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36 Years of Loretta's: 2003
Jason Weigandt

Jason Weigandt

36 Years of Loretta's 2003

July 15, 2017 5:00pm
by: Jason Weigandt
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  • 36 Years of Loretta's Countdown
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2003

As we count down the 36 days until the start of the 2017 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Loretta Lynn’s AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, we are going to look back at each year in the history of the event. Today we look back at 2003.

The beginnings of the AMA Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn’s tie right into the beginnings of the modern-day amateur support program. Just as the Loretta’s program kicked off in 1982, Kawasaki was setting up its Team Green program for amateurs. It would become the model to follow, to the point where now most brands even have a similar-sounding name for the program, like KTM’s Orange Brigade and Yamaha’s Blu Cru.

Each brand has had its moments of glory on the amateur circuit, but Suzuki seemed to put on the largest push in the early 2000s, building a huge team with a ton of talent. Not only did Travis Pastrana win the 1999 AMA Horizon Award on a Suzuki, but Ben Riddle did the same in 2000, and Evan Laughridge did in 2002. In 2003, Suzuki had a pair of big-bike talents set to graduate with big-money pro deals locked in: Davi Millsaps and Broc Hepler. They became the riders that everyone else at the ranch tried to beat.

Millsaps won both of his classes in 2003. He turned pro in 2004.
Millsaps won both of his classes in 2003. He turned pro in 2004. Simon Cudby

This led to good racing. Millsaps came through in his classes, winning both the 125A and 125 Modified 12-15 titles. He had competition from the late Josh Lichtle, Millsaps’ friend and a fellow Suzuki rider who managed to beat Davi straight-up in a moto. Matt Boni, Shawn Clark, and Ryan Sipes were also fast throughout the week, but Millsaps nailed both titles and with it the AMA Horizon Award. He would have to wait until 2004 to turn pro, though, because Millsaps was still 15 when he finished at Loretta’s.

Hepler raced 125 A/Pro Sport and 250 A. In the 125s he won his first moto but crashed in his other two, leading to 1-8-28 scores. Kawasaki’s Bryan Johnson, now one of the main men down at the Millsaps Training Facility, scored that title with a 3-1-3. Hey all you kids training at MTF this summer—Bryan knows what he’s talking about!

Hepler grabbed the 250 A title with 2-1-1 scores to top Ryan Sipes and Johnson. He turned pro right after and went 11-12-11 in the overalls at his first pro Nationals. A year later, he would finish second to James Stewart in the 125 National Championship standings. Sadly, his racing career was cut short by a head injury.

Hepler after winning his 250 A title.
Hepler after winning his 250 A title. Thom Veety

In 250 A/Pro Sport, Jeff Emig was back again after his successful return to the Ranch in 2002. He had to face Suzuki’s Bryan Gray, who had been very fast in a few pro 125 Nationals earlier that summer. They battled, but Emig came out on top 1-1-2 to Gray’s 2-2-1. Unlike the previous year, Emig also won his showdown with Vet king Kevin Walker in the Vet 30 Plus class. They were tied with a 1-2 and a 2-1 heading into the final moto, but Walker crashed out and Emig scored the victory.

The greatest drama, though, once again came from the minicycle ranks, and another Mike Alessi versus Ryan Villopoto duel. Villopoto was now with Team Green and ready to take on the Honda-mounted Alessi, but for the second-straight year, Alessi had it covered. They were a good match on speed, but Mike got starts and avoided any mistakes or crashes. As we’ve stated here time and time again, Mike was a machine at Loretta’s, and his six-moto sweep of the 105cc Supermini (12-15) and 85 (14-15) Modified classes serves as proof. What did Villopoto get in the six motos that Alessi won? Six second place finishes.

One of the many Alessi (#80) versus Villopoto (#15)  battles.
One of the many Alessi (#80) versus Villopoto (#15)  battles. Thom Veety

Also of note in the Supermini class was the third-place finisher, listed as Christopher Pourcel of Kissimmee, Florida. Don’t let that fool you—that’s Christophe Pourcel of France (the Crafty French Boy?). In his own trip to Loretta’s, he acquitted himself well against experienced competitors, although he was not close to Alessi or Villopoto in the motos. Good runs for a first-timer, though.

Mike Alessi usually had his younger brother Jeff on the gate with him, but the class age breakdown for 2003 left them in different brackets of the minicycle age divisions. It appeared ’03 would be Jeff’s time to finally grab a title, but he DNFed the first 85 (12-13) Mod moto, and then went 3-1. The winner? Another Loretta’s all-timer, Josh Hill, who went 1-1-2 to win a stacked class that also included Austin Stroupe, Zach Osborne, Nico Izzi, Broc Tickle, PJ Larsen, Darryn Durham, Trey Canard, Wil Hahn, and this kid from Minnesota named Ryan Dungey, who went 8-20-8 for ninth overall. Eventually, Suzuki came calling for him, too.

Pourcel finished third in the Supermini 12-15 class.
Pourcel finished third in the Supermini 12-15 class. Thom Veety

PREVIOUS ENTRIES

  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2000 36 Years of Loretta's: 2000 July 31 - 4:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1998 36 Years of Loretta's: 1998 July 29 - 10:05am
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2016 36 Years of Loretta's: 2016 July 28 - 4:25pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2011 36 Years of Loretta's: 2011 July 27 - 4:15pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1991 36 Years of Loretta's: 1991 July 26 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2010 36 Years of Loretta's: 2010 July 25 - 4:45pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1986 36 Years of Loretta's: 1986 July 24 - 4:35pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2006 36 Years of Loretta's: 2006 July 23 - 10:20pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1997 36 Years of Loretta's: 1997 July 22 - 8:00am
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2008 36 Years of Loretta's: 2008 July 21 - 1:10pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1995 36 Years of Loretta's: 1995 July 20 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2013 36 Years of Loretta's: 2013 July 19 - 4:45pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2001 36 Years of Loretta's: 2001 July 18 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2009 36 Years of Loretta's: 2009 July 17 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1984 36 Years of Loretta's: 1984 July 16 - 9:20pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2003 36 Years of Loretta's: 2003 July 15 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1990 36 Years of Loretta's: 1990 July 14 - 11:05am
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1994 36 Years of Loretta's: 1994 July 13 - 6:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1996 36 Years of Loretta's: 1996 July 12 - 5:05pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2002 36 Years of Loretta's: 2002 July 11 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1985 36 Years of Loretta's: 1985 July 10 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1993 36 Years of Loretta's: 1993 July 9 - 5:35pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1989 36 Years of Loretta's: 1989 July 8 - 5:00am
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2015 36 Years of Loretta's: 2015 July 7 - 3:05pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1983 36 Years of Loretta's: 1983 July 6 - 1:50pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2005 36 Years of Loretta's: 2005 July 5 - 7:15pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1988 36 Years of Loretta's: 1988 July 4 - 9:55pm
  • 36 Years OF Loretta's: 2007 36 Years OF Loretta's: 2007 July 3 - 3:05pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1987 36 Years of Loretta's: 1987 July 2 - 6:40pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2012 36 Years of Loretta's: 2012 July 1 - 3:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2014 36 Years of Loretta's: 2014 June 30 - 12:50pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 2004 36 Years of Loretta's: 2004 June 29 - 5:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1992 36 Years of Loretta's: 1992 June 28 - 2:00pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1999 36 Years of Loretta's: 1999 June 27 - 2:40pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1982 36 Years of Loretta's: 1982 June 26 - 4:45pm
  • Exhaust: Homeless Exhaust: Homeless 1:30pm
  • 36 Years of Loretta's: 1984 36 Years of Loretta's: 1984 9:20pm
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