Burkhart and Currie Clinch AMA Supermoto Championships
Ward closes out career with victory, Nicoll takes the AMA PPG Supermoto Unlimited class win
CABAZON, Calif. (November 11, 2007) - Troy Lee Designs Honda's Jeff Ward grabbed his second win of the season during the final round of the AMA Supermoto Championship at Troy Lee's Supermoto Mayhem at The Morongo hosted at the Casino Morongo Resort and Spa. HMC KTM's Kurt Nicoll picked up his second win in M&R AMA Supermoto Unlimited, while Graves Yamaha's Brandon Currie captured his third victory of the season in the Hot Wheels AMA Supermoto Lites class.
Ward, of Newport Beach, Calif., got off to a quick start to pick up the holeshot and held a slight advantage over HMC KTM's Troy Herfoss and Troy Lee Designs Honda teammate Cassidy Anderson. Three laps into the race, Herfoss, of Australia, crashed while entering the dirt portion of the track. The crash resulted in Graves Yamaha's Mark Burkhart moving into the third position. Herfoss charge his way back to fourth place until a flat tire would dampen his result.
Ward, who announced that he would be retiring this year, ended his racing career with the win. Anderson, of Provo, Utah, finished in second place and Burkhart placed third to clinch his first AMA Supermoto Championship.
"I am very excited to win the championship," commented Burkhart. "I rode smart today and I am just happy and proud to win a title for Graves Yamaha. This championship really is for Doug Henry. It is such an inspiration having him come to these races. Doug deserves this championship more then any of us on the podium."
"I am happy to have been able to run out front today, and come away safe from this event," remarked Ward. "This will be my last Supermoto race. I have been racing and competing for a very long time and it wears and tares at you over time. I am still going to be at the races and involved in Supermoto, but now I will able to spend more time with my wife and four kids."
HMC KTM's Ales Hlad captured the holeshot in the AMA PPG Supermoto Unlimited class presented by M&R Products. Hlad was closely followed by his fellow KTM teammates Nicoll, of England, and Brian Capper, of South Africa. On the first lap Nicoll moved into the lead. On the second lap, Hlad made a costly mistake entering the dirt section and went down, causing him to move to the rear of the pack. At the finish line it was Nicoll who took the checkered flag followed by Rip It Energy Aprilia's Ben Carlson of, West Bend, Wis., in second and Capper in third.
"It has been a great season for myself and KTM", stated Nicoll. "I was able to get a great start and I felt like I had the speed on both the asphalt and dirt to pull of a win. I want to thank everyone who has been a part of KTM this year. It has been a successful year and I am already looking forward to 2008."
On Saturday, Carlson secured the 2007 AMA PPG Supermoto Unlimited Championship presented by M&R Products, as he successfully defended is title by earning back-to-back championships.
"This has been a great weekend", exclaimed Carlson. "Aprilia has provided me with the best bikes out on the track this year. I'm so happy to have been able to back up last years' championship."
Scotty's Speed Shop Yamaha's Robbie Smith, of Guthrie, Okla., shot out to the early lead in the Hot Wheels AMA Supermoto Lites main event. On the opening lap Graves Yamaha's Brandon Currie, of Anaheim, Calif., and LA Fuels Husqvarna's Adam Cini, of San Diego, Calif., were able to find their way around Smith before a crash moved Smith to the middle of the pack. Currie and Cini raced within inches of each other the entire race. Currie took the narrow victory, clinching his first-ever AMA Supermoto Lites Championship. Cini was second and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Matt Abbott, of Conyers, Ga., was third.
"This is such an amazing feeling," remarked Currie. "I have worked for a championship the last four years and to finally achieve my goal feels awesome. I want thank Grave's Yamaha and all my family for all of their support over the years."
AMA Supermoto Race Results
1. Jeff Ward, Newport Beach, Calif., Troy Lee Designs Honda
2. Cassidy Anderson, Provo, Utah, Troy Lee Designs Honda
3. Mark Burkhart, Pataskala, Ohio, Graves Motorsports Yamaha
4. Chris Fillmore, Oxford, Mich., Monster Energy Kawasaki
5.Sylvain Bidart, France, CHM Exhaust Honda
6. Matthew Winstanley, Abram Wigan, La., KTM
7. Steve Drew, Buckeye, Ariz., Mach 1 Yamaha
8. Jason Conlon, Mount Airy, Md., Fredericktown Yamaha
9. Heath Voss, Mico, Tex., Cytomax Mastercraft No Fear Honda
10. Kiyoshi Saai, Japan, Hamamatsu Factory Honda
AMA Supermoto Point Standings
1. Mark Burkhart, Pataskala, Ohio, Graves Motorsports Yamaha, 223
2. Jeff Ward, Newport Beach, Calif., Troy Lee Designs Honda,
206
3. Troy Herfoss, Australia, HMC KTM, 167
4. Chris Fillmore, Oxford, Mich., Monster Energy Kawasaki, 140
5. Steve Drew, Buckeye, Ariz., Mach 1 Yamaha, 139
6. Micky Dymond, Placentia, Calif., All Access Honda, 130
7. Cassidy Anderson, Provo, Utah, Troy Lee Designs Honda, 122
8. Jason Conlon, Mount Airy, Md., Fredericktown Yamaha, 113
9. Ben Carlson, West Bend, Wis., Rip It Energy Aprilia, 94
10. Robbie Horton, Augusta, Ga., Monster Energy Kawasaki, 69
M&R AMA Supermoto Unlimited Race Results
1. Kurt Nicoll, Temecula, Calif., HMC KTM
2. Ben Carlson, West Bend, Wis., Rip It Energy Aprilia
3. Brian Capper, South Africa, HMC KTM
4. Kevin Berthome, France, Rip It Energy Aprilia
5. David Baffeleuf, France, LA Fuel GP Husqvarna
6. John Lewis, Brandamore, Pa., HMC KTM
7.Ales Hlad, Bulgaria, KTM HMC Motoracing
8. Robert Loire, Salem, Wis., Husaberg
8. Kevin Berthome, France, Rip It Energy Aprilia
9. Josh Chrisum, Bakersfield, Calif., BP Racing KTM 1
10. Alex Hofmann, Switzerland, Valley Community Homes KTM
M&R AMA Supermoto Unlimited Point Standings
1. Ben Carlson, West Bend, Wis., Rip It Energy Aprilia, 216
2. Kurt Nicoll, Temecula, Calif., HMC KTM, 158
3. Robert Loire, Salem, Wis., Husaberg, 156
4. Travis Marks, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Rockstar Hart & Huntington KTM, 131
5. John Lewis, Brandamore, Pa., HMC KTM, 127
6. Darryl Atkins, San Clemente, Calif., Rip It Energy Aprilia, 123
7. Brian Capper, South Africa, HMC KTM, 120
8. Josh Chrisum, Bakersfield, Calif., BP Racing KTM, 119
9. David Baffeleuf, France, LA Fuel Husqvarna, 99
10. Doni Wanat, Woodinville, Wash., Rockstar Hart & Huntington KTM, 88
Hot Wheels AMA Supermoto Lites Race Results
1. David Pingree, Temecula, Calif., Troy Lee Designs Honda
2. Brandon Currie, Anaheim, Calif., Graves Motorsports Yamaha
3. Adam Cini, San Diego, Calif., LA Fuel Husqvarna
4. Robbie Smith, Guthrie, Okla., Scotty's Speed Shop Yamaha
5. Jamie Siever, Belle Plaine, Kan., Privateer Yamaha
6. Steve Marty, Reno, Nev., Thor Vortex KTM
7. Matt Abbott, Conyers, Ga., Monster Energy Kawasaki
8. Cameron Welsh, Hesperia, Calif., Graves Motorsports Yamaha
9. Dalton Dimick, Fort Collins, Colo., Monster Energy Kawasaki
10. Matt Burton, Ottumwa, IA., RJ Maxxis KTM
Hot Wheels AMA Supermoto Lites Point Standings
1. Brandon Currie, Anaheim, Calif., Graves Motorsports Yamaha, 223
2. David Pingree, Temecula, Calif., Troy Lee Designs Honda, 207
3. Adam Cini, San Diego, Calif., LA Fuel Husqvarna, 172
4. Dalton Dimick, Fort Collins, Colo., Monster Energy Kawasaki, 146
5. Jamie Siever, Belle Plaine, Kan., Privateer Yamaha, 141
6. Matt Abbott, Conyers, Ga., Monster Energy Kawasaki, 135
7. Steve Marty, Reno, Nev., Thor Vortex KTM, 101
8. Andrew Hyder, Pataskala, Ohio, Columbus Yamaha, 95
9. Matt Burton, Ottumwa, IA., RJ Maxxis KTM, 79
10. Robbie Smith, Guthrie, Okla., BP Racing KTM, 71
For more information on The AMA Supermoto Championship Series please visit: www.amasupermoto.com