Season Ending Award Ceremony at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Round out 2008 Monster Energy® Supercross Championship

AURORA, Ill. (May 4, 2008) – Tonight at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino’s Theater of Performing Arts the supercross community gathered for the year-end awards ceremony to recognize the championship’s top riders and industry personnel who enjoyed an exceptional 2008 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season.


Team San Manuel’s Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., was crowned the AMA Supercross class championship after battling with Geico Honda’s Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss. Reed came into Las Vegas with a 10-point lead over Windham for the championship and put an exclamation point on his stellar season with a big win last night at Sam Boyd Stadium.


Three new awards were added to this year’s ceremony: Entertainer-of-the-Year Award, Rising Star Award and the Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Yamaha’s Josh Hill, of Yoncalla, Ore., won the Rookie-of-the-Year Award. Hill won one race and finished fifth overall. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., and winner of the Rising Start Award, finished second in the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class, but also competed in three AMA Supercross class races, finishing in the top 10 in all three races including a second at Minneapolis’ Metrodome. Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class champion Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., won the Entertainer-of-the-Year Award.


“I’d like to congratulate all of the riders, sponsors and teams for making the 2008 Monster Energy® Supercross season a huge success,” said Dave Prater, director of supercross, Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc. “Chad Reed’s heroic finish to the season says a lot about his character and what this championship means to him and Team San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.”


Award Recipients

AMA Recognition: Rob Dingman

FIM Recognition: John Gallagher

Team Manager of the Year: Forest Butler

Transport Driver of the Year: Brian Swead

100% Award: Thomas Hahn

Entertainer of the Year: Jason Lawrence

Team of the Year: Honda

Rising Star: Ryan Dungey

Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class Champion: Jason Lawrence

Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites class Champion: Trey Canard

AMA Supercross Champion class

Mechanic of the Year: Oscar Wirdeman

Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout Champion: Ryan Dungey

Rookie of the Year: Josh Hill

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Top Privateer Award: Paul Carpenter

Lifetime Achievement: Selvaraj Narayana

For more information on the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com.