Taddy Blazusiak won three finals in Round 2 in Barcelona

Sunday night Taddy Blazusiak won three finals in Round 2 in Barcelona to surge ahead in the points and set himself up to defend his title On a night of action when KTM also presented the 2011 Enduro Factory Team and the new KTM 350 EXC-F Factory bike, it was extreme Enduro specialist Blazusiak and KTM's E3 world champion David Knight who saw most of blue ribbon action. Following Taddy's 3-way victory, David, riding the new 350 EXC-F factory bike, was the fastest qualifier and scored a 2-3-2 result for his efforts in the three finals.

Taddy in the box seat to take title
With the championship trimmed to three instead of the initial five events, leaving only one more round, Taddy is now perfectly placed to reclaim his crown from last season. After picking up a perfect score of 60 points on Sunday, he surges to the front of the overall table with 103 points, 17-points ahead of Joakim Ljunggren of Sweden.

New team member Guerrero up with top riders
On a night where many of the top riders were sidelined, KTM factory team boss Fabio Farioli said he was also satisfied with the performance of his newest recruit to the team lineup young Cristobal Guerrero who was riding in front of his home crowd. Guerrero was also onboard the new 350 bike and finished the night with a 5-7-6 result. Teammate Thomas Oldrati of Italy raced in the first two finals but had to retire from the third because he had hurt his shoulder in qualifying earlier in the day. Finland's Mika Ahola, the winner in Genoa's first round finished back at seventh and now has 73 points.

A triumph for the new 350 EXC.F factory bike
The night was also a triumph for the new Enduro machine, which follows on from the 2010 release of the revolutionary 350 SX-F on which Tony Cairoli won the MX1 World Championship in its first season out. The new 350 EXC, in the experienced hands of David Knight was one of the stars of the evening in front of a huge crowd in Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi stadium in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans.

Hard work and dedication
The new 350 EXC-F factory bike represents hard work and dedication by KTM's R&D department with direct input from leading factory riders like Knight and others. The project was led by KTM's Joachim Sauer, who won the Enduro European Championship in 1987 on the first 350 Enduro LC4 prototype.

Presentation of the 2011 Enduro Factory Team; honoring KTM heroes
KTM used the occasion of the Barcelona event to present the official 2011 Enduro Factory Racing team, including team boss Fabio Farioli and KTM head of Motorsports Pit Beirer together with the revolutionary new machine. Also invited were 100 members of the international, KTM dealers, sponsors and partners.


Honoring the KTM Enduro heroes
The company also took advantage of the electric atmosphere of the event to pay tribute to KTM Enduro legends: Arnaldo Farioli, who has been with KTM since 1964 as the eternal KTM racer, businessman and dedicated Orange family member; Anton Marsignac, in 1982 the first ever Spanish Enduro Champion on a KTM and for more than 20 years a KTM importer who runs a successful KTM dealership; Toni Stoecklmeier, former top Enduro champion, ISDE Six Days rider and a long-term key player in the KTM Management and bridging the gap to the latest generation, KTM's Joachim Sauer. Sauer won the Enduro European Championship in 1987 on the first 350 Enduro LC4 prototype and 24 years has been in charge of the project to produce the latest revolutionary 350cc EXC-F machine.


Results of Round 2
 
1, Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, KTM, 60 Points (1-1-1)
2, David Knight, UK, KTM 350, 48 (2-3-2)
3, Joakim Lundgren, Sweden, Husaberg, 41
4, Alfredo Gomez, Spain, Husaberg 35
5, Graham Jarvis, UK, Husaberg 28
6, Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, KTM 350, 26
7, Mika Ahola, Finland, 22
8, Dougie Lampkin, UK, Gas Gas, 18
11. Thomas Oldrati, Italy, KTM 13 

Standings:
 
1, Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, KTM 103 points
2, Joakim Ljunggren, Sweden, Husaberg, 86
3, Mika Ahola, Finland Honda, 73

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Fabien Izoird riding now for Monster Energy Kawasaki Team

Fabien Izoird comes to the team with several years of supercross experience in Europe including two titles in both the French Supercross Championship and European Supercross Championship. He raced the AMA Supercross class last year before his season started in Europe, making five out of six main events aboard a Kawasaki.

“It’s a dream come true to ride for a team like Monster Energy Kawasaki,” said Izoird. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of a prestigious team like this. The bike is better than I could have ever imagined and I’m really looking forward to racing this weekend.”

The 23-year-old will make his return to the Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM Championship and will run the number 321.

“We looked at riders both here in America and abroad,” said Kawasaki Supercross Team Manager Mike Fisher. “A lot of teams in Europe only sponsor riders for the GP events, but he hasn’t gone that path. He specializes in supercross. One of the biggest hurdles we had to overcome was finding a rider without certain ties to sponsors. We didn’t want to pull anyone out of previous commitments that was good for them since the interim rider will only be competing temporary until Jake returns. Fabien ended up being the best all around fit.”

Weimer’s return time is still unknown, but he is making steady progress towards returning as soon as possible.

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Shaun Simpson spoking about the challenge that lies ahead of him

Shaun Simpson is now ready to make his 2011 debut as an MX1 rider and will open his account on home soil at the O2 supercross in London this weekend. The popular twenty-two year old Scot spoke about the challenge that lies ahead of him.

Are you ready for the new season?
I’m really up for it this year. I feel like I was able to relax during the winter. I have had two quite intense seasons, both of which were interrupted by injuries, so I took some time out to ensure my body and injuries had healed properly. I had a couple of operations to encourage that process, too. This, in addition to spending plenty of time at home with my family in Scotland, has really re-energised me. I’m itching to get back on the start gate now. It’s an exciting time for me, I’m with a new team, on a new bike, in a new class… 2011 really does feel like a fresh start.

What about your new approach to racing this season?
I wouldn’t really call it a new approach, I’m just doing things my own way this year. My diary and training schedule were always quite structured during the last two seasons, whereas LS Honda is a lot more relaxed and flexible. They have left me to it, and their trust is a welcome change. I have been working really hard in the gym and on the bike, but it’s been awesome having the flexibility to do those things when I want to do them, not when someone says I must.

So you felt at home at LS Honda straight away then?
I did, yes. The team are great and they have done everything they can to make me feel welcome. I do feel comfortable with them. It’s a relaxed environment and that suits me. I like the CRF450 too. In stock trim it’s a great bike, and I know once we’ve dialled in the suspension and fiddled with the settings and stuff I’m going to have a really good race bike. I’m buzzing.

Are you looking forward to your Honda debut at the O2 Supercross this Saturday?
Yeah I can’t wait. It’ll be good to see all the British fans and it feels right that I should make my debut in the UK. As far as the supercross itself goes, I am just going to enjoy it. In fact that’s the plan for my whole season, I just want to have fun and enjoy my racing. If I can do that then I know I will start to get the results I am capable of.

What are your targets / hopes for the first few GPs, and the rest of season?
It’s funny, but I don’t really want to set myself a fixed target this season. I think the most important thing is that I have a solid year, and that I don’t get injured. If I can do that, and score points at every GP, then I’m confident I will finish in a strong position. In years past I have put too much pressure on myself going into the first race because I’ve had my eyes on the title, and if you have a bad race you feel like crap afterwards. This season I don’t want to feel like that. I am confident that at the very least I will be a top ten rider in MX1, and as long as I stay consistent I am sure I will have a good year.

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Acerbis will continue its sponsorship of Monster Energy Kawasaki's

Acerbis will continue its sponsorship of Monster Energy Kawasaki's talented team of racers consisting of Destry Abbott, Justin Soule and Taylor Robert.  Acerbis will also continue its relationship with Makita Suzuki's defending GNCC Champion Josh Strang and new addition to the team XC2 rider Josh Weisenfels.

Acerbis is always excited to welcome back the legendary Johnny Campbell, 11 time Baja 1000 winner and team manager of the Acerbis-backed JCR/Honda Racing Team.  JCR's 2011 roster consists of Johnny Campbell, Colton Udall, Quinn Cody, Nick Brozovich, Kendall Norman and Tim Weigand.

Factory FMF/KTM, a new addition to the Acerbis family, will consist of defending WORCS Champion Kurt Caselli, Mike Brown, defending National Enduro Champion Charlie Mullins, Cory Buttrick, Kailub Russell and Russell Bobbitt.

Acerbis' racers are already showing strong performances with Kurt Caselli winning the WORCS opening round of racing on the west coast (Taft, CA) and Kailub Russell winning the Sumter Enduro Opener on the east coast (Sumter, SC). 

Acerbis' sponsored off-road riders will be racing for the checkered flag each week equipped with Acerbis' new full plastic kits and accessories such as the RAM Handguard, X-Force Handguard and the Spider Evolution Front Disc Cover.

About Acerbis USA
Since 1973, Acerbis' continued drive for excellence has established the corporation as a world leader in the production of plastic components.

Founded on Franco Acerbis' vision of combining fine artisan craftsmanship with cutting edge technology, Acerbis provides the highest quality and most innovative solutions in the field. To learn more visit: http://www.acerbis.com/

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The CPSC voted 4-1 to delay enforcement until Dec. 31

On Feb. 1, the CPSC voted 4-1 to delay enforcement until Dec. 31 of the independent laboratory testing and certification requirements, as well as the lead-content limits, for kids' dirtbikes and ATVs contained within the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008. The decision extends an earlier stay on the testing and certification requirements that was scheduled to expire Feb. 10, and the stay of enforcement on the lead-content provisions that was set to expire May 1.

The CPSC is responsible for implementing the CPSIA, which bans the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under that contains more than a specified amount of lead in any accessible part. The law also requires children's products to undergo expensive periodic testing by independent laboratories approved by the CPSC and those products must be certified that they comply with the CPSIA.

"I want to thank all of the AMA and ATVA [All Terrain Vehicle Association] members and riders who used AMA and ATVA tools to request a delay in the enforcement of the law," said Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations. "This latest action affords riders much-needed breathing room to allow federal lawmakers to exempt child-sized dirtbikes and ATVs from the law.

"It's important now for anyone concerned about this issue to contact their federal lawmakers to ask them to support H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act, that was introduced by U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) to exempt kids' dirtbikes and ATVs from the law," Moreland said.

The best way to contact lawmakers is to use the tools available in the Rights section of the AMA website at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Once the revised stay of enforcement expires on Dec. 31, the sale of kids' dirtbikes and ATVs will effectively be banned because it's unknown whether the requirements of the law can be met. That is, unless kids' dirtbikes and ATVs are exempted from the law by an act of Congress before the Dec. 31 deadline.

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The Monster Energy Supercross championship heads north for its second consecutive race

This weekend, the Monster Energy Supercross championship heads north for its second consecutive race at a new venue for the 2011 season as the Oakland Coliseum hosts the fourth race of Monster Energy Supercross
season.

Stewart's night in Los Angeles resulted in a hard-to-swallow runner-up effort for the two-time champion. After a rough heat race, he bounced back with a solid start in the main event, grabbing the lead on Lap 3. Stewart looked like he was on a path to take his second straight victory of the season, but tucked the front wheel just past the halfway point. Despite being able to fight his way back into second, Stewart knew he gave away his chance at the win with his mistake. With podium results at each of the first three races, he sits just five points out of the championship lead.

"It felt great to come back home for the week, but I've been focused and have been working on correcting some of the mistakes I made the last couple races," Stewart said. "I'm super excited for Oakland this weekend and hope to bring home the win."

For Stewart's teammate Kyle Regal, Los Angeles was just another step in his continued development of acclimating to the deep field of talent in the Supercross class. Much like his teammate, Regal is looking for good things in Oakland.

"I've been training hard all week and am hoping for better results this weekend," said Regal.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey and his Yoshimura-equipped Suzuki RM-Z450 powered to a third-place podium finish at Dodger Stadium. After qualifying fourth, Dungey and his Suzuki came out strong and dominated his heat race with a convincing win. In the main, Dungey grabbed a second-place start out of the gate just behind teammate Brett Metcalfe and pulled into the lead by Lap 2. Dungey's Suzuki RM-Z kept him at the front pack for the duration of one of the most exciting main events in recent years.

"L.A. was good overall so I'm excited to head to Oakland," said Dungey. "It's always good to go to a new venue so I'm definitely looking forward to Oakland and going to another new stadium. We did some work this week, my regular routine, and plan on showing up to Oakland ready to go."

Metcalfe started his night in L.A. with some tough luck in his heat race but fortunately was able to score the final qualifying spot for the main event. Despite an outside gate pick, Metcalfe and his Suzuki RM-Z450 blasted out of the gate and pulled the hole-shot just ahead of Dungey. Metcalfe led the first lap and a half until a small mistake put him on the ground. The Rockstar/Makita Suzuki rider remounted and rode a strong 18 laps to an eighth-place finish.

"I felt a lot better on the bike in L.A.," said Metcalfe. "So I'm really looking forward to Oakland - another new stadium. The dirt should be a little looser and more tacky, which will suit my style a little better. I put in some good work this week and am ready for Oakland."

After qualifying 18th in L.A., Rockstar Energy Suzuki's Ryan Morais rode his Suzuki RM-Z to a third-place finish in the first Lites heat race. In the main, Morais was eighth at the start but rode a strong, consistent race, working his Suzuki up to a third-place podium finish.

"The Rockstar Energy Suzuki team did a great job and I'm happy to put my Suzuki RM-Z on the podium in L.A.," said Morais. "I'm going to go home and work on my starts for Oakland. It seems like whoever gets the starts winds up winning this year. I'll be ready to step it up for Oakland. I'm excited for the new venue as it will level the playing field a bit as no one really knows what to expect."

Rockstar Energy Suzuki's Martin Davalos qualified fastest for the day and dominated the second heat race on his RM-Z250 to end up with a convincing win. Davalos had a solid fourth-place start in the main but had some issues and fell back to eventually finish in 11th place.

"I think I've been a little too cautious and that has caused me problems in the main events," said Davalos. "I think I need to work on my confidence and be more aggressive to improve my mains. I'm looking forward to a better result in Oakland. Another new track and new atmosphere will be good."

The entire Red Bull KTM team continues to improve and saw solid results across the board at Dodger Stadium. Rookie Ken Roczen bounced back from a hard crash in Phoenix to mix it up at the front of the field and challenge for the lead early on in the Supercross Lites main event. Misfortune eventually struck the German rider, but he rebounded to finish sixth.

"If you asked me to reflect on the last three weekends, I would definitely say I have learned a lot," said Roczen. "I have made a few mistakes each week that are just part of learning. I feel I am improving each week and moving closer to hopefully landing on the podium."

Andrew Short continues to adjust to his KTM 350 SX-F and experienced another strong outing in Los Angeles. While his ninth-place finish isn't what Short was looking for, it's also not an indication of how much more confidence and comfort he feels on the new bike after another race under his belt.

"It is the first year of supercross for the new KTM 350 SX-F and I feel we are making great progress each weekend," said Short. "The bike is a solid bike for supercross racing and I am feeling very comfortable on it. I have some things to work on and have a great team behind me to make sure we get the results to where we need to be."

For Mike Alessi, Dodger Stadium served as the ideal place to turn his season around after struggling the week prior in Phoenix. With a positive weekend behind him, Alessi is looking to get more out of himself and his KTM.

"I have been struggling the first few weeks," said Alessi. "I had a better weekend in L.A. than I did in Phoenix but I am still working on getting my fitness back. My goal is to finish inside the top 10 within the next few races."

After capturing a win at the newest venue on the circuit at Dodger Stadium, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto hopes his luck with new stadiums will follow him into Oakland. He has been able to hold the points lead since the opening round in Anaheim and already has two wins through three races this season.

"It's always fun going to a new stadium," said Villopoto. "The dirt should be pretty similar to what we've seen in San Francisco and that is where I got my first win last year. I just want to ride smart and keep up the momentum for the championship."

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Josh Hansen maintained his points lead heading into the Oakland Coliseum. He is looking to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in Los Angeles and go after his third win of the season.

"I think Oakland is going to be good," said Hansen. "I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike and seeing if I can get another win."

Still making his mark on the Supercross Lites West Region class is Broc Tickle. He currently sits four-points back from teammate Hansen in the championship and is still very hungry for his first win aboard the Kawasaki KX(tm)250F and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki.

"I felt better than I have all year in Los Angeles, but my results didn't show it," said Tickle. "I made a mistake at the end of the race that cost me a podium, but I still was able to get some good points. Hopefully Oakland will go a little better."

Having to make some adjustments to his training routine before Los Angeles because of a wrist injury, Tyla Rattray looks to get back on track and go after another podium finish in Oakland.

"I had to take some time off before Los Angeles to let my wrist heal up and I was a little rusty before the race," said Rattray. "Hopefully I can get back to my normal routine and put in a good ride in Oakland."

CBS will broadcast the Supercross class race at 12:00 p.m. EST and SPEED will broadcast the Supercross Lites class race at 6:00 p.m. EST on January 30, 2011.

Tickets are available at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Box Office, SupercrossOnline.com, all Ticketmaster retail locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.  Practice and qualifying begins at 12:30 p.m., and the main event begins at 7:00 p.m. Club Level tickets are $75 Adult/Child; Trackside $45 Adult/Child; Lower View $35 Adult/Child; Upper View $25 Adult/Child; Extreme Value $10 Adult/Child. Fans can also get into the Pits for FREE from 12:30 - 6 PM Race Day when they recycle a MONSTER Energy Can at the stadium Pit Entrance (valid only with event ticket).

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Salazar asked to rescind Secretarial Order 3310

In a letter dated Jan. 28, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), the outgoing chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus; Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Senate Western Caucus; and 47 other House members and eight other senators asked Salazar to rescind Secretarial Order 3310, which Salazar signed on Dec. 22. To see which lawmakers signed the letter.

The order created a new land-use designation called "Wild Lands" that essentially allows officials in the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to manage public land as if it had received a "Wilderness" land-use designation from Congress, but without requiring congressional approval.

A Wilderness designation is one of the strictest forms of public land management. Once Congress designates an area as Wilderness, nearly all forms of non-pedestrian recreation are prohibited. The AMA supports appropriate Wilderness designations that meet the criteria established by Congress in 1964, but anti-access forces have been abusing the legislative process to ban responsible off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation on public land.

"I am increasingly concerned by Secretary Salazar's and the current administration's ongoing efforts to circumvent Congress when it comes to creating new public lands policies," Bishop said. "The DOI's [Department of Interior's] unilateral decisions regarding the management of our public lands and resources are detrimental to communities and businesses throughout the West.

"Their lack of regard for the impact this will have on local economies is unacceptable," he continued. "It is time that they start taking into consideration the people that will be hurt by their decisions to operate in a vacuum, starting with the withdrawal of Secretarial Order 3310."

The lawmakers' high-powered opposition is just the latest expression of outrage following Salazar's announcement of the new land-use policy during last year's holiday season. Several western state governors have also asked Salazar to withdraw his order: Wyoming's Matthew Mead, Idaho's C.L. "Butch" Otter and Utah's Gary Herbert.

The AMA has also raised concerns. Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, sent a letter to Salazar on Jan. 11 asking him to explain whether the new Wild Lands land-use designation will block traditional routes of travel for off-highway riding.

Salazar's order has far-reaching implications because the BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land nationwide, primarily in western states. Under his order, BLM officials will evaluate the land they manage and decide which areas should be labeled "Lands With Wilderness Characteristics." Once those decisions are made, the officials will go through a public land-use planning process before designating land as "Wild Lands."

The AMA encourages riders to contact their federal lawmakers and urge them to oppose the "Wild Lands" policy. A ready-to-use prewritten letter is available at AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues and Legislation.

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