Jim Neese And Jim Chester Form The Carolina Xpress Arenacross Team

Greensboro, North Carolina – Two of the top professional motocross racers in the Toyota Arenacross Series are joining forces and starting a new team. Jim Neese and Jim Chester are both well-known in the motocross world and on the Toyota Arenacross circuit. Last season, Jim Neese placed 6th overall in the National Series and Jim Chester placed 12th.

The team is a factory Suzuki support team and will race in both the Lites (250cc) and Motocross (450cc) classes. The team is in the final stages of negotiating with sponsors and will announce the deals as they are finalized.

Both Jim’s have made careers out of racing motocross and from businesses related to motocross.

Jim Neese developed a training system for motocross racers aiming to tap their potential, called the Jim Neese Rider Development System. He is also a track developer and partner in OCR – Action Sports Park located in Durham, NC.

Jim Chester owns a bicycle/motorcycle shop in Hickory, NC called Moto-Velo where he sells and services motorcycles and bicycles. He also trains future professional motocross racers and sponsors a bicycle racing team.

The team will provide a foundation for grooming fast riders from North Carolina and giving them the structure and training required to build a career in motocross. North Carolina produces some of the fastest motocross racers in the country.

“This year we are laying the groundwork for the team. We are putting together sponsors from both inside and outside the industry. Next year we plan to add a third rider to the team,” said Jim Neese. Then he added, “The team name was a nickname that the announcers used to refer to us last year. We liked the name and what it represented. We also thought that race fans from the Carolinas would like to have a team to rally behind in the Toyota Arenacross Series.”

“A team is the best way for us to market ourselves in the series. The interest in motocross is huge and the televised coverage makes corporate sponsorships viable. The Carolina Xpress provides an operating structure for us and a marketing mechanism for our sponsors,” explained Jim Chester.

Marketing, sponsorship and public relations will be handled by Ed Kuhlenkamp of Build-Momentum. Ed will manage the sponsor relationships with the Carolina Xpress and ensure that the team’s marketing efforts are integrated with the team sponsors.

“We are looking for companies that want to partner with our team. In these early stages of establishing a team, solid partners are critical to a stable future and good marketing. Both Jim’s have excellent reputations and are fan favorites. They get lots of exposure throughout the Toyota Arenacross Series. We believe that the televised coverage can be leveraged to increase sponsors’ sales and create opportunities for additional marketing initiatives,” commented Ed.