ama – MotoHead

USA pro calendar revealed

admineaserm — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 20:19:56 +0000

NBC Sports, Peacock and the SuperMotocross League announced the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship schedule, including the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. A record 31 events across the series, including exclusive live coverage of Main Event races, qualifiers, and heats, will be presented on Peacock, NBC, USA Network, CNBC, and NBC Sports digital platforms.Peacock becomes the home of the SuperMotocross World Championship series in 2023 presenting live coverage of all races, qualifying, and heats across both Supercross and Pro Motocross spanning 31 events from January to October 2023. 23 races will live stream exclusively on Peacock, including one SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff event. The platform will also provide on-demand replays of every race.

2023 marks the first year of the SuperMotocross League which unifies Supercross and Pro Motocross and presents the season-ending SuperMotocross World Championship with the top racers in the world competing for a title in a new style of racing that features the best that both indoor stadium and outdoor motocross seasons have to offer.

NBC Sports’ 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship and Monster Energy Supercross race action begins in under a month with the season opener from Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., live on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network. An encore presentation will air the following day on Sunday, Jan. 8, on NBC at 2 p.m. ET and on CNBC at 1 a.m. ET. CNBC will air a next-day encore for all 31 races across both series in 2023.

The 2023 Pro Motocross season begins with the Fox Raceway National in Pala, Calif., on Saturday, May 27, at 4 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.

The much-anticipated newly formed SuperMotocross World Championship will culminate with two SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff events and the SuperMotocross World Championship Final. SMX Playoff 1 will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network followed by SMX Playoff 2 on Saturday, Sept. 23, in primetime at 8 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.

The inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship Final will be presented from the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 10 p.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network.The 2023 SuperMotocross commentary team will consist of Leigh Diffey, Todd Harris, Daniel Blair, and Jason Weigandt as play-by-play announcers across all 31 events. 15-time AMA champion Ricky Carmichael and seven-time AMA champion James Stewart will serve as analysts throughout the year while Blair, Will Christien, and former veteran racer Jason Thomas will provide on-track reports.

Race Day Live will expand in 2023 to cover all 31 races of the SuperMotocross World Championship series exclusively on Peacock. Dan Hubbard and Daniel Blair will serve as hosts of the pre-race program, which will feature 2.5 hours of coverage for each Supercross event, one hour for each Pro Motocross event, and 2.5 hours for both SuperMotocross Playoff events and the SuperMotocross World Championship Final.

A SuperMotocross World Championship one-hour preview special airs Sunday, Jan. 1, at 5 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, featuring appearances from reigning Supercross and Pro Motocross champion Eli Tomac, Supercross champion Jason Anderson, two-time Supercross champion Cooper Webb, Pro Motocross champion Ken Roczen, rising star Chase Sexton, and Australian brothers Jett and Hunter Lawrence as they prepare for the upcoming 2023 season.

NBC Sports and Feld Motor Sports agreed to a multi-year rights extension in October 2022. Click here for more information.

All Supercross and Pro Motocross televised coverage on NBC, USA Network and CNBC also streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app via authentication, giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

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Below is the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship broadcast and streaming schedule:

AMA Nationals

SuperMotocross Playoffs

Tomac tops Sexton to take the AMA crown

admineaserm — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 20:50:52 +0000

After 12 rounds of travel across the country and 24 hotly contested motos over the course of the summer, the 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, came to a dramatic conclusion from the proverbial home of the industry in Southern California. Champions were crowned at the PristineAuction.com Fox Raceway II National, presented by Fox Racing, where the historic showdown between Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Eli Tomac and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton culminated with another memorable battle, from which Tomac prevailed following a 1-1 effort, to hoist the Edison Dye Cup for the first time since 2019 and secure the fourth 450 Class title of his decorated career.

In the 250 Class, Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence captured an exclamation point victory to successfully defend his hold of the Gary Jones Cup and secure back-to-back championships to further solidify his role as the sport’s youngest star.

450 Class

Moto 1
Extreme heat protocols were implemented for the races, which shortened each moto in both classes to 25 minutes plus two laps. As the field stormed out the gate to open 450 Class Moto 1 it was Sexton and Tomac at the front, with Sexton grabbing the MotoSport.com Holeshot. The championship rivals set a torrid pace early and easily sprinted away from the field.

The pair traded fast laps as the gap between them ebbed and flowed through various parts of the track, where both riders appeared to have strengths in different sections. Sexton and Tomac opened an advantage of nearly half a minute on the field as the moto reached its halfway point, while the distance between them hovered around a second.

Lapped riders brought the rivals closer together entering the final five minutes and it opened the door for Tomac to take advantage. The Yamaha rider seized the moment and went on the attack to make the pass. Tomac then dropped the hammer and opened a gap of two seconds with three minutes to go.

As they took the two-lap board just 1.5 seconds separated Tomac and Sexton, but a bobble from Sexton allowed Tomac to establish the largest lead of the moto at its most critical juncture. Sexton battled back and closed in, but it was too little too late as Tomac secured his 13th moto win of the season by 1.5 seconds. Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Christian Craig finished third, one minute and 15 seconds behind the leaders, with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson fourth and Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia in fifth.

Moto 2The final moto of the 2022 season had everything on the line and as the field exited the first turn it was Craig who came away with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed by Anderson and Sexton. Tomac was forced to work his way forward from a start deep in the top 10. In his pursuit of Anderson for second during the opening laps, Sexton suffered a bobble that shot him off track and caused him to tip over. He lost multiple positions and reentered the race right behind Tomac, in seventh. Sexton then tipped over again and lost another position.

Out front, the battle for the lead heated up between Anderson and Craig. The Kawasaki rider got alongside the Yamaha and made a savvy move to take the lead a little more than five minutes into the moto. Behind this exchange Tomac was able to break into the top three, while Sexton was on a recovery charge and clawed his way up to fourth. Tomac closed quickly on Craig, his teammate, and moved into second with ease. At that point, Tomac faced a 2.8 second deficit to Anderson. Needing to make a push, Sexton closed in on Craig for third but suffered another tip over. He remounted without losing a position.

As the moto surpassed the halfway point the battle for the lead was on between Anderson and Tomac. Despite having a faster pace, Tomac was unable to get enough of an edge to make a move. A slight miscue by Anderson saw him briefly put the bike in neutral, which allowed Tomac to slip past and seize control of the moto with six minutes to go. Sexton’s fight continued as well with a pass on Craig for third. From there, the Honda rider tried to track down the lead duo.

With the lead in hand, Tomac opened up a lead of more than six seconds as Anderson started to lose ground to Sexton for second. The Honda rider was decisive and made the pass, but faced too big of a deficit to contend for the lead. Tomac brought home an emphatic final moto win by 9.2 seconds over Sexton, with Anderson in third.

Overall
Tomac’s fourth 1-1 performance of the season was his biggest as he finished the year with a class-leading fifth victory, his first since the seventh round. His third win at Fox Raceway was the 32nd victory of his career and marked his 70th career podium finish, which moved him into second all-time. Sexton’s runner-up finish came on the heels of a hard-earned 2-2 effort, while Anderson’s strong final moto landed him third overall (4-3).

Tomac’s 11-race podium streak to close out the season and his 14 moto wins were the tipping point in the championship, where he finished seven points ahead of Sexton in the final standings in what has been the closest battle in the history of Pro Motocross. Anderson enjoyed a career-best season to finish third on the championship podium. Tomac’s title, combined with his Monster Energy Supercross Championship from earlier this year, also made him the first rider to sweep the season championships since Ryan Dungey did it during the 2015 season. The fourth premier class title of Tomac’s career is also the second most in history, trailing only Ricky Carmichael (7).

Eli Tomac, Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing
“I just think of this whole season in its entirety. It’s been the most enjoyable season of my career, by far, starting with supercross and now motocross. This summer was incredible battling with Chase [Sexton]. He’s the future of this division. We pushed ourselves to the limits [all summer] and even raised the bar.”

Chase Sexton, Team Honda HRC
“I had a never-quit attitude all year. Eli [Tomac] is so tough and he got the upper hand on me. That second moto was so frustrating. I was trying so hard and made three mistakes. I need to stop making those. We made huge gains this year and I’m really looking forward to the future. We’re just getting started.”

Jason Anderson, Monster Energy Kawasaki
“I spent a lot of energy in that first moto to finish fourth. In the second moto the pace was too tough, and I used too much energy earlier so I couldn’t keep it up. It’s been an amazing season for me, but I still want more.”

Photos: Align Media

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points)Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (1-1 // 50)Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (2-2 // 44)Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki (4-3 // 38)Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Yamaha (3-4 // 38)Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., GASGAS (5-6 // 31)Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (7-7 // 28)Benny Bloss, Oak Grove, Mo., KTM (6-8 // 28)Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (10-5 // 27)Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (8-13 // 21)Dean Wilson, Scotland, Husqvarna (13-9 // 20) 450 Class Championship Standings (Round 12 of 12)Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha – 546Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 539Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki – 440Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda – 394Christian Craig, El Cajon, Calif., Yamaha – 373Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 359Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 322Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., GASGAS – 303Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 222Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., Husqvarna – 213

250 Class

Moto 1 The first 250 Class moto of the afternoon got underway with Jett Lawrence leading the field through the first turn for the MotoSport.com Holeshot, followed closely by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda. The close friends engaged in a spirited battle on the opening lap as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Marvin Musquin slotted into third in his first start in the division since the 2015 season.

Lawrence continued to control the moto from the lead through the opening five minutes, but Shimoda was able to keep him honest with consistent lap times. Musquin settled into third but eventually faced a challenge from Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence. A small miscue forced Musquin off the track, which handed the position to Lawrence. Back up front, Jett Lawrence stabilized a lead hovering around two seconds over Shimoda as the moto reached its halfway point.

As the moto entered its final 10 minutes Shimoda picked up the pace and closed the deficit by a second with the fastest laps on the track. The Japanese rider began looking for a way around with alternate lines and soon found himself all over the rear fender of the Honda. As they played cat and mouse with one another it allowed Hunter Lawrence to close in from third and make it a three-rider battle with three minutes to go. Less than a second separated the top three as time ran out on the moto and set the stage for a thrilling battle to the finish.

With two laps to go, Hunter Lawrence pulled the trigger with a pass on Shimoda as they descended one of the track’s downhills. It resulted in hard contact between the two riders and sent Shimoda to the ground as Lawrence continued on in second. Shimoda remounted in third but was forced to fend off Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Justin Cooper from fourth.

The Lawrence brothers went head-to-head on the final lap as Jett narrowly held off Hunter by a mere four tenths of a second for his 11th moto win of the season, which also clinched the championship. Cooper made the pass on Shimoda for third, while Musquin rounded out the top five.

Moto 2 The final 250 Class moto of the season started with Cooper at the head of the pack with the MotoSport.com Holeshot, with Shimoda and his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Cameron McAdoo in pursuit, with Jett Lawrence in fourth. Shimoda bided his time and waited for an opening. Once it appeared he wasted no time in making the move and grabbed control of the moto a little more than four minutes into the race.

Once he had the lead in hand, Shimoda began to build a gap on Cooper that soon grew to more than five seconds. Behind him, Cooper was forced to fend off Lawrence, who made the pass on McAdoo and looked to continue his push forward. The champ chipped away at the deficit and closed in on the Yamaha at the halfway point of the moto. He made quick work of Cooper and took control of second. With a little more than 11 minutes to go the gap between Shimoda and Lawrence was more than nine seconds.

Just as it appeared as though Lawrence had control of the runner-up spot, Cooper mounted a counter attack to reignite the battle for the position. With Shimoda well in control of the moto, this battle became the focal point of the closing minutes.

Back up front, Shimoda was in a class of his own and rebounded from the frustrating end to the first moto to earn his fifth moto win of the season by 24.3 seconds over Lawrence, who kept Cooper at bay through to the finish.

Overall
Lawrence’s 1-2 effort carried him to his ninth win of the summer, tied for third most in a single season, and the 14th victory of his career, which moves the young Australian into a tie for eighth on the all-time wins list. It also signified the sixth different moto score combination that has carried him to victory this season and maintained Lawrence’s undefeated record at Fox Raceway, where he now has five wins. Shimoda followed with his ninth overall podium result of the season in second (4-1) and ended the year with four straight finishes on the box. Cooper’s solid afternoon landed him third overall (3-3) for the landmark 30th podium result of his career, good enough to move into a tie for ninth on the all-time podiums list.

Lawrence’s final championship margin was 45 points over Shimoda, while Hunter Lawrence completed the championship podium in third following a fourth-place finish (2-5) in the finale. Jett Lawrence is 12th two-time champion in the history of the division and the first to earn back-to-back titles since Jeremy Martin in 2014-2015.

Jett Lawrence, Team Honda HRC
“It was a lot better today than last year [trying to wrap up the title]. I just wanted to use the least amount of energy possible today. I got into second as soon as I could [in Moto 2] and tried to catch Jo [Shimoda], but it didn’t happen, so I just decided to settle into second.”

Jo Shimoda, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
“I was pretty pissed off from the first moto, so I just wanted to get a good start in the second moto and put in a charge. I got a pretty good gap and kept it to the finish, so that’s pretty awesome. I’m just really happy with my season.”

Justin Cooper, Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing
“It was a fun day, but definitely hot. Glad to come out of here in one piece. I had a fun race with Jett [in Moto 2] but Jo was just on another level and we had nothing for him. I’m glad to finish the season on the podium.”

Photos: Align Media

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)Jett Lawrence, Australia, Honda (1-2 // 47)Jo Shimoda, Japan, Kawasaki (4-1 // 43)Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (3-3 // 40)Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda (2-5 // 38)RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (7-4 // 32)Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki (6-7 // 29)Marvin Musquin, France, KTM (5-9 // 28)Max Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., KTM (12-6 // 24)Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (14-8 // 20)Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Suzuki (10-12 // 20)250 Class Championship Standings (Round 12 of 12)Jett Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 525Jo Shimoda, Japan, Kawasaki – 480Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda – 468Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 415RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna – 346Max Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., KTM – 303Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 256Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha – 251Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., GASGAS – 208Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS – 198

First wave of AMA National amateur champs crowned

admineaserm — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 10:38:53 +0000

The the first wave of AMA National Champions were crowned on Friday afternoon at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. The highly coveted AMA National No. 1 plate was awarded to the titleholder across 19 different classes.

The first wave of champions were crowned on Friday at Loretta Lynn’s.
Photo: Ken Hill

250 Pro Sport
On the heels of a convincing win in the second 250 Pro Sport moto, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Stilez Robertson carried a surge of momentum into the deciding third moto on Friday afternoon. Robertson carried a three-point advantage over Yamaha/Rock River/bLU cRU Amateur Motocross Team rider Mason Gonzales into the final race.

Fully aware of the significance of the moment, Robertson took care of business right out of the gate and put his Husqvarna at the head of the pack. He dropped the hammer on the opening laps and set the fastest lap time of the entire moto to establish an insurmountable seven-second advantage after just two laps. From that moment forward Robertson was able to focus on managing the lead and staying out of trouble, particularly as he approached lapped riders in the late stages of the moto.

After struggling with starts most of the week, BarX/Chaparral/Suzuki’s Dilan Schwartz finally put himself at the front of the field and assumed control of second early on. However, his deficit to Robertson was simply too much to overcome.

Robertson went unchallenged for virtually the entirety of the moto, taking the moto win and clinching the 250 Pro Sport title by seven seconds over Schwartz. Gonzales, who had been one of the best starters all week, was forced to battle his way from a sixth-place start and fought his way to the final spot on the podium in third.

With his 250 Pro Sport triumph and a chance to also secure the Open Pro Sport title on Saturday, Robertson made himself the front-runner to bring home Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award honors.

250 Pro Sport Overall Results (Moto Finishes)Stilez Robertson, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna (2-1-1)Dilan Schwartz, Alpine, Calif., Suzuki (1-5-2)Mason Gonzales, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Yamaha (3-2-3)Preston Kilroy, Afton, Wyo., Suzuki (7-3-5)Austin Black, Lake Elsinore, Calif., KTM (5-7-4)

Stilez Robertson took home the AMA National Championship in 250 Pro Sport.
Photo: Ken Hill

450 B
The battle atop the 450 B classification was the tightest of any division entering Friday’s final moto as Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Matt Leblanc, Deep South Kawasaki’s Luca Marsalisi, and SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda’s Luke Kalaitzian all sat tied atop the overall classification. With all three riders holding an equal opportunity to take home the title, and each finishing inside the top three in both motos, it was anyone’s guess as to who would prevail. For Leblanc, he hoped the experience from his victory in the class last year would work to his advantage.

As the field jockeyed for position early on it was Kalaitzian who grabbed the early advantage and jumped out to the lead ahead of Leblanc and Husqvarna rider Wyatt Mattson, while Marsalisi was just outside the top five in sixth. A determined Leblanc was able to muscle his way around Kalaitzian to seize control of the race lead. On his first full lap as race leader, Leblanc put his head down and charged out to a multiple-second advantage. As this unfolded, Marsalisi’s eagerness to catch the leaders resulted in misfortune and dropped him to the tail end of the running order, effectively ending his championship hopes.

Once he built his gap on the field, Leblanc controlled the remainder of the moto with ease as Kalaitzian encountered misfortune as well in pursuit. Leblanc capped off his second consecutive 450 B championship in dominant fashion, taking the moto win by more than 21 seconds over Mattson, with SLM KTM’s Matthew Curler in third.

450 B Overall Results (Moto Finishes)Matthew Leblanc, Breaux Bridge, La., Yamaha (3-1-1)Luke Kalaitzian, Sun Valley, Calif., Honda (2-2-6)Matthew Curler, Wills Point, Texas, KTM (4-4-3)Wyatt Mattson, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna (6-6-2)Cole Bradford, Tampa, Fla., Honda (5-5-4)

Matt Leblanc captured his second consecutive title in 450 B.
Photo: Ken Hill

125cc (12-17) B/C
As he entered the third and final 125cc B/C moto on Friday for the final race of the day Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Max Vohland had amassed an undefeated record across two divisions and was in a prime position to wrap up a pair of titles, an accomplishment he achieved one year prior by taking home the Supermini 1 and Supermini 2 championships. On Friday, his first task would be wrapping up the 125cc B/C crown.

When the gate dropped on the final moto, Vohland wasted no time putting his KTM out front and established some breathing room between himself and MTF KTM’s Gage Linville, his primary challenger, at the end of the opening lap. Well aware of the situation at hand, Linville gave his all to keep Vohland within striking distance, ready to take advantage of any mistakes or find an opening to attempt a pass.

As the moto wore on, Vohland’s consistency was putting the pressure on Linville to keep up and as the race surpassed the halfway point Linville lost touch, falling back to a double-digit deficit. Out front, Vohland was on cruise control and easily swept the 125cc B/C motos by nearly 22 seconds over Linville. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Talon Hawkins followed in third.

Vohland has now won a title in each of the last three classes he entered and is poised to earn a fourth in Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C on Saturday.

125cc (12-17) B/C Overall Results (Moto Finishes)Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (1-1-1)Gage Linville, Lake Park, Ga., KTM (2-2-2)Larry Reyes Jr., Houston, Texas, Yamaha (3-4-4)Talon Hawkins, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna (7-3-3)Myles Gilmore, Australia, Yamaha (6-7-9)
Women
Carrying back-to-back moto wins into the final moto on Friday, SBG Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt’s Online Kawasaki’s Jordan Jarvis was in a comfortable spot to bring home a third Women class title thanks to a five-point cushion over KTM Orange Brigade’s Tayler Allred.

All week long Jarvis had been at her best when the gate dropped and that trend continued to start Moto 3 as the Kawasaki rider moved into the early lead over Allred, with Newground Husqvarna’s Hannah Hodges in third. Jarvis laid down her fastest lap of the moto on Lap 2, which helped her put a little breathing room between her and Allred, who was able to secure her hold on second after Hodges encountered misfortune.

Jarvis continued to nail her marks and log consistent laps, which only added to her lead and eventually allowed her to build a double-digit advantage. She finished strong and wrapped up a 1-1-1 sweep of the motos with a winning margin of nearly 19 seconds over Allred, while Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM’s Sophia Phelps rounded out the podium in third.

With six career AMA National Championships to her credit, Jarvis is now one of the most decorated riders in Loretta Lynn’s history.

Women Overall Results (Moto Finishes)Jordan Jarvis, Clayton, N.C., Kawasaki (1-1-1)Tayler Allred, Riverton, Utah, KTM (3-2-2)Tayla Jones, Denton, Texas, Husqvarna (6-3-4)Sophia Phelps, Saint George, Utah, KTM (9-4-3)Hannah Hodges, Deland, Fla., Husqvarna (2-5-9)

Jordan Jarvis’ week-long dominance continued en route to her third Women’s title.
Photo: Ken Hill

Mini Sr. 1 (12-14) & Mini Sr. 2 (13-15)
Undoubtedly one of the hottest riders all week long at Loretta Lynn’s was second generation racer Haiden Deegan. Entering Friday’s final motos for both Mini Sr. 1 and Mini Sr. 2 the KTM Orange Brigade rider had compiled an undefeated record and was poised to go a perfect 6-0 en route to a pair of AMA National Championships. To no one’s surprise, Deegan rose to the occasion yet again and put forth arguably his best rides of the entire event to finish undefeated.

The first race of the day for Deegan came in Mini Sr. 2, where he put his stamp on the winning effort after just a single lap, building an insurmountable lead of more than five seconds ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Krystian Janik and Triangle Cycles/bLU cRU/Yamaha’s Logan Best, who were engaged in their own battle for the runner-up spot in the overall classification. At the conclusion of the third lap Deegan’s advantage had grown to double-digits and he continued to build on the lead through to the checkered flag, where he wrapped up the sweep of the motos by just under 19 seconds. The battle for second raged on for much of the moto, but Best got the better of Janik in the end to secure the position in the overall standings.

When Deegan returned to the track for the final Mini Sr. 1 moto, he put his KTM to the front early and opened up a lead of more than a second over Best, his closest challenger, at the end of the opening lap. Deegan continued to run at a blistering pace and found himself out front by almost 10 seconds halfway through the moto. That allowed him to maintain the lead and bring home a drama free moto sweep by 18 seconds over Best, followed by KTM rider Landin Pepperd in third.

With his pair of victories, Deegan became the first rider at the 2020 event to bring home multiple AMA National Championships. He’s also the first rider to complete the week undefeated across more than one division.

Mini Sr. 1 (12-14) Overall Results (Moto Finishes)Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., KTM (1-1-1)Logan Best, North Port, Fla., Yamaha (2-2-2)Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill. Kawasaki (3-5-10)Jeremy Fappani, Scottsdale, Ariz., KTM (6-8-5)Agustin Barreneche, Colombia, KTM (7-4-11)Mini Sr. 2 (13-15) Overall Results (Moto Finishes)Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., KTM (1-1-1)Logan Best, North Port, Fla., Yamaha (2-4-2)Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill. Kawasaki (3-2-3)Adler Caudle, Moore, Okla., KTM (5-10-4)Casey Cochran, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (7-3-9)
Mini-E (4-6) Jr.
Friday signified a landmark moment in the history of Loretta Lynn’s as the first ever AMA National Championship was handed out for an electric motorcycle class. The debut of the Mini-E Jr. division in 2020 was well received, with a significant number of entries and alternates. As for the action on the track, one rider, Kade Nightingale, had set the benchmark coming into Friday with wins in the first two motos.

Nightingale found himself in a familiar spot to start the final moto and led the field around to complete the first lap, but Jaydin Smart, Nightingale’s primary rival all week, made a bid for the lead and successfully seized control of the moto. As he attempted to fight back, Nightingale lost ground and faced a multi-second deficit early in the moto.

Smart continued to ride strong and extended his lead further in the closing stages of the moto, becoming just the second rider to win a Mini-E moto. Nightingale settled for second, nearly nine seconds back, but still enjoyed the spoils of the first AMA National Championship in the division thanks to his consistent 1-1-2 moto finishes.

Mini-E (4-6) Jr. Overall Results (Moto Finishes)Kade Nightingale, Mounds, Okla., KTM (1-1-2)Jaydin Smart, Berry Creek, Calif., KTM (2-2-1)Anderson Waldele, Lizella, Ga., KTM (7-3-3)Jeter Ramirez, El Reno, Okla., KTM (3-6-4)Gavin McCoy, Clever, Mo., KTM (13-4-5)

Kade Nightingale took a historic first title in the debut of the Mini-E Jr. class.
Photo: Ken Hill

Additional AMA Amateur National Champions from Friday (Moto Finishes)

250 B Limited:                       Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (1-1-1)
125 C:                                     Garrett Alumbaugh, Newark, Texas, Yamaha (1-1-1)
Vet (30+):                               Nicholas Hayes, Chester, Va., Kawasaki (1-2-1)
85cc (10-12) Limited:            Luke Fauser, Midland, Pa., KTM (1-1-3)
Masters (50+):                       Kevin Walker, Kingsport, Tenn., Suzuki (3-1-1)
51cc (7-8) Limited:                Gauge Brown, Cypress, Texas, Cobra (2-2-3)
65cc (10-11) Limited:            Seth Dennis, Minneola, Fla., KTM (1-1-2)
250 C:                                     Albert Haberle IV, Atco, N.J, KTM (3-3-3)
65cc (7-9) Limited:                Darren Pine, Crosby, Texas, Cobra (1-1-3)
51cc (4-6) Limited:                Jaydin Smart, Berry Creek, Calif., Cobra (2-1-1)
51cc (4-6) Shaft Drive Ltd:   Grayson Porco, Barberton, Ohio, Yamaha (3-2-2)
Senior (40+):                          Kris Keefer, Hesperia, Calif., Yamaha (1-1-2)

The final day of the 2020 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship commences Saturday, August 8, where champions will be crowned in the final 17 classes. Broadcast coverage of every moto can be seen exclusively on Racer TV.

Tomac takes control in California

admineaserm — Sun, 26 May 2019 01:35:15 +0000

The podium men

Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac proved he’s the man to beat in the US Nationals by romping to two moto wins under the sunny Californian skies at Pala. In the first moto he had a sixth place start. But unlike at the Hangtown opener where he went backwards, this time he moved forward.

Tomac takes the win

He caught up to holeshot man and red plate holder Ken Roczen who had been kept busy fending off a tough challenge from Marvin Musquin. Tomac wasted no time in getting by both of them to take the win.

Bogle leads race two

Second time out Tomac quickly overhauled holeshot man Justin Bogle then race leader Musquin to take the lead and clear off to an unchallenged win

Tomac chases Musquin

Tomac said: “Going through my head, the first moto reminded me of Hangtown All the good guys were at the front and I was hanging out in sixth.I got angry and started pinning it. I rode better ion the second half of the race. I loosened up and found better lines.

Hot 450 action

“In the second one I had a good feeling and some good lines. I felt better this week, riding better and was able to make my way to the front. It was big for me mentally to do well here.”

K-Roc styling

The man many expected to win was Roczen. He led the first but lost out to Tomac. Then in moto two he held onto third for most of the race and could do nothing to reel in Musquin who was holding a safe second place.

Tomac pushing hard

The pair tied on points, but Musquin was second overall thanks to his better second race score.

Roczen was not on his best form

Roczen said: “I was fighting the bike a bit. In the beginning you can manage but on a track like today, it gets harder. In the first moto I slid out and almost crashed and Eli was on me.

Osborne had great battles

“I made bike adjustments for moto two. I had a good start but wasn’t feeling ideal on the track. But I’m pretty happy today. It’s a championship mentality and I want to do my thing. I’m totally fine with third and I’m in it for the long run. I want to win but Eli and Marvin were on it and it’s good to be on the podium.”

Webb wheelies

Musquin was pleased to take second after he crashed hard at Hangtown last week and had to stay off the bike apart from one day riding.

Roczen rails a rut

He said: “At Hangtown I had a big crash so I was going to skip one day of riding but pretty much skiped the whole week. I had a rough week with just a little bit of riding so I came with not much expectation. I wanted to get back to my full potential.

Musquin took second

“I felt decent and wanted to be consistent all day. I was right there in the first moto, and I was lucky when some guys made some mistakes. I tried to catch Kenny but got third.

“In second moto I was up front and got second. I’m just glad to be back on the podium. I’m pretty sore but as long as I’m good on the bike, that’s OK.”

Seely pushing the HRC 450 hard

Former British champ Zach Osborne took a fine fourth place from his Husky team-mate Jason Anderson with Supercross king Cooper Webb sixth. Osborne spent both motos battling with riders like Webb and Anderson and chased Roczen home in the second heat.

Anderson was riding well

Tomac now leads the series on 93 points with Roczen on 89 and Musquin 74.

Behind the scenes from Hangtown

admineaserm — Sun, 19 May 2019 10:36:13 +0000

Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac, Jason Anderson, Cooper Webb, Adam Cianciarulo… and Ryan Villopoto star in this behind-the-scenes look at the opening round of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross championship from Hangtown.

From the All-Star 125 race to the mighty 450s, check out our look at everything from the pits to the fans, bikes and lots more.

Ferris gets factory Yamaha USA call-up

admineaserm — Wed, 08 May 2019 08:46:04 +0000

As Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s Aaron Plessinger continues to recover from his broken heel injury sustained earlier this year in Supercross, the team has announced that international racer Dean Ferris will stand in starting with the opening round of the 2019 Pro Motocross Championship at the Hangtown Classic on May 18.

Ferris is the reigning Australian Motocross Champion in the premier class and added his name to the history books in 2018 as the first rider to win all 10-rounds of the series. The Australian has also gone undefeated in the title chase for the last three years aboard Yamaha’s popular YZ450F.

Earlier this season, the 28-year-old filled in for the injured Romain Febvre in the MXGP World Championship. Having achieved his current goals in the national Australian championship, Ferris is eager for new opportunities abroad to further hone his skills as a top motocross rider.

An update on Plessinger’s return will be made when available.

View this post on Instagram

Stoked to confirm I have signed to race the AMA @promotocross Championship with @monsterenergy Yamaha Factory Racing Team. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this happen! See you all at Hangtown ????

A post shared by Dean Ferris (@ferriswheel111) on May 7, 2019 at 9:10pm PDT

CBD advertising banned at AMA events

Ray Chuss — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 14:37:26 +0000

It seems like every other rider now has a sponsorship by a CBD product company. Unfortunately, the AMA has decided to ban all forms of advertising from their events. The CBD police will be out in force this weekend in Dallas.

Will we see this in FIM events in Europe or maybe closer to home with the ACU, let’s wait and see?

The following statement is for the AMA to explain:

Due to the ongoing issues arising from CBD Product sponsorships, we are providing the following notice to riders and their teams.

The law regarding CBD products, including their lawful sale, possession, advertising, and sponsorship of them, is unsettled. Notwithstanding the change in federal law in December 2018, there are no federal regulations in place yet on how these products can be advertised or promoted. CBD and related products are not completely legal in all 50 states and there are various restrictions on their sale and promotion.
Signage or promotional displays for CBD-related products will not be allowed in the pit areas.
No rider will be allowed to race with logos or other promotional displays on their person, their uniform, their gear, or on their bike.
The AMA will be enforcing this at inspection points and at any other time a violation is brought to the attention of Feld Motor Sports or the AMA. Riders will be required to cover or remove any logo before being allowed to race and at no time during the event are the display of CBD-related logos permitted. Failure to comply with this will result in a rider being removed from a race or denied entry.
In addition, sanctions may be applied pursuant to the AMA Supercross rule book for any rider who violates this policy.
This will remain in effect until further notice.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt7flT5Afvu/

Munchies sorted.

Baggett’s first SX win as Roczen leads the series

admineaserm — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 19:59:33 +0000

It’s sometimes said that the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship series doesn’t really get started until round two. With all the nerves and anticipation of the opening round building up for months, the results are sometimes not indicative of what to expect for the rest of the series. And if you add rain to the equation and it can throw things even farther off.

Round two of the 2019 championship took place under the roof above State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, so mud was never going to be a factor. And in the end, Team Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM WPS’ Blake Baggett took down a hard-earned first win in his 450SX Class career, Ken Roczen now has the red plate while Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo won his first 250SX Class race of 2019.

In the 450SX Class, Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen grabbed the Main Event holeshot from the far outside and assumed the lead in front of Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson, and Baggett. Early on, it was the defending champ, Anderson, who was on the move, slamming his way by Musquin for second in the turn after the whoop section. Roczen had a decent gap, but Smartop/Motoconcepts/Bullfrog Spas Honda’s Malcolm Stewart went down in the whoops a handful of laps into the race and was down for long enough, and in enough of a precarious spot on the racetrack, that the race officials decided to throw the red flag.

Stewart was carted off the track and waved to the 52,807 relieved fans on-hand as he exited the stadium floor. The race was restarted with a staggered start, where the racers start in a single-file line in the order they were last scored across the finish line prior to the red flag.

Roczen resumed the lead, but Anderson was all over him and, in the same spot where he aggressively shoved his way by Musquin a few laps earlier, he dove underneath Roczen for the lead and tagged Roczen’s front wheel, causing the popular Honda rider to hit the deck as Anderson sped off with the lead. Roczen got back up in fourth, but by this point, Baggett had worked his way past Musquin and into second place and began narrowing the gap on Anderson.

With three laps to go, Baggett made a power move around the outside to take the lead from Anderson, after which Anderson seemed immediately to settle for second place. Baggett went on to score the victory over Anderson and Roczen, who had passed Musquin for the final podium spot around the halfway point.

Behind Roczen came Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac in fourth and then Musquin and round-one winner Justin Barcia (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing).

“I’ve had weekends when I could run with those guys, and with Kenny [Roczen] as well, and then some weekends they just leave me in the dust,” Baggett said. “So, it feels good to finally get my whole program together and be able to run with those guys… I’ve just got to keep these rolling. It hasn’t hit me yet that I finally got a 450 win…”

Anderson expressed regret for how aggressive his pass for the lead was on Roczen. “Honestly, I don’t think that’s how you race,” Anderson said. “I was a little overly aggressive, and I was kind of embarrassed after the whole incident happened, and I just want to apologize. But hopefully the next race I’ll be able to not do something like that, and race straight-up; I just feel really bad… We’re going to come out and we’re going to have clean battles the rest of the year.”

Jason Anderson was outsmarted Photo Feld

Despite his crash from the Anderson collision, Roczen hung on for his second podium of the season and took over the series points lead. “Before the restart, I got a great start; I pulled the holeshot and I was just really focused and pulling away a little bit,” Roczen said. “Then we got the staggered start, and they put all of us kind of close together again, and Jason [Anderson] drove there to the inside and took me down. I’m not too happy about it, but I bounced back at least and came back to the podium-to third place-so that was super-good.”

In the 250SX Class, Adam Cianciarulo’s whole goal at round two was to eliminate the mistakes he made at round one, and he did. He grabbed the holeshot to start the Main Event and was never seriously challenged on his way to his first victory of the year. “It wasn’t much of a difference other than I got to the first corner, unlike last week,” Cianciarulo said. “Last week, we had a little mishap, and it just seemed to string into a couple mistakes, and that really bummed me out because in the off-season, I went to work with Nick Wey and the whole team and just really kind of took a step back and changed some things in my program. You know, I’m really tired of being the guy that just has ‘potential’. You hate to just leave so much on the table, so I’ve sacrificed pretty much everything in my life to get to this point… It feels so good to get a win early in the season. We’re right where we want to be. We couldn’t be happier.”

Adam Cianciarulo saluting the Glendale crowd after capturing his first win of the season. Photo credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.

Round-one winner Colt Nichols, of the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, seemed to struggle with his rhythm early in the Main Event, but it came around a few laps into the race and he fought his way past Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Michael Mosiman and TLD/Red Bull KTM’s Shane McElrath to take a solid second place on the night and hold onto his points lead. He credits his new mental coach.

“It’s huge,” Nichols said. “I’m working with a girl named Kate, and she’s done wonders for me. It’s a big deal to kind of work on that side of things. I mean, everybody has a weakness out here, so to try to improve on your weaknesses is huge, and that’s all I’m trying to do, man. I’m just trying to make myself better in every facet possible…”

McElrath scored his second third-place finish in a row. “I felt good on the bike all day, it’s just the track was really intense; it was really fast, and one little mistake in one of these long rhythms, and I couldn’t really get it back,” McElrath said. “So, I’m a little bummed just in some of the choices I made, but the main thing is, I’m healthy… I’m happy to be up here, but we need to be a little better if we want this number-one plate.”

Nichols holds onto his points lead in the 250SX Class and Roczen carries the 450SX Class points lead as the series heads back to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., this coming Saturday night, January 19.

450SX Class Results
1. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM
2. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
3. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda
4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
5. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
6. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha
7. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., Honda
8. Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
9. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
10. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
450SX Class Championship Standings1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda (44)2. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha (43)3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (40)4. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (37)5. Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (34)6. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM (33)7. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna (32)8. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (31)9. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (29)10. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., Honda (28)

Western Regional 250SX Class Results1. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
2. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha
3. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM
4. RJ Hampshire, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda
5. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Suzuki
6. Dylan Ferrandis, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
7. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Husqvarna
8. Sean Cantrell, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
9. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki
10. Michael Mosiman, Menifee, Calif., Husqvarna
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings1. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (49)2. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (44)3. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (42)4. Dylan Ferrandis, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha (40)5. RJ Hampshire, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (38)6. Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Suzuki (34)7. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki (31)8. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Husqvarna (30)9. Michael Mosiman, Menifee, Calif., Husqvarna (24)10. Jess Pettis, Prince George, Canada, KTM (24)11. Cameron McAdoo, Chesterfield, S.C., Honda (24)

Reed signs JGR Suzuki for AMA Supercross

admineaserm — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 21:42:39 +0000

Veteran Chad Reed will have another crack at winning the AMA 450 Supercross championship again in 2019 as he has signed for the JGR Suzuki team.

The organisers of the championship revealed the news on Monday evening following his official entry into the series.

Aussie Reed has had some races on the Suzuki, such as at the Monster Cup where he had an eighth overall including a third place moto finish, but a full-time slot had not been confirmed. He’s unlikely to race the US Nationals though.

Cooper Webb joins KTM!

admineaserm — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 07:44:58 +0000

American Cooper Webb will join the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the 2019 race season. The North Carolina native will pilot the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION alongside teammate Marvin Musquin in the AMA 450 Supercross Championship and AMA 450 Pro Motocross Championship.

Webb joins the KTM family with a long list of accomplishments since his professional debut in 2013. Following a decorated amateur racing career, Webb achieved great success in the 250cc division, claiming back-to-back AMA 250SX West Championships in 2015 and ‘16, before putting a cap on his 250cc career in 2016 with an AMA 250MX National Championship.

Since moving into the premier 450cc division in 2017, Webb has earned two career podium finishes in AMA Supercross and multiple top-five finishes in Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross. Heading into the 2019 season, Webb is confident in his abilities and he’s READY TO RACE for top finishes with the support of Red Bull KTM.

Cooper Webb: “It was an honuor when Roger and Ian reached out for me to be the next guy on the Red Bull KTM team. It’s really encouraging to know what this team has achieved – they really have been there and done it, so I don’t see any reason why they can’t do it with me. I will be putting in the work and doing everything possible to come into the year as strong as I can be. With everything around me, I know I have put myself in the best possible position for winning on the track again. I had a very comfortable feeling with the guys from the very first moments and that just gives you confidence. Working with Aldon at the Baker’s Factory is another strong part of the whole KTM set-up. I have an opportunity that really involves the whole package, so the plan is to ‘stick to the plan’ and focus on getting ready with the bike for Anaheim I. I don’t want anything to take me away from that!”

Team Manager, Ian Harrison: “We are excited for Cooper to join the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team for the upcoming 2019 season. Cooper has had an exciting and successful career winning in 250cc competition and our goal is to give him the tools to continue that success on a KTM going forward. We feel the combination of both Marvin and Cooper racing the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION in both Supercross and Motocross is strong, and our hopes are that the pair can motivate and push each other to race to their fullest potential. The Red Bull KTM Team commits to investing a lot of time and resources long-term into our riders, providing them with access to top facilities, technology and factory-backed support in order for them to have successful careers with the team. We look forward to Cooper taking full advantage of these opportunities so we all can enjoy even more success as a team and a lasting future together.”

Webb is set to debut his ride aboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION at the upcoming Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 17.