Rider Files

In the early 1950s Buster Payne (holding trophy) emerged from outlaw racing events, the only place black riders were allowed to race, to become the first known African-American rider to earn an expert license and compete in AMA Grand Nationals. Here Payne holds the winner’s trophy along with fellow racers after one of those non-sanctioned races. (Courtesy the Payne family collection)

Leroy “Buster” Payne was doing “outlaw” races in the early 1950s on his Harley-Davidson around the Philadelphia area when Ray Texter (grandfather of AMA flat track racers Cory and Shayna Texter) said something to Buster he thought he’d never hear.

“Ray invited my dad to race an AMA race,” explained Buster Payne’s son Lawrence Payne. “That’s how he got started doing those.”

Nothing unusual about one motorcycle racer inviting fellow rider to come to a particular event, except for one thing – Buster Payne was black. Up to that time black riders hadn’t been welcomed in AMA sanctioned events before. Payne, along with other black riders, had been racing for years in so called outlaw events, non-AMA sanctioned, yet open to all.  Payne was one of the stars of the outlaw races. When Texter told Buster he’d really like him to race in an AMA event it was a big deal.

It’s not clear if the AMA deliberately kept black riders out of its ranks – Lawrence Payne said it might have been promoters who rejected black entries – whatever the case attitudes started changing in the early 1950s and for the first time top African-American riders where quietly being invited to participate in AMA races.

Payne, didn’t realize it at the time, but he was one of the pioneering African-American riders who broke the color barrier in AMA racing. He and his fellow African-American riders paved the way for future riders like James Stewart. While he continued to suffer discrimination outside the racetrack, Lawrence says his dad was largely treated well by his fellow racers.

“Al Wilcox came up and welcomed my dad to one of his first AMA races,” Lawrence recalls. “Al said he wanted to race against the best riders and he counted dad among the best from our area. That really made dad feel good.”

Records are still being examined, but it appears that Buster Payne was the first African-American rider to earn an expert license and in 1953 the first to race in an AMA Grand National event. He raced many of the nationals of the era such as Langhorne, Laconia, Windber and others.

I meet with Buster Payne’s family this weekend. I talked with his son Lawrence, his daughter Loretta, his wife (also named Loretta) and his nephew, Leon Austin, who Buster also got into racing. It was a true pleasure to meet with the family of this racing pioneer who passed away in 1980. I hope to detail Buster’s story in the near future.

I especially want to thank Harley-Davidson for backing this research on the history of African-American motorcycle racers.

(NEWS RELEASE)

Barcia Opens Eastern Regional Supercross Lites class Championship with Big Win

ARLINGTON, Texas (February 18, 2012) – Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., won his third consecutive Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, race tonight at Cowboys Stadium before 53,952 fans and extended his points lead to 13 points. GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, of Ochlocknee, Ga., won the opening race of the Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Championship.

Motoconcepts Suzuki’s Jeff Alessi, of Victorville, Calif., captured the first Nuclear Cowboyz® Holeshot Award of his season to begin the Supercross Class Main Event. Alessi was quickly passed by Villopoto and TwoTwo Motorsports Honda’s Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., respectively. JGRMX/ Toyota/Yamaha’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., finished Lap 2 in second place, and on the following lap he collided with his teammate Davi Millsaps. The mishap caused Stewart and Millsaps to lose several positions.

While stalking Villopoto just prior to the halfway point, Reed suffered a horrific crash that left him unable to finish the race. On Lap 18, Villopoto’s Monster Energy Kawasaki teammate Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, traded positions with Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey for second place. Weimer held him off but was passed by Dungey on the final lap. The two then traded positions several times before Dungey made the final pass and crossed the checkers in second. Weimer finished third, marking his second podium finish of the year.

“The track really broke down out there tonight, and when that happens, you have to be smart and play it safe,” said Villopoto. “It’s a bummer for Chad (Reed). I am looking forward to next weekend in Atlanta.”

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Darryn Durham, of Butler, Pa., won the Nuclear Cowboyz Holeshot Award to start the Supercross Lites Class Main Event with Rockstar Energy Racing’s Blake Wharton, of Beaumont, Texas, on his rear wheel through the first turn. While charging after Durham, Wharton crashed before the take-off of the triple.

Rookie Justin Bogle, of Cushing, Okla., moved into second place after Wharton’s crash but was subsequently passed on Lap 3 by his teammate and defending Supercross Lites Class Champion Justin Barcia.

On Lap 6, Barcia and Durham traded places with Durham holding the lead, and on the same lap, Barcia and Bogle traded places. Barcia held down second until Lap 8, when he passed Durham and rode to victory. Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen, of Murrieta, Calif., passed Bogle for third place on Lap 10.

JDR/JStar/KTM’s Malcolm Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., attempted to pass Bogle but caused both riders to crash, losing valuable positions. Durham finished second and Roczen finished third.

“They didn’t make it easy on me tonight,” said Barcia. “I had a great night, and the team didn’t really have to make any major changes to the bike coming into tonight’s Main Event. I have learned a lot from the past few years, and it paid off tonight. I am going to Atlanta next weekend with the points lead.”

Supercross Class Results: Arlington
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
3. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
4. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki
5. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki
6. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
7. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
8. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
9. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Kawasaki

Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 158
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 145
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 128
4. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 116
5. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 92
6. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 92
7. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 88
8. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki – 81
9. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 80
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 80

Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Arlington
1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
2. Darryn Dunham, Butler, Pa., Kawasaki
3. Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Ga., KTM
4. Blake Wharton, Beaumont, Texas, Suzuki
5. Phillip Nicoletti, Cochecton, N.Y., Honda
6. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM
7. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Suzuki
8. PJ Larsen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
9. Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ontario, Honda
10. Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM

Eastern Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda – 25
2. Darryn Dunham, Butler, Pa., Kawasaki – 23
3. Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Ga., KTM – 20
4. Blake Wharton, Beaumont, Texas, Suzuki – 18
5. Phillip Nicoletti, Cochecton, N.Y., Honda – 16
6. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., KTM – 15
7. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Suzuki – 14
8. PJ Larsen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 13
9. Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ontario, Honda – 12
10. Lance Vincent, Youngsville, La., KTM – 11

Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki – 116
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda – 114
3. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 101
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 89
5. Nico Izzi, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha – 78
6. Matt Moss, Sussex Inlet, NS, KTM – 73
7. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha – 67
8. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda – 63
9. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki – 60
10. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki – 58

The Monster Energy Supercross Championship heads to Atlanta’s Georgia Dome next Saturday, February 25.

Tune into the enhanced exclusive weekly video content from Supercross LIVE! during the entire 2012 season on SupercrossOnline.com, the Official Website of Monster Energy Supercross.

Weekly Supercross LIVE! Video Content Schedule

The Official Supercross LIVE! Pre-Show Race Days at 11 AM Local Race Time
Behind the Scenes with Supercross LIVE! All Day on Race Days
2 Minutes on the Track Race Days at 3:30 & 5:30 PM Local Race Time
And on the Podium Tonight Following Each Round’s Main Events
The Official Supercross LIVE! Post-Show Saturday Nights at Each Round
Toyota Tailgate Talk Wednesdays at 5 PM ET
After The Checkered Flag Thursdays at 5PM ET

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. 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 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.

Kent tops all three days in Jerez
The Jerez circuit has played host for the second pre-season test of 2012 for the new Moto3™ category, where on the final day the British Red Bull KTM Ajo rider lead the field of more than thirty riders for the third day running. Read more.

Corti and Nakagami both top Moto2™ field
Three days of testing at the Jerez circuit concluded today with both riders of the Italtrans Racing Team posting the fastest time of the Moto2™ field. Read more.

(NEWS RELEASE)

Dave Ginolfi Takes Arenacross Lites Class Victory

RENO, Nev. (February 18, 2012) – Saturday night signified the final night of action for the Reno Arenacross and the fans inside the Livestock Events Center were witness to exceptional competition. For the second straight evening, Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis’ Tyler Bowers, of Danville, Ky., took advantage of a strong start to win his 12th race of the season, and inch even closer to a second consecutive Arenacross Class title. In the Arenacross Lites Class, Reed and Reese KTM’s Dave Ginolfi, of Lake Hopatcong, N.J., secured a hard-fought victory.

FMF Power/Poynt Tuf Honda’s Jeff Gibson, of Blacklick, Ohio, replicated his efforts from the previous evening to take the early lead in the 25-lap Arenacross Class Main Event. However, Bowers wasn’t far behind and quickly began to put pressure on his rival. Gibson managed to open up a comfortable gap early on, but Bowers quickly minimized the advantage.

On Lap 9, Bowers moved into the lead and proceeded to take control of the main event. The Kawasaki rider continued to pull away from the field on each lap, and ultimately took the checkered flag with a near 13-second advantage over the rest of the field.

Gibson held on for second to ensure that the championship won’t be decided until the season finale, while Bella’s Cupcakes/Club MX Kawasaki’s Zach Ames, of Prospect, Ohio, finished third.

Bowers heads into the final race of the season next weekend in Minneapolis with a 24-point lead over Gibson.

BNTQ.Net/Tuf Honda Racing’s Kevin Markwardt, of Freeport, Ill., grabbed the early lead for the second consecutive night in the 18-lap Arenacross Lites Class Main Event, followed by Ginolfi and TZR Honda’s Scott Zont, of Algonquin, Ill.

On Lap 9, Ginolfi made his move into the lead, and opened up an slight gap over the field. In the closing stages, Foremost Insurance/Spinechillers Kawasaki’s Steven Mages, of Sardinia, Ohio, made a late surge towards the front, closing to within less than a second of the lead.

Ginolfi fended off Mages for the win, while Motostar Kawasaki’s Michael McDade, of Edinburg, Pa., rounded out the podium in third.

In the Dash for cash, Gibson took the win in the four-lap sprint. All proceeds went to the local Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation and The Children’s Cabinet.

The AMA Arenacross Series hosts its 12th and final round of the season next weekend from Minneapolis, Minn., and the Target Center. Champions will be crowned next Saturday, February 25, with action kicking off at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Arenacross Class Results (Reno, Nev.)

1. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki
2. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda
3. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki
4. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM
5. Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM
6. Cole Siebler, Emmett, Idaho, Honda
7. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki
8. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM
9. Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki
10. Kevin Johnson, Spring, Texas, KTM

Arenacross Lites Class Results (Reno, Nev.)

1. Dave Ginolfi, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., KTM

2. Steven Mages, Sardinia, Ohio, Kawasaki

3. Michael McDade, Edinburg, Pa, KTM

4. Daniel Blair, Lodi, Calif., KTM

5. Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda

6. Tiger Lacy, Beaverton, Ore., Kawasaki

7. Scott Zont, Algonquin, Ill., Honda

8. Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki

9. Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM

10. Cody Church, Grand Junction, Colo., Kawasaki

Arenacross Class Points (After Race 18 of 19)

1. Tyler Bowers, Danville, Ky., Kawasaki (12 wins) – 402
2. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda (3 wins) – 378
3. Chad Johnson, Rhinelander, Wis., Kawasaki (2 wins) – 318
4. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., KTM (1 win) – 275
5. Zach Ames, Prospect, Ohio, Kawasaki – 272
6. Nathan Skaggs, Chillicothe, Ohio, Honda – 245
7. Willy Browning, Pleasantville, Ohio, KTM – 206
8. Travis Sewell, Westville, Ind., KTM – 173
9. Michael Willard, Newark, Ohio, KTM – 161
10. Cory Green, Nowata, Okla., Suzuki – 139

Western Regional Arenacross Lites Class Points (After Race 8 of 9)

1. Chad Cook, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki – 98
2. Kevin Markwardt, Freeport, Ill., Honda – 94
3. Tanner Moore, Auburn, Kan., KTM – 82
4. Cody Church, Grand Junction, Colo., Kawasaki – 57
5. Jake Locks, Dixon, Calif., KTM – 47
6. Chris Proscelle, Dulzura, Calif., Honda – 36
7. Patrick Massie, Washington Court House, Ohio, Honda – 35
8. Brandon Marley, McEwen, Tenn., KTM – 24
9. Tiger Lacy, Beaverton, Ore., Kawasaki – 22
10. Nick Myers, Collinsville, Texas, Kawasaki – 22

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.

(NEWS RELEASE)

Phillip Island (Australia), 19 February 2012: The clock is ticking down in Australia towards the start of the 25th edition of the FIM Superbike World Championship. With 24 permanent riders on the grid and the participation of six manufacturers (Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki) the 2012 championship is sure to live up to expectations once again this year and with at least ten potential race winners, everything is set for another exciting season of World Superbike racing.

As is traditional the production-based racing championship kicks off at Phillip Island (Australia), one of the fastest and most spectacular circuits on the entire calendar. The first of 14 rounds will be preceded by two days of official tests, organized by Infront Motor Sports, on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 February. This will be the last chance for teams, riders and bikes to go through their final fine-tuning before action gets underway later on in the week.

It was one year ago at Phillip Island that Carlos Checa began an extraordinary march towards the first world title in his career. With 15 wins in 26 races the Spanish ace took Italian manufacturer Ducati back to the top slot after a gap of two years. The Althea Racing man was also quickest in last week’s private testing here, confirming his current outstanding form on the Island. “Our Ducati 1198R is six kilos heavier this year with the regulation weight penalty, so we’ve had to modify the bike set-up,” explained Checa. “We also successfully tested some new Ohlins front forks. I’m happy with my lap time of 1 minute 31.8 seconds but now we have to do the most important test, over race distance. Both me and the team are focused on what we have to do, which is to hold on to the world title.”

Last week’s big surprise in testing was Kawasaki, who placed Tom Sykes right behind the reigning champion on all three days. “Through all our tests we have explored a lot of areas and gathered a lot of information, but finally it looks like our base setting from winter testing is pretty good” said Sykes. “It is difficult to see exactly where our competitors are at in terms of set-up but ultimately we have had a successful test and have set ourselves up nicely for the official tests. We’ve also been quick on a race tyre and that’s the most important thing.”

Max Biaggi, back in black again this year for the new liveried Aprilia Racing Team, will line up at the age of 40 for his 23rd season of racing with the aim of taking back the number one plate he conquered in 2010. On a difficult track for the Italian bike, Aprilia have made up a lot of ground here in testing, even though “it will be almost impossible to beat Ducati on this track” as Biaggi himself admitted. “I have a new team with me this year and the feeling between us is getting better day after day. We’ve prepared well for the year ahead and we’re ready for battle.”

It will also be a crucial season for BMW Motorrad, who enter their fourth year with new signing Marco Melandri and the confirmed Leon Haslam trying to score the German manufacturer’s first win in World Superbike. In last week’s testing the British rider lapped just four-tenths off the pace of Checa on soft tyres while Melandri was over one second behind. “We still have some issues with the front of the bike, and I need to get more confidence,” declared the Italian. “We still have two more days of testing before we go into the first race weekend, and I hope we are going to have good weather then.”

The test proved to be a bit of a setback for Aprilia’s new signing Eugene Laverty, who crashed at turn 1, fracturing a bone in his left hand. “It’s a bit painful but with the help of my specialist hopefully I won’t miss the race” said Laverty. “The same thing happened to me a few years ago and five days later I was back on the bike”. The hopes of seeing Crescent Fixi Suzuki star John Hopkins race however are minimal, as the American broke a bone in his right hand and immediately flew to the USA to visit a specialist. Hopkins will probably be replaced by reserve rider Joshua Brookes from Australia, who tested the team’s GSX-R last week.

All eyes will also be on the talented rider from Northern Ireland Jonathan Rea, who lines up for another year on a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, flanked by Superbike rookie Hiroshi Aoyama from Japan, while the British contingent is completed by Leon Camier (Crescent Fixi Suzuki) and 2011 Supersport champion Chaz Davies, who steps up to World Superbike on an Aprilia together with his ParkinGO team.

World Supersport

Australia will also see the start of the 14th season of World Supersport racing reserved for racing bikes from the mid-sized production-based sector. Despite the current economic climate the entry-list is stronger than ever with over 30 riders from 14 different countries, on machines from Honda, Kawasaki, Triumph and Yamaha. In winter testing strong times were recorded by Turkey’s double Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu, who has returned to the category to try and win a third title, this time on a Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini.

But Supersport, with its elbow-to-elbow racing and late braking moves, is so unpredictable and any number of riders can win. These are sure to include another former champion Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto), Broc Parkes from Australia (Ten Kate Honda), and Britain’s Sam Lowes, one of six riders spread over three different PTR Honda managed teams, an unprecedented operation in modern-day bike racing. Completing the international line-up in Supersport are two South Africans, two Hungarians, three Russians, two Czechs and a total of eight Italians, all aiming to become the heir to last year’s winner Chaz Davies.