Press Release

Foursome of World Champions Set to Wage War in Search of 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Crown

AURORA, Ill. (December
7, 2011) – The 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World
Championship, season was widely considered to be the greatest of all
time, following an intense battle for the championship that was
contended by five riders throughout the 17-race season. Ryan Villopoto,
Chad Reed, Ryan Dungey, James Stewart and Trey Canard each shared
victories, keeping stadiums throughout the country filled to capacity.
In the end, it was Villopoto who prevailed, leading the points for 15
weeks, and outlasting every challenge from his rivals to claim his first
premier class title following two years marred by injury and illness.

For
2012, those five riders return, ready to rekindle the magic of last
season, while many of the sport’s other recognizable names also enter
the season looking to throw their names into the mix. The parity-driven
championship last season was arguably the greatest season ever in the
37-year history of Monster Energy Supercross, and with a deeply-talented
field of riders prepared to attack the tracks inside the most renowned
stadiums in America, that trend should reach even greater heights.

The
most poignant element of this season’s championship is a result of the
amount of hardware achieved by the competitors ready to battle for the
world title. For the first time since 1991, four past champions will
take to the track. In fact, since the 2008 season, Reed, Stewart, Dungey
and Villopoto have secured the past four titles, respectively.

While
the veteran duo of Reed and Stewart have amassed Hall of Fame careers,
establishing themselves in the upper half of the all-time wins list and
garnering multiple championships, Villopoto, Dungey and Canard have
taken the sport by storm since making the move into the Supercross
class. Villopoto has grabbed numerous wins in three seasons of
competition, while Dungey made history in 2010 when he became just the
second rookie in history to win the title. As for Canard, his rookie
campaign last season was highlighted by three impressive victories, but
resulted in a premature end after he suffered a heartbreaking injury.

As
a result, the sport is in the midst of a strong youth movement, led by
this trio of young guns. However, despite the success of their younger
rivals, both Reed and Stewart have shown that neither rider is ready to
give way to their hard-charging successors. The respective motivation of
each rider has led to exceptional racing and quite possibly the most
competitive era the sport has ever seen.

Beyond
the competition, 2012 is being tabbed as a significant season of change
for many of the sport’s biggest names. Most notably are the respective
moves of both Stewart and Dungey. After three years with San Manuel
Yamaha, Stewart made a high-profile move to Joe Gibbs Racing and the
Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX stable, while Dungey will compete professionally on a
machine other than Suzuki for the first time in his young career,
rejoining his mentor and team manager Roger DeCoster at Red Bull KTM.

“I
am excited about joining the Gibbs racing family,” said Stewart, at his
press conference to announce his signing with the team. “My goal in
supercross is to pass Jeremy McGrath’s record of 72 supercross wins.  I
am more than half way there, and look forward to realizing that dream
during my time with JGR.”

“I
like the way that KTM has backed Roger since he made the switch last
year, and I appreciate KTM’s goal of working hard to develop their race
team to earn championships,” said Dungey, in KTM’s formal announcement.
“I am making this switch to win races and work toward getting that
(first) championship for KTM.”

Additionally,
Reed will embark on his second year as a team owner and rider after an
extremely successful first season. As the 2011 championship wore on,
Reed received greater support from American Honda for his TwoTwo
Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing effort, and one would expect that with even
greater support from the successful brand for 2012, Reed will be that
much better than a year before.

As
for Canard, the highs and lows he experienced in 2011 will be sure to
carry over into his sophomore season. Following two separate fractures
of his previously-broken left femur in the span of eight months, Canard
learned to appreciate the success he achieved in competition during his
rookie season. They say there is no better motivator in the sport than
being forced to watch from the sidelines, and Canard is a true testament
to that. With a return to American Honda set for the upcoming season,
Canard will be arguably the most eager rider to take to the track come
January, and will look to make a statement early.

“Injuries
are part of our sport,” Canard wrote in his Racer X Illustrated column.
“But to be there and see everything that was going on was tough. Seeing
the championships decided and realizing that I had no part of that was
tough. But you know what? It’s also motivating to go there, because you
realize how bad you missed it. It adds fuel to the fire to get back as
soon as I can.”

However,
after one of the most successful single seasons in AMA history in which
Villopoto captured the Monster Energy Supercross and AMA Motocross
crowns, in addition to leading Team USA to a seventh straight win at the
Motocross of Nations, all eyes will be on the champion, who capped off
the 2011 season by claiming the largest purse in the history of the
sport with the Monster Energy Cup “Monster Million.”

Since
making his move into the elite level of supercross in 2009, Villopoto
experienced a slow, yet upward progression. The trials and tribulations
he endured as a result of his misfortunes built a mature and fierce
competitor that learned to take advantage of every opportunity that
presented itself. In 2011, Villopoto took the championship by the horns,
and was rewarded for it. With early access to his 2012 Monster Energy
Kawasaki machine, Villopoto has already secured a leg up on the
competition that he hopes will play to his advantage come January. He
will look to become the first rider since Ricky Carmichael, in 2005 and
2006, to win back-to-back Monster Energy Supercross titles.

“It’s
pretty unreal,” exclaimed Villopoto, following his Monster Energy Cup
victory. “I’m happy we were able to pull it off. To back it up next year
would be hard, so if we do, it would be great.”

Combine
these five superstars with the long list of talented challengers like
Andrew Short, Kevin Windham, Davi Millsaps, Justin Brayton, Ivan
Tedesco, Mike Alessi, Brett Metcalfe, Jake Weimer and Josh Grant, to
name a few, and you have what is arguably the most talented field of
riders to ever line up on a starting gate.

The
star-studded group of premier-class competitors are ready to duke it
out over the course of 17 races in search of a World Championship.
History has shown that anything can happen in the sport of supercross,
and last season was a true indication of that. With four World
Champions, eight Supercross Lites Regional Champions, and a total of 15
different riders who have won a Monster Energy Supercross race in either
division, the extremely stacked field of riders set to enter Angel
Stadium of Anaheim on January 7, is unlike anything ever seen before.

Monster
Energy Supercross is at an all-time high in regards to parity,
competitiveness, depth of talent, and overall speed of competition. The
likes of the “Big Five” from one year ago have helped take the sport to
new heights, ushering in a new era for the greatest spectacle in racing.
It’d be hard to find a way to build on the “Greatest Season Ever” of
2011, but it would be no surprise of anyone in the industry if the
competition in 2012 is an unpredictable as it is setting up to be.

For
the first time in the sport’s history, SPEED will broadcast live
coverage from the following 11 races: Anaheim Race 1, Phoenix, San
Diego, Arlington, Atlanta, St. Louis, Daytona, Indianapolis, Toronto,
Seattle and Las Vegas. Additionally, CBS Sports will provide next day
coverage at Los Angeles, Oakland, Anaheim Race 2, Houston, New Orleans
and Salt Lake City. Fans should check local TV listings for additional
details.

The
2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season
gets underway in just a matter of weeks, from Angel Stadium in Anaheim,
Calif., on Saturday, January 7.

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter, log on to http://www.facebook.com/supercrosslive and http://twitter.com/supercrosslive.

 

About Feld Motor Sports®

Feld Motor Sports®,
Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor
sports entertainment.  Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include
Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz
, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the
world’s largest producer of live family entertainment.  For more
information on Feld Entertainment, visit
www.feldentertainment.com.
0 comments

The Latest