Rider Files

(NEWS RELEASE)

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA racers who are focused on winning an AMA National No. 1 plate this July 25-31 at the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships in Du Quoin, Ill., can start their title chase early.

The AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship Holeshot Series awards bonus points for national championships to be decided in Du Quoin. Riders who compete in all races in their class at one of the Holeshot Series events will earn five bonus points toward that class’ national title.

“The AMA Racing Dirt Track Holeshot Series is a great way to get in shape for the Grand Championships later this summer, as well as size up the competition you’ll face in Du Quoin,” said AMA Racing Director Joe Bromley. “Plus, racers can jumpstart their title campaign. I’ve been attending the AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships for decades and have seen many titles decided by a few points. We encourage all riders to get out there and earn their bonus points. That extra edge may make all the difference.”

The AMA Racing Dirt Track Holeshot Series kicks off May 14-15 at the Oakland Valley Speedway in Cuddlebackville, N.Y. It then travels to Neoga, Ill., for a Central Illinois MC event on May 28-29. That same weekend, West Coast racers can earn their points at a Mt. St. Helens MC race in Castle Rock, Wash. Then, on June 11-12, the Sioux Valley Cycle Club will host a round in Sioux Falls, S.D.

“For the last 60 years at the Central Illinois Motorcycle Club, Memorial Day Weekend has meant one thing, flat track races,” said the club’s Brian Hopper. “By adding the AMA Racing Dirt Track Holeshot Series, we found the missing ingredient in our kick off to summer. Take one valley, add a natural terrain TT track, throw in a bar-banging short track, mix it up with some AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championship bonus points, then top it off with the fastest amateurs in the Midwest and you have the perfect combination to ring in an all-American holiday.”

Added Denise Reiss from Oakland Valley Speedway: “Oakland Valley Speedway is excited to be teaming up with AMA this year to bring an AMA Racing Dirt Track Holeshot Series into the Northeast Region. We are hoping that this will help with the growth of the sport, while providing a great facility for all riders.”

To count toward a racer’s Grand Championship point total, bonus points must be earned in the same class contested at the Grand Championships, where amateur riders can compete in up to four classes and youth riders can compete in up to three. A racer who competes in all of the races for his or her class at a Holeshot Series event will earn 5 bonus points toward that class championship regardless of finishing order.

The AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships is the premier amateur dirt-track racing event in the country. The week of racing features competition in all four dirt-track disciplines — short track, TT, the half-mile and the mile — and crowns national champions based on their accumulated points from each individual event. Racers from around the country will converge on Du Quoin, Ill., this summer to battle for national championship honors, as well as the AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award, which honors the amateur racer poised to make a statement on the pro level.

Event and series details can be found in the Racing section of AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its support of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

(NEWS RELEASE)

Jackpot Challenge Winner Gives His VIP Trip to Two Houston Children

SEATTLE, Wash. (April 21, 2011) – MX for Children announced today that its Inside Line Experience fundraiser exceeded $37,000 for children’s hospitals throughout the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season. The Jackpot Challenge, which rewarded the top fundraising performer with two VIP passes to the Monster Energy Supercross finale at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium, was won by Marc Fantich of McAllen, Texas.  Fantich, who raised more than $7,000 by taking pledges for driving his Harley Davidson motorcycle from his home in Texas to Seattle, Wash., refused to accept his prize and awarded it to two deserving children from Houston, Texas who participated in raising money for hydrocephalus through MX for Children.

“I did this ride because MX for Children is a great cause,” said Marc Fantich, CEO of Fantich Media Group. “My brother and our friend Robert, who supported me on this ride, already have my tickets to Las Vegas, so the trip should go to those two young kids from Houston who raised all that money doing bake sales!”  Jackie Anthis, mother of Sean and Ryan who raised more than $3,400 was speechless when she heard that they had won.

“I am so proud of Ryan and Sean for all the hard work they have put into their fundraising efforts,” exclaimed Anthis. “This is their third year raising money for hydrocephalus through MX for Children, and they continue to surprise me each and every time.”

The second place winner, Greg Pinch of Toronto, Canada will receive a $500 gift certificate to the Motorcycle Superstore. And the third place winner, Scott Whittington of Toronto, Canada won a Microsoft Xbox 360 with Kinect Hardware.  Both of these winners participated in the Inside Line Experience at the Toronto Monster Energy Supercross race on March 26.

The MX for Children Jackpot Challenge created an opportunity for anyone in North America to raise funds for MX for Children, which resulted in participants from Southern California to Toronto, Canada.

“We are overwhelmed with the success of the Jackpot Challenge,” said MX for Children founder Paul Gross. “Not only did this opportunity allow us to raise more money for our network of children’s hospitals, but also give people a taste of what our program does and some momentum to build on in the future.”

MX for Children Jackpot Challenge raised funds for the Hydrocephalus Association, a 501(c)(3), which distributes the donations to the following children’s hospitals: Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Houston’s Texas Children’s, Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City’s Primary Children’s, Seattle Children’s, St. Louis Children’s, and Toronto’s SickKids Hospital.  The funds go to support the hospitals’ research to improve the brain condition hydrocephalus – the #1 cause of brain surgery for children.

Donations are still being accepted for the Jackpot Challenge at http://mxforchildren.kintera.org.

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter, log on to http://www.facebook.com/supercrosslive and http://twitter.com/supercrosslive.

About MX for Children
MX for Children has raised more than $500,000 for children’s hospitals in North American since it was founded in 2006. Fundraisers are motivated to help children by advancing research for hydrocephalus — the #1 cause of brain surgery for kids. MX for Children supported hospitals, recognized as some of the world’s foremost pediatric health-care institutions, are dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research, and education in several cities on the Supercross circuit. For more information, visit www.mxforchildren.org  or contact MX for Children at info@mxforchildren.org

About Feld Motor Sports^®
Feld Motor Sports^®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment.  Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz℠, and IHRA^® Nitro Jam^®.  Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment.  For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

(NEWS RELEASE)

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is recognizing the organization’s most loyal members with the option to add benefits at significant savings with the introduction of a new membership category: AMA Life Member Plus.

Available now by phone at (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646), AMA Life Member Plus adds benefits that have not been part of the AMA Life Member package until now: AMA Roadside Assistance, a monthly subscription to American Motorcyclist magazine and a collectible AMA Life Member Plus membership card.

The existing AMA Life Member program is not changing. AMA members who reach 25 years of continuous membership will still achieve AMA Life Member status. These members, who no longer pay annual membership dues, receive discounts on products and services, the ability to participate in AMA-sanctioned events, and access to the Members Area of AmericanMotorcyclist.com — including the full digital edition of American Motorcyclist magazine.

The AMA Life Member Plus program includes all these benefits and adds AMA Roadside Assistance, a monthly subscription to the printed version of American Motorcyclist magazine and a new membership card every year. Including all the benefits of full AMA membership, AMA Life Member Plus is available for $29 — a $10 discount off the full membership price.

“Frankly, we haven’t done enough for our life members — the lifeblood of the AMA — and this optional program is our way of making up for the oversight and bringing Life Members new benefits in a cost-effective way,” said AMA Membership and Marketing Vice President Dan Stedman. “Life Member Plus also lays the groundwork to re-engage and reconnect with our Life Members in a very meaningful way going forward.”

Of course, for many AMA Life Member Plus participants, the top benefit of the new program will be the freedom to ride knowing they continue to financially support the organization that has been fighting for motorcyclists’ rights since 1924.

The AMA Life Member Plus program includes:  

• AMA Roadside Assistance that covers all of your motorcycles, cars, trucks and RVs.
• 12 issues of American Motorcyclist magazine.
• An exclusive AMA Life Member Plus Membership card, new every year.
• An exclusive AMA Life Member Plus Pin And Decal.
• All the benefits of AMA Membership, including money-saving discounts and a voice protecting motorcyclists’ rights at the federal, state and local levels.

There’s no obligation to join the AMA Life Member Plus program, and AMA Life Members who don’t want AMA Roadside Assistance can still subscribe to the print version of American Motorcyclist magazine for just $10 a year. AMA Life Members who want neither AMA Roadside Assistance nor the printed version of American Motorcyclist magazine will continue to receive all other benefits of AMA Life Membership.

AMA Life Members who wish to enroll in the AMA Life Member Plus program should call AMA Member Services at (800) 262-5646. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Members Area > Life Member Plus.  

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its support of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

(NEWS RELEASE)

World’s best riders to race on new surface Aug. 26-28 during Red Bull Indianapolis GP

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, April 21, 2011 – The infield section of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course will be repaved this summer in anticipation of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race Aug. 26-28.

The project, which will repave 1.5 miles of the circuit from Turn 5 through Turn 16, will start Thursday, June 9. Turn 5 is where the course leaves the short chute between Turns 1 and 2 of the oval. Turn 16 is where the circuit leaves the infield near the start of the front straightaway at the exit of Turn 4 of the oval.

It’s the first time this section of the course has been resurfaced since it was built in 2000. Turns 1 through 4 of the 2.621-mile circuit – located inside Turn 1 of the oval – were created in 2008 for the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP and will not be repaved during this project.

The new asphalt will be consistent with the other sections of the course.

“This project is an example of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway providing competitors the finest racing facilities in the world,” said Mel Harder, IMS senior vice president, operations. “We had a very long, hard winter this year, which exacerbated the bumps and cracks in this aging section of the track.

“We also decided to undertake this project this year due to feedback from riders during the Red Bull Indianapolis GP last year. The new surface will produce even closer, more exciting racing for the world’s best riders and our loyal fans this August.”

The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

“I’m happy to hear the infield section is being repaved at Indy,” said 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden, who rides for the Ducati Team. “It’s already a great track, and I’m sure this will make a smoother, more consistent racetrack for everybody.

“It also shows how the people at IMS pay attention to every detail – that’s probably why they’ve been around over a hundred years. I’ve always loved it there, as it’s my home track. I can’t wait to get back to Indy and race in August.”

***  

2011 Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets: 2011 Red Bull Indianapolis GP tickets are on sale now.

To buy tickets, visit www.imstix.com, call the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visit the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16^th Street. Ticket office and phone hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

The 2011 Red Bull Indianapolis GP is scheduled for Aug. 26-28 at IMS.

Race Day general admission tickets cost $40, with Friday general admission $10 and Saturday general admission $20. A three-day general admission ticket is $60. A Friday-Saturday general admission ticket is $25.

Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free any of the three days of the event when accompanied by an adult with a general admission ticket.

Race Day reserved seat prices will start at $70.

Dave Schlosser was best known as owner/manager of three-time AMA Endurance racing champion team Dutchman Racing. Lesser know is the fact that Schlosser was a solid journeyman AMA Formula One racer, racing the ubiquitous Yamaha TZ750 in the early 1980s. He scored a handful of top-10 Formula One finishes. His best result was taking eighth in the talent-packed Laguna Seca round in 1982.

Schlosser was an excellent endurance racer too, racing for Team Hammer in the mid-1980s. Here he races the Team Hammer Suzuki prototype coming out of the hairpin at Indianapolis Raceway Park sometime in the mid-1980s.

A funny and somewhat embarrassing personal story involving Dave – I was covering the races for Cycle News back when Dave was racing for Hammer. I saw him in the pits at Summit Point working on the bike and I wanted to talk with him, but I’d only met him once before and got him and teammate Joey Osowski mixed up. So here I am standing a few feet away and I’m saying “Hey Joey.” Schlosser didn’t look up so I started saying louder “Hey Joey!” Then I’m right next to him still saying “Hey Joey,” thinking maybe he was hard of hearing or something. Finally Dave looks up and says “The name is Dave.” For years afterwards I’d be walking through the pits at a race somewhere and I’d hear someone yelling “Hey Joey!” and it was always Schlosser standing there looking at me with a big smile on his face.

Dave Schlosser racing for Team Hammer in WERA National Endurance action in the mid-1980s. Here he races the Team Hammer Suzuki prototype coming out of the hairpin at Indianapolis Raceway Park sometime in the mid-1980s. (Larry Lawrence photo)

(NEWS RELEASE)

SONOMA, Calif. (April 20, 2011) — Race fans are invited to celebrate a bit of history during the 2011 Big O Tires Racing Season with the Legends in Sonoma program at Infineon Raceway.

The raceway will feature some of motor sports’ biggest names at each of its major events, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, IZOD IndyCar® Series and AMA Pro Road Racing.

It’s all designed to put the race fans closer than ever before to some of the biggest legends in racing. Each race weekend will feature Q&A sessions, autograph sessions and other surprises featuring the Legends of Sonoma.

Here’s the lineup for the upcoming season:

NASCAR – June 24-26

Bobby Allison: The 1983 NASCAR Cup champion will be featured at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 weekend, June 24-26. Allison is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 and a 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee. His son, Davey Allison, won in Sonoma in 1991.

NHRA – July 29-31

Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney and Don Prudhomme: This trio will be featured at the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 29-31. Muldowney was a three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion and a true pioneer for women in professional motor sports. Garlits, better known as “Big Daddy,” was a three-time NHRA world champion and won 144 national events, while Prudhomme was also a multi-time NHRA world champion and will be inducted into the Infineon Raceway Wall of Fame during the race weekend.

AMA – May 11-15

Brad Lackey, Rich Oliver and Scott Russell: Two-wheel race fans will recognize these legendary names. Oliver is a five-time AMA Pro Road Racing 250cc champion, and he has won at Infineon Raceway five times, while Russell was a five-time Daytona 200 champion and is referred to as “Mr. Daytona.” Lackey, who resides in the East Bay, was the first American to win the 500cc Grand Prix Motocross World Championship in 1982.

INDYCAR – Aug. 26-28

Johnny Rutherford and Al Unser Jr.: Unser Jr. is a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, while Rutherford was a three-time winner of the great race. Both drivers will be featured at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend, Aug. 26-28.

Stay tuned to www.infineonraceway.com/legends for ticket packages associated with the Legends in Sonoma program, as well as activities planned for the legends during race weekend.