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/128405
sions, heat races and main events at the two World SX GP rounds he raced in 2004 to prepare for '05. To be honest, there is no better testing for these teams than real race testing. You can pound out countless laps on a test track, but nothing compares to racing with your competition at speed, with different soil composites on an official Dirt Wurx-designed Supercross track. This year, at the two Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP events [Toronto and Vancouver], the fans will be in for a treat, as most of the top Supercross Lites riders, like Davi Millsaps, Andrew Short, Nathan Ramsey, Josh Hansen, Billy Laninovich, and the defending Toyota/AMA National Arenacross Series Champion, Canada's Darcy Lange. Then the premier Supercross class will feature all the top names, including Ricky Carmichael, Chad Reed, James Stewart, Michael Byrne, Heath Voss, Tyler Evans and Jason Thomas, who just won the Montreal Supercross last month. Clear Channel Motor Sports recently announced the most comprehensive Supercross television package to date, including a number of races to be broadcast on CBS Sports. You guys have to be pretty pumped about that. In 2006, both Anaheim one and two, San Francisco, San Diego, St. Louis and Seattle will be broadcast on CBS Sports. The combined television package of CBS Sports and the previously announced cable package with Speed Channel will deliver Supercross to an unprecedented number of fans in 2005 and 2006. The dual-network television package is paramount for the Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series, which by far creates the best television package in the history of off-road motorcycle racing. [Note: The CBS broadcasts will be produced by Clear Channel Entertainment's Television division.] Will the track designs - a joint effort between Clear Channel and track builder Rich Winkler of Dirt Wurx - change much this year? It is a fact that, in our sport, the skill level varies between the riders. In regards to the Supercross class... on any given night, 10 different riders could win that main event. Right now, it comes down to creating a track that is safe for all riders, yet challenging enough for the world's elite, and raceable for all the other riders making the main. At this point, my goal is to see RC, Chad Reed, Bubba and [Kevin] Windham, [Mike] laRocco, [Ernesto] Fonseca, Byrne, Voss and all of the other top Supercross-class riders battle it out for the win. To be honest, I can't believe how far the riders have come in the last 10 years - and I mean all the riders, regardless of their level. All of them are constantly pushing the limits of the tracks and the designs. The 2006 track deSigns will be a mix of old-school layouts with modern-day obstacles. Our intent is to create a technically challenging yet lessdemanding racetrack with better transitions between obstacles and jumps, redesigned corners, rhythm sections that challenge the mind, and a host of new elements and obstacles like the split start that we will have in Phoenix, sand sections, corners with whoops, and more. You're going to a new stadium this year - Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Out of curiosity, how does the staff at a brand-new facility such as Ford Field - or, in the past, Phoenix's Bank One Ballpark - react when the guys in the "dirt business" roll into town? The key to any successful Supercross event is advance preparation, communication, being organized, and the assembly of a great team of people with a proven game plan. We scheduled an advance "pre-trip" of the faCility a year ago when we found out about the potential closure of the Pontiac Silverdome. Most stadium managers attend conferences each year to discuss topics within their industry, so when the folks at Ford Field first contacted us, they were already familiar with our program. Clear Channel has built a strong reputation among the stadium and arena managers, so we come into these facilities with a high level of credibility that helps to give these new venues a certain comfort level in allOWing motorsports events into their facilities. The new Ford Field facility is a wonderful stadium with modern amenities that will make your supercross experience an enjoyable one. The stadium has state-of-theart JumboTron screens, a wonderful sound system, hundreds of TVs on the concourse, and suites fit for a king just in case Jeremy [McGrath] decides to watch instead of race. There isn't a bad seat in the whole house, and we look forward to bringing Amp'd Mobile/AMA Supercross to the new Ford Field and our loyal Detroitarea fans. Finally, Todd, you're coming up on your 10th year with the sport. That's a long time. How has your role changed in recent years? My role has changed in recent years from being the director of operations for Supercross for almost 10 years, to the senior director of operations for Clear Channel Entertainment's Motor Sports' two-wheel division. I'm now responsible for managing all of the company's motorcycle programs, together with my staff, which includes Dave Prater and Jayme Dalsing, with the Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series; Robert Hanson, Rob Eschbach and Pam Lambert, with the Toyota AMA National and Regional Arenacross Series; along with Nathan Assay and Troy Kuszmaul, who handle the IFMA, FMX and R2R events. Working with these great folks allows me to spread my time among these programs and not have to be so engaged in the nuts and bolts of the event operations, and it allows me to interact with my directors and work on the big picture and road map for the future of each property. GroWing up racing motocross since 1978, I feel fortunate to work in an industry that is close to me, and it helps to remind myself when things get tough that I still get work with dirt bikes! eN CYCLE NEWS • NOVEMBER 23, 2005 23