Monster Energy’s Loaded For Bear Heading Into The Opener Of The AMA Nationals
Led by former champion Grant Langston, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is again the team to beat
CARLSBAD, Calif., (May 17, 2006) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/
Kawasaki will again be the top team entering the AMA Toyota Motocross Championships, aka the “Outdoor Nationals” this summer beginning this weekend at the 38th annual Hangtown Classic.
Gone for this summer is last year’s 125 class champion, Monster
Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ivan Tedsco. In his place will be one
of the favorites on the short list to win the overall title, Grant
Langston.
A former 125 class Outdoor National champion (2003), Langston, a
native of South Africa, also won a global MX GP title (2000).
Battling a badly injured ankle suffered at Hangtown last year,
Langston still managed overall wins at Hangtown (Prairie City,
Calif.), Southwick (Mass.), RedBud (Buchanan, Mich.) and Glen Helen (San Bernardino, Calif.). Though he banged himself up a bit at the Vegas Lites Shoot Out two weeks ago, Langston enters this summer with the momentum of a Western Region Lites class supercross championship won at the final round in Seattle.
“Despite injuring my wrist at Vegas, I’ll start the season with
confidence of having won my second supercross title,” said
Langston. “Pro Circuit and Kawasaki will again provide me with what
I feel is the fastest bike in the field and I hope to score some
points in the first rounds while my wrist heals, then put myself in a
position to win some races and be there in the end for the title
chase when the season wraps up in September at Glen Helen.”
One racer that will for certain challenge Langston for that title is
teammate Ryan Villopoto. In his first full Nationals season with the
Monster Energy-backed team, Villopoto would like to begin the season where he finished last year – on the podium.
“It was good for me to complete the 05 season with a podium finish
at Glen Helen,” said Villopoto. “That gave me a ton of confidence
knowing that I’d only raced a few times, but was able to run with
the fastest guys on the circuit. This summer I hope to do even
better, beginning this weekend at Hangtown.”
The third racer with podium experience in the Nationals is Troy
Adams. A podium finisher at Steel City (Delmont, Pa.) in 2004, Adams is coming of a leg injury that sidelined him for the supercross
season. He will be, however, a racer to watch – especially after he
gets a couple races under his belt. Look for some top five finishes
and possibly a podium or two from Adams come July and August.
The final Monster Energy-backed, Pro Circuit/Kawasaki mounted racer is Chris Gosselaar. Loads of talent, good speed and a hyper-fast bike should allow Gosselaar to make a breakthrough summer on the Nationals tour.
Langston, Villopoto, Adams and Gosselaar return to action in this
weekend at the opener of the 2006 Toyota AMA Motocross Championship at northern California’s legendary Hangtown Classic (May 21st).
