RK Excel America

WORCS Round 1

Taft, California

January 29-30, 2011

Today I sat down to write my race story and just couldn’t bring myself to do it. As many of you know, we lost a champion this past week and #54 is prominently on everyone’s mind. So in lieu of my race story, I wanted to dedicate this race story to Nathan Woods and his family. As many of you know, Nathan wasn’t just one of the best racers out there; he was also an amazing friend and teammate, as well as an awesome husband and father. I can’t think of him without thinking of the passion he had for the sport, the never-ending love he had for Amanda, Nate and Braxton and his sense of humor that was more than a match for all of us on Team USA. We had some great times and I will cherish all the great memories. We were all lucky to have him in our lives and he will forever be remembered in our hearts! Godspeed Nathan!

Other Notes:

Saturday’s noon pro race was cancelled and turned into a memorial ride where all of us did a parade lap after we had a moment of silence and prayer. The most amazing part was Amanda rode on the back of Charles’s (one of his old mechanics) bike while one of Nathan’s sons (Braxton) rode with Kurt Caselli. It was really a tough moment to see. Everyone at the race showed up to the start to be part of this.

I have to commend WORCS for everything they did during this tough time and I feel like they did the right thing. They also awarded Woody with the most points for the weekend. They retired #54 and I think that was a great tribute to Nathan and his family. He was the winningest Pro WORCS rider and we will all remember him as a great competitor and a huge ambassador to our sport!

Here are some cool videos along with some photos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe34xTZyCQY

http://vimeo.com/10443396

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqk85OLxAYU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCVGBKmKkas

God Bless,

Destry and family.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 30, 2011) – For the first time since 1984 the AMA Supercross Championship visited Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. In spite of the forecast calling for rain, 44,394 fans braved the weather to watch the action.

Prior to the start of the 2011 supercross Davi Millsaps had not raced since last June. Millsaps has been re-acclimating himself to competition and seemed to find his groove in Oakland with a strong practice session. RacerX interviewed Millsaps after practice, you can see the video here: http://www.racerxonline.com/2011/01/29/racer-x-films-oakland-davi-millsaps.

Justin Brayton won his second heat race of the season, giving him valuable podium time with the CBS television cameras and the Oakland crowd. Millsaps transferred to the main event with a third-place heat race finish.

As predicted the rain fell, and the track was slick and treacherous for the main event. Millsaps started the main around the top-five with Brayton just inside the top-10. On lap nine Brayton suffered a crash that effectively ended his night. He remounted and finished the race but was a lap down and was awarded 18th position. Millsaps continued to battle the world’s best supercross riders claiming eighth place at the checkers, his first top-10 finish of the season.

The original broadcast from Oakland airs today on CBS at noon (EST). The next round of the AMA Supercross Championship Series will be Feb. 5 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, Calif. SPEED will air the original broadcast from Anaheim Feb. 6 at 6:00 (EST).

Courtesy of AMA

Bill introduced to exempt kids’ dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles from federal ‘lead law’
Kids Just Want to Ride Act introduced in Congress

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — With the deadline fast approaching that would effectively ban the sale of kids’ dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) has introduced legislation to end the ban, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

On Jan. 25, Rehberg introduced H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act, which would exempt kids’ off-highway vehicles (OHVs) from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 that effectively bans their sale beginning May 1.

“Here again, a law meant to improve children’s safety is actually being enforced in a way that puts kids in more danger than ever, while destroying jobs to boot,” Rehberg said. “It’s critical that we put to rest any confusion once and for all so kids can just get outside and ride.

“There’s no excuse for continued bungling that only stops kids from using the very youth-sized off-road vehicles that are intended to keep them safe,” Rehberg added.

“The American Motorcyclist Association has always been an excellent advocate for their members, and I’m happy to be working so closely with them again,” Rehberg said.

Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, thanked Rehberg on behalf of the AMA and the All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA), which is the AMA’s sister organization.

“This is the most promising and viable legislative remedy available to permanently exclude kid-sized motorcycles and ATVs from the deleterious and unintended consequences of the CPSIA,” Moreland said. “We also want to thank the many thousands of AMA and ATVA members who have answered the call from the beginning to urge their lawmakers to exempt kids’ OHVs from the lead law.

“Now, we need a renewed push because time is running out,” Moreland said.

The easiest way to contact federal lawmakers is through the Rights section of the AMA website at AmericanMotorcycist.com.

The CPSIA bans the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under that contains more than a specified amount of lead in any accessible part. Aimed at children’s toys, the law also ensnared kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs because trace levels of lead can be found in parts such as batteries and brake calipers.

The law also requires all children’s products to undergo periodic testing by independent laboratories approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which is responsible for implementing out the CPSIA.

On May 1, 2009, the CPSC delayed enforcement of the lead-limit portion of the law until May 1, 2011 to, among other things, give vehicle makers time to figure out ways to ensure their products comply with the law.

Even though the lead-limit portion of the law isn’t being enforced, many dealers are no longer selling kid-sized OHVs and half of the major ATV manufacturers are no longer selling machines for kids because of uncertainty surrounding the CPSIA.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its support of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 23, 2011) – Historic Dodger Stadium was the site of round three of the 2011 AMA Supercross Championship. This was the first time the famed park hosted an AMA Supercross Championship event, and 41,107 fans were on hand to see the debut of AMA Supercross in Los Angeles.

All of the teams competing in the series take turns in a rotation arriving at the event early to promote the event to local media. The Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team was assigned Dodger Stadium and spent Thursday with the media resulting in significant brand extension to the Los Angeles market for the team’s sponsors.

Both Justin Brayton and Davi Millsaps transferred to the main event directly from their heat race. In the main event Millsaps got tangled up at the start and began the race mired in the back of the field with Brayton in the top-five. Millsaps began methodically moving forward ending the race in 13th position, while Brayton battled his way to a top-five finish with a fifth overall on the night.

The original broadcast aired today on CBS at noon (EST). In another first time venue for Supercross, Oak-Alameda City Stadium will host round four of the AMA Supercross Championship Series Jan. 29 in Oakland, Calif. CBS will air the original broadcast from Oakland on Jan. 30 at noon (EST).

Los Angeles, Ca. (January 22, 2011) Round three of the 2010 AMA Supercross series made its way back to California for the inaugural visit to Dodgers Stadium. After multiple years of three Anaheim rounds, history was made by having a Supercross event at this venue in front of 41, 107 fans. DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha’s west coast squad comprised of #35, Kyle Cunningham and our newcomer to professional Supercross #72, Nick Paluzzi took to the track in timed qualifying confidently, setting the 5th and 11th fastest times.

Heat #2 had both Cunningham and Paluzzi lined up, getting out of the gate in good fashion would be Paluzzi who held down 2nd. Cunningham was closed out coming into the first turn, and in the early laps he made some smart moves to insure the netting of a transfer position. The excitable, aggressive riding of Paluzzi saw him take his Yamaha to the lead on lap one and turn the heads of everyone in attendance. Riding solidly as the leader Nick fought off several attempts to overtake him until lap five, when a small bobble slated back to a 4th place finish at the end of six laps. Cunningham kept his cool and pushed the limits against the competition, as he worked his way up through the field. Holding down the 7th spot with a couple of laps left, the Texas native was still hard at work. In doing so, Cunningham took a hold of 6th before the qualifier closed out and secured himself in the main event.

Main Event time was exciting right away; Cunningham put together a good start and was in the mix of the top five. Unfortunately, on the third lap a block pass went bad as he was drug down by the other rider’s bike and hit the ground. He was able to remount, however it was in a distant 16th. Starting around tenth, Paluzzi’s first laps were spent making moves, and inside of three laps he held down the 8th spot. At halfway both teammates were making strides to move forward, Paluzzi was hanging tough inside the top ten, setting some of his best lap times and continued with a calculated performance. Cunningham was putting on a great comeback by this point, sitting 13th he could see that a top ten was feasible. On lap thirteen, Kyle had reeled in and passed for 11th, and set his sights ahead. Moving forward to the final moments in the race, Cunningham would continue to soldier on right until the checkers, and mustered up a finish of 10th. Slipping back into 9th, Paluzzi regained his form and went on to finish 9th in only his third Supercross race.

Star Racing is proudly supported by:
DNA Shred Stix, Yamaha Motor Corp, Scott Sports, N-Fab, FMF, Cosworth, North County Yamaha, DNA Energy Drink, GYTR, Factory Effex, Dunlop, Easton EXP, Enzo, Renegade Fuels, Sunstar, Motion Pro, ARC, ODI Grips, RK Chains, Excel A60 rims, Yamalube, Ride Engineering, Twin Air, LightSpeed, Braking, Vortex Ignitions, ICW, JD Built, Crank Works, Eibach, Met Tec, Tammer MX

Kids Just Want to Ride Act to be Introduced
Courtesy of the American Motorcyclist Association and MotorcycleUSA.com

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The Kids Just Want to Ride Act is set to be introduced next week by Representative Denny Rehberg (MT) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) strongly supports the Kids Just Want to Ride Act and is urging everyone to call their Representative to become an original cosponsor.

The Act is a legislative exemption for youth-model motorcycles and ATVs from the lead provisions in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), known as the Lead Law. The CPSIA effectively banned the sale of small displacement recreational vehicles due to overly restrictive lead content standards.

Rehberg recently circulated a “Dear Colleague” encouraging other representatives to become original cosponsors. The AMA needs you and everyone you know that is concerned with the future of youth riding to call your Representative and ask them to cosponsor the Kids Just Want to Ride Act.

To call your Representative, click on “Take Action” to insert your zip code in the “Call Action” box to get your Representative’s phone number. Or, you can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for your Representative by name.

Call your Representative now and let them know you would like to see them cosponsor the Kids Just Want to Ride Act.

BTOSports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki’s Thomas Suffers Tough Night in Phoenix

After a sterling Anaheim 1, BTOSports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki’s Jason Thomas didn’t have the same fortunes at the second round of the AMA Supercross series held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

After struggling a bit in qualifying, the team and Thomas was excited for the changes they made on the Suzuki RMZ 450 to come into effect in the heat race. In that first heat, JT$ was in qualifying position when another rider came over on him and took the #47 out.

“It was a dumb move made by a guy that has a history of dumb moves and I’m not happy about it at all” says Thomas “We’re both in qualifying spots on a track that’s not easy to pass on and I don’t know what that guy was thinking.”

He added “It’s a long season, no need to do that. I owe him one.”

Look for Thomas to rebound next week in Dodger Stadium with a strong ride as he continues to impress this year.

Thank you to our sponsors and there’s no way we could go racing without their help:
Btosports.com butlerbrothersmx.com Palmettomotorsports.com

BTOSports.com, Palmetto Motorsports Suzuki, FLY Racing, MMI, Outlaw, Alpinestars, Factory Effex, Wiseco, ASV, Smith, Vanquish, Pro-Circuit, Engine Ice, Factory Connection, Applied, QTM / Talon,Dunlop, Twin Air, ICW, RK / Excel, Ti-Fuel, LeoVince Carbon Fiber, Pit Posse, ASMF, FLmx, Hookit.com, Dream Traxx, Kinetic Animation,Safety Kleen

January 15, 2011

Phoenix, AZ – The AMA Supercross Series moved the slightest bit out of California over the weekend racing in front of 39K+ fans at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing/Yamaha talents #35 Kyle Cunningham and #72 Nick Paluzzi adapted to the slick, technical track quickly setting qualifying times that slated them respectively into the night portion of racing.

Up first in qualifying Heat 1 were both teammates, it would be Cunningham who jumped out front with an awesome start in 4th. Wanting to lead the way, in the first few laps Cunningham quickly began carving his way up through the field. Track conditions were tough to say the least, but Kyle made his way into 2nd and pressured the leader all the way to the end. Unfortunately for Paluzzi, a subpar start combined with a short race, made for a tough beginning. Sitting nearly last, Nick put his skills to use, forging all the way up to 9th by races end and happily avoided the LCQ.

The gate dropped for the 15 lap main event and at the end of lap one, Cunningham brilliantly put himself in good position after a very sketchy first lap, 6th. For the next five laps he would remain exactly the same, only to see a rise of one position while in an intense three way battle. Paluzzi in the opening laps was suffering from some rookie blues; in 16th position and trying too hard he was having his troubles with the slick surface. Then on lap eight, Cunningham’s strong and steady ride that had him vying for the podium came to a halt when the 4th place competitor crashed big and took Kyle down as well. Remounting in 9th, with his machine tweaked and off his rhythm the DNA Shred Stix rider in the closing few rotations of race managed to put his hard training ethics to use, which allowed him to hold onto a decent amount of points considering what had transpired as he finished out 10th. Meanwhile Paluzzi uncharacteristically just never came to grips with the track and gutted out a finish of 15th.

This weekend, be sure to catch our team riders the inaugural AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at Dodger Stadium as it makes history this Saturday night.

Star Racing thanks our valued sponsors for their great assistance.
DNA Shred Stix, Yamaha Motor Corp, Scott Racing, DNA Energy, North County Yamaha, Easton ExP, FMF, Sunstar, Factory Effex, Dunlop, Enzo, Cosworth, N-Fab, Motion Pro, ODI Grips, RK Chains, Excel rims, Yamalube, GYTR, Ride Engineering, Twin Air, Lightspeed, ARC, Braking, Vortex Ignitions, Web Cams, ICW, JD Built, Renegade Fuels, Crank Works, Eibach, Met Tec.

Corona, Calif. (January 17, 2011) – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Josh Hansen earned his second win of the season at Round 2 of the AMA Supercross Lites Western Region series at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. Teammate Broc Tickle shot out to another main event holeshot on his Pro Circuit-backed Kawasaki KX™250F and finished second, while Tyla Rattray ended the night in sixth.

Hansen continued to show maturity on a difficult Phoenix track, waiting patiently to make a move around his teammate Tickle. After capitalizing on a tip-over by Tickle, Hansen rode steady to his second win in as many races.

“It feels good to get another win,” said Hansen. “I’ve really wanted to give back to my team and the people that are behind me. When I was in second, I knew that I had to be smart because Phoenix was a track that you couldn’t over ride. It was definitely tricky and I was able to pass when Broc went down. He was riding well and I know it would have been a battle if I ended up going in for a pass.”

In his second race with the new team, Tickle’s boost in confidence has put him in the hunt for his first career championship. After his second-place finish in Phoenix, Tickle sits just six points back from teammate Hansen.

“I’ve been feeling good, but making small mistakes that have cost me,” said Tickle. “I know that I am riding well and eventually the wins will come. I wasn’t feeling 100 percent, so I’m happy to be back on the podium.”

Rattray earned his first heat win of his supercross career in Phoenix, despite riding with a sprained wrist he endured from a practice crash. He kept up with the front-runners for most of the main event and finished just outside of the top-five in sixth.

“Coming into Phoenix, I was really just trying to get through the weekend,” said Rattray. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to ride after my crash, but my wrist has been feeling better every day. I think sixth was pretty good considering it was hard to hold on the last five laps of the main.”

With his team sitting 1, 2, and 3 in the points standings after two rounds, team owner Mitch Payton is pleased to see his team doing well.

“I’m really happy with our guys so far,” said Payton. “Everything went great in Phoenix. Josh is riding great. Broc could have possible won since he was really fast tonight. Tyla is making great progress for riding in only his second supercross race and I expect more from him next week.”

The next event takes the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team to Los Angeles and Dodger Stadium for the third round of the Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM Championship.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 16, 2011) – Chase Field in Phoenix Ariz. was host of round two of the 2011 AMA Supercross Championship. A packed house of enthused fans were on-hand and for the second straight week SPEED broadcast the entire event live.

The all new Toyota Trading Places commercial debuted on the Jumbotron at the Phoenix event. The unique and fun spot showcases the Toyota partnership of both the NASCAR and motocross assets of Joe Gibbs Racing. The commercial can be seen on the homepage of www.jgrmx.com as well as on YouTube via this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_dU8P0ftDk .

Prior to the night program RacerX’s Jason Weigant interviewed last week’s heat race winner Justin Brayton in the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team pits, you can view the interview here: http://www.racerxonline.com/2011/01/15/racer-x-films-phoenix-justin-brayton .

Both Justin Brayton and Davi Millsaps qualified for the main event directly from their respective heat races. In the main event Brayton started toward the front of the field rounding the first lap in fourth position with Millsaps ninth. Lap 10 of 20 would find Brayton fifth with Millsaps 11th. Millsaps fought up to eighth by lap 16 but was relegated to 11th at the checkers with Brayton sixth.

The next race for the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Team will be round three of the 17-race AMA Supercross Championship series held for the first time at historic Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Jan. 22. CBS will air the original broadcast from Dodger Stadium on Jan. 23 at noon (EST).