azda Raceway Laguna Seca and Dorna Sports, the Spanish-based company that holds the commercial and TV rights to the FIM MotoGP World Championships, have announced that Parts Unlimited has been named Proud Sponsor of the 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 8-10, 2005.
     “We are very excited to be involved in bringing MotoGP, the world’s premier form of motorcycle roadrace competition, back to America,” said Jeff Fox, President and CEO of Parts Unlimited. “Our involvement will surely enhance the Parts Unlimited brand image from exposure both on-site and through the worldwide television coverage of the event. It will be a perfect marriage with the ‘We Support The Sport’ campaign that we conduct in all major aspects of motorcycle racing in the United States. We look forward to an exciting weekend of action that will include dealer hospitality viewing from the Turn Five Chalet.”
     The 500cc Grand Prix World Championship was held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from 1988 to 1994. The series has since converted to the ever-growing and exciting MotoGP class as the premier FIM Grand Prix World Championship series. The 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix will mark the debut of this wildly popular class in the United States.
     For tickets and information call Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at 1-800-327-SECA or 1-831-648-5111.

oose-sponsored Ryan Hughes won the first-ever AMA Maxxis Endurocross Indoor Championship last November at The Orleans in Las Vegas. The event drew 36 entries from around the world to race in a all-new competition that combined the terrain of an outdoor enduro in a Supercross-style indoor environment and race format. Hughes, who rides for Escondido Cycle Center’s Team ECC, took home the $10,000 first place prize money and distinction of being the first-ever AMA Endurocross National Champion.
onster Energy Drink, a product of Hansen Natural Corporation, increased its commitment to the industry with the announcement in late-December of their title sponsorship of the 2005 Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Team Motocross and Supercross Teams. After sponsoring many individual athletes over several years, Monster decided to up the ante and make a larger investment in its growing team of action sports superstar athletes.
     The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki Team made its debut at the 2005 Supercross season opener on January 8, 2005 in Anaheim, California. “Monster sees this pairing as an alternative to traditional beverage marketing and an example of our increasing commitment to the action sports industry,” said Mark Hall, Senior Vice President Monster Energy Drink.
     Pro Circuit’s Mitch Payton said, “We are thrilled to have a sponsorship partner like Monster that understand and appreciates the value of a winning Motocross and Supercross team. This sponsorship represents a tremendous value to the team as well as to the entire sport.” Pro Circuit’s race team has won 14 AMA Pro Racing 125cc Number One Plates in 14 years.      Pro Circuit’s championship-winning 125cc program will return for its 15th season as Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. This season’s roster includes returning stars –125 West Supercross Champion Ivan Tedesco, Matt Walker and Stephane Roncada, as well as the addition of 2003 125 National Champion Grant Langston and Paul Carpenter. 2005 looks to be a huge season for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.

lear Channel Entertainment’s Motor Sports division has announced that Supercross LIVE! is back for the 2004-2005 THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series.
Supercross LIVE!, the only place on the planet to catch THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA      Supercross Series live at home, is available for fans at every race, starting at 7:00 p.m. local time at supercross.cc.com. Listen to Supercross LIVE! as hosts Jim Holley and Jason Weigandt capture the live race call, along with a pre-race show, a post-race show, live coverage of the post-race press conference, on-air industry guests and celebrities, in-depth interviews, promotions, call-ins and more. In 2003-2004, more than a half-million listeners logged on to Supercross LIVE!
     “With the hype of this year’s THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series, we are bringing our A-Game to the first round, so fans around the world can catch the best news, behind-the-scenes coverage and a detailed race call,” said Mark Abernethy, senior director of marketing, Clear Channel Entertainment - Motor Sports.
     For more information or to listen live, log on to www.supercross.cc.com.

obert Musselman, President of International Engineering & Mfg, Inc. (Woody’s snowmobile products) recently announced a number of organizational changes at his company:
     Jennifer Sample has been newly appointed as Senior Administrative Assistant of Legal, Insurance, and Marketing. Other changes include: Tanya Leonard has been named Marketing Manager at IEM with Becky Buck moving into the position of Marketing Assistant. Colleen Grant has been appointed Senior Accounting Manager and Serena Gardiner has been named Human Resources Manager.
     Musselman added, “I truly would like to congratulate all of these fine individuals in the successful transition to their new positions at IEM. These are just some of the individuals that keep International Engineering & Mfg. the leader in Snowmobile traction and control.”


aragon Powersports announced in January that they have been appointed as the official US sales and marketing agency representing MOTOREX, Oil of Switzerland.
     The innovative MOTOREX Motoline of products have been tested and endorsed under the toughest conditions by Team Red Bull KTM, Yoshimura Suzuki, and other top racers worldwide.
     For further information contact Butch Whittington at 623-386-8266, Brian Cornelius at 951-695-5239, or Chuck Ramage at 805-658-0900.


BC Brakes has been appointed the official brake brand of the THQ AMA Supercross Series and has announced its co-sponsorship of the 2005 THQ AMA Supercross Series. The EBC Brakes sponsorship is in conjunction with EBC Brakes distributor Parts Unlimited.
     “I hope this is the first year of many in Supercross sponsorship,” said EBC boss Andy Freeman. “We have done limited event-by-event Supercross sponsorship in the past but are glad to step up with this deeper deal.
     “It is always a pleasure to spend a portion of our company profits providing entertainment and viewing pleasure to our customers and we are proud to be associated with the Parts Unlimited ongoing and long-term commitment of supporting Motorcycle Sports.”


HOR has announces the appointment of Victor Sheldon and Andy Gustafson to the THOR Pro-Rider support team effective December 1, 2004.
     Sheldon brings a wealth of racing experience to the team as a multi-time and current World Champion in Pro-Ski plus a solid background in Motocross, Supercross and Snowmobile racing. You have probably seen Victor compete in the      “Crossover” Challenges in Anaheim where he has won three events overall. He will work with Thor-sponsored riders Chad Reed, Tim Ferry, Travis Pastrana, Jeremy McGrath, Sebastian Tortelli and Michael Byrne.
     Andy Gustafson has been working for THOR as a regional marketing manager in the Seattle Area and most recently working with their Arenacross athletes. Andy is an avid motocross racer, dedicated, very well organized and a welcome addition to their team.
     Andy’s responsibilities will include support for the Pro Circuit riders Ivan Tedesco, Grant Langston, Stephane Roncada, Matt Walker, Paul Carpenter, plus Blackfoot Honda and other privateers, as well as Freestylers Nate Adams and Matt Buyten.
Ian Runyon will continue to manage the highly successful Amateur rider support programs for THOR with Jammi Robertson as the rider support coordinator.


hen the gate dropped at the 2005 THQ AMA Supercross Series opener on Jan. 8, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif., Motocross and freestyle superstar Travis Pastrana was back on Michelin® Starcross® tires.
     For Pastrana, who won the 2001 AMA 125cc East Region Supercross Championship on a Michelin-equipped Suzuki, his return to Michelin marks the renewal of a highly successful relationship. Pastrana will contest the 2005 AMA Supercross series aboard a factory-prepared Suzuki RM250, riding for his own newly formed team. Pastrana’s team also enjoys major support from Red Bull, DC Shoes, Thor and Parts Unlimited.
     “Travis has been a big part of our success in the United States, both in tire development and in promoting Michelin products,” said Michelin off-road racing manager Randy Richardson. “We look forward to a long and successful relationship with Travis in developing future innovative Michelin products.”


he 2005 AMA/Prostar Motorcycle Drag Racing Series season will kick off with a brand new location. This bigger and better positioned event will coincide with the Daytona Bike Week festivities on the weekend prior to the Daytona 200. The new event is located in Valdosta, Georgia, just a few miles from the Florida state line. The event will take place at the newest state-of-the-art NHRA facility, South Georgia Motorsports Park, located adjacent to I-75.


     As an original sponsor of the Brute Horsepower Shootout traditionally held during Bike Week, Dynojet is back in full force to support the 2005 Horsepower Challenge in its new location. After the recent sale of American Motorcycle Institute in Daytona, officials stated that they would not hold the shootout in 2005. This left many annual participants and new entries without anywhere to go. So the powers that be at AMA/Prostar, SGMP and Dynojet got together and agreed to move the historic event to Valdosta. The event will be held Saturday, March 5th through Tuesday, March 8th. Some classes will start during the Bikeweek Nationals on Saturday and Sunday and continue on Monday and Tuesday along with other activities.
     The Dynojet Horsepower Challenge will include a manufacturer’s midway, purse and prizes for the top three in each class. Visit www.amaprostar.com soon for more details on prizes, sponsors, schedule and rules. Contestants are encouraged to pre-enter. All contestants who pre-enter will receive free spectator admission into the AMA/Prostar Bikeweek Nationals and a free Dynojet Horsepower Challenge t-shirt courtesy of Dynojet. For specific information on dyno questions, contact Terrie Siegfried of Dynojet via e-mail at tsiegfried@dynojet.com or (702) 682-3227.
For all other information call 256-852-1101 or visit www.amaprostar.com.


ucati Corse has announced that its US-based factory team has chosen to use Dunlop tires for the 2005 and 2006 AMA Superbike championships. The agreement means that the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin pairing of Eric Bostrom and newly-signed Neil Hodgson will race their factory Ducati 999R machines on Dunlop tires in the 11-round/18-race series.


eigning AMA Flat Track Champion Chris Carr has announced that he has signed a contract that will see his motorcycle race team remain under the Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned Ford Racing banner for the 2005 AMA Flat Track Championship season.
     Carr, 37, is the winningest active flat track racer in the sport, having amassed 68 career AMA wins and six AMA Flat Track Championship titles, the last four of them consecutively. Carr will be the lead man on a two-rider team as he attempts to earn a record-tying fifth consecutive AMA Flat Track Championship.
     “I think that any championship is difficult to win,” Carr said. “I don’t see this championship being any different than last year in that respect. But I have the best team behind me, and we are just going to stick with our plan and achieve results together.”

Team owner Troy Lee hoists Jeff Ward’s 2004 AMA Supermoto #1 plate following “Wardy’s” dramatic victory of the season finale, the AMA Red Bull Supermoto A-Go-Go in Las Vegas.


eff Ward completed a triumphant return to motorcycle racing by winning the 2004 AMA Supermoto Championship Saturday in Las Vegas last November. He needed only a fourth-place or better finish to wrap up the title at the AMA Red Bull Supermoto A-Go-Go, but the 43-year racing veteran from Newport Beach, CA., threw caution to the wind and passed rival Jurgen Kunzel with two laps to go to take his third victory of the season.
     “My strategy coming into the race was just like it’s been all season,” Ward said. “That was to try to run up front and not make any mistakes. The goal was to be on the podium and once I got up front with Kunzel we gapped the field and he made a bit of mistake and I was able to get by him. I passed him in the dirt section because there was really nowhere to do it on the pavement. When I was close enough going into the dirt section I made my move, he probably heard my bike and got a little sideways to help me.”
     Ward won the title by putting his Troy Lee Designs Honda CRF450R on the podium at all seven rounds, including taking wins at Copper Mountain, Colo., Nashville and the double points paying Las Vegas finale. Ward tallied 186 points while Kunzel scored 157 points. Ward’s teammate Doug Henry, who won four rounds, finished third in the final standings with 148 points.
     Ward’s roots in supermoto racing are deep. He finished third in the very first ABC’s Wide World of Sports Superbikers competition at Carlsbad (Calif.) Raceway in 1979 that launched what later become known as supermoto.
     His AMA Supermoto title marked his eighth AMA Pro Racing championship and his first since winning the now defunct AMA 500 Motocross Series in 1990. Ward is already a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. He left motorcycle racing in the 1990s to pursue open-wheel car racing. He was named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year in 1997 and went on to have a successful stint in the Indy Racing League. In addition to winning one race and finishing as high as sixth in the final season standings, Ward had finishes of second (1999), third (1997) and fourth (2000) in the Indianapolis 500.
     In addition to winning the individual title with Ward, Troy Lee Designs Honda dominated the AMA Supermoto Team Championship. Ward, Doug Henry and Chris Fillmore scored 306 points while Red Bull KTM’s Boris Chambon, Kurt Nicoll and Jurgen Kunzel took second with 231 points. HMC Racing’s David Baffeleuf, Ben Carlson and Larry Pegram finished third.


AMA Red Bull Supermoto A-Go-Go winner Jeff Ward (3) stalked KTM rider Jurgen Kuzel for most of the race, then with two laps to go made his move into the lead.



ichael Jordan Motorsports / Suzuki recently announced that riders Jason Pridmore, Steve Rapp and Montez Stewart will compete on Suzuki GSXR 1000 motorcycle road race equipment for the 2005 American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Superbike Series.
     The riders will concentrate on two classes of racing. Pridmore will focus on both the AMA series 1000cc Superbike and 1000cc Superstock feature classes, with Rapp and Stewart focusing on the Superstock class. Rapp and Stewart are also scheduled to appear in the Superbike class with Superstock equipment throughout the season. All riders will compete using new 2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000 machines prepared by Gemini Technology Systems.
Pete Mauhar of Gemini Technology Systems of Wisconsin will again manage the technical aspects of the team. Ammar Bazzaz of BPD (formerly with Yoshimura / Suzuki’s Mat Mladen) will also be assigned as team      Superbike Crew Chief and attend to the technical data acquisition and electronic management systems. BPD will also provide the suspension maintenance for all 3 riders.
     Racer Jason Pridmore, 35, is the 1997 AMA 750 SuperSport Champion, 2002 AMA Formula Extreme Champion, 2003 FIM World Endurance Champion, and is the founder of the STAR Motorcycle School. The 32-year old Rapp won 2 AMA Superstock races in 2003, with 5 more top-5 finishes. Montez Stewart, 30, raced for Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 and is the only returning rider for the team. Richie Alexander, 1998 AMA 750 Super Sport Champion and Pridmore’s fellow STAR School Instructor will also work with the team as the Superstock class Crew Chief overseeing all three Superstock machines, riders, and crew.
     Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry.

amaha Motor Corporation recently announced its 2005 U.S. road racing contingency program that offers over $1 million to regional and professional racers. Commenting on the program, Yamaha Racing Division Manager Keith McCarty said, “Our strong incentive program is designed to show our commitment to racing and reward Yamaha racers who put it on the box.” He added that last year’s strong contingency payouts and AMA Pro Racing results prove that the YZF-R6 and Superstock championship winning YZF-R1 are strong racing platforms and concluded, “This program is just the icing on the cake!”
Program details, list of eligible races and enrollment forms can be found at www.yamaha-motor.com. 

     CycleLogic Products, Inc., the parent company of Engine Ice Hi-Performance Coolant along with ProClean1000 has announced the largest financial bonus ever offered a privateer Supercross racer in the history of Supercross as part of the Wonder Warthog Racing Privateer Program.
     CycleLogic Products, Inc., Engine Ice Hi-Performance Coolant and ProClean1000 were able to secure Indian Harbor Insurance, an A+ carrier, to underwrite and guarantee this $100,000 award to any Wonder Warthog Racing (WWR) Privateer Program eligible and registered racer who wins a 2005 THQ Supercross Series 250cc Main Event.
     This would be a one-time award to the first WWR eligible and registered competitor to win a 250cc 2005 THQ Supercross Series main event. WWR will be the administrator of the rider verification and eligibility of the bonus. A copy of the award check along with the guarantee and assurance letter verifying the legitimacy of the award will be available for viewing at every2005 THQ Supercross Series event at the WWR registration and information center in the pit area.
     “We all wanted to get a bonus out there that would not only make the privateer racer take notice, but the public and industry as well. I think the largest bonus ever offered the privateers, a $100,000.00 payday, would fit that bill,” said David A. Kimmey, President, CycleLogic Products, Inc.


The Competitive Edge Motocross track is due to open to the public this spring. The snow-capped mountains in the background separate the high desert from the San Bernardino county in the Los Angeles area.

or two days in December, the yet-to-open Competitive Edge Motocross track in Hesperia, California played host to the motor-cycle press for press introductions by FMF and Pirelli Tires. With all the major motorcycle consumer and trade press in attendance, FMF rolled out its latest generation of motorcycle exhaust header and muffler systems, while Pirelli mounted up its new MT32F tire line.


There’s nothing like a trip around a race track to let an editor know if a new product is the “real deal” or just hype. Impressions of the new FMF line were all favorable.		 Parts Unlimited’s Brian Green (left) and FMF’s Doug Muellner watch as a new FMF Factory 4.1 Carbon exhaust system with MegaBomb header is installed on an editor’s Honda CRF250R.

New Pirelli MT32F tires are mounted at the track for all of the attending motorcycle press for the Pirelli press outing at the Competitive Edge track.
Ron Bowen, the Pirelli Product Manager for Parts Unlimited explains some of the market positioning strategies for the new MT32F tire at a morning product briefing at a local hotel.