125 West Main Event Results
1. Billy Laninovich HON
2. Andrew Short HON
3. Ivan Tedesco KAW
4. Ryan Morais SUZ
5. Brett Metcalfe YAM
6. Bryan Johnson YAM
7. Ryan Sipes SUZ
8. Danny Smith YAM
9. Jay Marmont KTM
10. Chris Gosselaar SUZ
11. Jesse Casillas HON
12. Sean Collier HON
13. Josh Summey HON
14. Kyle Patridge SUZ
15. Tiger Lacey HON
16. Paul Carpenter KAW
17. Eric McCrummen HON
18. Tim Weigand HON
19. Akira Narita HON
20. Nate Ramsey KTM

125 West Point Standings
1. Ivan Tedesco 80
2. Ryan Sipes 67
3. Danny Smith 58
4. Andrew Short 56
5. Thomas Hahn 49
6. Nate Ramsey 46
7. Billy Laninovich 42
8. Brett Metcalfe 41
9. Jay Marmont 39
10. Jesse Casillas 35

What started as a typical Supercross outing for Kyle Lewis and Moto XXX almost ended in tragedy. A miscue sent “Lucky” to the 250cc LCQ, but he was in qualifying position from the start of that race. Disaster struck, though, when he tripled out of a difficult rhythm section, came up short and was treated to a rodeo ride onto the infield floor. It didn’t look good as the team’s star rider lay motionless on the dirt, but Kyle was eventually able to get up and leave the track under his own power.

Battered and bruised, Lewis wouldn’t be blamed for taking a few days off this week, but the veteran has stuck to his routine, vowing to come back strong this weekend in San Francisco. Round 4 of the THQ AMA Supercross series will be the most important one of the young series for the team, which finds itself an underdog once again. That’s familiar ground, however, and Moto XXX has been overcoming obstacles for the better part of a decade now.

Adding significance to the San Francisco round is the Celebrity Crossover Challenge. Team co-founders, Erik Sandin and Jordan Burns will both be competing. This year, for the first time ever, the race will be run on 4-stroke mini-bikes. “Smelly” (Erik) is a regular on the pit bike scene and quietly confident in his chances come Saturday night. Jordan is a veteran of the annual race, having become something of a fixture at the event.

Erik and Jordan will have some extra incentive to do well this weekend as San Francisco is home to Fat Wreck Chords, the recording label that both of their bands (NOFX and Strung Out respectively) are contracted with. Jordan will be just days off of a 9-week tour in support of Strung Out’s new record, “Exile in Oblivion”, which has met rave reviews from media and fans alike. Will the momentum carry him to the top, or will the jetlag take its toll? Only those present at SBC Park will know.

As if two punk rock drummers weren’t enough, a third hitter has been recruited. Rory Koff, of the Bay Area’s own “No Use for a Name” (another Fat band) will be riding and flying the Moto XXX colors as an honorary team member for this race.

Fans will want to be sure and stop by the Moto XXX semi—which had its exterior wrap completed by West Coast Customs last week—in the pits on Saturday. There’s a very good chance that Jordan will find a bullhorn, which is how the famous giveaways usually get started.

David Knight has won the Genoa Indoor Enduro. The KTM factory rider showed all his indoor skills, and added to his win in the 2003 Barcelona Indoor victory.

Main event
1. David Knight (KTM-GBR)
2. Paul Edmonson (Honda-GBR)
3. Alessandro Botturi (KTM-ITA)
4. Ivan Cervantes (KTM-SPA)
5. Mika Ahola (Husqvarna-FIN)
6. Simone Albergoni (Honda-ITA)
7. Alessio Paoli (TM-ITA)
8. Maurizio Micheluz (Yamaha-ITA)
9. Petri Pohjamo (TM-FIN)
10. Arnau Vilanova (Honda-SPA)

Gundersen on the comeback trail as KTM MX1 team begins to stir

MX1 KTM rider Kenneth Gundersen is hoping to swing his leg over the 450SX four-stroke factory machine sometime in the next six weeks after a slow recovery from the serious knee injury and cartilage problem he incurred mid-way through the 2004 FIM Motocross World Championship.
The 23 year old has endured several operations and a six month absence from the sport but is presently training in Italy and is just a short spell away from a two-wheeled return.

“My physical condition is getting better and better,” he remarked this week. “It has been a very hard time for me. I had to wait two months for the
cartilage to grow, have an operation and then another three and a half months on crutches before I could start any kind of serious rehabilitation.
Now I feel like the sun is shining!” “I am really happy that KTM have been so supportive. It was a bad situation for me but also a poor return for them. I am assessing the situation a week at a time but I think I can be back on the bike in a month. The doctors have recommended this time period as minimum,” he continued. Gundersen’s problems with the joint on his right leg began after a late race crash at Teutschenthal in Germany. He could only attempt two further Grand Prix before limping away from the season prior to the Swedish round. The knee was a mess of torn cartilage and necessitated protracted treatment as well as a complete hiatus from all physical activity. “They took out, developed and then replaced the broken pieces of my cartilage. I have full confidence in the Swedish specialist who performed the surgery and he has helped other athletes all over the world,” added the fitness-obsessed Norwegian. “At the moment I’m not too sure about the first GP, it might be too soon. I have to be really careful that I don’t destroy all the hard work I have put in. I will go down to the factory in a week or two and we will talk about the pre-season.”

“Kenneth visited the doctor before the end of the year and he was very surprised at the progress of his recovery,” commented Team Manager Toby
Gustafson. “He has full movement in the knee and can train without any problems; he even took part in a cross-country ski event in Norway the other week. He has to be careful about when he can start riding the bike. We don’t want him to come back too early and face another lay-off. Cartilage needs time to stiffen. You can build up the muscles around the joint but there is a natural process that can’t be ignored. I doubt whether he will be riding before the start of March and we have no confirmed plans for his racing schedule yet. We will of course aim to have Kenneth ready for the first GP in April but we’ll have to see how things work out.”

New MX1 recruit and 2004 MX2 World Champion Ben Townley returned to Europe after holidays in his native New Zealand and several days riding in the United States this week and is regaining full fitness from the shoulder injury he sustained in December. The 20 year old will travel to Italy in a few days for more training. His first race appearance of ’05 will be at the Valance pre-season International in France on February 20th.

The third member of the MX1 crew, Steve Ramon, who finished 4th in his premier-class World Championship debut last year, is currently preparing in southern Spain until the end of January. Ramon will once again fully commit to the Belgian Championships this season and has pleased team bosses with his levels of fitness during a recent test held at the University of Brussels. Ramon will line-up at the traditional ‘curtain-opening’ International at Mantova (Italy) on February 13th.

After a frustrating outing at round 1 of the THQ AMA Supercross series in Anaheim, Team Moto XXX/Honda figured there was only one direction to go in the results. And with Kyle Lewis’ propensity for great starts, it seemed to be a reasonable line of thinking. As it turned out, Phoenix brought some similar frustrations, but the final results were better.

Daytime qualifying went well for both Kyle Lewis and Justin Buckelew. Though competition for the 20 positions in the 250cc main event was fierce, Lewis transferred out of his semi, while Buckelew was forced to ride the LCQ. All appeared to be well, as he was running second, but the race was red-flagged due to an injury on the track. On the restart, Buckelew moved out front again and seemed to be a lock to qualify, but was taken out by another rider. Still, both Justin and the team felt confident about his speed and expect improvement in the coming rounds.

Despite having a less than stellar gate pick, Lewis decided to go for it when the main event started. His CRF450 responded well, propelling him toward the front of the pack as it headed into the first turn. Unfortunately, poor decision making on behalf of other riders continued to plague the team, and Lewis was taken out for the second time in as many weeks. Getting underway in last place, “Lucky” went to work and improved to 14th by the end of the race. Even though he expects better, Kyle was encouraged to be able to come through the pack and still improve on his Anaheim results by four positions.

On a side note, the AMA began sound testing in Phoenix. Though enforcement did not begin immediately, Moto XXX Performance and Akrapovic Exhaust put together a package that is not only notorious for getting holeshots, but passed the sound test on its first attempt. Thanks to the technology brought to the table by Akrapovic and the exceptional tuning abilities of Team Manager Allan Brown, the Moto XXX Hondas are producing plenty of horsepower at acceptable sound levels. There aren’t many teams that can make such claims, but Moto XXX has chosen to take a proactive approach to the noise issues facing the sport of motocross.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Jan. 19, 2005) - Ricky Carmichael comes into Anaheim II on Saturday, Jan. 22, carrying a great deal of momentum.

Carmichael, of Havana, Fla., is fresh off a victory last week at round two of the 16-race series in Phoenix. The win, Suzuki’s first in AMA Supercross since 1999, moves Carmichael to within two points of Honda’s Kevin Windham, who won the muddy opener at Anaheim on Jan. 8.

For Carmichael it was his first AMA Supercross win with Suzuki. “Around lap 13 or 14 I knew I had it if I didn’t make any mistakes,” Carmichael said of his Phoenix race. “The last few laps seemed to take an eternity. I’m happy for myself, but I’m most happy for Suzuki. They deserve it. We’ll take this momentum with us going into next weekend.”

Carmichael and Suzuki are using innovative approaches to set up the team’s RM250 and find additional speed on the technical supercross tracks.

“We’ve taken some things from MotoGP,” Carmichael said referring to world championship Motorcycle Grand Prix road racing. “They’re a little more specific with their timing and finding out where you’re losing time and that’s what we have to do since all the riders are pretty close in talent.”

Even though he was largely overlooked in pre-season predictions, Honda-mounted Kevin Windham has emerged as a serious championship contender. The 12-year racing veteran from Centreville, Miss., is looking to win his first AMA Supercross title in his eighth season in the series. He finds himself leading the series for the first time in his career, but instead of being overly excited about that fact he’s being realistic.

“This is a long series with a lot of races,” Windham said. “I’m happy about leading the series, but we have 14 rounds left and so many things can happen. I never really got comfortable at Phoenix and didn’t feel I could push it for 20 laps. Hopefully I’ll learn a few things from video of the race and can be stronger in Anaheim this weekend.”

Carmichael’s teammate Sebastien Tortelli comes into Anaheim II ranked third in the standings. The two-time FIM World Motocross Champion is trying to win his first AMA Supercross race since he came over from world motocross to win in his debut in 1998.

Defending THQ AMA Supercross champion Chad Reed finished third to Carmichael and Windham last Saturday and as a result leapt from 16th to ninth in the series standings. Reed is anxious to put his Yamaha atop the podium in an effort to gain on Windham and Carmichael in the points chase.

Seven-time AMA Supercross champ Jeremy McGrath proved he still has plenty of speed left by earning a top-10 finish at Phoenix despite sitting out of the series for two years. McGrath will again be a fan favorite at his home supercross of Anaheim.

AMA Supercross Series fans will have to wait for some weeks to see if James Stewart can realize the potential of his enormous talent. The young Kawasaki ace broke his left arm in a practice crash at Phoenix and will miss at least the next few rounds of the series. Stewart’s shown great speed in the first two rounds and is certain to be a leading contender when he returns. The injury is a monumental disappointment for both Stewart and Kawasaki.

Travis Pastrana, one of the sport’s most popular and well known faces, is also a question mark for Anaheim II. The X-Games Gold Medalist, who has been riding with an injured wrist, may have injured himself further in Phoenix.

In the 125 class, Suzuki’s Broc Hepler won his very first AMA Supercross race in Phoenix. It marked the first time that Suzuki riders won both the premier AMA Supercross and 125 support class on the same weekend. The win moved Hepler from 18th to fifth in the 125 West standings. Defending champion Ivan Tedesco is tied atop the 125 West standings with outstanding newcomer Ryan Sipes, of Vine Grove, Ky., who finished a surprising third last weekend in Phoenix.

Anaheim I 125 West winner Nathan Ramsey had problems with his bike at Phoenix and finished 22nd dropping him to sixth in the point standings.

Anaheim II will receive next-day primetime coverage on ESPN2 starting with the AMA 125 West Supercross race at 7 pm and the main 250 race at 8:00 pm Eastern. Tickets are available at the Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, all participating Yamaha Dealers or charge by phone at 213-480-3232 or 714-740-2000.

About AMA Pro Racing

AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the THQ AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Motocross Championship, the AMA Superbike Championship, the AMA Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com. Accredited media outlets can also access AMA Pro Racing’s online Press Room at www.amaproracing.com/pressroom.

250 Supercross Main event results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap Pts
1 4 Ricky Carmichael Havana, FL Suzuki RM250 20 25
2 14 Kevin W Windham Centreville, MS Honda CRF450R 20 22
3 22 Chad Reed Dade City, FL Yamaha YZ250 20 20
4 24 Ernesto Fonseca Murrieta, CA Honda CR250R 20 18
5 13 Heath D Voss Mico, TX Yamaha YZ450F 20 16
6 103 Sebastien Tortelli Lake Elsinore, CA Suzuki RM-Z450 20 15
7 27 Nicholas A Wey Dewitt, MI Honda CR250R 20 14
8 12 David Vuillemin Murrieta, CA Yamaha YZ250 20 13
9 2 Jeremy A McGrath Encinitas, CA Honda CR250R 20 12
10 20 Damon W Huffman Valencia, CA Honda CRF450R 20 11
11 26 Michael Byrne Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250 19 10
12 15 Timmy M Ferry Largo, FL Yamaha YZ250 19 9
13 57 Erick Vallejo Garland, TX Yamaha YZ250 19 8
14 23 Kyle Lewis Henderson, NV Honda CRF450R 19 7
15 5 Mike Larocco Corona, CA Honda CR250R 19 6
16 28 Sean D Hamblin Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250 19 5
17 53 James M Povolny Mendota Heights, MN Honda CRF450R 18 4
18 54 Jeff Gibson Westerville, OH Honda CRF450R 16 3
19 47 Tyler D Evans Corona, CA Suzuki RM250 14 2
20 199 Travis A Pastrana Davidsonville, MD Suzuki RM250 2 1
RACE TIME: 17:22.47 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:52.1
Heat race 1 results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 4 Ricky Carmichael Havana, FL Suzuki RM250 8
2 13 Heath D Voss Mico, TX Yamaha YZ450F 8
3 12 David Vuillemin Murrieta, CA Yamaha YZ250 8
4 199 Travis A Pastrana Davidsonville, MD Suzuki RM250 8
5 27 Nicholas A Wey Dewitt, MI Honda CR250R 8
6 28 Sean D Hamblin Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250 8
7 17 Robbie L Reynard Oklahoma City, OK Honda CR250R 8
8 57 Erick Vallejo Garland, TX Yamaha YZ250 8
9 55 Joseph W Oehlhof Hesperia, CA Honda CRF450R 8
10 128 Jimmy R Wilson Willis, MI Honda CRF450R 8
11 153 Gregory M Crater Renton, WA Honda CRF450R 8
12 23 Kyle Lewis Henderson, NV Honda CRF450R 8
13 20 Damon W Huffman Valencia, CA Honda CRF450R 8
14 90 Brian S Mason Columbia, IL Honda CRF450R 8
15 285 Robb Floth Meridian, ID Suzuki RM250 7
16 586 Dennis J Ewing Lake Elsinore, CA Honda CRF450R 7
17 67 Rusty Holland Clovis, CA Honda CRF450R 7
18 159 Jiri Dostal Murrieta, CA Honda CRF450R 7
19 5 Mike Larocco Corona, CA Honda CR250R 4
20 416 Scott A Howe Leona Valley, CA Honda CRF450R 0-DNS
RACE TIME: 6:51.76 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:51.5
Heat race 2 results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 22 Chad Reed Dade City, FL Yamaha YZ250 8
2 14 Kevin W Windham Centreville, MS Honda CRF450R 8
3 2 Jeremy A McGrath Encinitas, CA Honda CR250R 8
4 26 Michael Byrne Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250 8
5 15 Timmy M Ferry Largo, FL Yamaha YZ250 8
6 47 Tyler D Evans Corona, CA Suzuki RM250 8
7 24 Ernesto Fonseca Murrieta, CA Honda CR250R 8
8 103 Sebastien Tortelli Lake Elsinore, CA Suzuki RM-Z450 8
9 54 Jeff Gibson Westerville, OH Honda CRF450R 8
10 33 Jason W Thomas Melrose, FL Honda CRF450R 8
11 56 Isaiah V Johnson Albuquerque, NM Yamaha YZ250 8
12 73 Justin Buckelew Riverside, CA Honda CR250R 8
13 53 James M Povolny Mendota Heights, MN Honda CRF450R 8
14 52 Keith R Johnson Albuquerque, NM Yamaha YZ250 8
15 139 Jacob W Martin Oklahoma City, OK Yamaha YZ250 8
16 46 Clark Stiles Athens, AL Honda CRF450R 8
17 125 Daniel M Blair Corona, CA Yamaha YZ250 8
18 137 Brandon F Thomas Auburn, WA Honda CRF450R 7
19 524 Brandon W Butler Gainesville, FL Honda CRF450R 7
20 965 Antonio Jorge Balbi Jr Belo Horizont, Honda CRF450R 0-DNF
RACE TIME: 6:53.84 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:51.7
Semi race 1 results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 5 Mike Larocco Corona, CA Honda CR250R 6
2 27 Nicholas A Wey Dewitt, MI Honda CR250R 6
3 57 Erick Vallejo Garland, TX Yamaha YZ250 6
4 28 Sean D Hamblin Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250 6
5 23 Kyle Lewis Henderson, NV Honda CRF450R 6
6 20 Damon W Huffman Valencia, CA Honda CRF450R 6
7 159 Jiri Dostal Murrieta, CA Honda CRF450R 6
8 17 Robbie L Reynard Oklahoma City, OK Honda CR250R 6
9 128 Jimmy R Wilson Willis, MI Honda CRF450R 6
10 67 Rusty Holland Clovis, CA Honda CRF450R 6
11 153 Gregory M Crater Renton, WA Honda CRF450R 6
12 285 Robb Floth Meridian, ID Suzuki RM250 6
13 586 Dennis J Ewing Lake Elsinore, CA Honda CRF450R 6
14 55 Joseph W Oehlhof Hesperia, CA Honda CRF450R 6
15 90 Brian S Mason Columbia, IL Honda CRF450R 6
16 416 Scott A Howe Leona Valley, CA Honda CRF450R 0-DNS
RACE TIME: 5:22.52 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:53.8
Semi race 2 results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 24 Ernesto Fonseca Murrieta, CA Honda CR250R 6
2 103 Sebastien Tortelli Lake Elsinore, CA Suzuki RM-Z450 6
3 54 Jeff Gibson Westerville, OH Honda CRF450R 6
4 15 Timmy M Ferry Largo, FL Yamaha YZ250 6
5 53 James M Povolny Mendota Heights, MN Honda CRF450R 6
6 56 Isaiah V Johnson Albuquerque, NM Yamaha YZ250 6
7 33 Jason W Thomas Melrose, FL Honda CRF450R 6
8 139 Jacob W Martin Oklahoma City, OK Yamaha YZ250 6
9 73 Justin Buckelew Riverside, CA Honda CR250R 6
10 46 Clark Stiles Athens, AL Honda CRF450R 6
11 47 Tyler D Evans Corona, CA Suzuki RM250 6
12 137 Brandon F Thomas Auburn, WA Honda CRF450R 6
13 524 Brandon W Butler Gainesville, FL Honda CRF450R 6
14 52 Keith R Johnson Albuquerque, NM Yamaha YZ250 6
15 965 Antonio Jorge Balbi Jr Belo Horizont, Honda CRF450R 6
16 125 Daniel M Blair Corona, CA Yamaha YZ250 4
RACE TIME: 5:19.83 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:53.3
Last Chance Qualifier results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 47 Tyler D Evans Corona, CA Suzuki RM250 6
2 20 Damon W Huffman Valencia, CA Honda CRF450R 6
3 56 Isaiah V Johnson Albuquerque, NM Yamaha YZ250 6
4 90 Brian S Mason Columbia, IL Honda CRF450R 6
5 33 Jason W Thomas Melrose, FL Honda CRF450R 6
6 73 Justin Buckelew Riverside, CA Honda CR250R 6
7 55 Joseph W Oehlhof Hesperia, CA Honda CRF450R 6
8 46 Clark Stiles Athens, AL Honda CRF450R 6
9 17 Robbie L Reynard Oklahoma City, OK Honda CR250R 6
10 153 Gregory M Crater Renton, WA Honda CRF450R 6
11 965 Antonio Jorge Balbi Jr Belo Horizont, Honda CRF450R 6
12 52 Keith R Johnson Albuquerque, NM Yamaha YZ250 6
13 586 Dennis J Ewing Lake Elsinore, CA Honda CRF450R 6
14 125 Daniel M Blair Corona, CA Yamaha YZ250 6
15 137 Brandon F Thomas Auburn, WA Honda CRF450R 6
16 285 Robb Floth Meridian, ID Suzuki RM250 6
17 139 Jacob W Martin Oklahoma City, OK Yamaha YZ250 6
18 524 Brandon W Butler Gainesville, FL Honda CRF450R 5
19 67 Rusty Holland Clovis, CA Honda CRF450R 1
20 159 Jiri Dostal Murrieta, CA Honda CRF450R 0-DNS
21 128 Jimmy R Wilson Willis, MI Honda CRF450R 0-DNS
22 416 Scott A Howe Leona Valley, CA Honda CRF450R 0-DNS
RACE TIME: 5:23.32 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:53.9

2005 THQ AMA 250 SUPERCROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS
Pos. Pts Rider, hometown Wins
1 47 Kevin W Windham, Centreville, MS 1
2 45 Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL 1
3 33 Sebastien Tortelli, Lake Elsinore, CA
4 30 Ernesto Fonseca, Murrieta, CA
5 29 Nicholas A Wey, Dewitt, MI
6 28 Mike LaRocco, Corona, CA
7 27 David Vuillemin, Murrieta, CA
8 26 Heath D Voss, Mico, TX
9 25 Chad Reed, Dade City, FL
10 18 Michael Byrne, Murrieta, CA
11 17 Damon W Huffman, Valencia, CA
12 16 James J Stewart, Haines City, FL
13 16 Jeff Gibson, Westerville, OH
14 13 Jeremy A McGrath, Encinitas, CA
15 12 Travis A Pastrana, Davidsonville, MD
16 11 Tyler D Evans, Corona, CA
17 10 Kyle Lewis, Henderson, NV
18 9 Timmy M Ferry, Largo, FL
19 8 Erick Vallejo, Garland, TX
20 7 Joseph W Oehlhof, Hesperia, CA
21 5 Sean D Hamblin, Murrieta, CA
22 4 James M Povolny, Mendota Heights, MN
23 4 Antioni Jorge Balbi Junior, Belo Horzont, Brazil
24 2 Robbie L Reynard, Oklahoma City, OK

2005 AMA SUPERCROSS/MOTOCROSSS MANUFACTURER POINT STANDINGS
Pos. Pts Manufacturer Wins
1 47 Honda 1
2 45 Suzuki 1
3 34 Yamaha
4 26 Kawasaki

125 Supercross Main event results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap Pts
1 60 Broc D Hepler Kittanning, PA Suzuki RM-Z250 15 25
2 1 Ivan Tedesco Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250F 15 22
3 65 Ryan Sipes Vine Grove, KY Suzuki RM-Z250 15 20
4 87 Turbo V Reif Atascadero, CA Honda CRF250R 15 18
5 31 Danny L Smith Middleton, ID Yamaha YZ250F 15 16
6 66 Thomas K Hahn Belpre, KS Honda CRF250R 15 15
7 475 Jesse Casillas Jamul, CA Honda CRF250R 15 14
8 111 Jay Marmont Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250F 15 13
9 34 Christopher Gosselaar Victorville, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 15 12
10 51 Andrew T Short Murrieta, CA Honda CRF250R 15 11
11 132 Billy R Laninovich Lake Elsinore, CA Honda CRF250R 15 10
12 120 Steve P Mertens Lake Elsinore, CA Yamaha YZ250F 15 9
13 64 Sean T Collier Santa Clarita, CA Honda CRF250R 15 8
14 76 Ryan Morais Canyon Lake, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 15 7
15 59 Tim E Weigand Canyon Country, CA Honda CRF250R 15 6
16 75 Richie Owens Wildomar, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 15 5
17 221 Tiger Lacey Wolf Creek, OR Honda CRF250R 15 4
18 910 Johnny Marley Guthrie, OK Honda CRF250R 15 3
19 979 Benjamin Coisy Pierrevert, Honda CRF250R 15 2
20 44 Paul P Carpenter Ithaca, NY Kawasaki KX250F 15 1
21 86 Ryan J Abrigo Snohomish, WA Honda CRF250R 14
22 25 Nathan Ramsey Menifee, CA KTM 250SXF 13
RACE TIME: 13:21.46 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:53.4
Heat race 1 results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 132 Billy R Laninovich Lake Elsinore, CA Honda CRF250R 6
2 31 Danny L Smith Middleton, ID Yamaha YZ250F 6
3 65 Ryan Sipes Vine Grove, KY Suzuki RM-Z250 6
4 111 Jay Marmont Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250F 6
5 44 Paul P Carpenter Ithaca, NY Kawasaki KX250F 6
6 60 Broc D Hepler Kittanning, PA Suzuki RM-Z250 6
7 76 Ryan Morais Canyon Lake, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 6
8 86 Ryan J Abrigo Snohomish, WA Honda CRF250R 6
9 75 Richie Owens Wildomar, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 6
10 475 Jesse Casillas Jamul, CA Honda CRF250R 6
11 337 Jacob Marsack Allenton, MI Honda CRF250R 6
12 982 Akira Narita Corona, CA Honda CRF250R 6
13 301 Dylan Lord Apple Valley, CA Honda CRF250R 6
14 782 Michael G Young Palmdale, CA Honda CRF250R 6
15 91 Joshua P Woods Flint, MI Honda CRF250R 6
16 238 Michael J Sleeter Escondido, CA Honda CRF250R 5
17 256 Bryan K Johnson Cairo, GA Yamaha YZ250F 3
18 974 Xavier Hernandez Perris, CA Yamaha YZ250F 2
19 144 Kyle Partridge Fountain Valley, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 2
20 61 Joshua Summey Allen, TX Honda CRF250R 0-DNF
RACE TIME: 5:23.3 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:53.9
Heat race 2 results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 1 Ivan Tedesco Murrieta, CA Kawasaki KX250F 6
2 25 Nathan Ramsey Menifee, CA KTM 250SXF 6
3 51 Andrew T Short Murrieta, CA Honda CRF250R 6
4 66 Thomas K Hahn Belpre, KS Honda CRF250R 6
5 120 Steve P Mertens Lake Elsinore, CA Yamaha YZ250F 6
6 221 Tiger Lacey Wolf Creek, OR Honda CRF250R 6
7 59 Tim E Weigand Canyon Country, CA Honda CRF250R 6
8 910 Johnny Marley Guthrie, OK Honda CRF250R 6
9 64 Sean T Collier Santa Clarita, CA Honda CRF250R 6
10 157 Vincent M Blair Lodi, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 6
11 34 Christopher Gosselaar Victorville, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 6
12 717 Kyle J Mace Hesperia, CA Honda CRF250R 6
13 196 Levi A Reid Llano, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 6
14 252 Justin F Keeney Lebanon, OR Kawasaki KX250F 6
15 6 Steve Lamson Camino, CA Honda CRF250R 6
16 123 Brett Metcalfe Murrieta, CA Yamaha YZ125 6
17 979 Benjamin Coisy Pierrevert, Honda CRF250R 6
18 225 Matthew Daton Beavers Hemet, CA Honda CRF250R 6
19 401 Eric J McCrummen Oakley, CA Honda CRF250R 5
20 87 Turbo V Reif Atascadero, CA Honda CRF250R 5
RACE TIME: 5:20.32 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:53.4
Last Chance Qualifier results
Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Lap
1 34 Christopher Gosselaar Victorville, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 4
2 475 Jesse Casillas Jamul, CA Honda CRF250R 4
3 87 Turbo V Reif Atascadero, CA Honda CRF250R 4
4 979 Benjamin Coisy Pierrevert, Honda CRF250R 4
5 982 Akira Narita Corona, CA Honda CRF250R 4
6 123 Brett Metcalfe Murrieta, CA Yamaha YZ125 4
7 782 Michael G Young Palmdale, CA Honda CRF250R 4
8 91 Joshua P Woods Flint, MI Honda CRF250R 4
9 717 Kyle J Mace Hesperia, CA Honda CRF250R 4
10 301 Dylan Lord Apple Valley, CA Honda CRF250R 4
11 6 Steve Lamson Camino, CA Honda CRF250R 4
12 401 Eric J McCrummen Oakley, CA Honda CRF250R 4
13 196 Levi A Reid Llano, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 4
14 157 Vincent M Blair Lodi, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 4
15 238 Michael J Sleeter Escondido, CA Honda CRF250R 4
16 252 Justin F Keeney Lebanon, OR Kawasaki KX250F 4
17 337 Jacob Marsack Allenton, MI Honda CRF250R 4
18 974 Xavier Hernandez Perris, CA Yamaha YZ250F 4
19 225 Matthew Daton Beavers Hemet, CA Honda CRF250R 4
20 256 Bryan K Johnson Cairo, GA Yamaha YZ250F 3
21 61 Joshua Summey Allen, TX Honda CRF250R 0-DNF
22 144 Kyle Partridge Fountain Valley, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 0-DNS
RACE TIME: 3:37.99 min.
WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 00:54.5

2005 THQ AMA 125 WEST REGION POINT STANDINGS
Pos. Pts Rider, hometown Wins
1 35 Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, CA
2 35 Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, KY
3 33 Thomas K Hahn, Belpre, KS
4 30 Danny L Smith, Middleton, ID
5 28 Broc D Hepler, Kittanning, PA 1
6 25 Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, CA 1
7 22 Joshua P Woods, Flint, MI
8 20 Akria Narita, Corona, CA
9 20 Jesse Casillas, Jamul, CA
10 18 Turbo V Reif, Atascadero, CA
11 17 Billy R Laninovich, Lake Elsinore, CA
12 16 Steve Lamson, Camino, CA
13 16 Richie Owens, Wildomar, CA
14 16 Ryan Morais, Canyon Lake, CA
15 16 Sean T Collier, Santa Clarita, CA
16 13 Jay Marmont, Murrieta, CA
17 12 Christopher Gosselaar, Victorville, CA
18 12 Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, CA
19 12 Andrew T Short, Murrieta, CA
20 10 Eric J McCrummen, Oakley, CA
21 9 Steve P Mertens, Lake Elsinore, CA
22 6 Tim E Weigand, Canyon Country, CA
23 5 Bryan K Johnson, Cairo, GA
24 4 Tiger Lacey, Wolf Creek, OR
25 4 Jacob W Martin, Oklahoma City, OK
26 3 Johnny Marley, Guthrie, OK
27 2 Ryan J Abrigo, Snohomish, WA
28 2 Benjamin Coisy, Pierrevert, FRANCE
29 1 Paul P Carpenter, Ithaca, NY
0 Travis Bannister, Colorado Springs, CO

2005 AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES BONUS AWARDS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
Active 8 Racing, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Answer Racing, ASV Inventions Inc., AXO America Inc., Blue Marble Oil, Bridgestone, Cycle Logic/Engine Ice, Ferodo, Fly Racing, Fox Racing, Goodyear Dunlop North America, Hansens Beverage Company, Jardine Performance Products, Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA, L.A. Sleeve Co./Pro-X, M2R Helmets, Maxxis International, Michelin North America, Inc., MSR, Oakley Inc., One Industries, Race Tech, Ready Racing, Inc., Renthal, Scott USA, SDG USA, Shift, Shoei Safety Helmet Corp., Smith Optics, Spy Optic, Stomp Design Inc./Stompgrip, Sunline/ARC, Tag Metals America LLC, THOR, Universal Engineering, Vortex, Wiseco Piston, Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc.

NEXT EVENT: ANGEL STADIUM, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 22, 2005

David Fr?©tign?© (Yamaha WR450F - Yamaha MF Gauloises Ipone) put in another
great performance yesterday. Fr?©tign?© was the fastest after 246 km (CP2),
but in the end it was Australian Andy Caldecott who won the stage 2′06 ahead
of the Yamaha Moto France rider. David retains his fifth overall, 7 minutes
ahead of Caldecott (KTM).

With the entry in Mali riders had to face a different type of terrain,
changing the desert for the scenery of black Africa. Riders left early in
the morning, all wearing a mourning-band, for a liaison of 205 km to reach
the start of the special. Andy Caldecott and Chris Blair were the two
fastest riders at CP1 ahead of Fr?©tign?©. Overall leader Cyril Despres (KTM)
lost 6′35″ after a light crash damaging his exhaust. The second part of the
day saw a more technical course. Fr?©tign?© perfectly displayed his riding
skills, but his WR450F was outgunned in sheer speed by Caldecott’s 660cc
bike on a fast section near the end of the stage. Despres finished seventh
in the end, the Frenchman now has lead of 16′06″ over Coma. Dutch Yamaha
rider Bas Verhoeven (WR450F)finished 18th and is 16th in overall standings,
third in the Production two class.

“Wednesday was really a tough day with the cancellation of the stage,”
commented Fr?©tign?©. “Everbody was pondering about the events of Tuesday and
it’s not very good. Actually it would have been better not to cancel the
special of Bamako to give our minds some rest. Yesterday’s stage was
beautiful, very technical and I enjoyed riding it. But even just riding
again did not come easy. I really had to concentrate during the race not to
think about Fabrizio, but luckily it worked well for me and I finished
second. Just a shame that there was so much dust. The 14th stage will be
very similar and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Tomorrow the competitors tackle the last big special of the 2005 Dakar - 630
km from Kayes to Cambacounda.

7.00 p.m. Course with obstacles through Mali’s bush land

Alfie Cox couldn’t believe it. He was pissed off when he arrived at the finish in Kayes. Today he couldn’t find his rhythm. “There was one speed
trap behind the other,” he claimed, “I constantly had to reduce speed so I wouldn’t receive any penalties. There was no fun in it.” The desert fox wasn’t alone with this opinion. Many of the others thought alike, for example Chris Blais. Although he was more than satisfied about his 3rd place, he nevertheless was mad about having to use his brakes all the time. “I actually counted 30 speed traps today. We did pass through many villages, but that was just too much. Accelerating and braking, accelerating and braking – continuously. It was really difficult to find a satisfying rhythm.”

The Australian Andy Caldecott claimed the best result today. But he too had to overcome an obstacle, a typical one for this country. “I hit a cow in its rear. Luckily I was just tumbling a little. I hope the cow is doing well, too.“ Caldecott clinched his second stage win today.“ At the beginning I was
pacing along,” he claimed, “After the accident with the cow I reduced the speed a little. I didn’t want to risk too much. In all it was good that we
had a day to rest yesterday. I must say, I was able to really concentrate on the track today.”

Marc Coma was feeling similar. “Bit by bit I’m getting back into the racing. The stage required a lot of attention,” he explained, “I had to sternly
concentrate on my road book; there was no time for other thoughts today.” Coma started in the first position this morning. He led the pack from the start until the finish. “To start off in first position this morning took a lot of effort. But everything went well and I was making good pace. The only trouble was the many animals on the track – this was dangerous.”

Cyril Despres had to endure a different moment of shock. “I overlooked a large rock on the ground and my exhaust crashed. Afterwards the exhaust pipe was squashed. I needed a few minutes to repair the damage. I bent the exhaust with pliers until the fumes could escape again. Afterwards I continued riding a bit more careful.”

However, Cyril was fast enough to hold on to the overall leadership. He has a 16’06 minute lead on Marc Coma. But the Spaniard has not yet given up his hopes for the victory. “Tomorrow will be another long day. Many things might happen,” supposed Coma, “But if Cyril continues at the same pace it will become more and more difficult to overtake him.” Alfie Cox is third overall. Him and Isidre Esteve Pujol battle for a place on the podium. Isidre is only about half a minute off the pace.

Thousands of kilometers away from Kayes a group of people assembled to mourn for Fabrizio Meoni. The double Dakar champion was buried in his hometown Castiglion Fiorentino this afternoon. Stefan Pierer, head of KTM, and Heinz Kinigadner, head of sports at KTM, represented KTM at the funeral and paid their last respects to Fabrizio.

Tomorrow the final spurt begins. The route leads towards Senegal, to Tambacounda. The race is on for 529 km. It is the last long stage in this
year’s Dakar. It leads through a savannah landscape. The competitors will have to cross through several rivers. And again there will be numerous
villages along the way.

Stage Results
1. Andy Caldecott (Team KTM Motorex Australia)
3. Chris Blais (Team KTM Red Bull USA) + 3´32
4. Alfie Cox (Team KTM Gauloises) + 4´29
6. Isidre Esteve Pujol (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull) + 7´01
7. Cyril Despres (Team KTM Gauloises) + 8´18
8. Jean Brucy (Team KTM Gauloises) + 8´57
9. Marc Coma (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull) + 9´34
10. Giovanni Sala (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull) + 14´47
24. Scot Harden (Team KTM Red Bull USA) + 40´46
38. David Schwarz (Team KTM Motorex Australia) + 55´50
48. Kellon Walch (Team KTM Red Bull USA) + 1´10´59

Overall Results
1. Cyril Despres (Team KTM Gauloises)
2. Marc Coma (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull) + 16´02
3. Alfie Cox (Team KTM Gauloises) + 20´39
4. Isidre Esteve Pujol (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull) + 21´06
6. Andy Caldecott (Team KTM Motorex Australia) + 41´05
7. Giovanni Sala (Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull) + 1h 33´29
9. Chris Blais (Team KTM Red Bull USA) + 2h 00´19
10. Jean Brucy (Team KTM Gauloises) + 3h 05´23
17. Scott Harden (Team KTM Red Bull USA) + 6h 24´35
21. Kellon Walch (Team KTM Red Bull USA) + 8h 44´07
36. David Schwarz (Team KTM Motorex Australia) + 14h 13´49

The followers move on

It is a quiet day for the KTM- factory pilots. Only last night, they pushed their bikes, which were all ready, over to the airplanes. Leaving, mentally
as well as physically, tough days they had in Mauritania behind them, the drivers left Kiffa at noon.

In the bivouac of Bamako, they are now slowly starting to look into the next stage, the race to Dakar. The decision to go on with the rally was not easy for the pilots. Nevertheless, of their own accord, they want to go on - no one has forced them to go.

Jean Brucy, Team KTM Gauloises, says with tears in his eyes: “By all means, we want a “blue one” to be on the podium in Dakar. In respect of Richard did we go on this rally and we will finish in respect of Fabrizio as well. That is our way of remembrance.” Team mate Alfie Cox adds: “We have been working for this Dakar for one year. I have invested a lot of energy to be within the top drivers. It is our decision to finish the rally. And I am sure that Fabrizio would have accepted this due to him being a great sportsman.”

The drivers of the Team KTM Repsol-Red Bull are thinking likewise. Gio Sala: “I believe that is what he would have wanted us to do – to drive to Dakar. We cannot change it by stopping. Nothing. The only thing that is not working a 100 % properly anymore is the head. The head is not clear anymore. But every rally driver has to live with the risk of something being able to happen. We suppress it though. Until it happens to someone, who one knows well.”

Scot Harden from Team KTM Red Bull USA talks about the reasons why his team will continue the rally, “Chris, Kellon and I came here to reach Dakar. It is our goal. The boys still need to learn a lot. Among the things they need to learn is how to manage difficult situations. For us Fabrizio symbolized the ideal racing driver. Personally I will always remember his birthday on New Year’s Eve. The room was full of balloons and he burst all of them. He was just like a little boy. One wasn’t enough for him. He had to burst them all. Whatever he did, he did it properly.”

This day was a tough one for the mechanics. Due to today’s marathon stage the bikes couldn’t be touched tonight in the bivouac at Bamako. Therefore the men had to make necessary repairs and preparations already last night. This morning they started on their long tour through the Sahara. Surely, this trip wasn’t an easy one for any of them. Their thoughts were with Fabrizio, with his family and centering on the question: Why? But everyone had to stay focused and concentrated. Wasn’t it Heinz Kinigadner’s who explained yesterday? “The Dakar is no walk in the park.”

Tomorrow is the second part of the marathon stage. It leads for 668 km from Bamako to Kayes. The special runs for 370 kilometers. The riders will need to proof flexibility on the stage. At first speed is important, then the small track crosses through bush land and towards the end of the special a rugged and rocky scenery demands cross-country skills from the drivers.