Hamblin Leads Privateer Resurgence at Opening Round of AMA Toyota Motocross Championship

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (May 28, 2008) – Privateer competitor Sean Hamblin, aboard his Tuf Powersports Yamaha, led a trio of outstanding privateer riders to crack the top 10 at the 13th Annual Giant RV Motocross National Presented by Yamaha, the opening round of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF, from Glen Helen Raceway.

Hamblin notched a seventh-place overall finish while Suzuki City/OTSFF/Rockstar Suzuki’s Cody Cooper grabbed eighth and Bad Boy Power Drinks/RWR Honda’s Jeff Alessi finished 10th.

A former factory Suzuki rider and most recently a successful competitor in both the MXGP Series and British Motocross Championship, Hamblin made a triumphant return to the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend with a pair of eighth-place moto finishes. Additionally, Hamblin led the way as the top Yamaha rider throughout the weekend, topping Factory Yamaha’s Josh Hill.

Cooper was a recent signing to his satellite Suzuki team, receiving his first opportunity at a full-time motocross ride after two Motocross Lites championships in New Zealand and Australia. Last season, he picked up a stellar fifth-place finish at the Freestone round and is not a stranger to the front of the pack. After a 14th-place finish in the first moto, he topped all Suzuki riders not named Alessi in moto two with a sixth-place effort and finished just behind factory Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Michael Byrne in the overall.

Jeff Alessi rode one of the best nationals of his career in his home event, taking advantage of hours of track time at Glen Helen in the weeks leading up to the opener as well as an all out training regimen. His 13th and ninth-place finishes in the motos put him just a few spots behind factory Red Bull Honda riders Davi Millsaps and Ivan Tedesco while finishing ahead of Andrew Short and Ben Townley.

“Privateers are the backbone of the sport,” said AMA MX Manager Jeff Canfield. “Their efforts at Glen Helen show the high level of competition in the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship and the amount of parity there is within the field. With the continued growth of motocross, the level of privateer teams has grown with increased sponsor support and higher quality equipment. It is only a matter of time until one of these privateer riders breaks through with a win.”

The series heads north this weekend for the Honda Hangtown Motocross Classic from Hangtown MX in Sacramento, Calif.

For more information on the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship, presented by FMF, log on to www.amamotocross.com for live timing and scoring at @theWireLIVE!. Racer X Illustrated will host a new and improved webcast on www.motocross.com, with live racing action hosted by Jason Weigandt. The Racer X Motocross Show on Motocross.com has also been added on Saturday night of each race weekend, featuring practice footage and interviews taken earlier in the day.

About the National Promoters Group (NPG)

The National Promoters Group (NPG) comprises 12 individual promoters of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF which sanctions outdoor motocross events throughout the United States, and remains the Nation's premier outdoor motocross championship series. NPG's mission is to raise awareness of motocross racing through the production of professional championship racing events nationwide.

About AMA Pro Racing
AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.