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/369733
IN THE WIND P22 AMA MOTOCROSS: WHO'S GOING WHERE N ow that both of the two major U.S. championships - Super- cross and motocross - of 2014 are in the books, there are a lot of rumors and speculation as to where some of the major stars of the Supercross/motocross championship are heading for the 2015 season. And some of those rumors involve two of the sport's biggest hitters right now: Supercross Champion Ryan Vil- lopoto and newly crowned 450 National Motocross Champion Ken Roczen. At the final round of the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Cham- pionship in Utah, we spoke with many of the team managers and personnel about the upcoming "silly" season, but most of them were tightly lipped and unwill- ing to reveal any information and would neither confirm or deny some of the hottest rumors - like Villopoto possibly heading to Eu- rope next year to compete in the FIM World Motocross Champion- ship, urged by his sponsor Mon- ster Energy. Dan Fahie, team manager for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Team, wouldn't comment on the Villopoto rumor, or anything else related to the 2015 Monster En- ergy Kawasaki factory team. At least not yet. However, it appears that former Rockstar Energy Team rider Davi Millsaps will join the team for the 2014 season, as he has already been seen prac- ticing on Kawasakis in Southern California. There are also rumors circu- lating that current Valli Yamaha 250 rider Christophe Pourcel has been talking with Kawasaki about a 450 ride, and Wil Hahn's name also surfaces in regard to a Kawasaki seat. It doesn't look as though Kawa- saki's Jake Weimer will be return- ing. Weimer's name, however, has already been associated with the Rock River Yamaha team, as has Josh Grant's, who will not be returning to the JGRMX Yamaha organization next year. Ditto for Justin Brayton, who might be heading over to the BTO KTM squad to join Andrew Short. Jeremy Albrecht, the JGRMX team manager did say, however, there will be big changes with the team for next year. "We have two new guys com- ing in for 2015, but I won't be able to announce their names until the week before the Monster Energy Cup," said Albrecht. One of those two riders is expected to be Honda Muscle Milk's Justin Barcia, and the other is likely to be current RCH Suzuki team rider Weston Peick. Speaking of RCH Suzuki, it looks as though the team will sport the number-one plate next year in the 450 outdoor Nationals with the acquisition of Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen, who came on the scene a few years ago in the World Championships riding yellow. It is nearly certain he'll be Rumor has it that newly crowned AMA 450 Motocross Champion Ken Roczen will headed to RCH Suzuki next year.