Pro Circuit Announces 2012 Rider Line-Up
January 5, 2012, 10:20am
CORONA, Calif., – Pennsylvania native Darryn Durham will be the newest face under the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki tent for 2012, serving as one of five riders looking to add to the record-breaking success the team experienced in 2011. Durham will join Blake Baggett in the AMA Supercross Lites East Region, while Dean Wilson and Tyla Rattray will battle it out in the West. Broc Tickle will contest in the premier divison as he debuts his new Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX450F in the hunt for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross title.
Durham, the 2008 AMA Horizon Award recipient, has been growing and developing as a professional rider since turning pro, and is coming off his best season yet. In 2011, Durham finished 16th in the AMA Supercross Lites East Region, despite missing races due to an injury. He rounded out the year with a career-best 10th-place finish in AMA Motocross 250 Class Championship standings. Durham also led 11 laps during the summer with hs fantastic performance in the first moto at his hometown race at High Point in June. Overall, Durham completed the outdoor nationals with five top-10 finishes. In just three full seasons of professional competition, Durham’s continued growth in skill and talent as a rider is sure to see a significant boost over the next year with the successful influence of Pro Circuit, and the rest of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.
“I’m too excited to say anything… This is just a dream come true,” said Durham, when asked about his new team.
Another big change for 2012 will be Pro Circuit’s support of Tickle. After claiming the AMA Supercross Lites West Region title and pointing out of the class, Tickle was unsure of where he would be for the upcoming season. Thanks to his strong relationship with the team, Tickle will stay on board as the team prepares to make the long-awaited move to developing a 450cc program. Team owner Mitch Payton decided to make the anticipated progression after Tickle’s news of not returning to the Lites class.
“I miscalculated the new rule change for supercross, and didn’t realize that Broc pointed out of the Lites class following his championship,” stated Payton. “I wanted to honor my two-year agreement with Broc as a member of our team, and with the support from both Kawasaki and Monster Energy, we will embark on a new endeavor for Pro Circuit by developing a competitive 450 for the entire 2012 season.”
The 2011 AMA Motocross 250 Class Champion, Wilson, returns to the team after a breakthrough season. His three AMA Supercross Lites East wins and trio of AMA Motocross 250 Class victories, in addition to that coveted first career title, make Wilson look unstoppable heading into the new season. Consistency was the key to success, as he finished on the overall podium all but once throughout the outdoor motocross season.
After ending the summer in second place behind Wilson for his second consecutive runner-up effort outdoors, Rattray has made a mark in American motocross, and will look for more in 2012. The 2008 World Motocross MX2 Champion, and perennial representative for South Africa in the Motocross of Nations, has been a member the Pro Circuit team for the last three years. In 2011, Rattray finished the season with eight overall podium finishes, including four wins in the AMA Motocross 250 Class.
Fresh off an overall win with Team USA at the Motocross of Nations in September 2011, Baggett brings the momentum of a breakout year into the 2012 season. He finished fourth in the AMA Supercross Lites East Championship, boasting two wins, and also helped Pro Circuit complete a historic championship podium sweep in AMA Motocross, finishing third in the 250 Class with a series-leading five victories. The 19-year-old rider will enter his third season as a pro as an integral member of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, and will surely be in the mix to win more races in 2012.
The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team will make its 2012 debut this Saturday, January 7, at Anaheim's Angel Stadium, for the opening round of the AMA Supercross Championship.
Durham, the 2008 AMA Horizon Award recipient, has been growing and developing as a professional rider since turning pro, and is coming off his best season yet. In 2011, Durham finished 16th in the AMA Supercross Lites East Region, despite missing races due to an injury. He rounded out the year with a career-best 10th-place finish in AMA Motocross 250 Class Championship standings. Durham also led 11 laps during the summer with hs fantastic performance in the first moto at his hometown race at High Point in June. Overall, Durham completed the outdoor nationals with five top-10 finishes. In just three full seasons of professional competition, Durham’s continued growth in skill and talent as a rider is sure to see a significant boost over the next year with the successful influence of Pro Circuit, and the rest of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.
“I’m too excited to say anything… This is just a dream come true,” said Durham, when asked about his new team.
Another big change for 2012 will be Pro Circuit’s support of Tickle. After claiming the AMA Supercross Lites West Region title and pointing out of the class, Tickle was unsure of where he would be for the upcoming season. Thanks to his strong relationship with the team, Tickle will stay on board as the team prepares to make the long-awaited move to developing a 450cc program. Team owner Mitch Payton decided to make the anticipated progression after Tickle’s news of not returning to the Lites class.
“I miscalculated the new rule change for supercross, and didn’t realize that Broc pointed out of the Lites class following his championship,” stated Payton. “I wanted to honor my two-year agreement with Broc as a member of our team, and with the support from both Kawasaki and Monster Energy, we will embark on a new endeavor for Pro Circuit by developing a competitive 450 for the entire 2012 season.”
The 2011 AMA Motocross 250 Class Champion, Wilson, returns to the team after a breakthrough season. His three AMA Supercross Lites East wins and trio of AMA Motocross 250 Class victories, in addition to that coveted first career title, make Wilson look unstoppable heading into the new season. Consistency was the key to success, as he finished on the overall podium all but once throughout the outdoor motocross season.
After ending the summer in second place behind Wilson for his second consecutive runner-up effort outdoors, Rattray has made a mark in American motocross, and will look for more in 2012. The 2008 World Motocross MX2 Champion, and perennial representative for South Africa in the Motocross of Nations, has been a member the Pro Circuit team for the last three years. In 2011, Rattray finished the season with eight overall podium finishes, including four wins in the AMA Motocross 250 Class.
Fresh off an overall win with Team USA at the Motocross of Nations in September 2011, Baggett brings the momentum of a breakout year into the 2012 season. He finished fourth in the AMA Supercross Lites East Championship, boasting two wins, and also helped Pro Circuit complete a historic championship podium sweep in AMA Motocross, finishing third in the 250 Class with a series-leading five victories. The 19-year-old rider will enter his third season as a pro as an integral member of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, and will surely be in the mix to win more races in 2012.
The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team will make its 2012 debut this Saturday, January 7, at Anaheim's Angel Stadium, for the opening round of the AMA Supercross Championship.
