Tuesday, April 17

Racewire - 4/17/01

By B.J. Smith
MotoWorld

What's going on in the MotoWorld? After an extremely boring weekend that saw round three of the MXGP series as the only racing in the world, it's needless to say that we are ready for the upcoming weekend of competition. But there was still plenty of news to be gathered over the week and weekend and you'll find it all here, so click below and read on.

... It was first reported here a few weeks ago that former MX/SX champion, Jean Michel Bayle has been testing with Team Suzuki and there is a chance that he could come back and race the outdoor series, if not, maybe a few rounds. Last week, Roger DeCoster went on record verifying Bayle's recent input at Suzuki and now the AMA has come out and said Bayle has applied for and received his AMA Pro Racing license and will wear # 822. To top that off, Bayle graces the cover of the most recent issue of French racing magazine, Moto Verte. The cover line says, "Oui, Je reviens!" Translation: "Yes, I will return." It's going to be an interesting year. We'll see you at Glen Helen.

... Kenny Roberts Jr., Olivier Jacque and Roberto Locatelli will have the opportunity to meet former South African president Nelson Mandela this weekend in a dinner the night before round two of the GP series. The three defending world champions were invited to the special reception that will be held at Mandela's residence near Johannesburg.

... Has the silly season started already? Seems a little early for that but then again, that is why they call it the silly season. Here's job security for you: Mike LaRocco isn't going anywhere next year. He has already inked a deal with Honda to go two more years with his own team and the backing of Rick Zeilfelder's Factory Connection. LaRocco will do both SX and MX. Branden Jesseman, who has had a year to forget, will be back. Steve Boniface may face a review at the end of the year. His contract is up but if he puts in strong finishes he'll be a lock for an extension. Remember that Ezra is a free agent at the end of the year, but Tortelli is good to go through next year.

... Here's the big one though. Ricky Carmichael is also a free agent at the end of the season. Carmichael's relationship with Kawasaki goes back over 13 years, even before he was tall enough to ride a roller coaster. It goes without saying that every team will want him, especially Honda. With their recent support from Universal Studios, and a couple of down seasons, the red riders will be looking for a lift and they will have the money to do it. Estimates are somewhere in the $5 million range to take him from the green team. But RC has barely given it a thought. His sights are focused on the SX championship. Our predictions? Look for Carmichael to be riding green again next year.

... Travis Pastrana took home the motocross rider of the year award at ESPN's Sports and Music Awards. Pastrana was up against Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath. Unable to attend, Travis accepted the award at the Pontiac Silverdome via satellite. When McGrath was informed of his nomination he said, "For what year, because it certainly can't be this year."

... At the same awards show, Carey Hart won the award for greatest sports feat for his back flip at last year's Gravity Games.

... James Stewart signed a letter of intent to a three-year deal with Team Splitfire Pro Circuit. Stewart may run into the same sponsorship problems that Carmichael did a few years back. Splitfire will want him to run what they have but "Bubba" has a fleet of longtime "personal" sponsors like Fox Racing. Stewart is hot property and even after a letter of intent, he will still be sought after by the other factories.

... The 250cc class will have a lot of different faces this weekend in Dallas. Travis Pastrana, Nick Wey and Nathan Ramsey will be competing since their season is all over will. Mike Brown might even race the 250cc class for a little more experience.

... Nick Wey will be riding his last 125cc SX in the East/West shootout in Las Vegas. After four seasons, Wey pointed out of the regional series and will move to the premier class. Even though Wey has still not won a regional Supercross event, he will most likely have better seasons in the 250cc class. Wey posted five top ten finishes on the 250 before the series headed east. He was also riding a near box stock YZ250.

... The Supercross season will resume this weekend and though it looks like RC is going to walk with the title pretty soon, McGrath still has a shot at the $500,000 in the Vans Triple Crown Series. McGrath won the first of three Triple Crown events at Anaheim and a win in Dallas this weekend would give him his second win. First he has to stop Carmichael's 10 in a row streak.

... Last week we reported about the fall of Jeff Emig's race team, TheEdgeSports.com and then we followed up with an in-depth interview. Well, here's a new twist to things. This is a press release from alternative marketing agency, The Familie.

Motocross champion Jeff Emig's former team, Strategic 3 Motosports, was recently dissolved due to The Edge Sports.com's failure to fulfill their financial obligation as title sponsor to the team. The Edge Sports.com had committed to sponsoring the team for three years, but did not come through on their promise.

As a result, with three races remaining [in the Supercross Series], all riders and mechanics of Strategic 3 Motosports, including Michael Byrne and Casey Johnson, have been released, and the team will not be able to finish the EA Sports Supercross Series or the upcoming Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championships. However, Emig is not discouraged. In fact, he, along with partners Tony Strangio (Team Coordinator) and Tim Dixon (Crew Chief) have aligned with The Familie to launch Emig Racing, a new Supercross-racing team. The Familie will be responsible for the marketing, promotions, creative, and sponsorship sales for Emig Racing. Team members have not yet been announced. However, Emig and The Familie are reassessing potential sponsors for the new team. "It has always been my dream to own a racing team," said Emig, "And what happened with Strategic 3 Motosports is just the reality of the business world; it's unfortunate, but we're confident in The Familie's ability to help build Emig Racing into a great team for 2002."

The Familie shares Emig's enthusiasm and is actively pursuing ideal supporters for what will be one of the most progressive Supercross teams to date.

"This is one of our most exciting projects for 2002," commented Steve Astephen, CEO of The Familie, "We are looking to change Supercross forever!"

... Are you going to be in the Las Vegas area this weekend? Don't forget to check out the AirMX Challenge Series at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tickets are on sale now through tickets.com. Just click on the banners that appear on the home pages of MotoWorld.com and you'll be taken to the exact page to purchase tickets. This is your chance to see the best freestyle riders compete for the largest purse in freestyle. Don't miss it.