Archive for May 21st, 2012
(NEWS RELEASE)
AURORA, Ill. (May 21, 2012) – Feld Motor Sports® announced today that Brett Metcalfe, of Murrieta, Calif., will race in the Monster Energy Cup at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium on October 20.
During the inaugural Monster Energy Cup, Metcalfe was third overall, finishing an impressive 4-3-3.
“Last year at the Monster Energy Cup was awesome,” said Metcalfe. “It was a fun event for the fans and really competitive for the racers. The three Main Event format was definitely a challenge for us. Instead of one good start you needed three good ones, so it was certainly tough. I’m looking forward to racing for a million bucks this October.”
The Australian-born racer first joined the American ranks in 2003. He has competed in seven Supercross Lites Class seasons, earning six podium and 13 top-5 finishes with a career-best third-overall. In 2011, Metcalfe moved up to the Supercross Class in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, but a mid-season injury cut his debut short. Metcalfe returned for the 2012 season and competed in all 17-races, finishing eighth-overall.
The 2012 Monster Energy Cup features an all-new track design inspired by five-time Supercross Class Champion Ricky Carmichael. The Carmichael-inspired track design will consist of supercross and motocross obstacles unlike any other racetrack design in the world. More than 200’ of the track will be built into the grandstands, and the riders exit the stadium and race through the Monster Energy Fan Zone outside of the stadium and through the pit area before they catapult back into the stadium. The Monster Energy Cup posts a $250,000 purse with the winner walking away with a $100,000 check, and any rider that wins all three Main Events will take home $1 million.
For more information on the Monster Energy Cup, log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow the Monster Energy Cup on Facebook and Twitter, log on to www.Facebook.com/VegasMECup and www.Twitter.com/VegasMECup.
Tickets for the 2012 Monster Energy Cup can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, UNLVtickets outlets, online at www.UNLVtickets.com, www.MonsterEnergyCup.com, or by phone at (702) 739-FANS. Tickets will be available at the Sam Boyd Stadium Box Office on the day of the event only.
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.
I clearly remember this motorcycle from the 1991 WERA Grand National Final. It’s Ron McGill and his gnarly little Honda Hawk. WERA’s D Superbike class was dominated that year by Yamaha FZ400s and the occasional leftover Yamaha RZ350, but at Road Atlanta McGill showed up with this fire-breathing Hawk and upset the apple cart. McGill played it cool for the first half of the race, following leader Bryan Hanson’s FZR400. In the final laps McGill quit playing around and passed Hanson and pulled away to a convincing victory. Hanson was not pleased and filed a protest on McGill’s Honda. McGill was setting off for the AMA Pro Twins race at Miami the next weekend and didn’t want to tear down his bike, so he forfeited the championship to Hanson. I think enough time has passed. Maybe Ron can tell us if his mean-sounding Hawk was actually legal.
Ron McGill’s ear-splitting Honda Hawk was one of the coolest bikes at the 1991 WERA Grand National Final. McGill ruined the day for Yamaha FZR400 riders in the D Superbike class in the championship final, but when second-place finisher Bryan Hanson filed a protest on McGill’s Honda, McGill refused to tear down his machine and forfeited the championship to Hanson. (Larry Lawrence photo)
by Tracy Hagen
Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo won the dramatic French MotoGP race on Sunday and lifted himself back to the top of the points chase following a flawless ride in miserably wet conditions. The former world champion started from the second row of the grid but controlled the race by the mid-point of the first lap and was never challenged by fellow riders or the slippery racing surface over the duration of the race. The Spaniard left Le Mans with 90 championship points and an 8 point lead of current world champion Casey Stoner.
(Click on graph for hi-res version)
Indeed, Lorenzo’s lead was large enough that the television broadcast focused on the suspenseful race for second. Pole sitter Dani Pedrosa held second over the opening lap, but his Repsol Honda teammate Stioner cleanly passed Pedrosa on the second lap.
On the third lap Valentino Rossi surged past Pedrosa on the Ducati while braking for a left turn. The Italian was every bit of his old self at Le Mans and, in fact, set the fastest lap of the race after the rain subsided.
Pedrosa, however, was now shark bait at this point for the Monster Yamahas of Andrea Dovisioso and Cal Crutchlow, with rookie rider Stefan Bradl on a non-factory Honda joining in on the action.
Dovisioso wasted no time in passing his former Repsol Honda teammate on lap 4, nor did Crutchlow. Pedrosa then spent the next dozen or so laps fighting back Bradl.
Laps 5 through11 saw less than two seconds covering the four-rider race for second. Crutchlow passed Dovi on lap 10. On lap 13 Crutchlow passed Rossi going into the chicane, which slowed the pair down enough to allow Dovisioso to pass both of them.
On lap 15 Rossi shot past Crutchlow on a short straight. By this point the rain was letting up and Rossi and found a rhythm that was taking him back to the front.
On lap 19 Crutchlow slid off the track and his bike, but was soon back in the race in eighth place and not much worse for wear. Before the lap was over Rossi moved in front of Dovisioso for third place.
By this point Rossi was now setting lap times much better than second-place Stoner. Stoner’s advantage was less than four seconds at the end of lap 20, with eight laps left to go.
By the end of lap 23 Rossi and Dovisioso were on the rear wheel of Stoner and neither had no interest in waiting to make a move. Stoner was held up by Yonny Hernandez for several corners, increasing the tension. Unfortunately, Dovisioso fell after pushing his front tire more than it was willing to give.
On the penultimate lap Rossi passed Stoner going into the chicane, ran wide, and Stoner took the position back. At the end of the lap Rossi made a similar move with a similar result.
On the final lap Rossi passed Stoner for the third and final time. The lap probably felt like an eternity for Rossi, but Stoner never mounted a counter-attack. Rossi’s second place came a year after his only podium finish for Ducati.
In the CRT superbike division, James Ellison topped the class and turned his year around after three frustrating races and nearly losing his MotoGP CRT ride.
Finally, as in most wet-weather races, there were plenty of “what is he doing?” moments in this race. Two happened right at the start: Randy De Puniet crashed at the start, on the grid, having barely moved an inch. Ben Spies nearly did the same but saved it, legs flailing about while the rest of the field (other than De Puniet) roared away. Spies later pitted to clean his visor and lost his chance to score points. The Texan left Le Mans last in the points standings for prototype class riders and with few excuses.
Next race: Catalunya, June 3.
(NEWS RELEASE)
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame member and noted designer Craig Vetter — whose contributions to motorcycling range from the iconic Windjammer fairings and the Triumph X-75 Hurricane to the Mystery Ship limited-production high-performance motorcycles and a number of high-profile motorcycle fuel-economy contests — will be honored as this year’s grand marshal at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days featuring Rockers and Mods, July 20-22, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Craig Vetter -- whose contributions to motorcycling range from the iconic Windjammer fairings and the Triumph X-75 Hurricane to the Mystery Ship limited-production high-performance motorcycles and a number of high-profile motorcycle fuel-economy contests -- will be honored as this year's grand marshal at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days featuring Rockers and Mods, July 20-22, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Vetter has been a member of the American Motorcyclist Association and a designer since 1965, and his varied background gives him a unique alliance to both the Rockers and Mods motorcycle subcultures. His design projects over the years have involved café racers — the motorcycles of choice for Rockers — and scooters, which are favored by Mods.
“AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days has become the high point of my summer,” Vetter said. “Rockers and Mods will be fun for me since I raced my Rickman Café bike to victory in AMA competitions in the 1970s. And my current favorite ride is a scooter, though many Mods would probably not recognize my fuel-economy streamliner as a scooter, at least not at first glance.”
Vetter’s Rickman, now on permanent display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, is one of the finest original examples of an American café racer of the era. That machine will be on display at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, along with a Triumph Hurricane, Mystery Ship No. 1 and various classic Vetter fairings. Featured too, will be some of the new streamliners, fresh from Vetter’s Fuel Economy Challenge on Friday, July 20.
Celebrating his 70th birthday at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Vetter will tell some of his many stories from his storied design career. As grand marshal, he will lead special laps around the sprawling Mid-Ohio roadracing track. Fans will have plenty of access to meet the motorcycling legend, including special autograph signings.
“Craig Vetter was a man ahead of his time back in the day — and he remains that way today,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “If you ride a faired motorcycle today, there’s a very good chance that its design reflects the inspiration of Craig Vetter, and his recent focus on motorcycle fuel economy runs demonstrates how prescient his events were in the ’80s. It will be an honor to provide attendees at this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days with an up-close-and-personal experience with a living legend of motorcycling.”
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is a fundraiser for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. It features classic motorcycles and scooters of all makes and styles, and honors the riders who made them famous. Activities include the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships, which include amateur national championship roadracing, motocross, hare scrambles, trials and dirt track; North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet; bike shows and awards; stunt shows; demo rides of current production bikes; an AMA Life Member breakfast; and seminars on a number of topics by noted motorcycling experts.
In addition to perusing the swap meet, which is Vetter’s favorite place to cruise, enthusiasts who are swap meet vendors also can camp for free in their swap meet space. If you have some vintage parts, bikes or memorabilia that you would like to sell while immersing yourself in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days experience, be sure to submit a swap meet vendor application, available at www.AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.com > Vendor and Swap Meet Info.
Making plans now to attend reaps big dividends for AMA members, who, for a limited time, can purchase a weekend pass for $35, a $10 savings off the regular advance rate, and a one-day pass for $20, a $5 savings off the regular advance rate. The AMA member discount is in addition to the regular $10 savings on advance ticket purchases, and there is no service charge for AMA members when purchasing through the AMA.
AMA member pricing, available through May 28, is only available by calling the AMA directly at (800) AMA-JOIN (262-5646). Non-AMA members can buy tickets directly from www.MidOhio.com.
For updates about events and activities, as well as information about past AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, visit www.AMAVintageMotorcycleDays.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 the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the AMA honors the heroes and the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
(NEWS RELEASE)
(New Berlin, NY May 21, 2012)- MX Rewind is less than two weeks away, and the excitement is building with both racers and fans. Today Unadilla MX announced the line-up for the “MX Briefs”, which will occur during the weekend.
“MX Briefs are informal, one hour discussions lead by industry leaders and former racers” states Unadilla’s Greg Robinson. “Some are informative, many are hilarious, and all are fun. Some of the Briefs are designed to give people an insider’s look into the sport that they would not normally have. That is bound to bring up the “you have to be kidding” moments! And, of course, questions from the audience are welcome. We are really looking forward to having the MX Briefs are part of the weekend’s festivities. The whole weekend has been set up to be anything but what you would typically expect to find at a race. It’s so much more.”
Amongst the scheduled MX Briefs are: “The Olden Days: Trans-AMA, Trans-USA, and GPs from Mossiev to Kessler”. There’s a lot of racing history packed into those years and stories that have gone unheard. Noted moto journalist and historian Davey Coombs and founder of Racer X Magazine, will look into the early days of racing with stories of the golden era of Motocross.
Noted motorcycle restoration expert Mike Palmgren of Vintage Motorsports will present “Now That You’ve Seen ‘Em, How Do You Restore Them?” and will talk about some of the challenges and rewards of restoration, as well as answer some of the more vexing questions. Through his company Vintage Motorsports, Palmgren has restored bikes for Honda of Japan’s collection and is a noted expert in the area of off road restoration.
“The World Champion Speaks” lessons learned from racing abroad. Brad Lackey and Trampas Parker will entertain with stories of their successful campaigns to be American World Champions. The travel, the racing, being a “Yankee” abroad, expect to hear it all and more. These guys raced before the days of open borders, and have some harrowing stories of years past and travel throughout the world.
“We won! What It Took To Get On the Top Box at the MX des Nations” Donnie Hansen, Ron Lechien, and Jeff Stanton will talk about the politics, pressure, and pride that goes into representing the U.S. at the Olympics of our sport— The Motocross des Nations (now called the Motocross of Nations).
Official times and locations for these events will be announced on (Friday) morning, June 1, 2012.
Information about MX Rewind weekend can be found at www.mxrewind.com.
About MX Rewind: MX Rewind at Unadilla is the premier vintage off road event in North America. The event takes place June 1-3, 2012 in New Berlin, New York and at the world famous Unadilla Motocross track. MX Rewind celebrates over four decades of motocross history as well as every aspect of off-roading. Fans and racers from every generation will enjoy a fun weekend that includes both big bike and pit bike racing, the famed “Unadilla Marquis” Bike Show, a massive parts and memorabilia swap meet, educational seminars with some of the biggest names in the sport, autographs with over 20 of the biggest legends of Unadilla, interviews, BBQ’s, and of course plenty of bench racing and tall tales, many of which might take place in the beer tent. MX Rewind is about having fun with your friends and family and spending a weekend at Unadilla celebrating the good times we have had riding motorcycles.
About Unadilla MX: Unadilla MX began promoting Motocross races at its current facility in New Berlin, NY in 1969. Run by the Robinson Family since its inception, Unadilla hosted the Inter Am, Trans Am, Trans USA, and began hosting the 250cc U.S. Grand Prix in 1978. It was the first track in the U.S. to host the prestigious MX des Nations in 1987, and has been a stop on the American Pro National MX circuit since 1992. All historically significant MX riders in the world have strapped on the leather and kicked the lever at Unadilla.
Lorenzo retakes championship lead after rain master-class at Le Mans
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo retook the championship lead once again at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France as he dominated in tricky conditions, finishing ahead of Valentino Rossi, who recorded his best Ducati result ever. Read more.
Lorenzo back on top in Le Mans
Yamaha factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo delivered a master class in wet racing today to take a flawless victory in the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France. Read more.
Stoner takes podium with Pedrosa in fourth
Today at the Grand Prix of France, Casey Stoner scored his fourth podium of the season and his 19th successive in MotoGP with team mate Dani Pedrosa in fourth at a cold and slippery Le Mans circuit that once again proved to be a real challenge for all the riders. Read more.
Thrilling podium for Rossi at Le Mans
Valentino Rossi was a protagonist in an exciting, hard-fought race in wet conditions during the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, where he climbed from the third row of the grid to the second step of the podium. Read more.
Lüthi records season-first victory at soaking Le Mans
Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi put in a tremendous ride to take his season-first victory at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans amid difficult conditions in a dramatic Moto2™ race. Read more.
Rossi takes emphatic first win in dramatic Le Mans race
At an extremely wet Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans it was Frenchman Louis Rossi who kept his nerve to take his first ever win in treacherous conditions in front of his home crowd. Read more.
Bradl takes career best 5th at Le Mans
In a demanding 28-lap race LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl records his best ever result in fifth, ahead of Rossi’s teammate Nicky Hayden in today’s French Grand Prix held on a soaked Le Mans circuit. Read more.
Crashes put paid to Tech 3 podium hunt in Le Mans
Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow thrilled a large crowd of over 80,000 fans in Le Mans today, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders challenging for the podium in a rain-hit and exciting French MotoGP race. Read more.
De Puniet has tough time at home race
The Power Electronics Aspar team had a tough time in France, with the aim for the race being to have both riders place as the top CRT competitors. Read more.
Disappointment for Bautista at Le Mans
The French Grand Prix left a bitter taste in the mouths of Team San Carlo Honda Gresini. Read more.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki Racing could not have scripted a sweeter start to the 2012 AMA Pro Motocross season if they’d tried. Returning to the motocross series for the first time since 2008, new Yoshimura Suzuki rider James Stewart raced his RM-Z450 to victory in both 450 motos to take the overall win in round one at the Hangtown National in Sacramento, CA, on Saturday afternoon. Read more.