Welcome to the MonsterArmy

Here are the answers to April's Mission. A winner will be announced in the Monthly Newsletter. In the meantime, check out this month's Mission: MY XXL AWARD.



How many meters did Skate Team rider Jake Brown fall at the famous Summer X-Games 2007 crash he had?

15



What state did Moto GP rider John Hopkins buy his new house in?

California



What is Shane Bonifay’s favorite type of restaurant?

Fondu



What is Jeremy McGrath’s favorite shape?

Circle, like the winners circle



What is Middle East & Mexico City X-Games gold medal winner in Vert Skate rider PLG’s favorite number?

2



 What country was the first race that current National AMA Champion Grant Langston raced Travis Pastrana for the first time?

France



In 2007 at the Daytona Supercross, by how many seconds did James “Bubba” Stewart win by?

13.5



Surf team rider Dane Reynolds got how many surfboards from his sponsor last year?

60



What is Road Racing National Champion Roger Lee Hayden’s nickname?

Countryboy



What is 2 X Silver Olympic medalist Danny Kass’s side kicks name?

Dingo



What is snowboarder MFM hotel name?

The Block



Rally Car driver Ken Block was on the cover of a magazine jumping his car .  What was the name of the magazine?

SNOWBOARDER MAGAZINE



What is wakeboarder Shawn Watson’s favorite food?

Sushi



What is Snowcross legend Tucker Hibbert favorite vacation spot?

Hawaii



What month was Danny Harf born?

October



What is the stock symbol for the company that owns Monster Energy?

HANS



What famous motorcycle shop is located down the street to Monster Energy?

Pro Circuit



What does  Gregg Lutzka like better, dogs or cats?

Dogs



What does Derek Costella like better, Coke or Pepsi

Pepsi



What does Andy Finch like better, cars or trucks

Trucks



What does Fred Andres like better, gwum or candy?

Gum

Abbott now has 41-point lead over rival David Pearson in H & H title chase







CORONA, Calif., (April 28, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Destry Abbott won big this past weekend in Lucerne, Calif., Round Five of the 2008 AMA Hare & Hound Series, completing the entire race without a crash in a wire-to-wire run to victory, giving him a 41-point lead over the next closest competitor (David Pearson) after five of seven rounds.



Better yet for Abbott was that he was joined on the podium by his 16-year-old Monster Energy/Kawasaki teammate, Josh Morros, who placed 2nd. Here’s is Abbott’s account of the race across the California desert.



Race Day:



“After a good nights sleep in the desert, it was time to put on my race face! I felt I had a pretty good spot on the bomb run (right up the middle). At 9:30 the banner went up, and everyone shut off their motors. When the banner fell, I was off and had a great jump. When I got to the end of the bomb, I was first with both Pearson and Josh fighting it out for 2nd. I heard Josh made a great pass, just after the bomb, to get into 2nd. The first 10-miles were going pretty good, but I was a little on the tight side and I know I was holding up the guys behind me. After that I started to get into a nice groove, and felt a lot more comfortable.



About halfway into the first loop (20-miles) I saw that Josh and I had started to put a gap on David, so I wanted to try and keep pushing it. After I pitted I still had the lead, but Josh really kept me honest that whole first loop. He was about 10 seconds back, and then I had a 1:40 on David Pearson who was running 3rd. I heard the second loop was going to be technical and challenging, which is the stuff I like. I took off and really felt like this was going to be good. I was able to put a little gap on Josh, but he would make it back up in other areas. It seemed like every time I looked back, he wouldn’t be far behind.



I blew a few corners and for some reason had a tough time following the ribbon, but it was easy to spot when I realized it. Josh would usually take advantage of this, and get right back on me again. The second loop was awesome, and every now and then I would take a look back to see if I could see Pearson back there. I never saw him on the second loop, and I really felt I had a good pace going and wasn’t making many mistakes. With about 10-miles to go, there was a pretty long valley and it seemed like it was a lot longer then it was. At the end of it the course went up a hill, and I only saw Josh’s dust and knew we had a pretty big lead. Now, for the last few miles, I made sure I kept it on two wheels so I could take the win. It felt really good to come across the finish and win it wire-to-wire!”



Overall Summary:



“I really couldn’t ask for a better day of racing. Everything seemed to work perfect and I never went down. Then to top that off, Josh and I really rode hard and were able to get our Kawasaki’s on top of the podium. He really pushed me all day, and I never could take time to rest.”



The next AMA Hare & Hound race for Destry Abbott and the Monster Energy/Kawasaki off road team is Round Six in Jericho, Utah (May 17).



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it enduro, hare scrambles, MX, road racing, supermoto, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Destry Abbott digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Weisenfels chased by teammate Dustin Gibson (4th) and Dave Snyder (8th), giving Monster Energy three of the top ten overall XC2 spots



CORONA, Calif., (April 28, 2008) – Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha racer Josh Weisenfels put his YZ250F up on the box in 2nd place in the XC2 class this past weekend at the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) round at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.



Couple with Monster Energy-backed teammates Dustin Gibson (4th) and Dave Snyder (8th), Monster Energy enjoyed three racers in the XC2 class top ten overall at the popular off road competition motorcycle series stop in Tennessee.



“I got a good start and tried to go too fast at first,” said Weisenfels. “My arms got pumped up so bad. After the gas stop I could start to charge again. This is the best I have ever finished at Loretta’s.”



Pulling the holeshot at the Loretta’s GNCC was Gibson, with Weisenfels hot on his rear fender in 2nd. After the first lap Weisenfels was still battling hard at 2nd place, while Gibson had dropped a bit to 4th. And all the while Snyder was working his way up into the top ten.



“I was in the lead and hit my foot on a tree and it ended up bothering me all day,” said Gibson. “I am very disappointed. I wanted to be on the podium.”



Added Snyder: “I felt like I finally rode a good race from start to finish. I have had a hard time so far this season. I’m looking forward to the next race in Ohio.”



Next up for the Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha team is the May 10th GNCC contest in Milfield, Ohio.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it off-road, enduro, MX, road racing, supermoto, FMX, skate, MTB, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Fred Andrews and his boyz dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Josh Hill (Yamaha) places 7th & loses a bit of ground on Tim Ferry (Monster/Kawasaki) for 5th and final spot in overall SX class standings



CORONA, Calif., (April 28, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Josh Hill (Yamaha), in his rookie Supercross class campaign on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross (an FIM World Championship) tour, overcame a rough start at Seattle this past weekend to make up a bunch of important overall points with a 7th place finish on Saturday.



Hill, who entered the event tightly locked in a battle with fellow Monster Energy-backed racer Tim Ferry (Monster Energy/Kawasaki) for 5th place overall in the Supercross class standings, lost a bit of ground in the fight with Ferry who finished 5th at Seattle. As it stands, with one contest remaining (Las Vegas), Hill has a four point lead over Ferry, 210-206, for that all important fifth and final spot in the standings.



“The plan is to come out of Vegas with 5th overall – however we can arrive at that,” said Hill. “I know Tim Ferry and his team have the same thing in mind, so it’ll be a great race within a race for fans at Vegas to follow, along with Monster Army members all over the world.”



Coming out blazing in practice/pre-qualifying, Hill put up the 4th fastest lap time with a 52.663, then transferred to the main with a 5th place finish in heat No. 2. In the main Hill got out well and was right on the rear tire of Chad Reed when Reed went down – taking Hill with him. Hill was able to regroup and, though he came back around in 15th place after the first lap, made it all the way back to 7th to preserve his 5th place o/a points lead over Ferry.



Next up for Monster Energy’s Josh Hill are the 2008 Monster Energy Supercross finals at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium, this Saturday, May 3rd.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Josh Hill digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.



 



 

Chaz Davies (Attack/Kawasaki) has Formula Xtreme points lead wrestled away by Jake Zemke, 94-91, after 3rd of 11 Superbike Series rounds



CORONA, Calif., (April 28, 2008) –  Monster Energy’s Josh Hayes (Erion/Honda) put up some solid numbers at the third round of the 2008 AMA Superbike Championships, this past weekend at Fontana’s (Calif.) Auto Club Speedway racing to a 2nd place finish in the Formula Xtreme class, then backing that with a near podium 4th place finish in the SuperSport class.



Hayes dropped the gloves and went at it with rival and Erion/Honda teammate Jake Zemke in defense of his Formula Xtreme title, the two battling throughout the entire Formula Xtreme main event in one of the year’s more exciting races.



“That one was a lot of fun,” said Hayes. “Definitely one of the better Formula Xtreme races I’ve been involved in. And it sure sets the stage for the remainder of the series…can’t wait to get back after it at Infineon (Sonoma, Calif., May 16-18).”



Zemke’s margin of victory was 0.013 seconds.



Hayes also had a solid race in the SuperSport class. Starting just barely inside the top ten after the opening lap (8th), Hayes put on an early charge and caught up to the podium pack of racers by lap five. Running in podium contention on his Honda CBR600RR, Hayes got past Cory West to make the top four on lap nine, then held onto that position through the checkers. Monster Energy’s Chaz Davies (Attack/Kawasaki) would also wind up in the SuperSport class’ top ten, finishing 8th overall.



Davies, who had the lead in the Formula Xtreme class heading into Fontana, would wind up 5th overall and now trails Zemke, 94-91, for the overall championship after three of 11 rounds. Hayes, the two-time Formula Xtreme defending champion, is in 7th place overall in the Formula Xtreme standings.



Finally, in the AMA Superbike main events (doubleheader), Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking brought in two solid performances, finishing 6th on Saturday and 7th on Sunday in the event’s premier race. Hacking is in 6th place overall in the Superbike class standings with 112 points.



Next up for the Monster Energy-backed racers on the AMA Superbike Championship tour is the May 16-18 contest at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. For more information on the series, link to www.amasuperbike.com .



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it road racing, rally, rock crawling, MX, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All the guys running the Monster Energy logo on the AMA Superbike Championship tour dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.



 

Stroupe places 4th in Seattle WSX main event and winds up 3rd overall in WSX points chase in rookie campaign on Monster Energy SX tour

                                                                                         

CORONA, Calif., (April 28, 2008) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Austin Stroupe raced to a near podium 4th place finish on Saturday in Seattle, securing the 3rd place overall spot in the Western Lites Region points chase in 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.



Stroupe, who finished on the podium (3rd) in the second heat race, had to overcome a tough start that had him coming around in 10th place after the first lap. Persistency and speed would pay off for Stroupe as he worked his way back towards the race leaders, moving into 4th place by lap nine and holding onto that position to score 3rd overall in the WSX season.



“When you break it down, had Austin been able to score a podium finish at Phoenix (round two of WSX) – or event a win like he did at Houston – then he would have been right in the middle of the overall points chase with Monster Energy’s (Jason) Lawrence, the eventual champion, and (Ryan) Dungey,” said Monster Energy’s Director of Sports Marketing, John Lee. “So in the end getting third overall made for a heck of a rookie season for Austin. Everyone at Monster Energy is pumped for him.”



Stroupe accumulated 131 points in the six of seven main events he made – including three podium finishes (win at Houston). As Lee pointed out, had Stroupe been able to score a podium finish at Phoenix (instead of a DNF), the 20-plus points would have put him right in the thick of things with Lawrence and Dungey heading into Seattle.



Right behind Stroupe in the overall WSX scoring was his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate, Brett Metcalfe. With a 7th place finish at Seattle, Metcalfe sealed 4th place overall in the WSX standings – just five points in back of Stroupe (131-126). Metcalfe got things going early with a runner-up finish in the first heat race, then avoided trouble early and stayed with the leaders through the 15th lap checkers in 7th.



As it stood heading into Seattle, Stroupe had a one-point lead (113-112) over Metcalfe for the third and final WSX podium spot.



Next up for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Stroupe, Metcalfe, Ryan Villopoto and Branden Jesseman is this weekend’s Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Lites Class Shootout at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium (May 3rd).



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Stroupe, Metcalfe, Villopoto and Jesseman dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Lawrence (Yamaha of Troy) brings home his first overall AMA championship in his young professional motocross career





CORONA, Calif., (April 28, 2008) –  Longtime Monster Energy-backed racer Jason Lawrence (Yamaha of Troy) is on top of the motocross world right now, standing alone as this year’s Western Lites Regional champion of 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.



Lawrence, who boldly predicted the win prior to the start of the season, was as relieved as he was pumped following his 2nd place finish the WSX finals in Seattle on Saturday to clinch the title over rival Ryan Dungey. “Man, I’ve ate my words once or twice before, so I’m happy I could get this one,” said Lawrence of his first-ever AMA pro championship.



As bold as he is fast, Lawrence let it be known that he wasn’t going to just dink around and coast through the finish line with his six-point lead entering Seattle. The California transplant from New Jersey stepped it up early, snapping off the fastest lap time in practice, 51.865 to 52.170 over eventual race winner Dungey. In his heat race Lawrence was equally brilliant, yet showed the smarts of a third-year supercross veteran when he let Dan Reardon go for the heat race No. 2 win (with Lawrence taking 2nd).



In the main Lawrence got a good gate pick and managed to navigate a major crash that collected some nine bikes at the start. And there was no doubt in the Monster Energy camp that, had he got caught in the melee, Lawrence would have still blazed back to preserve his win – like he did so many other times this year.



“Let me be the first to congratulate Jason from everyone at Monster Energy,” said Monster Energy spokesman Scott Sepkovic. “This championship marks not only the end of a long, sometimes difficult road Jason followed on his way to the top, but it also marks the beginning of what we all expect to be continued greatness for Jason.”



Out of trouble in the main and into 4th place by the end of the first lap, Lawrence clicked off three consecutive fast laps to put himself into 2nd place by lap five. From the stands it appeared to be business as usual for Lawrence as he rode mistake-free for the remainder of the race, but inside that Monster Energy-emblazoned helmet was the battle within the battle for the WSX title.



“Once I got into second I was so nervous I turned my idle up just to I wouldn’t stall it,” admitted Lawrence. “Then after that I was lucky to have my Yamaha teammate Broc Hepler right in there behind me.”



Soon after Dungey crossed the finish line to win the race, Lawrence blasted through the air to win the championship. “JASON LAWRENCE IS YOUR 2008 WESTERN LITES SUPERCROSS CHAMPION!,” rang out across the world via the Monster Energy Supercross webcast.



Lawrence, who trailed Dungey by as much as 34 points after Anaheim 2, managed to shine with three consecutive wins in the middle of the season while Dungey struggled keeping it together. The end total of Lawrence’s 157 points to Dungey’s 154 would mark the first Lites championship for Yamaha of Troy since Chad Reed won in 2004.



Backed by Monster Energy since 2004 when he won a couple AMA Amateur National MX Championship Intermediate class titles at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch (Hurricane Mills, Tenn.), Lawrence also topped Ryan Villopoto in an Open/A Pro Sport championship the following summer at Loretta’s after turning pro at Southwick (Mass.).



Next up for the Monster Energy Supercross Western Lites champion is this weekend’s Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Lites Shootout at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium (May 3).



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Monster Energy Supercross, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Jason Lawrence digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

IN THIS CORNER! Jason Lawrence vs. Ryan Dungey

April 25, 2008

By Eric Johnson  

 

800 Occidental Avenue South in Seattle , Washington is home to a building made of red brick, tan pre-cast concrete and white painted steel. Inside this horseshoe-shaped monolith are three tiers of 68,000 seats. Welcome to Qwest Field home of the National Football League franchise, the Seattle Seahawks. While many people love their Seahawks, on Saturday night, April 26, 2008, the Qwest gridiron will be of no matter to a sport played with a chunk of pigskin because upon it will be an ersatz motocross track of which an epic, sudden death overtime competition will be found on fossil-fuel-burning, 40-horsepower 250cc motocross bikes in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series.

 

After seven rounds, Monster Energy/Team Yamaha of Troy rider Jason Lawrence holds a healthy, yet somewhat tenuous six-point lead in the 2008 AMA West Region Lites Supercross Series over what has become his adversary, Team Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey. It’s a compelling match-up for as Lawrence and Dungey are about as radically different as two teenaged kids could possibly be. First, there is Dungey, a clean-cut, church-going kid from the Land of 10,000 Lakes ( Minnesota ), Dungey — a full-on Ricky Carmichael understudy, is all about early to bed & early to rise. Then there is Monster Energy’s Jason Lawrence . Born in New Jersey and now living on his own in Lake Elsinore, California, Lawrence has bent up a few cars, fired up a few knuckle throwing free for alls, and, well, gone through a few cases of beer in his rise to the top.

 

Sort of a good versus evil deal, Ryan Dungey started the 2008 Western Regional Monster Energy AMA Supercross Lites Series off by easily winning the Anaheim Supercross Angel Stadium. A second place finish at round two Phoenix was book-ended with another win at Anaheim II. Lawrence , meanwhile, rode to wildly inconsistent 2-5-21 finishes at these same three races and the title looked to be Dungey’s, but then Dungey lost his head once Lawrence caught fire and began getting inside the Suzuki rider’s helmet. While Dungey’s results dropped dramatically, Lawrence won San Francisco , Anaheim III and San Diego  , and all along the way, he wasn’t afraid to make sure everyone knew he had Dungey’s number.

 

“Have you guys noticed that for the last three weeks, Dungey has made a bunch of mistakes and handed over 30 points” Lawrence asked the crowd of 60,000 fans inside San Diego ’s Qualcomm Stadium. “I was trying to keep tabs on him and he actually crashed. It’s the third race in a row now that he’s cracked under the pressure. We’ve got two races to go; I’m up by two points and I’m just trying to win this title.”

 

At the penultimate round of the series at Houston ’s Reliant Stadium, Dungey led the 15-lap main event before ending up on his head in the whoop section. Lawrence went on to win and pull six points clear of Dungey with just the Seattle round remaining. Dungey was fuming.

 

“Jason has been playing his little head games,” said a shell-shocked Dungey. “He’s an idiot. He goes good and he’s a good rider, but the games he has been playing are pathetic. I know what I’ve done wrong. I feel confident and strong both physically and mentally. It’s not over until it’s over. I know I’m six points down, but I still have a chance and I’m going to give it my all.”

 

With that, Ryan Dungey flew to Florida to ride and train with the world’s fastest motocross racer; Monster Energy’s James Stewart. “ He helps me with some things that I can be better at,” explained Dungey of his relationship with Stewart. “He’ll watch me do certain sections and we’ll talk about it. He helps me out, and yeah, we have definitely talked about the championship a little. We talked about preparing for it. We talked about where to finish, what would happen, & where everyone would end up. We pretty much left it at that.”

On Friday, April 25, 2008, Ryan Dungey, on his way to Seattle , explained exactly where he stood the day before his title fight with Lawrence . “First of all, it’s not over until it’s over. Whatever can happen will happen. I have a game plan and we’ll see what happens. If I can pull it off it would be great. I’m going to try to make it happen, but nobody can do it for you.”

 

On that note, what does Monster athlete Jason Lawrence think of all of this?

 

“Winning the championship would be so good,” he said, hair hanging in his eyes. “But it’s still only six points and I still have to go get a third if Dungey wins that race. That is not going to be easy to do if it’s muddy. It’ll be a lot easier if it’s good conditions, but you rarely see that in Seattle . I like the mud, but in the mud, the chances of making a mistake are a lot higher. The chances of me being off the podium on a dry track aren’t that good and I’m sure Dungey knows that, so I’m sure he’s hoping for some mud. Oh, and by the way, another little fact: I’ve never been off the podium at Seattle; I’m looking to keep that going!”

Come race time at 7:30 P.M. on Saturday evening in Seattle , Washington , the weather gods are declaring clear skies and 49-degree temperatures. Will Lawrence hang on and win one for America ’s disgruntled youth or will Ryan Dungey prevail making things all good for the shiny, happy people of this here nation? Stay tuned!

In only the fifth rally of his rookie campaign on the Rally America National Championship tour, team says Mirra’s ready for the turbocharged Subaru



CORONA, Calif., (April 24 2008) –  Monster Energy-backed Dave Mirra, the most successful X Games athlete of all time, has earned his stripes on the Rally America National Championship circuit when this past weekend he was awarded his full Rally America license. The Open Class license, same as Monster Energy’s Ken Block holds (winner of last weekend’s Olympus Rally), allows Mirra to now drive the turbocharged Monster Energy Subaru Impreza, tuned by Vermont SportsCar.



Mirra, in only his fifth race of his rookie campaign on the Rally America tour, raced to a very respectable 20th place at last week’s Olympus Rally in Pomeroy, Wash. The Olympus Rally has traditionally been held near Seattle on technical forest logging roads. But the event's roads recently sustained storm damage and the rally organizers scrambled to find an alternative venue. The solution was a move to the high speed, wide-open gravel roads of Pomeroy, some 270 miles east of Seattle.



Mirra, partnered with 21-year-old co-driver Alex Kihurani had a clean and un-eventful rally, as they aimed to just finish and gain valuable experience. “Finally my first gravel event after all snow rallies!,” said Mirra. “We went nice and easy, I couldn’t afford any mistakes because I just wanted to finish and earn my rally license. This was such a fast rally and I was driving a non-turbo Subaru with half the horsepower of the top guys so I wasn’t expecting be high up in the standings. But we ended up beating a bunch of guys with more power and more experience so that gives me a lot of confidence.”



According to a Vermont SportsCar release, Rally America rules require new drivers to start and finish several rallies in a low horsepower car, as a safety precaution. Mirra has now fulfilled these requirements and is free to drive any class of rally car, including high horsepower turbocharged cars. His Vermont SportsCar team will keep Mirra in his current non-turbo Subaru Impreza for one more rally before providing him an Open Class 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI with more than 300bhp, similar to those run by Subaru Rally Team USA driver and Olympus Rally winner Ken Block. Mirra's next rally will be the Oregon Trail Rally based in Portland, Oregon, May 16-18.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Rally, SX, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Dave Mirra digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.



 

Monster Energy/Kawasaki racers Mike Hall (450 Mod Pro) and Dean Wilson (450 Non Pro) also lock down big overall wins at western USA’s biggest amateur event



CORONA, Calif., (April 22, 2008) – Reports coming back to Monster Energy HQ from this weekend’s Las Vegas World Mini Grand Prix point to another dominant performance by Monster Energy-backed athletes from Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green, Monster Energy/Innovative MX/Yamaha and Extreme Team Green programs.



The top dog again for Monster Energy, as he was at the season-opening Lake Whitney Amateur National Motocross Championship, was Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green’s Adam Cianciarulo. The up-and-coming Sunshine State motocross star, enjoying the same Kawasaki amateur lineage as fellow Floridians and Monster Energy-backed racers Ricky Carmichael and James “Bubba” Stewart (Monster Energy/Kawasaki), walked away with a couple more major amateur national titles in winning both the Vegas GP’s 85cc Thru-11 Stock and Mod classes.



“Monster Energy would like to congratulate all of our racers that participated at the Vegas Mini GPs this past weekend,” said John Lee, Director of Sports Marketing for Monster Energy. “Through Texas and Vegas MX nationals Monster Energy amateur racers have really stepped up and, via their successful efforts on the track, have continued to help elevate the Monster Energy brand. We look forward to following them through their Loretta’s qualifiers all over the nation and the next big national event in Ponca City, Okla.”



It should also be note at this point that Max Anstie (KTM) had a heck of a weekend as well, winning multiple classes including the Supermini Thru 16 class and 85cc Modified 14-16 class and finishing 2nd overall in the 85cc Open and 3rd overall in 85cc Stock 14-15 class. Jr. Cycle class racer, Monster Energy-backed Stone Elder (Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green), was on top of it as well, winning the 6-11 Open, 9-11 Modified and finishing 2nd in the 9-11 Stock class on the Jr. Cycles. Finally, Dean Wilson (Extreme Team Green) won the 450 Non Pro class and 450 Stock Intermediate class.



Burly weather greeted the racers last week with 40-plus mph winds and dust the wreaked havoc on everything from eyes and ears to the bikes’ air filters. Monster Energy’s support staff, led by Kyle Krause, rented out a local go-kart track as a fun diversion from the pressures of amateur national motocross racing – something that was quite welcome from the kids and young adult racers and their families.



Back to business side to things through out the rest of the week, Monster Energy racers continued to shine with more championships being won by numerous athletes, including: Alexah Pearson (Girls 65-85cc), Sarah Price (125-250 Women) and Mike Hall (450 Modified Pro).



Other podium finishes for Monster Energy-backed athletes included: Thomas Covington (2nd/85cc Modified Thu 11), Alexah Pearson (2nd/125-250 Women), Tyler Sjoberg (3rd/450 Non Pro), Dean Wilson (2nd/ 250 Stock Intermediate) PJ Larsen (2nd in both the 450 Pro and 450 Pro Modified).



Also noteworthy was the performances of Monster Energy-backed racers like Zach Bell, who was the only young racer capable of pulling off the big triple in the middle of the track on his 85cc bike, Christian Craig who was faster than his results would show and Lowell Spangler, a top A class contender, who ended up injuring his wrist. Hopefully Spangler can make it back and qualify for Loretta’s!



Next up for Monster Energy’s amateur motocross racers are numerous Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Motocross Championships at local motocross tracks all over the country.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, snocross, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All the Monster Energy amateur MX racers that competed at the Vegas Mini GPs this past week dug ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Aggressive pass by rival Trey Canard knocks Villopoto out of the lead and off the track; teammate Branden Jesseman closes out on the podium



CORONA, Calif., (April 22, 2008) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto has had a couple tough run-ins with other riders this season, but none more disastrous than his get together with Monster Energy Supercross ESX points leader Trey Canard this past weekend in St. Louis.



After dominating his heat race with a seven-second win over his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Branden Jesseman, Villopoto took to the ESX main event at St. Louis with one thing on his mind: Win. And it looked to be like that was exactly what would happen when the Poulsbo, Wash., native grabbed the lead from Jesseman on lap five.



But two laps later Canard and Villopoto would come together near the finish line, the result of the incident cleaned Villopoto out and allowed Canard to take over 1st place in the race.



“I was surprised it happened,” said Pro Circuit’s Mitch Payton. “I think he (Canard) would have probably crashed if he wouldn’t have hit Ryan…crashing into Ryan actually saved him.”



Villopoto was able to remount and put on a charge to, if possible, strike back with great vengeance and furious anger. But his efforts were soon thwarted in what some surmise to be ‘team tactics’ by the Torco/Honda squad.



“I heard Josh (Grant) was going to stay out of it and just let those two (RV and Canard) race,” added Payton. “Obviously that didn’t happen.”



So Canard wins and takes the title – his first. Payton, though displeased, was positive in terms of looking forward. “I’m happy with both of our guys – they raced their own race and stayed clean. Now, we’ll get at it and get ready for the outdoors.”



Though the light wouldn’t shine on Villopoto last Saturday, Jesseman did his best to add a hint of Monster green to the St. Louis podium. Racing to his second-straight podium, Jesseman was a fast 2nd place at St. Louis. His effort kept him in 4th place in the overall standings, ahead of Grant who finished 3rd at St. Louis and 5th overall.



Next up for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is the final round of the 2008 Monster Energy Supercross WSX Series (Bret Metcalfe and Austin Stroupe), Saturday, April 26th, in Seattle.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Monster Energy Supercross, MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Villopoto, Jesseman, Stroupe & Metcalfe dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.



 

Grand Prix of Spain is a muddy affair for Europe’s Monster Energy-backed racers, but success is there in the MX2 class with Davide Guarneri



CORONA, Calif., (April 21, 2008) –  Monster Energy-backed Davide Guarneri (Ricci/Yamaha) was at his best in the horrible conditions that greeted riders in Sunday’s running of the Bellpuig, Spain, MXGP Series round, winning the overall MX2 class with a 3-1 finish in the muck.



In the MX1 class is was Yamaha/Monster’s David Philippaerts racing to a 2nd place overall finish. Here’s the recap of what went down with the Monster Energy-backed MXGP racers in Spain yesterday:



MX 2

Yamaha Ricci Racing's Davide Guarneri battled a mountain of odds and a sea of water at Bellpuig to seize his second career victory at the Grand Prix of Spain today. The Italian defied a painful broken ligament in his right shoulder and also some of the wettest and worst conditions seen at a Grand Prix in recent memory to take 3rd and 1st positions in the two flooded motos with his YZ250F.



Davide Guarneri, Yamaha Ricci Racing: 1st



"I could not expect this victory after my injury last week. I hit my shoulder on a pole in a silly crash and I have torn a ligament. The doctor said that maybe it was not possible to race here. I tried on Saturday and did OK but I had a lot of pain. I had an injection for Saturday and also Sunday and the shoulder, luckily, was not so bad. The conditions were terrible however and so many riders stopped, but I had a good start and rode within myself. I am so happy with this win because I have had some bad luck with injuries at the start of a few seasons. I just want to run with the leaders at each Grand Prix and look as high as I can in the championship."



MX 1

David Philippaerts finished as runner-up and gained his first podium result with the YZ450FM, giving the Yamaha Monster Motocross Team their maiden silverware of the FIM 2008 World Championship, after just one moto in a torrid and swampy Grand Prix of Spain at a soaked Bellpuig.



Almost eleven hours of rain from the early hours of Sunday morning through to the close of the afternoon rendered the hillside circuit almost un-passable and the second MX1 moto was cancelled as the heaviest period of water lashed the sea of mud.



David Philippaerts, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team: 2nd



"I am very happy. After that start and the crash I did not expect to finish second. The Yamaha is so easy to ride and that is important in these conditions. Being third in the championship is a decent position for me. From the first GP last year I had two zeros in the points, but now I already have a podium. I was ready to race in that second moto but I was also prepared to go along with the majority for what they wanted to do. It was quite dangerous out there, the bike would stick in the mud over the jumps and you had to take some risks, having said that, I had some fun as I quite like the water!"



Josh Coppins was fourth through the slime and seat-high ruts in Moto1 and ensured that the team had their two riders within the top four in perhaps the hardest race conditions seen this century.



Josh Coppins, Yamaha Monster Motocross Team: 4th



"What a surreal weekend. In those conditions you just have to keep going and going. There is no strategy. You do need some luck but at the same time you have to be smart and not make too many big mistakes or bad decisions. Saturday was completely different and I was actually hoping for a bit of rain in the evening because it would slow the track and make it more technical.



The race could have been better but I made a mistake and got caught out by two guys who were stuck on the hill and I could not avoid them. Anything at all could have happened in the second moto so overall, with sixth in the first round and fourth here, I can't be too disappointed. We will head to Portugal straight away Sunday evening and we'll stop somewhere and try to get everything cleaned!



Billy MacKenzie, Monster Energy CAS Honda: 8th



“I felt good after coming through the field from the back but slipped off and lost a couple of places, this was disappointing after all my hard work”.



Mike Brown Monster Energy CAS Honda: DNF



Kevin Strijbos, Monster Energy Athlete: 6th



After damaging his ligaments in his thumb on Saturday, Kevin had a pain killing injection for the race but struggled through the conditions to take a great 6th place.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, rally, rock crawling, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Everybody in Europe’s starting to dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Ken Block (Subaru) extends his series points lead over Travis Pastrana



CORONA, Calif., (April 21, 2008) -  Monster Energy's Ken Block stepped up and won or tied for the lead on 12 of the 16 total stages in this past weekend's Olympus Rally held in eastern Washington.

Doing so, Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino were crowned the overall champions and now hold a solid lead on the overall Rally America National Championship after two rounds of rally racing action.



Round two (of six) of the Rally America National Championship was supposed to be run near on technical logging-type roads near Seattle

- a place where Block has had some excellent efforts in the past.

However, due to storm damage, an alternate course was set up on the high speed, wide-open gravel roads in Pomeroy, Wash., 270 miles east of Seattle.



The change actually suited Block just as well as team officials stress that "he's proven himself to be a dominant force on high-speed roads like those in Pomeroy."



Said Block: "The speeds here were amazing. We hit 135 mph on one stage and later had some drama on another when we drove on the rim at over 120 mph after losing a tire due to a puncture!"



The win was Block's third consecutive victory, prefacing the Rally New York event and the Rally America opener in Missouri (100 Acre Wood Rally). "This is a great way to start the season, and it gives me a lot of confidence going forward," said Block from the podium.



Subaru Rally Team USA will remain on the west coast for the next round, the Oregon Trail Rally, May 16-18th in Hillsboro, Ore.



Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, Boost Mobile, Recaro, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, Greddy, PIAA and Vermont SportsCar. Visit www.subaru.com/rally for Subaru Rally Team USA photo galleries, news and team information.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it rally, rock crawling, MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX - name it - the athletes are rockin' Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types - Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called "M-80" and the ground- breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Ken Block digs 'em - so will you. On the 'Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Davies (Attack/Kawasaki) scores a podium 3rd place finish in the Formula Xtreme class final while Monster/Kawasaki’s Hacking places 4th in Saturday’s Superbike main event



CORONA, Calif., (April 21, 2008) –  Monster Energy-backed racers came away from this past weekend’s AMA Superbike Series stop at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., with one podium finish and several other solid performances in the two-day race, round two of the series.



In the Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme competition Monster Energy’s Chaz Davies (Attack/Kawasaki) came from a 5th place start to move into podium position (3rd) on lap eight when fellow Monster Energy-backed racer Josh Hayes (Erion/Honda) slid out while attempting a pass. Pushing it in pursuit of Martin Cardenas for 2nd place, Davies would also leave the track, but was able to gather it back up and make up the two spots he lost to preserve his 3rd place podium finish.



With his second-straight podium effort, Davies leads the overall Formula Xtreme points chase 65-59 over Jake Zemke.



Though Hayes, the defending Formula Xtreme champion, put the bike on the ground, he was able to remount and make it back to 7th place. Hayes added to that a 7th place finish in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport class on Sunday, while Davies finished 10th in Supersport.



In the premier AMA Superbike class, Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking took a near-podium 4th place finish on Friday in the double header. Hacking started in 7th place after the first lap and worked his way up, passing former Monster Energy/Kawasaki racer Eric Bostrom on lap ten, then Miguel Duhamel soon after to move into 3rd overall in the 28-lap contest. Hacking would battle with several other greats late in the race before getting past Aaron Yates on lap 24 to take 4th through the checkers.



Check out all the Barber AMA Superbike racing action on SPEED this week. Coverage of AMA Formula Xtreme and AMA Superstock begins at 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 22.

Next up for the Monster Energy AMA Superbike Series racers is this weekend’s (April 26-27) Round Three at Auto Club Speedway, aka “Fontana,” in Fontana, Calif. For more information on the series, link to www.amasuperbike.com .



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it road racing, rally, rock crawling, MX, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All the guys running the Monster Energy logo on the AMA Superbike Championship tour dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

It’s “Go-Time” at St. Louis this weekend for the defending AMA Supercross Lites class champ; trails Trey Canard by three, 122-119, with one to go

              

CORONA, Calif., (April 17, 2008) – It was business as usual this week for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto. On-track training at the Kawasaki compound off Highway 15 in Corona, Calif., the past couple days, “RV” says he’s healthy, focused and ready for the AMA Supercross ESX Lites class main event gate to drop in St. Louis on Saturday in a winner-take-all title match up vs. Trey Canard.



Last year Villopoto was on it in the WSX Lites title chase, winning seven of eight main events (2nd @ Phoenix) and walking away with the title over fellow Monster Energy-backed racer Jason Lawrence (the current WSX Lites points leader). For 2008 all signs pointed towards what looked to be a battle between Villopoto and Josh Grant in a classic Kawasaki vs. Honda race for the ESX crown.

But what many didn’t realize was that during the off season Villopoto would decide to have an old wrist injury surgically repaired. Call it what you want, a setback or whatever, Villopoto came into the Atlanta ESX opener with a wrist that was still on the mend and one which we’d soon find out would drastically effect his performance early on the season.



The follow up to his spectacular ’07 season, in which he also won the Outdoor National Lites class title, was in peril. A rookie racer from Oklahoma, Trey Canard (Torco/Honda), seemingly showed up out of nowhere – at least to the casual fan – and proceeded to win the first three consecutive ESX rounds.

Entering Round Four (of seven) of the ESX series, Villopoto found himself down 31 points, 75-44. Canard, who enjoyed similar success to Villopoto in the amateur ranks during 2007 (six titles at Ponca, two titles at Loretta’s and the AMA Horizon Award), was poised to win this thing.



But at Minneapolis’ Metrodome Villopoto would step it up and take back a handful of points, winning the event to Canard’s 4th place finish. Same thing would happen the next week in Dallas (1st – 4th in favor of Villopoto). Then this past weekend, heading into Detroit, the ESX took on a whole new look as Villopoto cut the once 31-point lead to three points with a masterful wire-to-wire win at Ford Field.

We caught up with RV to get an idea what’s going through his mind this week. He was seemingly quite relaxed, yet certainly focused on the task at hand which you’ll read below in today’s Monster Energy Six Pack.



Monster Energy: Big weekend coming up. What’s your take on it?



Ryan Villopoto: “Not thinking about it, really. Just waiting for this weekend to arrive. Been riding at the Kawasaki test track yesterday and today, will ride again tomorrow.”



ME: Have you been working on anything different or has it been status quo?



RV: “Been working on my starts – a lot. I need to get out and get two good starts this weekend and that’s about it. The starts are what it’s going to come down to.” Note: Villopoto works on his stars with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Branden Jesseman to the tune of about 15 a day.”



ME: You’ve been in some fairly uncharted waters here as far as your pro career goes – playing some serious catch up and all. Were you confident you could pare that 31-point lead down to a level that would at least give you a shot at Canard in St. Louis?



RV: “After Daytona (ESX Round Three) I was pretty much waiting for a mistake from him (Canard). I really didn’t expect him to make one, a big one at least. So I got lucky.”



ME: Were you surprised with how well Canard started the season?



RV: “Actually, I didn’t expect mine to start out the way it did. Up to this past weekend in Detroit I have not even been ready. Me and Josh (Grant) both. So he (Canard) definitely got lucky at that first race (Atlanta) when I didn’t score any points. The second race was my fault, made a mistake there and it cost me. But a lot of it’s been that I haven’t been ready, mainly due to my wrist. It was an old injury we were trying to fix and it (surgery) kind of made it worse. Now it’s better and I’m able to ride and get through the week training every day.”



ME: What’s your mental preparation regiment been like this week?



RV: “You know, I’ve mainly been able to run the pace, and know I can run the pace. I focused on making sure to practice my starts and get off the line quick so I can at least give myself a chance. That’s pretty much the main things.”



ME: You guys get right back into it with the Vegas Shoot Out in a few short weeks. Historically you haven’t done as well as you’d have liked at Vegas. Plan on changing that this year?



RV: “I’d definitely like to get up on the podium.”



ME: Finally, the Outdoor Nationals are right around the corner. Have you had any time to work on set up for that series?



RV: “We’ve kind of put that off until the two week break between Vegas and Glen Helen. During that two weeks we’ll get the bike dialed in and be ready for Glen Helen.”

Next up for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is the Saturday (April 19th) final round of the 2008 Monster Energy Supercross ESX series in St. Louis.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Monster Energy Supercross, MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Villopoto digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

 Adams rolls into the San Diego Moto-X World Championships, kicks everyone’s ass in Speed & Style and Freestyle, then rolls out on a brand new E.K. Harley!

   

CORONA, Calif., (April 18, 2008) – Dude, talk about a good weekend? Monster Energy’s Nate Adams scored BIG TIME this past weekend in San Diego at the ESPN Navy Moto-X World Championships, winning both the Speed & Style and Freestyle events and walking away with a brand new limited edition Evel Knievel Harley Davidson motorcycle.



Adams, the two-time defending Dew Tour champion, was having a couple structural things checked out at the hospital earlier in week and, after a clean bill of health to ride, he took a few to answer some questions in today’s Monster Six Pack:



Monster Energy: Nate, can you hear us above the noise of that new Knievel Edition Harley? How cool is that for a trophy?



Adams: “Oh yeah, I can hear loud and clear, the stock pipes are sooo quiet! I gotta get some that bark! I was so surprised when they gave me that thing, I had no idea!”



ME: Dynamite work this past weekend. Tell us a bit about the Moto-X World Championships, your feelings on the vibe at the event and how you liked competing at the same venue with Monster guys like Mark Burkhart and Ricky Carmichael.



Adams: “The weekend was awesome, but obviously I'd say that I won, which was cool. But I really hope that Speed and Style is here to stay - I really had a good time riding that event. And the feedback I've gotten personally is all positive, much more exciting to watch than FMX is what I've heard. It was really cool to see RC there! I think he definitely would have won the step up without that crash, but that’s motocross!”



ME: If you could make any changes to the sport of FMX, regarding the judging, format, jumps and/or other obstacles, what would they be?



Adams: “Man, the only thing that FMX needs is actual RIDERS in the judging booth, only because riders can see what's up out there, ya know? But since our sport is so new, there really isn't many retired riders to fill those positions. But I think that will come in the next few years.”



ME: The progression of the back flip has been amazing. Talk about the variations on the trick you have in place, and what fans might expect to see from you by the time Summer X rolls around.



Adams: “Yeah, the back flip has definitely brought FMX to an entire new level. Well, ya know, just like most the other guys out here I've got a good amount of flip variations - you have to these days! It’s like everyone is so motivated right now! The second a new trick gets done, there's about 12 dudes that instantly think ‘I have to learn that!’ It makes the competition tough, but that's what keeps our sport alive and progressing. As far as Summer X goes, I have no idea! Give me a break, I'm still trying to relax after last weekend! Ha-ha, yea its too early for me to say what I'll be doing @ Summer X. I think once I get off Crusty tour in June, the creative juices will start flowing.”



ME: I don’t know about you, but at all the supercross races we’re seeing a TON of Monster Energy logos on fans in general. Do your fans seem pretty pumped on Monster and your relationship with the company?



Adams: “I haven't ran into any fans so far who are bummed on Monster, that's fo sho! No one’s been like "you should rode for Uptime!" Actually my brother and dad are hooked on Monster. All weekend long they were drinking it, standing around my bikes seeing if they could help with anything. I was like calm down dude! Dilute that thing with a bit of water or something!”



ME: In the spirit of Evel, how many cars do you think you could jump? Not on your new Harley, though. That might be ugly.



Adams: “Oh that would definitely get ugly. Evil's the man for jumping one of those things! I think if I was gonna jump some cars, I'd line em up in a row, traditional style, and then stack em like 5 high! Cause I like to catch sweet airs. Then I could jump a grip of cars, AND not have to be jumping Robbie Maddison type distances! I love beating the system.”



Thanks, Nate. Don’t let those Crusty guys corrupt you!



“Ha-ha. Later.”



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it sleds, road racing, MX, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rocking’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Nate Adams digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Monster/Kawasaki’s Roger Lee Hayden (SuperSport) & Erion/Honda’s Josh Hayes (Formula Xtreme) headline Monster’s assault on Barber Motorsports Park this weekend, April 18-20



CORONA, Calif., (April 18, 2008) –  Monster Energy-backed racers on the AMA Superbike Series will be back in action this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., after about a month-long hiatus following the Daytona opener.



A great deal of attention will be paid to Monster Energy’s Josh Hayes (Erion/Honda) in the Formula Xtreme class at Barber. Hayes won the opener at Daytona, but was subsequently DQ’d when AMA officials found that the cam shaft in his Honda CBR600RR had been illegally altered – something the Erion Racing team vehemently denies. The subsequent maelstrom in the media, particularly in Cycle News and on RoadRacingWorld.com, has thrust the support Formula Xtreme class into the forefront of interest for AMA Superbike Series fans.



“We back Josh Hayes 100-percent and are confident that he’ll step up and put any questions about his speed to rest this weekend in Alabama,” said John Lee, Director of Sports Marketing for Monster Energy. “He’s the two-time defending champion of the class and swept both the Formula Xtreme and Supersport classes at Barber last year, earning the respect of the other riders and teams.”



Hayes, who won the Formula Xtreme class in 2006 and ‘07, notched seven wins and an additional podium finish en route to the championship last year. He also had four SuperSport class wins and an additional podium, finishing 3rd overall in the ’07 SuperSport class standings.



Hayes’ DQ was not a total loss for Monster Energy as the second-place racer, Monster’s own Chaz Davies (Attack/Kawasaki), was awarded the victory. Last year, in his first full year racing the Superbike Championship, Davies finished 6th overall in Formula Xtreme with two podium finishes. He also scored two top five SuperSport finishes. His efforts in ’07 got him an honorable mention nod for the AMA’s “Breakthrough Rider of the Year.”



Moving over to the SuperSport class, Monster Energy’s Roger Lee Hayden - who won his first AMA Superbike Championship title this past year, capturing 1st place overall in a hotly-contested SuperSport championship race – has had some time to heal (wrist) from a gnarly crash he took at the opener while qualifying for the Superbike class’ Daytona 200.



“We’re good to go,” said Hayden, who finished on the podium (3rd) in the SuperSport class at Daytona. “Weather’s supposed to be perfect, partly sunny and in the 70s, and we’re looking forward to a great weekend of racing at Barber.”



The SuperSport runner up in 2005 and ’06, Hayden had two SuperSport overall wins last year and finished on the podium four additional times. He also had five top five finishes in the premier Superbike class.



Hayden will be flanked by Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking. The Brit was the runner-up to Hayden in SuperSport last year. At Daytona last month Hacking was 5th in the Superbike class.



Check out all the Barber AMA Superbike racing action on SPEED this weekend. The races will be shown back-to-back on Sunday, April 20, starting with Saturday’s race at 3 p.m. (EST) followed by Sunday’s race broadcast at 5 p.m.. The AMA Supersport Championship will air at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 20. Coverage of AMA Formula Xtreme and AMA Superstock begins at 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 22.

 For more information on the series, link to www.amasuperbike.com .



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it road racing, rally, rock crawling, MX, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All the guys running the Monster Energy logo on the AMA Superbike Championship tour dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Monster’s Nate Adams (Speed & Style, Freestyle) and Mark Burkhart (Supermoto) clean up, Ricky Carmichael gets ripped off in Step Up 



CORONA, Calif., (April 14, 2008) –  Monster Energy athletes were out in full force at the inaugural Navy ESPN Moto-X World Championships this past weekend at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. Led by ‘Golden Helmet’ performances by Nate Adams (Speed & Style, Freestyle) and Mark Burkhart (Supermoto), Monster Energy athletes took an impressive 50-percent of the available 1st place spots at Moto-X



And it should have been more.



“In reality we should have won five of six, if not an entire sweep,” explained Monster Energy’s Director of Sports Marketing John Lee. “RC (Ricky Carmichael) got robbed in the Step Up – and we’re protesting that. And Kyle Loza sketched just a bit in the Best Trick, as did JLaw (Jason Lawrence) coming hot out of the whoops and into the third turn in Racing.



“In the end Adams and Burkhart killed it and brought home half the gold to Monster Energy HQ in Corona.”



Adams was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the multi-event riding field in terms of overall talent. His win in the Speed & Style event paved the way for another incredible performance in Freestyle and the combination of the two Golden Helmet awards earned him the Most Outstanding Rider award, which included a custom Evel Knievel edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle.



“Man, this is awesome – a big surprise,” said Adams, who admitted he didn’t know he was getting the Knievel Harley until right before the award ceremony.



Adams won the Moto-X World Championship’s premier event, the Freestyle, saved for last to ESPN2’s broadcast audience. In his final run he pulled out a bevy of old school FMX tricks, including the Lazy Boy, Cordova, Stripper and Cliff Hanger. All stuff you’d see at a half-rate local carnival show, yeah, but Adams made them all variations of a back flip – something completely insane. And his contest-best score of 93.80 would secure the top spot, and the killer new bike.



 “If he (Evel) hadn’t lived we probably wouldn’t have a sport,” added Adams on the importance of Knievel to FMX. And when asked if he planned on jumping the new Harley, Adams laughed and said “Naw, I’ll probably just do burnouts on it.”



As for Burkhart (Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha), the Ohioan and defending AMA Supermoto champion locked up the inaugural Moto-X Supermoto championship with a stellar come-from-behind performance worthy of being labeled one of the highlight races in recent supermoto history. Burkhart got pinched early in the race and started outside the top ten. Over the course of the next several laps he reeled in, caught and passed some of the world’s top supermoto racers, including Troy Herfoss and a final pass for first place over former AMA Supermoto champ Jeff Ward.



“That was a fun way to start the season,” said Burkhart. “We’ll definitely carry the momentum from our Moto-X World Championships win to the July 13th AMA Supermoto Championship opener in Seattle. Thanks a bunch to the Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha team for their support at Moto-X.”



For Carmichael the gold slipped through his fingertips on a questionable finals call. With the bar at a mind-boggling 35 feet, Carmichael cleared it on his first attempt.



“They (RC’s competition) don’t want no first timer winning, so I’m sure they’ll bring their A-games,” said RC prior to his finals run.



 But on the ensuing landing off the 35-footer, Carmichael came down rear wheel first and the whipping force caused him to slam chin-first down onto his bars. Bloodied, Carmichael said “That’s enough” and took the Med Mule ride back to the pits. And though neither of the other competitors (Matt Buyten and Ronnie Renner) would come near clearing the bar at that take-off distance, somehow Buyten medaled ahead of Carmichael. Go figure.



Carmichael then joined fellow Monster Energy MX legend Jeremy McGrath in the booth for the Racing event and gave TV viewers a heck of an insight into the short Racing final.



Favored to win the Racing final based on his dominant performance in his heat and overall best lap times, Monster Energy’s Jason Lawrence pulled a good start, moved from 3rd to 2nd and was charging fast out of the whoops and into the third turn when he lost the front end on the highly slick surface and went down. Unable to keep his bike going, Lawrence re-joined the race for a few laps, then packed it in – not wanting to risk anything.



“It was like racing on cement with a light dusting of sand out there,” said Lawrence. “I committed to carrying my speed out of the whoops and into the corner and the front end just washed. I had no way to slow down.



“I don’t care though. It was fun hanging out there and watching all the other events this weekend. But my mind’s on Seattle. All I care about.” Note: Seattle is the Monster Energy Supercross’ final WSX Lites round where Lawrence holds a six-point lead in the title chase over Ryan Dungey.



Finally, on Saturday Monster Energy’s Loza unleashed his mind-blowing “Electric Death” trick – twice – only to sketch on the slick landing area. Had the dirt been even remotely close to what the guys are used to landing on, Loza would have no doubt rolled away with the Golden Helmet. Summer X for sure.



For more information on the Moto-X World Championships, link to. www.expn.com



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Monster Energy Supercross, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All the Monster Army members at the ESPN Navy Moto-X World Championships digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Hill (Yamaha) holds on to 5th place overall in the premier SX class standings, 191-189 over fellow Monster Energy-backed racer Tim Ferry

 

CORONA, Calif., (April 15, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Josh Hill (Yamaha) fought back from trouble in the early portion of the Detroit Supercross, making up a number of positions in the first several laps and charging to a 4th place overall premier Supercros class finish at Round 14 of 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.

 

Racing his first pro main event at Ford Field, Hill was on it all weekend. The fastest racer in pre-qualifying (48.659 to 48.820 over Kevin Windham), Hill continued to gain momentum in his heat race where he won by almost nine seconds over factory Honda racer Andrew Short.

 

One of the favorites to win the main event, Hill sketched a bit on the first lap, but rallied strong and made it all the way up from 9th place to 4th place by lap four.

 

“Yamaha delivered me an excellent bike and I did my best to put it on the podium,” said Hill. “Things went great in pre-qualifying and my heat race, but, unfortunately, in the main I ran into a problem early and wasn’t able to recover from it in order to make the podium. I’m still in 5th place overall and look forward to doing my best to get back on the podium this weekend in St. Louis.”

 

As it stands Hill has a two-point lead over fellow Monster Energy-backed racer Tim Ferry for 5th place overall in the premier Supercross class standings, 191-189.

 

Next up for Monster Energy’s Hill is the St. Louis Supercross this Saturday, April 19th.

 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Josh Hill digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com



1st Billy MacKenzie, 2nd Mark Hucklebridge, 3rd Tom Church, 4th Wayne Smith, 5th James Noble, 6th Mark Eastwood.

MX1 – Overall on the day

1st Billy MacKenzie 50 points, 2nd Tom Church 40pts, 3rd Mark Hucklebridge 38pts, 4th Mark Jones 36pts, 5th James Noble 34pts, 6th Wayne Smith 30pts.

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE:

1st Billy MacKenzie 150 points, 2nd Mark Jones 106 points, 3rd Tom Church 106 points

MX2 – Race 1

1st Shaun Simpson, 2nd Martin Barr, 3rd Stephen Sword, 4th Shaun Simpson, 5th Jason Dougan, 6th Martin Barr.

MX2 – Race 2

1st Stephen Sword, 2nd Jason Dougan, 3rd Elliot Banks-Browne, 4th Marcus Norlan, 5th Elliot Banks-Browne, 6th Joseph Dark.

MX2 – Overall on the day

1st Stephen Sword 45 points, 2nd Shaun Simpson 43pts, 3rd Jason Dougan 38pts, 4th Martin Barr 37pts, 5th Elliot Banks-Browne 36pts, 6th Marcus Norlan 32pts, 7th Carl Nunn 27pts, 8th Mike Brown 23pts.

 

This in from the Yamaha-Gariboldi Racing team, who hook everybody up with Monster Energy product at the European MX Championships!

 

It was a good job done by the spanish José Butron, Yamaha-Gariboldi Racing Team, this weekend in France against the strong competition of the french riders. Butron run two solid motos  and finished a very good 5th overall just behind the local riders and he still leads the european championship MX2 !

 

José Butron, Yamaha-Gariboldi/Meca Motor Racing 5th:

"I'm delighted to have kept my red plate after this hard round in France, the track was changing every time and it was difficult for everybody. The championship is very long and it's important to finish in the first five every race."



 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, rally, rock crawling, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Everybody in Europe’s staring to dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Hopper runs his best race of the year, moving himself into 7th place in the overall MotoGP standings; Aussie teammate Anthony West places 16th

 

CORONA, Calif., (April 15, 2008) – Monster Energy-backed John Hopkins raced his Monster Energy branded Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR to a career-best 5th place finish at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Round Three of the 2008 MotoGP series.

 

Hopkins - who’s still on the mend from a significant muscular injury to his leg - was pumped with his effort at the Estoril circuit, though he’s certainly looking to put himself back on the podium. That chance will happen in two weeks when he makes his 100th career MotoGP start at Shanghai, China - a circuit where he made the podium in ’07.

 

Said Hopkins on his race at Estoril: “I'm really pleased as my aim was for a top five finish today. I got a really good start and the first lap was quite frantic as I went around the outside of a few riders, before settling into a rhythm with the leading pack. There was a bit of rain to contend with in the opening laps and I made some small mistakes, which caused me to drop back a little. Around halfway, the grip level dropped but I raced as hard as possible as Casey Stoner was closing the gap between us. Our main area to improve on is qualifying, as we keep giving ourselves a lot of work to do in the race by having a poor grid position. I'm looking forward to Shanghai: the Kawasaki will be better suited to it and we can hopefully achieve an even stronger result there.”

 

With the 5th place effort Hopkins moved into 5th place in the overall standings, ahead of fellow American Colin Edwards.

 

Hopkins’ Monster Energy/Kawasaki Racing Team teammate, Anthony West, placed 16th at Estoril.



Hopkins and the Monster Energy/Kawasaki Racing Team continue the MotoGP tour on May 4th with the annual running of the Pramac Grand Prix of China. For more information on MotoGP, link to: www.motogp.com



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MotoGP, ski, MX, snocross, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snowboards, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Hopper digs ‘em – so will you.On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Dominant performance in Detroit cuts Trey Canard’s points lead to three with one round remaining; Monster/PC/Kawi’s Jesseman also podiums.

                                                                                                   

CORONA, Calif., (April 15, 2008) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto has been on a mission since coming away from his opening round 2008 Monster Energy Supercross Eastern Regional Lites class ‘zero points’ opener at Atlanta.

 

The Poulsbo, Wash., native is on an absolute ESX class tear as of late, this past weekend at Detroit’s Ford Field winning his third consecutive main event and cutting current class point leader Trey Canard’s seemingly insurmountable points lead (31 points after Daytona, Fla., round three of six) to a mere three, 122-119, with one round remaining on the schedule.

 

“It’s definitely going to be a close race,” said Villopoto of this weekend’s St. Louis ESX final.

 

Villopoto was on fire at Detroit. Having sent a message early with the fastest lap time in practice (50.32), then winning his heat race by nearly seven seconds, Villopoto bolted out of the start in the main and scored his first $1,000 Progressive Direct Holeshot award of the season – and never looked back for the next 15 laps.

 

“It felt good to get out in first with a clear track,” he said. But not so good for current points leader Canard, who went down on turn seven in the opening lap. Canard had a difficult time re-firing his bike and Villopoto capitalized. “I figured he’d (Canard) just play it safe. Then I saw he was down and the next time I came around my pit board said he was in 15th.”

 

As it stands Villopoto had cut that 31-point lead to 17 points heading into Detroit. His win now makes for a pretty cut-and-dry scenario: Win St. Louis and win the ’08 ESX title. “That’s kind of a good position,” he said.

 

Another fine highlight at Detroit for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team was the effort of Branden Jesseman. The Pennsylvania native put his KX250F on the box (3rd) for the first time this season, which was also the first time since Anaheim 3 (Austin Stroupe & Bret Metcalfe) that Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki has two guys on the podium.

 

“I tried my best, been working really hard and the bikes have been great,” said Jesseman, who also ran well at Detroit last year. “I’d like to thank everyone for not turning their back on me.”

 

Next up for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is the Saturday (April 19th) final round of the 2008 Monster Energy Supercross ESX series in St. Louis.

 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Monster Energy Supercross, MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Villopoto, Jesseman, Stroupe & Metcalfe dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Monster/CAS Honda’s Billy MaKenzie kills it @ British MX Championship; Yamaha-Gariboldi Racing’s Jose Butron is 5th @ European MX Championships’ stop in Spain

 

CORONA, Calif., (April 15, 2008) –  Monster Energy/CAS Honda’s Billy MacKenzie’s domination of MX1 continued at Torrington (UK) with an overwhelming performance in the third round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship. Yet again the CAS Honda rider was in a class of his own, qualifying on the top spot more than eight seconds faster than any other rider and going on to win both races by an impressive margin in appalling conditions.

 

Heavy rain in North Devon during the days leading up to the race nearly saw the event called off. The outcome could so easily have been a lottery, but MacKenzie showed a maturity beyond his years to overcome the muddy track and fight off his rivals. After qualifying in pole position, MacKenzie claimed the hole shot in his first race and was never in any danger of being overhauled, eventually finishing 64 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

 

That was a hard act to follow, but the talented Scottish rider went one better in race two – this time snatching hole shot and finishing 96 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

 

In MX2, Mike Brown suffered mixed fortunes. After qualifying in seventh, the American rider fought to third place at the first corner, but crashed soon afterwards and went back to 10th place – the position where he eventually finished the race.

 

In race two, Brown was in second place at the first corner, but it was a false start. In the re-start, he did even better by grabbing hole shot, but he was soon embroiled in a battle with Stephen Sword, winner of the first race, which ended in disaster for both riders when they attempted to take the same line on a corner and crashed. Both riders had problems getting their machines re-started and ended up at the back of the field, but Brown bravely fought his way through the pack to finish in a very creditable ninth place.

 

“Billy’s performance was awesome – he was in a class of his own,” said CAS Honda team manager, Neil Prince.”This is a great loosener for next week’s Grand Prix in Spain.

“Mike had some problems, but he showed real determination and put up a great performance in his second race.”

 

Billy MacKenzie: “I am very happy with my results from today, I now have a 46 point lead in the championship, and this gives me more confidence to take it to them in Spain this coming weekend.”

 

Mike Brown had been disappointed with his first race and stated that “This gave me the determination to go out in the 2nd race and fight at the front.” Mike showed his true grit and claimed the fastest lap of the race.

 

RESULTS

MX1 – Race 1

1st Billy MacKenzie, 2nd Mark Jones, 3rd Tom Church, 4th James Noble, 5th Mark Hucklebridge, 6th Mark Eastwood.

MX1 – Race 2

1st Billy MacKenzie, 2nd Mark Hucklebridge, 3rd Tom Church, 4th Wayne Smith, 5th James Noble, 6th Mark Eastwood.



MX1 – Overall on the day



1st Billy MacKenzie 50 points, 2nd Tom Church 40pts, 3rd Mark Hucklebridge 38pts, 4th Mark Jones 36pts, 5th James Noble 34pts, 6th Wayne Smith 30pts.



CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE:



1st Billy MacKenzie 150 points, 2nd Mark Jones 106 points, 3rd Tom Church 106 points



MX2 – Race 1



1st Shaun Simpson, 2nd Martin Barr, 3rd Stephen Sword, 4th Shaun Simpson, 5th Jason Dougan, 6th Martin Barr.



MX2 – Race 2



1st Stephen Sword, 2nd Jason Dougan, 3rd Elliot Banks-Browne, 4th Marcus Norlan, 5th Elliot Banks-Browne, 6th Joseph Dark.



MX2 – Overall on the day



1st Stephen Sword 45 points, 2nd Shaun Simpson 43pts, 3rd Jason Dougan 38pts, 4th Martin Barr 37pts, 5th Elliot Banks-Browne 36pts, 6th Marcus Norlan 32pts, 7th Carl Nunn 27pts, 8th Mike Brown 23pts.



 



This in from the Yamaha-Gariboldi Racing team, who hook everybody up with Monster Energy product at the European MX Championships!



 



It was a good job done by the spanish José Butron, Yamaha-Gariboldi Racing Team, this weekend in France against the strong competition of the french riders. Butron run two solid motos  and finished a very good 5th overall just behind the local riders and he still leads the european championship MX2 !



 



José Butron, Yamaha-Gariboldi/Meca Motor Racing 5th:



"I'm delighted to have kept my red plate after this hard round in France, the track was changing every time and it was difficult for everybody. The championship is very long and it's important to finish in the first five every race."



 



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, rally, rock crawling, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Everybody in Europe’s staring to dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Poised for a top five finish at one point in the race, Abbott clips a tree and careens down a hill, dashing his chances at finishing, though fortunately he’s OK



CORONA, Calif., (April 15, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Destry Abbott suffered an unfortunate race-ending mishap this past weekend at the Auburn, Wash., round of the World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) when he clipped a tree, plummeted down a tree-lined hill and was unable to recover on his own.



Though the DNF setback for Abbott was certainly painful in WORCS points chase, he fortunately re-appeared with his bike from the woods (with the help of fellow rider Jon Seehorn)  relatively unscathed. Here’s Abbott’s account of what happened up in Washington this past weekend:



Race Day:

 

“I knew the start was going to be pretty important, because most of the course was tight and hard to pass. I was lucky enough to get a good jump, and come out of the first corner around 5th. Then I got bumped by someone, and lost a few spots. I headed into the woods in around 10th. I felt pretty good, and wasn’t getting tight (which is good for me).



The next lap, I started to push it and made some passes. By the third lap, I had passed some good riders (Caselli, Garrison, Ritzman, Weigand, etc.) and moved myself up to 5th. Just before the halfway point, Bonds was on the gas and passed me along with Caselli. I was still making some passes too, and was in fourth when I pitted (1-hour mark). I pulled out and Garrison had just passed me, when I pitted, so I was back on the gas.



Unfortunately when I was leaving the pits, a lapped rider went down in front of me. When I tried to go by him, I lost my front end. I picked up the bike pretty quick, and it fired up right away, so I didn’t lose any positions. The next laps went well, and I was having a great time battling with Weigand back and forth. Then Russ Pearson caught us, and made the pass on me.



Not too far after that, he went down and I was able to get back by. After that I got back around Tim, and went through the finish shoot in fifth. At this point, I wasn’t too far behind Bobby (15-seconds). The countdown clock said we only had 23-minutes before the white flag came out. I really wanted to get by Garrison, and was feeling good so I was going to push it and see how it went. Not to far after leaving the MX track, I had a dumb slide out (no big deal). However when I went to pick up the bike, I saw that the left radiator was broken and fluid and steam were just pouring out. I knew right away I was in trouble!



I was able to finish the lap by babying the bike in. All the Kawasaki guys did an awesome job trying to pour fluid back into it, until they realized it was coming out just as fast. So they decided to change the radiator. Jonny and all the guys really pinned it, and before I knew it I was ready to go. At this point I was around 17th and knew my good finish was long gone. I had a few guys that had just went by, before I took off, so I figured I could get by some of them before the checkered flag came out.



Halfway into this lap I felt pretty good, but then I clipped a tree (first time all day). The worst part was the fact that I was on the side of the hill, and it was whooped out. My hand came off the bars, and I had no control. I went straight off the trail, and down a steep hill that had a ton of trees. It was pretty scary, but I was super lucky not to hit one of the trees head on.  I tried to get the bike back on the trail, but it was really slippery and steep. After spending 5-minutes giving it everything I had, I just gave up and figured I’d wait until I got some help. I had a lot of guys stop to make sure I was ok, but told them to keep racing so they wouldn’t lose any spots.



Finally Jon Seehorn stopped, and said his race was long over, because he’d crashed on the first lap with Robby Bell. We spent about 10-minutes getting the bike back up the hill. By the time we were done, my body was so spent I could barely finish that lap (which was the last lap).”



Overall Summary:



“As you can imagine, it was a frustrating day for me. I knew coming into the race, I had a great shot at top 5 or even a podium if everything went my way. I’m getting back to 100% again, and my results were going to show that. Unfortunately one mistake cost me a 4th or 5th place finish. I really thought I would’ve had a great shot at 4th, but that’s the way it goes. It’s just amazing to me that my luck in this series is so bad. I really enjoy doing these races, and I know I’ll be up front before long (I hope)!”



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it enduro, hare scrambles, MX, road racing, supermoto, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Destry Abbott digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.



 

 HUGE day for Fred Andrews’ program as Gibson wins and Josh Weisenfels finishes 3rd at Round Four of the ‘08 Can-Am GNCC Series event



CORONA, Calif., (April 14, 2008) – Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series racer Dustin Gibson of the Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha scored the team’s first win of the 2008 competition season, this past weekend taking first place honors in the XC2 class in Union City, S.C. And to make things even sweeter for team owner Fred Andrews, Gibson’s teammate Josh Weisenfels was on the podium as well in 3rd place overall.



The racers were greeted with heavy rains on Friday, which actually made for excellent conditions on Sunday’s race. Pulling the team’s best start was Weisenfels, who was battling for the race lead and the end of the first lap. Gibson, who crashed at the start, charged from the rear and teammate Dave Snyder was in 8th after the first lap.



“By the second lap Josh had put his YZ250F up front and was pulling away from Dustin, who’d made it all the way back up to 2nd after crashing,” said Andrews.



The two continued to race close until Weisenfels got stuck in a mud hole at the four mile mark of the last lap and Gibson was able to get around him. “I thought I finished in 2nd,” said Gibson. “I actually never saw Josh stick in the mud hole. My Monster/Andrews/Yamaha works to good out there it was awesome. The team has been working hard and I’m glad it paid off.”



Weisenfels wasn’t as pumped. “I cannot believe I changed my line on the last lap and got stuck. I rode a good race and I’m very disappointed in myself. My Monster/Andrews/Yamaha was on fire today and I just picked a bad line and it cost me the win.”



Snyder would end up 11th, giving Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha its best 1-2-3 racer finish of the season.



Next up for the Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha team is the April 27 Loretta Lynn’s Ranch GNCC in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it off-road, enduro, MX, road racing, supermoto, FMX, skate, MTB, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Fred Andrews and his boyz dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

 Hawaiian surf great outlasts a moving mountain at Tahiti’s legendary  Teahupoo break and is rewarded handsomely for his efforts!

CORONA, Calif., (April 14, 2008) – About as high of a surfing honor as you can receive was bestowed upon Monster Energy’s Shane Dorian this past weekend when he was awarded the Billabong XXL, presented by Monster Energy, “Ride of the Year” – given annually to what’s judged as the most insane wave ride of the previous surf season.

Word’s can’t necessarily describe best what Dorian did at Teahupoo, Tahiti, this past Nov. 1^st, 2007. The thickness, power and sheer moving volume of the wave were like nothing seen all year. Dorian’s sketchy elevator drop entry, forced ‘survival mode’ layback and the ending where the wave mercifully flicked Dorian out of the closing barrel - almost saying “Yeah, nice, ride. But I get the last laugh” – will have you in agreement on why Monster Energy’s top big wave surfer snared the coveted award.

See Dorian’s ride here: http://www.billabongxxl.com/roty_nominee/index.html

“To think that I got the Ride of the Year is a huge honor for me, I’m really psyched that Billabong and Monster threw a big deal for it and support all the guys who go out and ride these waves,” said Dorian. “But really, at the end of the day, the ride itself is the biggest reward and it’s one that I will remember forever.”

The highlight of the evening’s Billabong/Monster Energy festivities at Anaheim’s (Calif.) Grove Theater, Dorian scored a check for a cool 50 large. Other category winners, a couple of which were sponsored by Monster Energy, included:

Award                                                            Surfer

Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award           Mike Parsons

Monster Energy Paddle In Award                 Greg Long

Monster Energy Tube Ride Award                Manoa Drollet

Billabong Girls Best Performance                  Maya Gabeira

You can check out the 2007/’08 Billabong XXL Awards, presented by Monster Energy, on ESPN2 Friday, May 29^th, at 9:30 p.m. (EST)

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it surfing, Monster Energy Supercross, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Shane Dorian digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

 Monster’s JLaw, along with RC, Adams, Jones, Burkharts & Currie, roll in as the favorites @ ESPN’s inaugural dirt bike extravaganza in San Diego



CORONA, Calif., (April 10, 2008) –  Monster Energy-backed Jason Lawrence clicked neutral on his dirt bike this past month, waiting for Monster Energy Supercross’ Western Regional Lites class championship to re-group in Seattle in order to – ideally – sew up his first AMA No. 1 plate.



In the mean time Lawrence, or “JLaw” as he’s affectionately been dubbed on the Internet, will lead a number of Monster Army members - including Ricky Carmichael, Nate Adams, Blake “Bilko” Williams, Adam Jones, Mark Burkhart and Brandon Currie - into battle at this weekend’s inaugural ESPN Navy Moto-X World Championships at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, April 12-13.



Lawrence will contest the supercross-style racing portion of the Moto-X World Championships, an event that also includes other ESPN Summer X Games staples such as supermoto, FMX, Best Trick and Step Up.



“San Diego will be a nice break from what I’ve been doing to keep sharp for the WSX finals in Seattle and Monster Energy Supercross season-ending shoot out in Vegas,” said Lawrence. “I’ve been riding and training my brains out, so it’ll be fun to get out there and race a bit - put what I’ve been doing off the bike to use. Should be cool with ESPN backing it and all.”



According to a recent column on www.expn.com, Lawrence is unanimously picked by a number of industry experts – including his Yamaha of Troy teammate Ryan Morais and former SX standout David Pingree – as the favorite to win the premier “Racing” portion of the Moto-X Worlds. To check out what the experts are saying about Lawrence and his chances at gold, link to: http://expn.go.com/expn/blog/moto?post=3335302



Joining Lawrence as a favorite has to be both Monster Army members Burkhart and Adams. Burkhart, the reigning AMA Supermoto champion, will square off against a field that also includes defending AMA Supercross Lites class champion, his Monster Energy/Yamaha teammate Currie. Adams, the defending Dew Tour champion, is certainly one of the favorites to win, along with Monster Energy’s Jones – the defending X Games 13 Freestyle champion. Newly acquired Bilko Williams should also figure prominent in the FMX scoring.



“The Monster Army will arrived in San Diego heavily armed and ready for a classic ‘take no prisoners’ battle,” said John Lee, Director of Sports Marketing for Monster Energy. “Our generals should return from the Moto-X World Championship decorated with a variety of precious metals.”



Last, but certainly not least, Monster Energy-backed MX icon Carmichael will be on hand to contest the Step Up competition. RC, the defending X Games 13 Racing gold medalist, will be joined at the Moto-X World Championships by another legendary Monster Energy-backed racer, Jeremy “Showtime” McGrath. McGrath, who was banged up recently, will lend his expertise to the sport in the announcer’s booth.



For more information on the Moto-X World Championships, link to. www.expn.com



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Monster Energy Supercross, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All the Monster Army members at the ESPN Navy Moto-X World Championships digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Villopoto takes another chunk out of Trey Canard’s points lead; Monster-backed teammate Branden Jesseman is 8th o/a and moves into top ten points

                                                                                              

CORONA, Calif., (April 7, 2008) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto continued to claw his way back into Supercross Lites class contention, this past weekend winning the Dallas Supercross, Round 13 of 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.



With his second win in a row Villopoto pulled to within 17 points of Lites class points leader Trey Canard, 111-94.



Villopoto got things going in a big way early in his heat race, winning by nearly 20 seconds over 2nd place Nico Izzi. In the main event he pulled a great start, then chased down, caught and passed Josh Grant to take the lead on lap three. Villopoto would never relinquish that lead, cruising to victory in the 15-lap contest.



“The track had come around a lot after earlier in the day,” said Villopoto. “I was able to get a gap and ride my own race out there.”



With two more Eastern Regional Lites Championship rounds to go (Detroit & St. Louis), Villopoto understands he’s got his work cut out for him in terms of winning the overall title. “I’ve got to try to win and get that points gap smaller,” he said. “And that’s what I’m hoping for in Detroit.”



Also running well for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team was Branden Jesseman. The Pennsylvania native finished 2nd in the first heat race, then locked down 8th place overall in the main event. Jesseman put up the 4th-fastest lap time (54.954 to RV’s best time of 53.048) in the main and moved into 10th place in the overall Lites class standings with 52 points.



Next up for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team is the Saturday (April 12th) running of the Detroit Supercross at Ford Field, Round 14 of 2008 Monster Energy Supercross.

 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Villopoto, Jesseman, Stroupe & Metcalfe dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.



 

Hill (Yamaha) solidly in 5th place overall in premier AMA Supercross class standings of Monster Energy Supercross, 173-167 over Monster’s Tim Ferry



CORONA, Calif., (April 7, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Josh Hill (Yamaha) capped off a heat race win in Dallas on Saturday with a wild ride to 2nd place overall in the premier Supercross class main event, Round 13 of 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.



With the effort Hill moved into 5th place in the overall Supercross class standings, moving ahead of fellow Monster Energy-backed racer Tim Ferry, 173-167.



The ’08 Dallas Supercross will mostly be remembered for the podium battle waged on the track between Hill and Davi Millsaps. The two went at it late in the race like they were in cars, with even Millsaps leaving a tire mark across Hill’s jersey.



“We hit each other so hard in the rhythm section I thought we were both going to go down,” said Hill. “This track was hard to pass on and I used that to my advantage because I definitely wasn’t on.”



Though his riding wasn’t spot on, his starts sure were. Hill got the lead early on his YZ450F in his heat race and beat Ferry by nearly two seconds. In the main he pulled a great start as well, coming around in 3rd place after the first lap – which helped him with some momentum that he’d be able to tap on the entire race.



“More than anything I had to get good starts,” said Hill. “I was making so many dumb mistakes. I felt like a goon.”



Next up for Monster Energy’s Hill is the Detroit Supercross at Ford Field this Saturday, April 12th.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Josh Hill digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.



 

Week 1 @ Valkenswaard, Netherlands, sees four Monster Energy-backed MXGP racers in the top ten, along with a Euopean MX2 win @ Talaverna de la Reina, Spain



CORONA, Calif., (April 7, 2008) –  Monster Energy has stepped up its international presence in professional motocross, this year more than doubling its sponsorship efforts with teams based out of Europe competing in the MX1 class on the FIM Motocross World Championship circuit, as well as the FIM European MX2 Championship.



FIM Motocross World Championships: At the 2008 season opener at Valkenswaard, Netherlands, Monster Energy was pumped to have four of its racers place in the top ten in the premier MX1 class. Monster Energy was led by Billy Mackenzie (Monster Energy/CAS Honda) who just missed the overall MX1 class podium, placing 4th overall (10-2, 33 points). Also placing in the MX1 class top ten at Valkenswaard were Monster Energy/Yamaha’s David Philippaerts in 5th overall (4-6, 33 points), Josh Coppins in 6th place (6-7, 29 points). Team GPKR’s Kevin Strijbos would finish in 9th place overall (21 points).



QUOTES



Coppins: “All in all this has been a pretty good weekend under the circumstances. Qualifying went well with 8th place. My starts were good in both motos however I went a bit wide in the first one and slid out in the second but was up there. This weekend was just damage control really and I rode the best I could within the pain, trying not to damage the foot at all. I haven’t been able to do the work to be best prepared for this race. I am quite happy with the result which is a relief after what I have gone through in the last two weeks. I’m sitting in 6th overall now whereas two weeks ago I was looking at the bones sticking out of my toes so I’m happy with the position I am in. I have the stitches removed from my toes tomorrow and then I plan to get some more time on the bike later in the week. We’ll head to France for some guaranteed better weather and hopefully with that time in the saddle I’ll be able to build back some strength for Spain and aim to be strong in Portugal.”



Philippaerts: "I have to say that I am happy. For my first GP I had good speed and also a nice feeling on the bike. The first moto was not great because I made some small mistakes and was quite nervous but I was glad to see that I could go at the front. In one corner I almost crashed and was completely off the side of the bike; that caused me to lose a lot of time. I pushed hard again but had a problem with my goggles and that was a hassle with the sand. It was because of this I hit with Josh. I wanted to go on the outside but I ran out of room. It was not something I meant to do and just one of those racing incidents. I wanted third position but Pyrhonen blocked me and I lost speed, so Ramon passed me starting the last lap. I was frustrated by this but after I calmed down I was actually content because my goal had been top five and I had taken fourth. In the second heat I started well but lost a lot of positions by getting blocked in the second corner. I came up behind Josh and it took a lot of energy to pass him. I was being extra careful because I did not want to touch again. When I got through I was physically finished. I am happy with the points I took this weekend. I am not far from second place and the championship has started quite well for me."



Strijbos: “The conditions were very different to last weekend and on this wet sand I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike. We worked on the suspension last week but my main problem here came from the engine. We are late in our testing program but we now have two weeks to prepare the following round of the championship.”



MXGP Results



MX1 Moto1: 1. Ken De Dycker (Suz); 2. Max Nagl (KTM); 3. Steve Ramon (Suz); 4. David Philippaerts (Yam); 5. Manuel Priem (Kaw); 6. Josh Coppins (Yam); 7. Kevin Strijbos (Kaw); 8. Marc De Reuver (Hon); 9. Kornel Nemeth (KTM); 10. Billy Mackenzie (Hon)

MX1 Moto2: 1. Ken De Dycker (Suz); 2. Billy Mackenzie (Honda); 3. Jonathan Barragan (KTM); 4. Steve Ramon (Suzuki); 5. Max Nagl (KTM); 6. David Philippaerts (Yamaha); 7. Josh Coppins (Yamaha); 8. Manuel Priem (Kaw); 9. Kornel Nemeth (KTM); 10. Aigar Leok (Yamaha)

O/A: 1. Ken De Dycker (50pts); 2. Steve Ramon (38pts); 3. Max Nagl (38pts); 4. Billy Mackenzie (33pts); 5. David Philippaerts (33pts); 6. Josh Coppins (29pts); 7. Manuel Priem (29pts); 8. Kornel Nemeth (24pts); 9. Kevin Strijbos (21pts); 10. Jonathan Barragan (20pts)



Also, Jose Butron of the Yamaha-Gariboldi Racing Team went 2-1 to capture the opening round of the FIM European MX2 Championship in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, this past weekend. Said Butron: "I'm very happy for this victory, for myself, for the team and for my fans. In the first race after a bad start I finished second, but in the second race I wanted to win and I felt very strong and with a good start everything was much easier for me. The Championship has fourteen races and I will try to collect as many points as possible on each event and we'll see at the end of the season."



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, rally, rock crawling, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Everybody in Europe’s staring to dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Abbott takes over top spot in series’ point lead from David Pearson at Superstition OHVA

    

CORONA, Calif., (April 2, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Destry Abbott landed on top of the AMA’s Hare & Hound Series’ podium for the first time this year, this past weekend winning the Superstition OHVA (Round Three) in El Centro, Calif.



With the win Abbott now has a 20-point lead over David Pearson (2nd) in the Hare & Hound point chase after three of eight rounds.



Here’s Abbott’s account of the event:



Race Day:



“The morning of the race, I got out there pretty early to make sure I had a good spot on the start. The wind was really bad (40+ mph at times) so I figured if I didn’t get the best start I would still be ok. When the banner fell I was off, and David Pearson and I were going for the same spot. He got there just in front of me, and I had to back off because the roost was killing me. Then I saw Josh coming over, and he got in between both of us. I followed them, and had a good little battle with Quinn Cody, before I was able to finally get in front of him.



 I followed Pearson’s and Josh’s dust for the first 5-miles, and then I had a little get off. The wind was really bad, and when I hit this drop off it carried my front end to the side and put me to the ground. It really wasn’t that bad of a crash so I was up pretty quick. I was still in third, but the leaders had put some time on me. The one good thing was the fact that I had some clean air, and I could see both Josh’s and Pearson’s dust in front of me. Then around the 10-mile mark, I lost their dust and was really confused. I started to think I had lost the course, but I was still following ribbon. I ended up slowing down, and almost coming to a stop, to see if anyone was behind me. Then I saw Kamo coming up on me, so I started to pin it again.



When I got to the first check I asked them what place I was in. They looked confused, and told me I was leading. I said the first two guys must be lost then. So now I was in the lead, and took it to the first alternate pit (10-miles further). When I got there they said I was in second, and over 5-minutes down to David. I said he didn’t go through the last check, and I knew something must’ve happened. I took off again, and saw Kamo and Josh weren’t too far behind me. At this point I figured they were going to DQ or penalize Pearson, so I really didn’t think much about him in front of me. Now I just worried about riding smart, and not going down again. Not to much further Josh caught up to me, and he was riding really well. I waved him by so I could key off him, but he gave me the no nod and wanted me to lead. So for the next 20-miles, until we got to the main pit, we pretty much rode beside each other. It was a little weird since I know we were both riding around 85%. It was more of a fast trail ride, but I know we were both having fun with it. We pitted at the same time, and rode down pit row together. I told him to lead again, but he wasn’t up for it.



Now we started to get into the dunes, and I lost the course a few times and Josh would take the lead. We did this for a while, and it was actually the best time I had during the race! There would be times he would lose the course, and I would wait to make sure he saw me and then we would continue on. He did the same thing for me, and it was really nice having a great teammate to work with while we were racing.



Halfway into the second loop we started to get into some rocky stuff, and I was able to put a little gap on Josh. I knew I needed to start to turn it up if I wanted to try and win. Every time I would look back, he was still around 20 seconds behind me. When I saw the checkered flag in front of me, it felt really good to get across it safe and for the win (not sure at the time though). I know both Josh and I cut three minutes off of David’s time on the second loop, but it really didn’t matter in the long run. I know it would’ve been a good race if David didn’t miss the first check, but I still felt I had a good shot at the win!”



Overall Summary:



“It was great to get the win, especially since I came here just hoping to get some good points. I know I wasn’t up to my normal speed, since this was the first time I rode in a couple weeks (it felt longer). I had a great time racing with Josh, and all I can say is that kid is going to be really good! Now it’s time to get ready to go up to Utah, this weekend, and try to pull off another win!”



Next up for Destry Abbott and the Monster Energy/Kawasaki off road team is this weekend’s Round Three of the 2008 WORCS in Jericho, Utah.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it enduro, hare scrambles, MX, road racing, supermoto, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Destry Abbott digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

 ESPN's Navy Moto X World Championships and Moto Icon, Brian Deegan, to Throw Out First Pitch

 

WHAT:             Moto X World Championships participant Kyle Loza and motocross riders Jesse Jolson                           and Jimmie McGuire will perform on a ramp-to-ramp jump at Petco Park before the San                          Diego Padres vs. Houston Astros game.  Brian Deegan will throw out the first pitch.   

 

WHO:               Moto X World Championships athletes:

 

                        •  Brian Deegan: 10-time X Games medalist and one of the most influential riders in                                 freestyle, landing the first 360 in competition at X Games Nine

 

                        •  Kyle Loza: Made his debut at X Games 13 last year and took home a gold in the Best                             Trick competition with his famous body arial the "Volt"

 

                        •  Professional Motocross Riders Jesse Jolson and Jimmie McGuire

 

WHEN:           Wednesday, April 2 at 6 p.m. PT

 

WHERE:         Petco Park – Home of the San Diego Padres

 

The new annual event, Moto X World Championships, will take place April 12-13 at Qualcomm Stadium and feature the best Moto X riders in the world competing for the title of Moto X World Champion in a variety of disciplines including Freestyle, SuperMoto, Speed & Style, Best Trick, Step Up and Moto X Racing.  Nine hours of live coverage of the Moto X World Championships will be featured on ESPN and ESPN2 – all available in high definition.  In addition, extensive coverage will be provided via ESPN360.com and EXPN.com.  For the complete, updated list of Moto X World Championships athletes, log on to www.expn.com. *PLEASE NOTE: The invited athlete list is constantly being updated and is subject to change.

 

Tickets for the Navy Moto X World Championships are available through www.ticketmaster.com and all San Diego-area Ticketmaster outlets and are $10, $20 and $25 with free pit access included in the $20 and $25 tickets. A military discount will be offered - $5 discount from a $25 ticket and $3 discount from a $20 ticket.

 

The Moto X World Championship 24-hour Tailgate is available through ticketmaster.com as well. The two-day RV parking pass offers picnic tables, an acoustic music stage, power, port-a-johns and a common area.