Record Nine Pirelli Riders Earn Main Event Positions in Houston

Klatt Makes Impress AMA Supercross Class Debut

Rome, Ga. – For the first time in the 2008 Monster Energy® Supercross season, a record nine Team Pirelli riders qualified for their respective main events this past weekend at Houston’s Reliant Stadium in front of nearly 50,000 fans. Cernic’s Kawasaki rider Dustry Klatt made his AMA Supercross class debut Saturday night and qualified for the main event.

Pirelli’s AMA Supercross class riders Jeff Gibson, Jacob Marsack, Dusty Klatt and Antonio Balbi scored gate picks for the main event. In the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class, Pirelli’s Michael Blose, Chris Blose, Jeff Northrop, Brady Shren and Michael Willard scored lined up for the main event.

Gibson, of Thornville, Ohio, powered his Cernic’s Kawasaki to a seventh-place finish in the heat race and finished a season-best 13th overall. Pro 30/Bad Boy Honda’s Jake Marsack, of Berlin, Mich., picked up an eighth-place finish in his qualifier on his way to finishing behind Gibson 14th overall.

Canadian Klatt, who missed the first six races of the season with an injury, finished second in the last chance qualifier (LCQ) before finishing 16th overall.

“Dusty was very impressive this weekend,” said Pirelli MX Manager Josh Whitmire. “This was not only his first race of the 2008 season, it was the first AMA Supercross class race of his career. I’m sure he made all of his loyal Canadian fans proud here tonight in Houston.”

Rounding out Pirelli’s AMA Supercross class riders is MotoXXX/Tamer/Hooters/Honda’s Balbi. The Brazilian, who resides in Riverside, Calif., earned his way into the main event by finishing ninth in his heat race. In the main event, he finished 18th.

In the AMA Supercross Lites class Fun Center Suzuki’s Michael Blose, of Phoenix, Ariz., led Team Pirelli with a 14th-place finish in the main after finishing second in the last chance qualifier. Michael’s brother, Chris, following him in the main event, finishing 15th and seventh in his heat race. Joining the Blose brothers in the main event for the first time this season was their teammate Brady Sheren, of Surrey, BC, Canada. Sheren finished 19th in the main event and seventh in his qualifier. This weekend marked the first time that the entire Pirelli-backed Fun Center Suzuki team qualified for the main event.

SVM/ Bud Selct Honda’s Jeff Northrop, of Murrieta, Calif., was forced to race the LCQ after struggling in his heat race. He finished third in the LCQ and 16th in the main event. Team Cycra’s Michael Willard, of Thornville, Ohio, finished ninth in his heat race and 20th overall.

MotoXXX/Tamer/Hooters/Honda’s Eric Sorby, of Lake Elsinore, Calif., missed making the AMA Supercross class main event by one position in the LCQ. Sorby was awarded the Racer X Gas Card.

AMA Supercross Class Results, Houston

1. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda


2. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha


3. Tim Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki


4. Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Calif., Yamaha


5. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda


6. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha


7. Charles Summey, Huntersville, N.C., Yamaha


8. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda


9. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., KTM


10. David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki


13. Jeff Gibson, Thornville, Ohio, Pirelli, Kawasaki


14. Jake Marsack, Berlin, Mich., Pirelli, Kawasaki


16. Dusty Klatt, Riverside, Calif., Pirelli, Kawasaki


17. 
    Antonio Balbi, Riverside, Calif., Pirelli, Honda

AMA Supercross Class Season Standings

1. Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha, 169


2. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 137


3. Tim Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 119


4. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 101


5. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 98


6. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha, 85


7. Joshua Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 82


8. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., KTM, 77


9. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., Suzuki, 69


10. David Vuillemin, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 60


19. Eric Sorby, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Pirelli, Honda, 30


20. Jacob Marsack, Berlin, Mich., Pirelli, Honda, 29

Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Results, Houston

1. Austin Stroupe, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki


2. Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha


3. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda


4. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki


5. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki


6. Dan Reardon, Murrieta, Calif., Honda


7. Robert Kiniry, LaFayette, N.Y., Honda


8. Wil Hanh, Decatur, Texas, Yamaha


9. Michael LaPaglia, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki


10. Thomas Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Kawasaki


14. Michael Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Pirelli, Suzuki


15. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Pirelli, Suzuki


16. Jeff Northrop, Murrieta, Calif., Pirelli, Honda


19. Brady Sheren, Surrey, BC, Canada, Pirelli, Suzuki


20. 
    Michael Willard, Thornville, Ohio, Pirelli, Honda

Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Class Season Standings

1. Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha, 135


2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 129


3. Austin Stroupe, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki, 113


4. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 112


5. Tommy Hahn, Alvord, Texas, Kawasaki, 101


6. Dan Reardon, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 95


7. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 85


8. Robert Kiniry, LaFayette, N.Y., Kawasaki, 71


9. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Yamaha, 69


10. Billy Laninovich, Lake Elsinore, Calif., KTM,62


15. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Pirelli, Suzuki, 52


17. Jeff Northrop, Murrieta, Calif., Pirelli, Honda, 39


18. Michael Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Pirelli, Suzuki, 33


19. 
    Michael Willard, Thornville, Ohio, Pirelli, Honda, 29

Pirelli Tire North America specializes in manufacturing and marketing high-performance tires for passenger vehicles, motorcycles, ATV’s and motorsports.  An industry leader in technology and quality, Pirelli operates its highly advanced Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) in Rome, Georgia, to better serve the American OEM and Replacement markets.  For more information please visit:  www.us.pirelli.com.