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/128195
2003 THQ World Supercross GP/ AMA Supercross Preview L..L.lL.....l ,...I L..lL......lll.";L,,IQ) Manager: J.C. Waterhouse Headquarters: Rochester, NH Riders: 5 Mike laRocco 32 Michael Byme 34 Travis Preston Chris Gosselaar 39 96 Ryan Mills WHO'S WHERE THIS YEAR Manager: Erik Kehoe Headquarters: Torrance, CA Riders: Ricky Carmichael 4 24 Emesto Fonseca Natha n Ra msey 25 Havana, FL Costa Rica Menifee, CA CR250R CR250R CRF450R Lowdown: Team Honda hasn't changed much from last year to this year, and why would it? Ricky Carmichael won everything in sight last year; Nathan Ramsey won his first supercross (and the first for the CRF450R), and Ernesto Fonseca got on the podium both indoors and out. In contrast to 2002, where the only holdover from 2001 was Sebastien Tortelli, the only differences for Anaheim 2003 are that Tortelli has left the team for Team SoBe Suzuki, and Ramsey broke his femur before the season started and will likely be replaced, temporarily, with another rider in order to ensure the big four-stroke gets seen on the racetrack. Rumors of a Ramsey replacement have run the gamut from Kevin Windham to Paul Carpenter, but we may not know for sure until January 4. South Bend, IN Australia Hesperia, CA Juniper Hills. CA Clintondale, NY CR250R CR125R CR125R CR125R CRI25R Lowdown: This team's most noticeable change for 2003 is its name. Gone is last year's long moniker, and now the team's called Amsoil/Chaparral Honda, in honor of Chaparral's sponsorship of the team and reinstatement of the shop's status that's been gone since Jeremy McGrath's Chaparral Yamaha days. Mike LaRocco will be sticking with his trusty two-stroke steed for this year, and Michael Byrne and Travis Preston will be accompanying him in the 250cc class when their respective 125cc series is on hiatus. Preston will be defending his 2002 125cc Western Regional Supercross title this year, while Gosselaar returns to the Western series where he did considerable damage last year. Byrne and newcomer Ryan Mills will be on the East Coast. MIKE LaROCCO Manager: Ron Heben Headquarters: El Cajon, CA Riders: Billy Laninovich 50 Steve Boniface 55 Josh Woods 61 108 Joaquim Rodrigues 111 Grant Langston 123 Brett Metcalfe Ramona, CA France Flint, MJ Portugal South Africa Australia 125 SX 125SX 125SX 250SX 250SX 125 SX Lowdown: Continuing in the trend of recruiting Australian riders, Red Bull KTM got into the act by signing Aussie Brett Metcalfe to the squad for 2003. For the first time, this team will be fielding 250cc riders: Grant Langston and Joaquim Rodrigues. Both riders have already shown speed in the European SX events, with Langston going 3-4 in the first two rounds and Rodrigues getting an eighth in Geneva. Joining those riders are Billy Laninovich and Steve Boniface, who both showed flashes of speed when healthy in 2002, and Josh Woods, who had much success on Suzukis last year. RICKY CARMICHAEL GRANT LANGSTON Manager: Bruce Stjemstrom Headquarters: Irvine, CA Riders: 11 Ezra Lusk 53 Craig Decker James Stewart Jr. 259 Acworth, GA Palm Desert, CA Haines City, FL KX250 KX250 KX125 Lowdown: This team's core remains unchanged this year, with the exception of the loss of Stephane Roncada, who switched to the SoBe Suzuki squad for 2003. Craig Decker is mainly a test rider for the team, so he's not an official factory team member, but he will be riding selected races in the 250cc dass out of the team semi, just as he did in 2001. Ezra Lusk retums to ride the all-new 2003 KX250, and he hopes to continue pushing toward the front this year, as he was near the end of 2002. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that James Stewart Jr. is regarded by many as the fastest 125cc rider on the planet right now, and the defending 125cc National Champion is going to add that speed to his year of experience and attack the 125cc Western Regional series again this year, hoping to find more consistency. He showed he was fastest last year by winning the 125cc East/West Shootout in Vegas to dose the SX 7J@fiJ(JiJiJ [j)[j@ @{j[j@U!J!JrJtl @[fu@W 7JtJrn@[ft~ r:IfiJWfiJ0fiJ[ft{j Manager: Alley Semar Headquarters: Corona, CA Riders: 3 Mike Brown 30 Matt Walker 48 Justin Buckelew 917 Eric Sorby Piney Flats, TN McRae, GA Riverside, CA France Lowdown: Alley Sernar was Kevin Windham's mechanic for basically Windham's whole professional career, and with Windham's 2003 season a big question mark, Semar took the opportunity to take over as the new manager for the Pro Circuit team. Semar has been around the circuit for the better part of a decade now, and his experience, added to that of his four riders, should make for an exciting season. Former 125cc National Champion Mike Brown returns to 125cc fray with Matt Walker, who won a race late in 2002. Justin Buckelew won a race in 2001 for the Yamaha of Troy team, but he struggled in 2002. Pro Circuit saw what he could do then, and they gave him a chance this year. Returning to the team after becoming a late addition in 2002 is Eric Sorby, who surprised many with strong podium finishes indoors upon his arrival last year. season out. EZRA LUSK MIKE BROWN 16 JANUARY 8,2003' cue I e n e vv s KXl25 KX125 KX125 KXl25