RK Excel America

Yadkinville, NC – Shock Doctor/KTM rider Kailub Russell took home a win and a championship at the 11th round of the GNCC Series.

Russell started in 2nd place behind his teammate Cory Buttrick who grabbed the holeshot. Buttrick took the early lead and ran with it while Russell made a few minor mistakes which temporarily set him back. “Although it rained the day before the track conditions were not that bad. There were a few deep mud sections but the rest of the track was quite rideable,” remarked Shock Doctor/KTM Team Manager Antti Kallonen.

Buttrick led the first two hours of the race at which point Russell got back up to speed and began to close in on his teammate. Russell soon passed Buttrick and went on to pull a lead and take his eighth win of the season and the championship title. Buttrick finished a strong race in 2nd position.

In the XC-1 class Shock Doctor/KTM rider Nate Kanney got a great start rounding the first turn in 3rd position. Unfortunately, he crashed in the third turn and remounted in the back of the pack. His teammate, Kurt Caselli, also found himself in the back of the pack after his bike did not start on the first kick. Kanney and Caselli both began to charge through the pack and pick off riders.

Caselli’s luck got worse when a crash part way into the first lap caused him to pull out of the race. Kanney continued to press forward passing by multiple riders each lap. By the final lap, Kanney had worked his way into 5th place and was closing in on Glenn Kearney. When Kearney got stuck in a mud hole, Kanney capitalized on the mistake and moved into 4th position which he held through the checkered flag.

Next Event: St. Clairsville, OH – October 3-4, 2009

First of all, thank you for a great supercross and outdoor season. For some the racing has stopped but not for me. Last weekend I raced over in Sweden for supercross and got third and posted the fastest lap times in practice. On the podium was also Andrew Short and Michael Byrne, with a few other Amercians following behind me such as Heath Voss. It was a hard task after taking a nasty crash in the heat race and ripping my forearm to shreds. I still placed on the box and feel you helped me greatly. My next race will be the US OPEN in October, followed by a four round German Supercross starting in November. This is my most current update and will continue to keep you informed.

Thanks again, Jake Marsack #57

AMA H&H

Wendover, Nevada

September, 26, 2009

Race:

The start for this race was going to be super important, because it’s extremely dusty and one of the faster H&H’s (and hard to pass). The bomb was also really fast, and short, with only a little over 1/4 mile before it made a left on top of a small hill. The banner dropped around 11:30 and I was off after a first kick start. There were quite a few of us together when we were going up the hill, and I didn’t shut off like most people did. I was right there when it started to make a left. Unfortunately Russ Pearson and I came together and hit each other pretty hard (it would’ve been really bad if we went down). I was able to get onto the trail first, but not far after that Russ was able to get by me. I wanted the lead pretty bad, so I bonzaid it over the next hill. We were both drag racing at this point, and were back to rubbing against each other (in last gear). I finally got back in the lead, but as soon as I did the course made a left and I blew the corner. He was able to get back by, and this time I had to let him go since the dust was so bad. About 5-miles into it, I went down when my front end washed out. As I was getting up I saw David Kamo was running third, but luckily I was able to get going before he could get by. The first loop was pretty fast and I was struggling in the washes. When we came into the first pit I was still second, but was somewhere around 40-seconds back from the lead. The second loop we got into some pretty cool tree sections, and I finally started to pick it up. By the end of this loop I was right on Russ, and about 10-seconds back (eating his dust). I felt really good, and was hoping for the right moment to make a pass. I had another quick gas stop and was off. We went back into a few good tree sections, but most of it was in the washes or jeep trails. As soon as we got into the trees I would be within a few seconds of the lead, but just couldn’t make a pass. I kept blowing corners or going into trees (like I was saying the dust was really bad)! Then I made another mistake and went down. I lost some time again, but before the next pit I was back within 10-seconds. This was an alternate and I didn’t have to stop for gas. Now we only had about 20-miles to go (110-mile race) and all I could do was sit back and hope some luck would come my way. With about 5-miles to go, I was still riding in his dust and then had a huge close call with the ground. It was one of those really scary ones and I’m not sure how I saved it. At this point I decided to not ride in the dust anymore, and just settled for a disappointing second.

Overall Summary:

I was really bummed at the finish since I wanted this win, unfortunately the dust was a huge factor today. I love desert racing, but it’s just not fun when the start is so crucial in a race like this (unless your leading). I felt good today, however I just didn’t want to get off the main line since there’s so many rocks inbedded in the ground. I felt I had the speed to win today, but that’s the way racing goes!

Results (overall):

1st Russ Pearson

2nd Destry Abbott

3rd David Kamo

4th Robert Underwood

5th Morgan Crawford

6th Brett Saunders

Other Notes:

I was a little nervous going into the race, because it’s the same place Josh Morros had his big crash last year. The rocks blend into the ground and they’re really hard to see. I thought the club did a better job on putting us in the trees, but I would love to see even more of that. It’s just so hard to pass, or make up time, on the fast roads.

Josh Morros did make it out to the event and actually signed up and road. His plan was to just go out there and finish (which he did). I heard he had one get off, but was ok. I’m happy he rode smart since I was a little nervous for him.

I guess in the same spot where Russ and I hit, the same thing happened to David Pearson and Nick Burson. But they both went down and David wasn’t able to continue (not sure if he broke anything). Later Nick pulled out, but not sure if it was because of the crash.

Here’s a video Ignition3 did for the upcoming ISDE. I talked to them about the upcoming ISDE in Portugal. We did the video last week when I was over at Glen Helen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxUNp_2FY0Q&feature=youtube_gdata

I have another H&H this Saturday, up in Utah, and it should be a fun one!

Best Wishes,
Destry
www.destryabbott.com
2009 Sponsors: Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing, Thor, Dunlop, GPR stabilizers, Shoei, Pro Circuit, Stephen Gall Training, SIDI, IMS, Zip-Ty, HoyFox.com, Motion Pro, BRP, Braking, Works Connection, Concept2, CTI2, Maxima, Kicker, OGIO, Dragonfireracing.com, Steahly, RK/Excel, Renthal, Bent, Hinson, Jonre Multimedia, Steahly, Scott, Cyto Sport, N-Style, UNI, Parkway Chiropractic, Acerbis, Tire-Balls, and ZLT.

Wendover, NV – Shock Doctor/KTM rider David Kamo earned 3rd overall at the sixth round of the Hare & Hound Series.

Kamo started his bike the first kick and got a great start down the bomb run. He went over the first hill in 3rd and was able to maintain that position throughout the race. Kamo stayed close to the front two runners, KTM rider Russ Pearson and Kawasaki rider Destry Abbott. “I followed closely behind Destry for a while but the dust was so thick I had to back off,” remarked Kamo.

Once the dust settled and Kamo had a clear path in front of him, he accidentally made a few wrong turns that in one case led a mile up a hill in the wrong direction. “There were quite a few areas where the trail was not marked so well and I ended up getting turned around in the wrong direction about three times throughout the day,” stated Kamo.

Luckily, Kamo was able to make up the time he lost and finished on the podium in 3rd position. With six rounds down, Kamo still holds the overall championship points lead.

Kamo’s teammate, David Pearson, had a rough day after an early crash caused him to not finish the race. Pearson plans to return for the next event.

Next Round: Jericho, UT – October 3, 2009

Murrieta, CA – During the KTM North America Dealer Meeting held in conjunction with the Indianapolis MotoGP, KTM proudly announced Brad Hagi as its Vice President of the newly formed Street Bike Division.

KTM has boldly created a new Street bike division which will put more focus and strength on the on-road market. In line with this formation, KTM has appointed American born, Hagi, as Vice President.

Hagi, 46, is a veteran in the motorcycle industry with 20 years of experience. Previous to joining KTM Hagi worked for Ducati Motor Holding for 11 years and most recently was based in Italy as Ducati’s Director of Distributor Sales Worldwide.

A graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in engineering, Hagi, has always been an avid motorcyclist riding both street and off-road. His valuable knowledge and experience of the premium brand sport bike market make him the ideal candidate to take the KTM street bike sales to the next level.

“Building our street business is a key strategy in our long-term business plans. Despite any existing market conditions, we are in the business for the long haul and see our premium European street product lineup as crucial for the financial strength of both KTM and our dealers.” commented President of KTM Jon-Erik Burleson. “Brad’s experience in the sport bike market speaks for itself. With his time spent living and working in Europe added to his experience here in the US, he brings the perfect balance to achieve KTM’s goal of being a successful European premium sport street brand in North America.”

WORCS:

Glen Helen, Ca.

September 20, 2009

Race Day:

This is the first WORCS race at Glen Helen in quite a few years. I was actually looking forward to this race, even though I knew it was going to be more on the mx side then most of them. We had almost a full 40 man pro gate and the location brought in a lot of really good moto guys too (since outdoors is over). When the gate dropped I had a pretty good jump, but spun a little bit and went into Ritzman. Fortunately, I was still able to get myself into the top 10 after we got off the mx track. Not to much further, I was in this tight ravine and I saw some guys in front of me all stopped. It was too tight to try and pass, so we all just had to sit there until the bottleneck cleared. It really wasn’t that bad of a section, but a few riders were trying to make passes up this rocky hill while others were stuck on it. I know we sat there for over a minute (which felt a lot longer in a race). Finally it cleared up, and I was on my way! Unfortunately the top 7 guys made it through, with no problems, and were long gone. After the first lap I was in 13th and was in a big pack of riders. The next few laps were pretty uneventful (besides a few close calls with the ground) J . The course was really rough and there were a ton of square edge bumps. Then I had the scariest moment of the day. I had Kyle Summers and Nick Brozovich right in front of me and we were going down this fast whooped out hill. Suddenly, at the last second, I see Nick’s bike laying in the middle of the course while I was in 4th gear pinning it (it was dusty too). I barely missed his bike, and almost went flying off the side of the hill when I swerved to miss it. I don’t think Kyle was as lucky, because he was laying on the ground (in pain) right after Nick’s bike. There were already people running up the hill so I just kept going. A couple laps later, I stopped for a quick splash and was off. I had Soule about 20-seconds in front of me (I was in 7th now). I kept closing in and felt good about my pace. Then the next two laps I made some dumb mistakes, and went over the bars in the Endurocross section. I did the exact same thing both times and couldn’t believe it! I lost quite a bit of time and had a lot of guys behind me catch back up. With about three laps to go, I was really starting to feel the heat and realized I didn’t hydrate as well as I should’ve. I know my fitness is really good, but I was starting to hurt due to the lack of water in my body! With a lap to go Taylor Robert got by me, but I was closing in on Bobby Garrison (who was right in front of me). I looked back and saw Huffy and Strang not far behind me too. I just had to dig down and give it one last effort. With about four corners to go I made the pass on Bobby, but he made the pass on me in the last corner as I lost some traction coming out of the corner. I ended up finishing 8th and was happy the race was over J

Overall Summary:

I came into this race wanting to do well, but most importantly stay safe for the next few weeks (2 H&H’s and ISDE in Portugal). I probably could’ve pushed it harder at times, but I still would’ve been hurting at the end with the dehydration. From 5th to 10th we were all within 30-seconds of each other. It was a brutal race and I’m just looking forward to the H&H’s now. That’s the title I want to win!!!

Top 20 Results (Pro):

1st Kurt Caselli

2nd Mike Brown

3rd Tim Weigand

4th Brenden Ritzman

5th Justin Soule

6th Taylor Robert

7th Bobby Garrison

8th Destry Abbott

9th Damon Huffman

10th Josh Strang

11th Robby Bell

12th Colton Udall

13th Jamie Lanza

14th Tommy Weeck

15th Tyler Sjorberg

16th Brian Garrahan

17th Brian Gainey

18th Austin Howell

19th Jimmy Albertson

20th Ryan Orr

Other Notes:

Ricky Dietrich went into this race with the points lead (I think 12 point lead), but had a tough day. He was still dealing with the broken foot, but the worst part was the big bottleneck. He had a ton of Pro2 guys in front of him, since they bypassed that section. I heard he was around 30th something after the first lap. Then later he had a big get off in the pro section and had to pull off. He’s now sitting second to Brown, and around 12 points back going into the last round.

Here’s the fastest 5 minute video from the race http://www.worcstv.com/videos-motorcycle.php#id=album-1&num=1.

Here’s a link to a youtube video I saw on the internet today (the Pro Endurocross section from the race). As you can see it wasn’t to easy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TR1ug_gE94

The next 5 weeks are packed for me. I have two H&H the next two weeks (Nevada and then Utah). Right when I get back from Utah, I fly out to Portugal for a little over two weeks (ISDE). Then as soon as I fly back, it’s off to California for the last H&H. I’ve been working hard to make sure I’m ready and feel like I am!!! Should be fun!!!

It was really cool to see so many industry people at the race. I think the location was a huge factor and hopefully they all enjoyed the show.

The WORCS turnout for the weekend was really big even though the temperatures were close to the 100’s.

This was my last WORCS race of the year, because the final round is the same day as the last H&H. Since I’m trying to win my 6th H&H title I figured I better go to that one

Best Wishes,
Destry
www.destryabbott.com
2009 Sponsors: Monster Kawasaki Racing, Thor, Dunlop, GPR stablilzers, Shoei, Pro Circuit, Stephen Gall Training, SIDI, IMS, Zip-Ty,HoyFox.com, Motion Pro, BRP, Braking, Works Connection, Concept2, CTI2, Maxima, Kicker, O’GIO, Steahly, RK/Excel, Renthal, Bent, Hinson, Jonre Multimedia, dragonfireracing.com, Scott, Cyto Sport, N-Style, UNI, Parkway Chiropractic, Tire-Balls, and ZLT.

Sherri Cruse has been nominated for TransWorld Motocross Female Racer of the Year. Please see press release below:

TransWorld Motocross announces the nominees for the 1st Annual TransWorld Motocross Awards
Hosted by Grant Langston and Cameron Steele

Tustin, CA- September 21, 2009- TransWorld Motocross Magazine, the largest motocross publication, announced the nominees for the 1st Annual TransWorld Motocross Awards presented by Rockstar Energy Drink today. The winners will be named October 8, 2009 at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas the day before the 2009 U.S. Open begins.
The TransWorld Motocross Awards will take the five-year-running Rider Of The Year awards and turn them into a full award show honoring the top riders in the categories of Racer Of The Year, FMX Rider Of The Year, Female Rider Of The Year, Racer Rookie Of The Year, FMX Rookie Of The Year, Female Rookie Of The Year, Readers’ Choice, TransWorld Motocross Legend Award, and the Rockstar Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I’m thrilled to see our annual TransWorld Motocross Rider Of The Year Awards come to life,” said Editor-In-Chief Donn Maeda. “We’ve created several new categories to honor even more deserving riders, and the awards show is sure to be an amazing event. With Las Vegas and the U.S. Open serving as the backdrop, this is going to be a weekend to remember.”
The 1st Annual TransWorld Motocross Awards presented by Rockstar Energy Drink will bring the energy and personality of TransWorld Motocross Magazine to life. The event will be attended by industry guests and professionals, but there will also be special section designated for motocross consumers to purchase tickets to attend.
“I think the TransWorld Motocross Awards is a great platform to acknowledge all of our nominees and their accomplishments,” said Publisher Marc Fiore. “Our sister titles, TransWorld SKATEboarding, TransWorld SNOWboarding, and Ride BMX have achieved huge success with their awards shows, and it’s great to finally have TWMX stepping up for the motocross industry.”

In addition to the awards, TransWorld Motocross is pleased to host the world premiere of it’s newest full length video, Kickstart, featuring Chad Reed, James Stewart, Ryan Dungey, Justin Barcia, Brian Deegan, Josh Grant, Nate Adams, Jason Lawrence and Tarah Gieger.

The official nominees for the 1st Annual TransWorld Motocross Awards presented by Rockstar Energy Drink are:

RACER OF THE YEAR
Chad Reed
Ryan Dungey
James Stewart

FMX RIDER OF THE YEAR
Nate Adams
Blake Williams
Robbie Maddison

FEMALE RACER OF THE YEAR
Ashley Fiolek
Jessica Patterson
Sherri Cruse

ROOKIE RACER OF THE YEAR
Justin Barcia
Kyle Regal
Blake Wharton

FMX ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Jackson Strong
Levi Sherwood
Destin Cantrell

FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Sara Price
Vicki Golden
Jackie Ives

READER’S CHOICE
Chad Reed
James Stewart
Ryan Dungey
Christophe Pourcel
Jake Weimer
Ivan Tedesco
Andrew Short
Davi Millsaps
Justin Barcia
Blake Wharton
Nate Adams
Brian Deegan
Travis Pastrana
Blake “Bilko” Williams
Jeremy “Twitch” Steinberg
Robbie Maddison
Kyle Loza
Todd Potter
Ryan Villopoto
Matt Goerke
Ashley Fiolek
Ricky Deitrich
Mike Alessi
Josh Grant
Antonio Cairoli

*Winners To Be Announced On October 8, 2009 At The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas

Devore, CA – Shock Doctor/KTM rider Kurt Caselli took a commanding win at the ninth round of the WORCS Series at Glen Helen Motocross Park this weekend.

This marks the second WORCS race Caselli has competed in this season and his second podium finish. Caselli has spent his full season racing on the east coast in the highly competitive GNCC Series. Fresh off a podium finish at the Unadilla GNCC in New York last weekend, Caselli was determined to finish well near his hometown at Glen Helen.

Caselli started second off the start with fellow Shock Doctor/KTM riders Mike Brown in 5th and Justin Soulè within the top ten. Part way into the first lap the riders entered into a tight single track down in the canyon where a rider went down and caused a large bottleneck that separated the field. Fortunately, all three Shock Doctor/KTM riders passed through the section before the issue began.

Near the halfway point, Caselli took a quick gas stop and was able to take over the lead upon reentering the track. From that point on, Caselli led the race and never looked back. Brown soon moved into 3rd, quickly closing in on the 2nd place rider. Soulè and RPM/KTM rider Brendan Ritzman were in the hunt for the final podium position throughout the majority of the race.

Caselli, 2007 WORCS Champion, crossed the finish line in 1st, followed by Brown in 2nd. Ritzman and Soulè finished 4th and 5th respectively. With only one round to go, Brown now holds a 13 point lead over Ricky Dietrich in the championship title chase.

“It feels really good to win a race. It has been a long time coming this year. I was on a bone stock KTM 450 and that really shows a lot for our bikes. KTM’s truly are “Ready to Race,” commented Caselli.

Next Event: Round 10 – Mesquite, NV – October 23-25, 2009

Overall Results Pro Class:
1) Kurt Caselli – KTM
2) Mike Brown – KTM
3) Tim Weigand
4) Brenden Ritzman – KTM
5) Justin Soulè – KTM
6) Taylor Robert
7) Bobby Garrison
Destry Abbott
9) Damon Huffman
10) Joshua Strang

Overall Point Standings Pro Class:
1) Mike Brown – 191
2) Ricky Dietrich – 178
3) Justin Soulè – 142
4) Tim Weigand – 136
5) Bobby Bonds – 129

Florence, SC (September 12, 2009) – Red Bull/KTM Factory rider Taddy Blazusiak claimed his third straight win at round three of the EnduroCross Series in Florence, SC.

Blazusiak easily qualified to the main event setting the fastest lap time in practice. In the main event, the holeshot went to Christini/KTM rider Geoff Aaron while Blazusiak was close behind. It did not take long before the Polish rider moved into the lead. From that point on, Blazusiak lead each lap and cruised to an easy win.

“I am very excited to win this race. I was really looking forward to this season and winning this championship and am glad that I am leading the points halfway into the series,” commented Blazusiak.

Shock Doctor/KTM rider Mike Brown also transferred to the main event. Unfortunately, Brown’s night consisted of more than one crash which dropped him to 8th overall when the checkered flag flew.

Next Round: Columbus, OH – October 3, 2009

New Berlin, NY (September 13, 2009) – For the first time this season, the entire Shock Doctor/KTM Team stood on the podium at the tenth round of the GNCC Series at the Unadilla Valley Sports Center..

Shock Doctor/KTM rider Kailub Russell took the top step of the XC-2 class podium with his teammate Cory Buttrick right next to him in 2nd. Both XC-2 riders had to work for their top positions as they both started outside the top ten. Buttrick had a better start and by the end of the first lap had moved into 2nd while Russell had climbed to 4th on the fast-paced course.

“The weather and track conditions were the best we have seen at this track in 4 years,” commented Shock Doctor/KTM Team Manager Antti Kallonen. “There was light ran each day leading up to the race and a slight drizzle on the race day which helped minimize the dust and keep the course in prime shape. It was a fast-paced track, and for once, the weather didn’t play a huge role during the race.”

For six laps of the eight lap main event Buttrick and competitor Jason Thomas battled for the lead. Russell continued to catch the two front runners but made small mistakes that set him back 10-15 seconds each time he came within striking distance. With two laps to go, Russell finally put it together and first made the pass on Jason Thomas. Once in 2nd he began to set his sight on teammate Buttrick. When Buttrick crashed with a lapped rider, Russell made the pass on his teammate and pulled out to a 10 second lead. With only half of a lap to go Russell made a small mistake and Buttrick was right back in the battle. The two KTM riders battled to the finish with Russell just edging out his teammate for the win.

The XC-1 class podium was flanked by Shock Doctor/KTM riders Nate Kanney, in 2nd, and Kurt Caselli placing 3rd. Kanney, the New York native, started his race in 6th position and had moved inside the top three within the first lap. The remainder of the race Kanney battled with Paul Whibley for the lead. “Each lap it was a different leader,” remarked Kanney. “Sometimes I edged out Paul as we came through the pits and then the next lap he would come out in front of me.”

Kanney eventually hung on for a hard fought 2nd place result, a mere 10 seconds back from Whibley. Caselli’s race was just as remarkable as he started in the bottom ten and managed to pick off one rider each lap to move himself onto the podium by the final lap. “This podium has been a long time coming for me,” stated Caselli. “I have struggled early on this season and really focused on turning that around during our break. I made some changes to my own program and we changed some things on the bike that I think really made a difference for me this week.”

Next Race: Round 11 – September 27, 2009 – Yadkinville, NC