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/287613
CN III ARCHIVES BY LARRY LAWRENCE I f you think about it, the AMA Super- moto Championship might have been launched a decade too early. Inaugu- rated in 2003, AMA Supermoto came about during a time when motorcycle racing of all sorts was red-hot. Mo- torcycle sales, fueled by easy credit against highly inflated home values, were off the charts. Manufacturers, dealerships and aftermarket compa- nies were raking in the profits. This, of course, filtered down to racing, where dozens of riders were making mid-to-high six figure salaries. A few of the elite were even in the millions per year category. It was hoped that AMA Supermoto would fulfill the original ABC Wide World of Sports Super- bikers concept of bringing together the best rid- ers from road racing, motocross and flat track to race head to head. It worked to a certain level, but again, keep in mind the landscape of racing at that time. Precious few manufacturers were going to let their million-dollar rider go play outside their nor- mal championship. As a result you didn't get the Ricky Carmichaels, the James Stewarts, the Mat Mladins, the Miguel Duhamels, much less the GP stars of road racing and motocross of the era. The series launched and thrived for a few years, mainly with ex-motocross stars, with a few veteran road racers and flat trackers added to the mix. AMA Pro Racing (the old version in Pickerington, Ohio) put a lot of resources and some serious man-hours behind Supermoto and Red Bull picked up the tab. The new AMA Red Bull Supermoto Champion- ship launched with great fanfare at Laguna Seca Raceway in July of 2003, as part of the World Su- perbike weekend. The series even had TV cover- age via Outdoor Life Network. The inaugural event at Laguna was loaded with big names. The most nota- ble was Jeremy McGrath. McGrath, racing less than a year after he announced his retirement from AMA Supercross, was entered as part of the powerhouse Troy Lee Designs team. Riding alongside McGrath was legendary motocross/Supercross star Jeff Ward. Former 500cc World Grand Prix champ Kevin Schwantz was recovering from a broken hand yet raced at Laguna aboard a very special Yoshimura Suzuki DR-Z400. The "Godfather of Freestyle" Mike Metzger came to the event with support from Honda. Travis Pastrana was entered, but was injured in an automobile accident and wasn't able to race, even though he was on hand for the event. Pastrana did come back and participate occasionally over the next few years, being argu- ably the most popular racer ever to race in the series. SUPERMOTO REVIVAL? P122 A decade ago riders like Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Ward and Doug Henry gave AMA Su- permoto star power. The new incarnation launching next month will start off more modestly. PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARRY LAWRENCE