Ryan Villopoto Wins AMA Rookie of the Year Award

October 27, 2006, 6:49am

AMA Supercross/Motocross Lites star wins outdoor title, along with
Moto Des Nations team victory to highlight banner year with Monster
Energy-backed team

CARLSBAD, Calif., (Oct. 26, 2006) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/
Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto has been named the AMA’s Supercross/
Motocross Rookie of the Year for the 2006 competition seasons.

Villopoto, 18, starred all year long on his Pro Circuit-tuned
Kawasaki KX250F, finishing on the overall podium (3rd) in the AMA
Lites class’ Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series Western Regional,
winning the AMA Lites class in the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship and helping Team USA win the 2006 Motocross Des Nations.

The first rookie to win the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship since fellow Kawasaki pilot James Stewart did so in 2002, Villopoto raced to six overall victories on the season – the last coming with a 1-1 performance at the final round at Glen Helen Raceway (San Bernardino, Calif.).

“I’d definitely like to thank the AMA for the award. It’s an
honor to win it out of a field of fast guys that I’ve been racing
since the 65 class in amateurs,” said Villopoto. “I’d also like
to for sure thank my sponsors: Monster Energy, Pro Circuit and
Kawasaki. It helped a lot being part of such an excellent team and
I’m looking forward to not only defending my Nationals title next
year, but also to hopefully winning a regional supercross crown for
the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.”

Along with Stewart, other AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookies of the
Year include Monster Energy’s own Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and Kevin Windham.