Rider Files

John Davis (No. 990 Yamaha RZ350) leads a group of riders in the C Production Novice race in the 1984 WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta. Davis was one of the leading riders in that class out of the CRRC (now CMRA) club in Texas. Here Davis leads Kris Frost (No. 616) and Rex Miller taking the inside line on his No. 679 Honda Interceptor.  You can just make out Robby Braunscheidel on the No. 665 Interceptor leading up the next group.  These riders were battling for a top-10 finish. Frost was the highest finisher of this group taking fifth in a race that was loaded with talent including Ron Ewerth, Kurt Hall and Jamie James. Kenneth Davis (no relation to John Davis that I’m aware of) won the race. I think Kenneth Davis raced a Yamaha RZ500 in the event. There were over 700 riders in the GNF that year.

John Davis (No. 990 Yamaha RZ350) leads a group of riders in the C Production Novice race in the 1984 WERA Grand National Final at Road Atlanta. (Larry Lawrence photo)

(NEWS RELEASE)

SONOMA, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2011) – Infineon Raceway has reaffirmed its position as an industry leader in recycling, collecting more than 58 tons of materials during the 2011 Big O Tires Racing Season.

The raceway partnered with the Conservation Corps North Bay to collect 116,881 pounds of materials during the 2011 season, which included the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, IZOD IndyCar® Series and AMA Pro Road Racing event weekends. The raceway has collected more than 267 tons of materials (534,815 pounds) since the inception of its recycling program in 2004.

“One of the most obvious and effective steps we can take in maintaining a sustainable business operation is to ensure the tremendous volumes of packaging and other materials that come through this facility find their way into the recycling stream,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway. “We don’t get 100-percent, but that’s our goal and we’re pushing hard.”

Below is a breakdown of the recycling totals from 2011:

· Aluminum: 560 pounds

· Cardboard: 48,720 pounds

· CRV (glass, aluminum, plastic beverage containers): 21,961 pounds

· Metal debris: 16,820 pounds

· Mixed paper: 10,820 pounds

· Tires: 18,000 pounds

Infineon Raceway also recycles all used motor oil, used oil filters and brake and transmission fluids used at the raceway through Safety-Kleen, a leading provider of environmental services, oil re-refining and responsible cleaning solutions, which resides year-round at the Sonoma Valley facility.

Infineon Raceway’s recycling efforts are part of a larger Accelerating Sustainable Performance program, which was officially launched in November, 2010, through a partnership with Panasonic Corporation of North America. The partnership included a solar installation which provides for 41-percent of the raceway’s overall energy use, as well as a dual-sided, solar-powered LED board on Highway 37 outside the raceway.

The facility will also feature clean-racing technologies on the racetrack at some of its major events in 2012, including the West Coast Moto Jam, May 5-6. For the third consecutive year, the weekend will feature the TTXGP U.S. Championships, which showcases the best in electric motorcycle racing. The raceway will also host the second Accelerating Sustainable Performance Summit, a day-long forum for innovators and thought-leaders from the business, engineering and research communities to explore prospects for sustainable automotive and performance development, and performance-oriented marketing of green cars.

For more information about Infineon Raceway’s sustainability efforts, visit www.infineonraceway.com/sustainability.

(NEWS RELEASE)

Demuth Departs Following a Legacy That’s Earned Him 96-Career Wins and Runner Up on All-Time Win List

Josh Demuth

AURORA, Ill. (December 20, 2011) – Fresh off the heels of the fourth round of the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series season from Wilkes Barre, Pa., three-time champion Josh Demuth has announced that he will retire from the sport in which he has achieved so much success. The Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis rider currently sits fourth in the Arenacross Class standings, and posted seventh and sixth-place finishes following two nights of action two weekends ago from Wilkes Barre’s Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

As a competitor in the AMA Arenacross Series for over a decade, Demuth has become one of the most prolific riders in the history of the sport. The Texas native from North Richland Hills won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003, ending the five-year reign of Buddy Antunez. He continued to compete in various other series, including Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, before returning to the AMA Arenacross Series full time in 2009.

With a renewed drive to win a championship, Demuth posted two victories en route to a third-place result in the Arenacross Class standings. The following season in 2010, his first with Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki, Demuth battled bar-to-bar with teammate Tyler Bowers throughout the season. Following a season-ending injury to Bowers, Demuth continued to push, fending off his third teammate, Chad Johnson, over the final month of the season to claim a third AMA Arenacross Series championship. The six wins marked one of Demuth’s most dominant years, and solidified him as one of the best ever in the sport, along with Antunez and Dennis Hawthorne, the only other riders to ever win more than two titles.

“Josh’s accomplishments speak for themselves,” said Todd Jendro, senior director of two-wheel operations, Feld Motor Sports. “He’s one of the riders who helped make this sport what it is today and he’s been a fan favorite for many years. We’ll definitely miss him out on the track, but there is no doubt he’s leaving as a legend.”

“Since coming on board at Babbitt’s back in 2009, it’s been a pleasure to work with Josh,” said Babbitt’s Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki Team Manager Denny Bartz. “Our relationship with him goes back several years when he competed for us in the mid-2000’s, and through it all, he’s been one of the best riders I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. We hate to see him go, but absolutely respect his decision. He’s earned it.”

At 32 years of age, Demuth is one of the oldest riders competing in the AMA Arenacross Series. However, he still has what it takes to compete with riders a decade younger, knocking on the door for the win throughout each of the nine main events so far this season. While there is no doubt still some fire in Demuth’s tank, he felt like now was the time to walk away from the sport he loves for good.

“Over years I’ve been beat up with a lot of injuries,” said Demuth. “It came to a point where I was struggling to get out of bed and race to where I thought I was capable. I was doing all I could (on the track) and couldn’t win. I felt like it was a good time to walk away before I ride over my head and get hurt.

“Arenacross has been a home for me,” he added. “I’ve been blessed to ride and perform as well as I have. I found a good little niche and it paid off. I got to set some records and make a great career for myself. I had some ups and downs, but I’ve had a chance to win a championship with my father. I dreamt of being a champion as a kid and I was able to do it, and make my dreams come true. It’s gotten to the point where you never want to give up something you feel passionately for, and I tried to ride it out as long as I could, but your body and others things take their toll. I’m happy with how things have turned out.”

Demuth’s legacy within the world of the AMA Arenacross Series will never be in doubt, as he arguably served as the face of the sport in leading it into the new millennium. Fortunately for Demuth, he was able to share that with a lot of others.

“I want to thank all my fans, my family my friends and everyone that’s supported me, whether I was hurt or riding well. I’m so thankful for everyone who was there for me – all my sponsors and those people who have helped me achieve so much success. They, along with the fans, made my career what it is, and they know who they are. I’ve gone longer than a lot of other riders out there, and it’s hard to swallow at the end of the day. You never want to quit something you’ve done your whole life, but I’m happy with my decision. I’ve got a good job lined up with some friends and they ride dirt bikes, so I’ll still enjoy riding. I’m going to keep at it, but I’ll just be taking care of my family in a different way now. I’m looking forward to everything the future has to bring.”

The AMA Arenacross Series continues the 2012 season in just a few weeks from Grand Rapids, Mich., and Van Andel Arena. The fifth round of the season will take place on Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7, with two nights of high-octane competition.

Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMA Arenacross Series returns for the 2012 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com.

For more information on the 2012 AMA Arenacross Series, log on to www.Arenacross.com. For all media requests, please contact Brandon Short brandon@nextlevelsportsinc.com or 949-365-5750.

Never miss out on the latest news! Follow the AMA Arenacross Series on Facebook and Twitter! Log on to http://www.facebook.com/AMAarenacross and http://twitter.com/arenacross today!

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.

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