell Powersports will design. manufacture and sell motorcycle, snowmobile and ali-terrain vehicle (ATV) helmets and accessories In North America under the Bell Helmets brand name. Bieffe has owned the license to the Bell brand for motorcycle helmets since 1991. The company's brand-building plan is centered on three key pnorities: differentiating its product line through design innovation; creating consumer demand with high-profile marketing programs; and fortifying retail relationships through timely service and high-quality products, according to the release. eN