PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to welcome support from Wellard Group Holdings for the U.S. national team’s effort at the International Six Days Enduro in Sardinia, Italy, Sept. 30-Oct. 5. Wellard will also be the title sponsor of a U.S. club team at the event.

“Racing for the ISDE World Trophy is one of the biggest financial and logistical commitments in the sport,” said AMA Off-Road Racing Manager Chuck Weir. “Wellard’s backing helps provide some of the crucial resources that we need to support our racers at this world championship event.”

In addition to buying multiple team jerseys for each U.S. national team rider at the ISDE, the riders on the Wellard Club Team will receive direct financial support to help cover their expenses. Competitors who are interested in riding for the Wellard team must qualify through the U.S. ISDE qualifier program and must pre-register with Wellard here: www.wellard.com.au/589.

Wellard Managing Director Mauro Balzarini has been involved with off-road racing for many years and was a multi-time national enduro champion in his earlier riding career. Balzarini has competed in six ISDEs himself.

Italy will be the seventh appearance of a Wellard Team at the ISDE. In that time, they have taken three Australian teams, including the first Australian Women’s ISDE team that earned a podium finish in Portugal. They’ve also fielded two New Zealand teams, one that was second in the World Club Team Cup in Mexico and one that was third in Finland. This will be the second consecutive year the company has backed a U.S. team.

Wellard is a global leader in the production and distribution of livestock and grain. It includes Wellard Rural Exports, Australia’s largest livestock exporter and ship owner and Wellard Agri, a large mixed farming landowner and operator specializing in the production of grains, legumes and livestock.

In addition to several three-rider club teams, including the Wellard-backed team, the United States will be represented by the World Trophy Team, the Junior World Trophy Team and the Women’s World Trophy Team at the ISDE.

The club teams are selected based on rider performance in two ISDE qualifiers. U.S. ISDE qualifiers are being organized by the Appalachian Dirt Riders May 25-26 in Wellston, Ohio, and the Boise Ridge Riders June 1-2 in Idaho City, Idaho. Details for the Ohio event are at www.adrohio.org. More information about the Idaho event can be found at www.boiseridgeriders.com.

More information about the U.S. ISDE effort can be found at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/racing.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

May 16, 2013—OnTheThrottle.TV visits Harris Hill Raceway in San Marcos, Texas and checks out all the fun they have riding and driving fast in the Lone Star State—including a nine-year-old boy tearing it up on the rally course. Watch the video now here: http://www.onthethrottle.com/races/harris-hill-raceway/.

Harris Hill Raceway is a private membership motorsports track located in the hills of San Marcos, Texas. It’s location draws both car and motorcycle enthusiasts from Austin, San Antonio, and the surrounding areas. The track is a 1.82-mile, 11-turn asphalt road course with over 150 feet of elevation changes and a challenging mix of on and off-camber turns.

Rod Metz, Co-Manager of Harris Hill Raceway, explains how members use the track, “some people like to drive and see how good they can get, how fast they can get, or develop their skills.” He continues, “and some just have fun; some just go out for the joy of driving fast.”

In addition to the road course, a rally course, TT mini bike course, and dirt bike trails are also onsite. A well-equipped clubhouse provides additional amenities, including a game room, commercial kitchen, instructional classroom, and garages.

Craig Gleason, Motorcycle Program Manager, describes Harris Hill Raceway as “just a big playground for gear heads.” Gleason says that members come from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common. “We’re just here to have fun,” he explains, “it’s all about fun here.”

With regular track days, race series, and events happening all the time, the track is hot seven days a week. To learn more about Harris Hill Raceway and all the fun to have there, visit www.harrishillroad.com.

OnTheThrottle.TV is an established leader in creating motorcycle-related content that entertains and educates viewers. They create high quality DVDs and video downloads to show you “how to” get the best performance out of your sport bike. OnTheThrottle.TV also provides dedicated coverage of the riders, teams, and moments that make racing great. For more information about OnTheThrottle.TV and its videos, visit www.onthethrottle.tv or call (650) 479-4688.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — A bill to block a U.S. Marine Corps takeover of California’s Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle recreation area was approved by the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on May 15, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

The bill, H.R. 1676, introduced by Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.), now goes to the full House for consideration.

The measure would designate Johnson Valley as a national off-highway vehicle recreation area, protecting it from a takeover, but would authorize limited military use of the area.

Several years ago, the U.S. Department of the Navy began the formal process to take over some 365,906 acres of public land near San Bernardino to use for live-fire training for the Marines.

The move threatens the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Riding area, a long-standing and popular area that is across the San Bernardino Mountains from Los Angeles.

The Navy filed an application with the U.S. Interior Department seeking control of the public land in question, which is now under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Navy also is seeking to control some 72,186 acres of non-federal land in case one day it is acquired by the federal government.

The land, which equals about 658 square miles, borders the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, and includes a large portion of land in the 189,000-acre Johnson Valley area.

Ultimately, Congress will decide whether the Navy should get control of the land.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

RED HOOK, N.Y. (May 16, 2013) — To avoid any confusion with an existing motorcycle riding school that uses “PRO” in its name, Chicken Hawk Racing today has changed the name of its recently announced rider-training program to Performance Rider Training, and will immediately be using “PRT” as its new abbreviation.

Chicken Hawk Racing wishes all track-day clubs and riding schools around America the very best in their mission to help produce better, safer motorcyclists.

The Chicken Hawk Racing Performance Rider Training school will be taught exclusively on New York Safety Track’s new 2.1-mile roadcourse, located in Harpersfield, New York. The PRT program will be run only four times this year: June 7, July 19, August 9 and September 27. By mastering the curriculum, graduates qualify to get their WERA and CCS competition licenses. Additional information is available at NewYorkSafetyTrack.com or by calling 866-HOT-TIRE.

45th Running of Hangtown Motocross Classic Draws Record Crowd

The 450 Class boasted one of the most stacked fields of racing in recent series history. Courtesy: Simon Cudby

SACRAMENTO (May 18, 2013) – With a record event attendance of nearly 25,000 fans, the 45th running of the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic proved to be one for the history books as the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kicked off in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday. After missing an entire season in 2012 due to injury, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto made a valiant return, sweeping both 450 Class motos atop one of the most stacked fields in the series’ recent history. Additionally, Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen claimed his first career 250 Class overall victory at Hangtown.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart, who missed most of the second half of the 2012 season, made a comeback of his own by grabbing the Motorcycle-Superstore.com holeshot in Moto 1, garnering one point toward the overall championship holeshot bonus of $25,000 in the 450 Class. However, keeping the lead wasn’t an easy task as three other former 450 Class Champions and several returning contenders chased the 2008 champ early on.

Villopoto took over the lead on the opening lap with Stewart and defending champion Ryan Dungey close in tow. The trio diced it out in the first half of Moto 1 but it was ultimately Villopoto who locked in the moto win, with Dungey in second and Stewart in third.

Dungey, Villopoto, Stewart, Grant and Alessi battled all day at Hangtown. Courtesy: Simon Cudby

Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard returned to the Hangtown Motocross Classic for the first time since his 250 Class championship-winning season in 2010. Canard made a statement early on as he jumped in behind the lead battle and even closed in on Stewart near the end of Moto 1. Just behind was the epic battle for fifth place between Canard’s teammate Barcia, BTO Sports/KTM’s Andrew Short, Lucas Oil Troy Lee Honda’s Malcolm Stewart, Smartop/MotoConcepts Mike Alessi and 450 Class rookie Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson. Malcolm Stewart, Alessi and Wilson experienced issues that dropped all three in the running order, while Canard and Barcia prevailed, rounding out the top five, with Short sixth.

James Stewart began Moto 2 in similar fashion to the first, grabbing the Motorcycle-Superstore holeshot once again and taking over the points lead in the season-long chase for the end-of-the-year cash prize. From there, Stewart engaged in a battle for the lead with Dungey, while Villopoto followed close behind. Near the halfway mark, Villopoto made his move to the front, leaving Dungey and Stewart to fight for the second place position. Dungey bested Stewart for the second place spot in Moto 2, giving the Minnesota native second overall for the day with a pair of second place finishes. Stewart, the 2012 Hangtown winner, scored (3-3) for third place overall. Villopoto went on to secure the first overall win of the 2013 season with a score of (1-1).

450 Class podium: (left) Dungey, (center) Villopoto, (right) Stewart. Courtesy: Simon Cudby

“Hangtown has always been a rough place for me so for the bike to feel like it did today was amazing,” Villopoto said. “I’m obviously happy with that and happy with how I rode. I feel like we’re in a really good place and it’s only going to get better from here.”

The 250 Class was set to be a showcase with a full lineup of returning contenders, including defending 250 Class Champion Blake Baggett. Fresh off a wrist injury, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider had no reservations about getting to the front early on as he grabbed the Motorcycle-Superstore holeshot in Moto 1. However, the Red Bull KTM duo of Marvin Musquin and Ken Roczen quickly gained control of the lead. Musquin led three laps before his teammate commanded the lead for the remainder of Moto 1.

GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac began the first moto just outside of the top five but made his way into podium contention early on. Tomac first set his sights on Musquin and then made his way around Baggett to eventually secure second place in Moto 1. Baggett finished third, while Musquin took fourth and MyPlash Star RacingYamaha/Metal Mulisha’s Cooper Webb rounded out the top five in his Pro class debut.

Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen claimed a career first overall victory in the 250 Class. Courtesy: Simon Cudby

In Moto 2, GEICO Honda’s Zach Bell grabbed the Motorcycle-Superstore holeshot but it was once again Roczen who jumped out front on the opening lap. Roczen set the pace early on and Baggett remained close in tow throughout the first half of the race. Roczen eventually put a gap on the defending champion in the final laps of Moto 2, going on to secure his first career victory in the 250 Class.

“Coming here, I didn’t really know what to expect because I sort of took some time to have fun during the week off [between supercross and motocross],” Roczen said. “It’s important to me to keep things fun but next week it’s time to put in some work and make my performance even better.”

Baggett’s score of (3-2) was enough to give him second overall for the day, while Tomac went (2-3) for third overall. Musquin captured a pair of fourth places to claim fourth overall, while GEICO Honda’s Zach Osborne rounded out the top five overall with a (9-5) score.

250 Class podium: (left) Tomac, (center) Roczen, (right) Baggett. Courtesy: Simon Cudby

New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan took the opening round of the Women’s Motocross (WMX) Triple Crown by storm, sweeping both motos of the day in her WMX debut. Duncan bested Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Sayaka Kaneshiro, who finished second overall with a (2-3) score and Texas native Taylor Higgins rounded out the overall podium. Six-time WMX champion Jessica Patterson finished second in Moto 2 but bad luck in the first moto gave her 10th overall for the day.

The WMX Triple Crown returns to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship June 8 for the GEICO Hangtown National in Mt. Morris, Pa. Round 2 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship heads to Lakewood, Colo. for the Rockwell Watches Thunder Valley National next weekend, May 25.

For tickets and additional information, please visit AlliSports.com/motocross and LIKE the Pro Motocross Facebook page and follow @ProMotocross on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content and additional information on the latest Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship news.

New Zealand's Courtney Duncan swept both motos of the WMX Class. Courtesy: Simon Cudby

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic
Prairie City OHV Park – Sacramento
May 18, 2013
Round 1 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki (1-1)
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM (2-2)
3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki (3-3)
4. Trey Canard, Oklahoma City, Okla., Honda (4-4)
5. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda (5-5)
6. Ryan Sipes, Elizabethtown, Ky., Suzuki (8-7)

7. Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., KTM (6-10)
8. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki (12-6)
9. Tyla Rattray, Durban, South Africa, Kawasaki (9-9)
10. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki (13-8)

450 Class Championship Standings

1. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki, 50
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM,44
3. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Suzuki,40
4. Trey Canard, Oklahoma City, Okla., Honda,36
5. Justin Barcia, Pinetta, Fla., Honda, 32
6. Ryan Sipes, Elizabethtown, Ky., Suzuki, 27

7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, KTM, 26
8. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 24
9. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki, 24
10. Weston Peick, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki, 21

250 Class (Moto Finish)

1. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (1-1)
2. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (3-2)
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (2-3)

4. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (4-4)
5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda (9-5)
6. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha (8-7)
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki (12-6)

8. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (7-13)
9. Joseph Savatgy, Cairo, Ga. KTM (10-11)
10. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki (13-9)

250 Class Championship Standings

1. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM, 50
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 42

3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki, 42

4. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM, 36
5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda, 28
6. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha, 27
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 24

8. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha, 22
9. Joseph Savatgy, Cairo, Ga. KTM, 21
10. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki, 20

WMX Class (Moto Finish)

1. Courtney Duncan, New Zealand, Yamaha (1-1)

2. Sayaka Kaneshiro, Japan, Honda (2-3)

3. Taylor Higgins, Mesquite, Texas, Honda (4-4)

4. Mackenzie Tricker, Australia, Yamaha (3-6)

5. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., KTM (6-5)

6. Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM (5-8)

7. Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Kawasaki (7-7)

8. Sara Pettersson, Sweden, KTM (8-9)
9. Hailey Larson, Mill Valley, Calif., Honda (9-10)
10. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (30-2)

WMX Triple Crown Points

1. Courtney Duncan, New Zealand, Yamaha 50

2. Sayaka Kaneshiro, Japan, Honda 42

3. Taylor Higgins, Mesquite, Texas, Honda 36

4. Mackenzie Tricker, Australia, Yamaha 35

5. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., KTM 31

6. Alexah Pearson, Sacramento, Calif., KTM 29

7. Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Kawasaki 28

8. Sara Pettersson, Sweden, KTM 25
9. Hailey Larson, Mill Valley, Calif., Honda 23
10. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha 22

MX Sports Pro Racing
MX Sports Pro Racing manages and produces the world’s most prestigious professional motocross series – the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The industry leader in off road power sport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit www.mxsportsproracing.com.

Alli Sports
Alli Sports is a media, event and branded content company that specializes in action, adventure, and adrenaline based sports. Alli Properties include the Dew Tour, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, the Red Bull Signature Series, GoPro World of Adventure Sports and Octane Academy; Alli Media, which creates original content, produces and presents content with partners and distributes content through a variety of channels; and Alli enterprises consisting of E-commerce, event merchandise and branded licensed product. Alli Sports is a division of the NBC Sports Group. More information can be found at www.Allisports.com.

AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

NBC Sports Group
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form the NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. The NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

Lucas Oil Products
Lucas Oil is a worldwide leader in the production of oils, lubricants and additives. Based in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products is one of the fastest-growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry, featuring a premium line of oils, lubricants and problem-solving performance additives. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top-selling additive line in the American truck-stop industry. Lucas Oil is involved in an array of motorsports sponsorships, including the “Official Motor Oil of the Pro Motocross Championship.” Visit www.LucasOil.com.