Ricky Carmichael Hosts Successful Amateur Supercross at Daytona

Namesake event hosts nearly 800 racers and families for two days of racing

Daytona, Fla. (March 12, 2012) - Beautiful Florida sunshine greeted nearly 800 riders at historical Daytona International Speedway for the 3^rd
Annual Monster Energy Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross on Sunday and
Monday afternoons. While rain drenched Saturday's Daytona Supercross By
Honda, tireless work by the Daytona International Speedway and MX
Sports crews-and even Ricky Carmichael himself-helped transform the
super speedway's infield into a perfect playground for dirt bikes.
Amateur, youth and vet riders from around the country were treated to a
genuine supercross experience through the two-day format of heat races
and main event.

Not only is the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross an unprecedented
opportunity for non-pro riders to compete on a genuine supercross track,
it's a rare chance to see one of sport's true legends associate his
name and brand to such a unique event. Carmichael, the 15-time AMA
Motocross and Supercross Champion, puts as much passion and enthusiasm
into this race as he did when he was actually competing. Not only did
Carmichael design the racecourse, he participated in the press day
activities and then jumped out into AMA Supercross practice on Saturday
afternoon wearing a GoPro camera on his helmet for the SPEED TV crew.
Later on Saturday night he was the guest color commentator on SPEED's
live TV broadcast, and then was seen in the late hours of the evening
planning tweaks and changes for the amateurs alongside an expert track
crew that included top course builders Don Flaner, Glenn Bates and Mark
"Bomber" Barnett-himself a part AMA Supercross Champion.

"Daytona has always been a special place for me and my family, and to
help others build their own memories here like we had has always been a
goal of mine," said Carmichael, who was born and raised in Florida and
won the Daytona Supercross By Honda a record five times as a competitor
before retiring from professional motorcycle racing. "To have the chance
to not only plan out an event of this magnitude, but also roll up my
sleeves and get out there and work on the track and talk with young
riders and just be a part of such a unique race has really been a lot of
fun."

Despite all of the rain, Sunday and Monday's amateur supercross track
turned out remarkably well. With the exception of a small portion on
the west end that was still under water Sunday morning, the amateur
riders were greeted with the same design as the previous evening's tenth
round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The crews
tamed down some of the larger jumps in order to maintain a safe racing
environment for all the different classes, but some of the more
experienced racers were still able to air it out over the big jumps and
technical sections of the track.

Monster Energy had a large presence at this year's event as the new
title sponsor, enhancing the fan experience with their massive stage,
which was open to all of the riders and their families. The Monster
Energy girls were also on site throughout the event, posing for photos
with fans and participating in the trophy presentations. Besides Monster
Energy, Honda, Suzuki, KTM, Fox Racing, Oakley, Cometic and more
offered trackside support. In fact, the amateur infield was filled with
many of the same industry professionals that graced the area Saturday
night. Pro Circuit's Mitch Payton and suspension guru Jim "Bones" Bacon
spent the two days watching amateur prospects closely while former
champion and SPEED's color analyst Jeff Emig co-announced the amateur
races with his longtime AMA Motocross partner Jason Weigandt and DMXS
Radio personality David Izer.

And at the end of it all, there was the hands-on host Carmichael, up
on the podium after every main event, handing out trophies and
Motorcycle-Superstore Holeshot Bonus Awards and speaking with every
winner.

Once the track was drained of the rainwater from the previous
evening's deluge, Sunday morning kicked off the amateur racing
festivities, beginning with practice and using heat races and LCQs to
seed riders into Monday's main events. With the new two-day format, A
classes were able to ride 10-lap mains, while B classes did nine laps
and C classes and minis went eight, giving all racers even more track
time than ever before.

The 250A and 450A Pro Sport classes provided some of the best racing
of the day as riders like Van Martin, Justin Summers, Jesse Wentland and
Cody Chisholm battled back and forth throughout every race. The
Honda-mounted Martin took home the 250A Pro Sport win, and Kyle Swanson
took the 450A Pro Sport win. Local prospect Justin Summers took second
in both classes on his Suzukis. North Carolina cross-country racer Cody
Gragg put in a solid weekend of supercross racing as he took home the
win in College (17-24), and finishing out with a second-place in the
highly contested Two-Stroke (16+) class.

In the mini classes it was Suzuki-backed Jake Pinhancos who dominated
the 85cc classes, with wins in 85 (9-13), Mini Sr. (12-15) and a
fourth-place in the Supermini (12-16). Jarek Balkovic swept both
Supermini classes, in addition to taking home the Two-stroke (16+) class
win, making his trek from Pennsylvania worth it as he takes home all
the extra hardware. And KTM rider Keith Tucker went back home to North
Carolina as a champion in the Super Mini (12-16) division.

In a deep field of up-and-coming amateur racers, it was Bayville, New
Jersey's Barry Carsten that stood out as one of the most dominant
riders of the weekend. The longtime professional took home three titles
in the Senior A (40+), Senior A (45+) and Vet A (35+) class.
Tallahassee, Florida's Earl May didn't let Carsten get away too easily,
though, as he finished a close second in all three classes.

"On behalf of MX Sports and Daytona International Speedway, and
especially Ricky Carmichael and his family, we want to thank all of the
competitors and their families who participated in the Monster Energy
Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross," said MX Sports' Tim
Cotter, the event director. "Seeing the satisfaction on the faces of
everyone made all of the hard work worthwhile, especially with the track
coming around so well. I'm sure everyone enjoyed watching the pros
splash around on Saturday night, but the idea of getting out there
themselves must have been a little intimidating for our amateur racers.
But the weather worked out, the track was perfect, and we saw some great
racing throughout both days."

To view the complete race results, click HERE.
The 2013 Monster Energy Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross at Daytona
will take place in conjunction with the Daytona Supercross By Honda and
continue to be a part of the historical Daytona Bike Week in March. For
more information on the race, visit www.mxsports.com.

About Daytona Amateur Supercross Championship
The
Monster Energy Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross at Daytona, produced
by MX Sports and held in conjunction with the Daytona AMA Supercross,
offers an opportunity for amateurs to compete on some of the most
prestigious motorsports grounds in the world - Daytona International
Speedway. The 2010 inaugural event sold out, filling every position on
the gate, making this amateur supercoss event a once in a lifetime
experience for participants all ages. For more information, please
visit www.mxsports.com.

About Ricky Carmichael
Ricky Carmichael won 102
American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Motocross Nationals and 48 AMA
Supercross main events for a record 150 major wins between 1997 and
2007. The Tallahassee, Fla., resident won 10 AMA Motocross Championships
and five AMA Supercross crowns, giving him a record 15 major titles in
his career. After retiring from professional motocross racing, he began
pursuing a career in auto racing and was named the 2009 NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series Most Popular Driver. Currently, Carmichael can be
found in the TV booth providing color commentary on CBS and Speed's
Supercross coverage. As for motocross, he will forever be known as "the
Goat," which stands for greatest of all-time.