AG Motorsports/KTM Announces the Departure of Jimmy Albertson

GuyB
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Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 3:57pm
Abingdon, Virginia – AG Motorsports/KTM and Jimmy Albertson have decided to part ways just one week after the two agreed to an East Coast Supercross Lites ride for the 2011 season.

The decision was made by both parties that Jimmy would not have the time to be fully tested and comfortable on a 250F before the East Coast Supercross rounds begin in Houston on February 12th. Jimmy had been training and riding a 450 for the last year and dropping horsepower is a hard task to accomplish in a short amount of time. Not to mention changing manufactures. Jimmy is comfortable on his Honda 450 and moving to the KTM 250 was a big change in feel and horsepower.

“I was really looking forward to working with jimmy”… stated Al Albiker, Team Manager. “He had been riding and training on the 450 so far this year and was really looking fast. With that said when he rode the 250 he knew that it was going to take longer then he thought going from a 450 to a 250 after all this time to get that 450 speed he had. He wanted to know if we could put him on a 450. But we are set up to be a 250F team and would not have had enough time to get all that we would have needed to get Jimmy ready for Supercross on a 450.”

“It was really hard to tell everyone that I just didn't feel comfortable with the switch”… said Jimmy Albertson. “Right now I'm really happy and comfortable with my current bike and suspension. It was going to be tough getting all the testing done that would have been necessary to make me comfortable with the bike. I don't have a problem with the 250 or the KTM, I just didn't want to go backwards in my program before my first Supercross and to hop on a new bike with limited testing was going to be tough. I'm really thankful that Al (Albiker) and everyone at the team understood about it all. I wish AG Motorsports the best and hope that maybe in the future we can be working together.”

There are no plans to fill the vacancy on the team for the 2011 Supercross series. AG Motorsports/KTM will field a three man roster; #56 Phil Nicoletti, #60 Killy Rusk, and #690 Ricky Winters.

Stay up to date on all team news, photos, and results at www.agmmx.com
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huck
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12/21/2010 8:14am
wow.
nytsmaC
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12/21/2010 8:29am
I wonder what the real reason is, hard to believe he really doesn't think he can get comfortable enough on the bike to race it competitively when the first round is almost 2 months away!
bogdan912
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12/21/2010 8:48am
Star racing fill in for swanepol maybe?

The Shop

DanDunes818
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12/21/2010 8:59am
bogdan912 wrote:
Star racing fill in for swanepol maybe?
Don't know if that's the case but that would make more sense than that BS PR.
mccread
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12/21/2010 9:05am
IMO Jimmy fits a 450 better, and it still amazes me that Friese got the ride ahead of an experianced proven 450 rider like Jimmy ( who was top 10 in the 2009 US nationals and some top 10 results in the World Championship.)
bents
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12/21/2010 9:10am
Could be that he was just being honest. He obviously prefers the 450 and didn't want to drop down once he rode the bike. I say good for him. It puts him in a tougher spot as far as support goes, but he seems to believe in himself enough to stay where he is at. Without that, tough to make progress I'd say....
redalert144
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12/21/2010 9:18am
bents wrote:
Could be that he was just being honest. He obviously prefers the 450 and didn't want to drop down once he rode the bike. I say...
Could be that he was just being honest. He obviously prefers the 450 and didn't want to drop down once he rode the bike. I say good for him. It puts him in a tougher spot as far as support goes, but he seems to believe in himself enough to stay where he is at. Without that, tough to make progress I'd say....
Totally agree, there is no point in riding for a team when you know you aren't going to do well. Especially if he did ride for them and did poorly, where is that going to put him next year. This is a good opportunity for him to prove himself on a 450 and put himself in a good position for next year. I applaud his effort not to waste the teams money or both their time.
GrapeApe
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12/21/2010 9:19am
Odds are a replacement 450 ride will open up either before or pretty soon after A1. You have to figure he would be at the top of the list for replacement riders (well, unless it's the Valli team Smile ) The PR was a graceful way to bow out without burning bridges with a team or manufacturer.
jeffro503
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12/21/2010 9:33am
Well , hopefully Jimmy can show up to A1 and do the best he can.....then if a spot opens up from a rider getting injured......he would be a great fill in rider.

I actually applaud his decision really. He was being honest , and said that he didn't feel comfortable on the bike.....which means that he didn't feel safe doing it. Good for him being honest enough to say so. I'm sure he had to think it over quite a bit before he made that decision , as I'm sure he left some money on the table when they parted ways.

Either way.....If we don't get to see him in SX.....I sure hope we get to see him in the Nationals!
Hanaa80
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12/21/2010 9:37am
bogdan912 wrote:
Star racing fill in for swanepol maybe?
Matthes tweeted today that Paluzzi would replace Swanie.
12/21/2010 9:52am
For once I am glad that a team/rider put out an HONEST PR about a bike and just flat said that he wouldn't be able to do well enough on it!

That being said I hope Top Jimmy gets a ride soon.
Faceaz
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12/21/2010 9:53am
bents wrote:
Could be that he was just being honest. He obviously prefers the 450 and didn't want to drop down once he rode the bike. I say...
Could be that he was just being honest. He obviously prefers the 450 and didn't want to drop down once he rode the bike. I say good for him. It puts him in a tougher spot as far as support goes, but he seems to believe in himself enough to stay where he is at. Without that, tough to make progress I'd say....
Totally agree, there is no point in riding for a team when you know you aren't going to do well. Especially if he did ride for...
Totally agree, there is no point in riding for a team when you know you aren't going to do well. Especially if he did ride for them and did poorly, where is that going to put him next year. This is a good opportunity for him to prove himself on a 450 and put himself in a good position for next year. I applaud his effort not to waste the teams money or both their time.
Possibly, but... He would have had a chance to ride the bike & take that into consideration prior to signing a deal. He signs the deal, then almost immediately decides that? I'm guessing some other conflict came up & this is the easy way out for both parties.
12/21/2010 10:00am
Hanaa80 wrote:
Matthes tweeted today that Paluzzi would replace Swanie.
I've heard that Paluzzi has a broken wrist ?
Hanaa80
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12/21/2010 10:06am
Hanaa80 wrote:
Matthes tweeted today that Paluzzi would replace Swanie.
I've heard that Paluzzi has a broken wrist ?
Goddamit!
Sandberm
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12/21/2010 10:10am
I doubt if Jimmy was leaveing any money on the table when he decided the 250f KTM wasnt for him. Dont most of these lesser teams sign guys for free bikes and transportation. They have to make there money through there own endorsements and bonuses. Thats just the feeling i get anyways

He'd be better pulling 15ths in the 450's with the possibility of being a fillin rider then pulling 15ths on a 250f that he just cant seem to come to terms with and being stuck.
lumpy790
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12/21/2010 11:30am
Just shows how talented a successful 250 rider really is when as good of a 450 rider as Albertson is does not think he can drop down a class and do well. The AG KTM's were right there last year with Futrell on them so the team has a good program.
CamP
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12/21/2010 12:27pm
Albertson is a good rider and very nice kid, but he is borderline too big for a 250F.
12/21/2010 12:30pm
Is the AG Motorsports/KTM team located in abingdon virginia or does jimmy albertson live there. I was just curious since i am leaving tommorrow to go visit my grandparents who live in abingdon virginia.
DownSouth
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12/21/2010 12:32pm
mccread wrote:
IMO Jimmy fits a 450 better, and it still amazes me that Friese got the ride ahead of an experianced proven 450 rider like Jimmy (...
IMO Jimmy fits a 450 better, and it still amazes me that Friese got the ride ahead of an experianced proven 450 rider like Jimmy ( who was top 10 in the 2009 US nationals and some top 10 results in the World Championship.)
My theory is that Friese wrote a check to get that ride and Alberston may have been looking for a paycheck. Easy decision for the team. Wink
lumpy790
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12/21/2010 12:48pm
Is the AG Motorsports/KTM team located in abingdon virginia or does jimmy albertson live there. I was just curious since i am leaving tommorrow to go...
Is the AG Motorsports/KTM team located in abingdon virginia or does jimmy albertson live there. I was just curious since i am leaving tommorrow to go visit my grandparents who live in abingdon virginia.
MX Dad #27
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12/21/2010 2:05pm
Maybe what "Ping" said is true, he might be hard to work with.....
Ddavis
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12/21/2010 3:13pm
Trey should just lend him a practice bike and give him a gas card to get to all the races.
mom241
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12/21/2010 3:20pm
Ddavis wrote:
Trey should just lend him a practice bike and give him a gas card to get to all the races.
:-)
mom241
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12/21/2010 3:21pm
MX Dad #27 wrote:
Maybe what "Ping" said is true, he might be hard to work with.....
When did Ping say that?
mom241
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12/21/2010 3:21pm
Is the AG Motorsports/KTM team located in abingdon virginia or does jimmy albertson live there. I was just curious since i am leaving tommorrow to go...
Is the AG Motorsports/KTM team located in abingdon virginia or does jimmy albertson live there. I was just curious since i am leaving tommorrow to go visit my grandparents who live in abingdon virginia.
He is living in Oklahoma right now.
Blake
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12/21/2010 3:48pm
Shoulda rode a 350 in the 250 class.
ZC35
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12/21/2010 4:10pm
Hanaa80 wrote:
Matthes tweeted today that Paluzzi would replace Swanie.
I've heard that Paluzzi has a broken wrist ?
Hanaa80 wrote:
Goddamit!
no broken wrist...
redrider400
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12/21/2010 4:39pm
MX Dad #27 wrote:
Maybe what "Ping" said is true, he might be hard to work with.....
mom241 wrote:
When did Ping say that?
Really, I don't remember him saying that. Not to say that he didn't, I just want to read or listen to what he said. Albertson doesn't seem like somebody that would be hard to work with.
MX Dad #27
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12/21/2010 6:47pm
MX Dad #27 wrote:
Maybe what "Ping" said is true, he might be hard to work with.....
mom241 wrote:
When did Ping say that?
Really, I don't remember him saying that. Not to say that he didn't, I just want to read or listen to what he said. Albertson doesn't...
Really, I don't remember him saying that. Not to say that he didn't, I just want to read or listen to what he said. Albertson doesn't seem like somebody that would be hard to work with.
I can't remember if it was a racerhead or an "Ask Ping".

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