By Eric Johnson
 
Although his hopes and dreams at Summer X Games 14 went up in smoke as the result of a broken 250cc motorcycle, on Saturday night, September 27, 2008, Jeremy ³Twitch² Stenberg was a man on a mission, looking to atone for his loss in the Home Depot Center last August by wreaking havoc on the LG World Championships of FMX. Held at the classic LA County Fairgrounds in Pomona, California, the sixth annual version of this now late summer classic gathered together 12 of the world¹s best freestyle motocross pilots, creating what many believe to be the single biggest, hotly contested FMX
contest in the entire world.

When the curtain dropped on the 2008 version of the world¹s most competitive single day freestyle motocross contest, it was Jeremy ³Twitch² Stenberg standing atop the scrap heat, flanked by Beau Bamburg and Monster Energy¹s ace fighter pilot, Adam Jones.
 
The LG World Championship fired-up with six two-man heats, each two riders going head-to-head in an effort to impress the judges in the hopes of earning their highest scores. From there, it would all boil down to three semi-final heats, concluding with a three rider free for all in the final. As of 2007, the only rider to win the LG World Championship of FMX title was multifold X Games gold medalist and the rider widely considered to be the best freestyle pilot in the world: Nate Adams. However, last September, Stenberg, of Santee, California, aced the World Championship, his plight no doubt helped by the fact that Adams was out of action and on the injured reserve list. And while Stenberg did win it all in the end, 2007 Games gold medalist Adam Jones, Robbie Maddison, Mike Mason and Beau Bamburg all gave the Metal Mulisha foot soldier a run for the hefty sum of money the LG folks put up.

As in years past, the format utilized in the LG Word Championship demands not only world-class skills and competitive cunning, but perhaps more than anything, razor sharp consistency. One mistake, and it can all be over in the matter of a few seconds. As a perfect illustration of this dynamic, Jeremy Lusk ‹ the most dominant rider in the world as of late, winning Gold Medals in both the Los Angeles and Mexico City X Games ‹ faltered in a heat and was sent home packing far earlier than he would have liked. With 12,000 fans watching on, the three main face-off for the world title consisted of Adam Jones, Beau Bamburg, and al the omnipotent Twitch. Monster Energy rider Adam Jones, one of the most consistent and proven riders in the sport, rode for all he was worth to wind up a hard-earned third. ³I am just happy to have a podium finish at LG,² offered Monster Energy¹s Jones, the leader in the Chase for the AST Dew Tour Dew Cup. ³This is a big moment for me after the last 2twoyears and I am really excited. I am looking forward to taking this energy into Dew Tour next month,² said

Nonetheless, after all three riders had performed their high altitude magic, it was Stenberg prevailing to win the event, his three mind boggling back-to-back flip variations no doubt making the difference. Oregon¹s Beau Bamburg reached for every tick I his arsenal, but could not take the measure of Stenberg. He placed second in the end.
 

  Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series stops at the legendary Unadilla MX track and surrounding property for a round 11 “Mudder”

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 29, 2008) – Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha’s Jason Thomas tamed the black mud of a well-soaked Unadilla Valley Sports Center MX track and woods surrounding the facility at round 11 of the 13-round 2008 Can-Am Grand Nationals Cross Country Series, placing 3rd overall in the XC2 class – his second-straight podium finish following the summer break.

Though 11 races Fred Andrews’ powerhouse Monster Energy-backed XC2 team has all four riders ranked in the overall top 15 in points with two, Dustin Gibson and Josh Weisenfels, ranked in the top five (2nd and 5th, respectively). Dave Snyder is in 13th and, having only raced four GNCCs, Thomas is in 14th – with a win and three podiums!

Sunday’s heavy rain caused havoc on the hilly course that combined both woods and open field riding along with Unadilla’s legendary motocross track – making for one of the better spectator-friendly races on the season. The first lap would cause some problems, specifically for Gibson and Snyder, both of who got stuck outside the top 15.

By lap two Thomas was flying and moved up three spots (from 6th) and into podium position – a spot he’d hold on to through the white flag, then taking 2nd place into the woods. When Thomas re-appeared on the MX track, he was in 3rd place and that’s the position he’d hold through the checkers.

Charging from the back of the pack was Gibson, who moved all the way into the top ten despite the torrential conditions. Snyder moved up as well, from 15th to 12th. “I had trouble from the start and could never get it together all day,” said Gibson.

And Thomas might have had 2nd place had he not run into a obstacle that was giving him some problems. “I had a lot of fun out there today, just tried not to get stuck,” he said. “After I got into 2nd place I got stuck on a hill that I had trouble with all day. But the racing’s not over until the checkered flag and I gave it all I had, but ended up with 3rd.”

Next up for the Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha team is the Oct. 12th GNCC at St. Clairsville, Ohio.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it GNCCs, EnduroCross, insane distance jumping, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Fred Andrews’ boys dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

Former Monster Energy/AMA Supercross star snags the overall AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Series points lead heading into Columbus, Ohio, this weekend



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 29, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Damon Huffman grabbed the lead early at the Denver EnduroCross and held off his Monster Energy/Kawasaki teammate Ricky Dietrich to take the event win and overall points lead after four (of six) 2008 AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Series rounds.



The battle for first place was intense throught the entire main event and, in order to stand under the giant inflatable Monster Energy cans on top of the podium, Huffman had to tap on not only his World Off Road Championship Series skills, but also the supercross skills that endeared him to many fans (think: Seattle vs. McGrath, ’96). Dietrich, fresh off an International Six Days Enduro gold medal – off road competition motorcycling’s equivalent to Olympic gold – hounded Huffman for the first half of the race, then suffered a crash and fell back to 6th.

Former EnduroCross winner Taddy Blazusiak and Geoff Aaron would move into Dietrich’s challenge position and continued to force the issue with Huffman, but the veteran racer had plenty left in the tank and weathered the storms to take the overall win. And though Dietrich would battle back to 4th, he’d lose the overall points lead to Huffman.

For Huffman the win would be his second in-a-row (along with South Carolina’s round three of EnduroCross). The secret? “You’ve gotta be consistent, and especially keep the larger mistakes to a minimum,” said Huffman. “Everything’s amplified when a course is so tight and technical like EnduroCross. So the best thing to do is just focus, be smart about your line selection and trust you’ve got enough energy in the end to hold everyone off.”

Denver also marked the return of Huffman and Dietrich’s Monster Energy/Kawasaki teammate, Destry Abbott. Abbott, another ISDE gold medalist, took the tough road attempting to make the finals (heat, semi), then crashed and got run over in the LCQ to end his evening.

Said Abbott: “ I had another great jump and was third into the first corner. Not to far into the first lap we went into the wood chips. It looked like I was going to move into 2nd , but then suddenly I was on the ground and my head landed straight on the last log. The first thing I thought of (besides a massive headache) was the fact that I had a pack of guys behind me. I had one guy hit me, and went right over me. It left a pretty good gash on my side, but my head was hurting more then anything. I got up and slowly walked over to my bike and went back to the pits.”

Next up for Monster Energy riders on the AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Championship tour – with Monster Energy being the “official” energy drink of EnduroCross – is this weekend’s (Oct. 4) round of the series in Columbus, Ohio, on the campus of Ohio State University.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it EnduroCross, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Damon Huffman, Ricky Dietrich and Destry Abbott dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

Monster Energy-backed James Stewart (Kawasaki), Ryan Villopoto (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) and Tim Ferry (Kawasaki) keep America on top of MX world!


  
CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 29, 2008) – Monster Energy motocross stars James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Tim Ferry – all aboard Kawasaki motorcycles – kept America on top of the MX world for a record 19th time, this past weekend winning the annual Motocross Des Nations – a global MX event of Olympic stature pitting nation vs. nation to decide who can field the best three-man motocross team.



All three athletes, now with multiple Motocross Des Nations titles each, each put in either winning or solid-scoring efforts to give America the title over France (by five points, 26 to 31) and Belgium (41 points).

“High five from everyone at Monster Energy – this is really, really cool,” said Monster Energy’s President Mark Hall. “I can’t think of a better way to wrap up Monster Energy’s first big summer of promoting our brands in Europe than to have our guys win the Des Nations. Incredible. Safe travels returning home and we’ll look forward to seeing you guys at the Monster Energy/AMA Supercross opener in Anaheim (Jan. 3).”

Monster Energy’s Stewart – the ‘08 AMA/Toyota Motocross Championship champion – got things started right away for the legions of international M-claw logo-wearing fans as he battled with Monster Energy’s European star, Yamaha’s David Philippaerts (’08 MXGP champ) in the MX1/MX2 opening moto, passing Philippaerts and distancing himself from the rest of the field to win by more than 20 seconds.
“Even though I didn’t have a great second moto I’m really happy with my weekend,” said Stewart. “I’m pleased to have won a race here in England and I would have won that second one too if I hadn’t thrown it away, but still the team won and overall it’s been a great day.”
As Stewart mentioned, in his second moto (MX1/Open) he crashed while leading and had difficulty re-firing his bike. Stewart, down a lap, would finish outside the top ten scoring points and, ironically, would put up USA’s only ‘throw away’ moto.
Even more dominant than Stewart’s first moto was Villopoto’s second moto (MX2/Open) win. Up against the big bikes on his Kawasaki KX250F, Villopoto absolutely schooled the rest of the field, taking the lead on the first lap and putting a 24-second gap on the rest of the world’s top riders by the end. But equally as important as his MX2/Open win was his performance in the opening moto where he was taken out by another rider and came from last place to score some terribly important points for Team USA with a 10th overall.
“That first moto was a little rough,” said Villopoto. “I got a decent start and I was running third but then in one of the turns I was just blasted from behind. That meant I had to work my way forward from last. It was hard to come through with the track the way it was and some of the guys were a little squirrely and that made it hard to predict what they’d do too – it was definitely a tough race.”
Villopoto then buckled down in the second moto, showed some teeth, and ran away with the win to give Team USA some big points towards the o/a. Said Villopoto: “I got another good start in moto two – I got away second and then worked my way into the lead. From there I just worked on creating a big gap and in the end I had a decent lead and I was able to cruise to the finish line. It was great to win – it was a real team deal. It was a lot tougher than last year but we all pulled together and it all came good in the end. The team, my bike and the weekend were just awesome – there are no other words to describe them.”
Putting up equally important numbers was the ever-consistent Ferry. Monster Energy’s veteran rider at the Des Nations, Ferry stepped up his game as Team USA’s entrant in the Open class and scored important points in both motos he raced (9th/5th) to secure his third overall Des Nations trophy.
“Today was amazing,” said Ferry. “It was really cool to win my class again but the biggest thing was we all worked together well as a team. We all had one bad moto but the other guys were there to pull us through. We definitely won as a team and that’s what this race is all about – it has nothing to do with individuality.”
Along with Philippaerts’ 3rd place podium in the first moto, his Monster Energy/Yamaha teammate Josh Coppins (New Zealand) scored two top ten MX1 finishes (7th/6th), Monster Energy/CAS Honda’s Billy Mackenzie (UK) placed 6th in the first MX1 moto and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe (Australia) would place 10th in the second MX2 moto.
Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Team USA’s James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Tim Ferry dig ‘em, as do Italy’s David Philippaerts, New Zealand’s Josh Coppins, the UK’s Billy Mackenzie and Australia’s Brett Metcalfe. And hey, so will you! Check us out on the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

Johnny Campbell paired his JCR/Honda team up with Cameron Steele to profile JCR/Honda for the Off Road USA show. Expected to air early January on the FOX sports channel. I snapped some behind the scenes photos for you to enjoy. Cameron hosts the show, the premise of this show was to take the top Off-Road team in the world and trace one of the historic races in Off Road racing the long extinct Barstow to Vegas race. Taking today's best equipment and best riders made the shoot great. With lots of helicopter footage, a great host, the best racers and a great crew how can you go wrong. I hope you enjoy the photos.      



    

By Eric Johnson



On Saturday afternoon, September 27, 2008, the bright green Monster Energy claw slashed away at the world’s best motocross riders as Team USA drew first blood in the 62nd consecutive version of the Motocross of Nations. Monster Energy/Kawasaki pilots James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto and Timmy Ferry showed the thousands who clung to fences in England, watching them in awe, that them they were, indisputably, the force to be reckoned with, dominating the MX1 MX2 and MX Open qualifying races on the sweeping, high-speed circuit etched out of the grasslands of the fabled 2.5-mile, 12-turn race circuit Donington Park circuit in the United Kingdom.

After all three 20-minute-plus two lap races were run, each team using its two best qualifying scores and dropping their third and poorest score, Team USA topped the charts with a resounding 1/1 (we’ll get to the moto breakdown in a moment). Second overall was Australia with 2/3 moto scores. France, with 2/3 motos, was third and Belgium, scoring 3/5 places was fourth. Now qualified, 19 nations have earned a place on the starting gate for Sunday’s Motocross of Nations.

In the opening MX1 moto, Team USA’s number one rider James Stewart nicked the holeshot from host nation rider Billy Mackenzie. Stewart immediately took off like a scalded cat, while Mackenzie, Ken de Dycker (Belgium) and Sebastien Pourcel (France) tried to keep his bright red, white and jersey in sight. Stewart did make a minor miscue during the race, hitting the dirt. However, he quickly got to his feet, got the big KX450F pointed in the right direction and hit the afterburners. Stewart would race on, winning the moto over Team France rider Sebastien Pourcel by a healthy margin of 10.184 seconds. Team Belgium’s Ken de Dycker was placed third, ahead of Monster Yamaha-mounted 2008 MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts of the Italian team.



“Yeah, I had a couple falls, actually,” said Stewart afterwards. “I just lost the front end in a few places. I made a couple mistakes, but I was still able to win – but I’d rather get that out of the way today rather than tomorrow.”



The next moto to take to the Donington circuit was the MX2 classification. French rider Anthony Boissiere grabbed the holeshot ahead of Belgium’s Jeremy Van Horebeek and Australia’s Brett Metcalfe. Three-time and reigning AMA Motocross Lites National Champion was buried in the middle of the pack, but by the end of lap number two he was in the lead, out in front and pulling away to win by 24.989 seconds.

“I got up to the gate and groomed my spot, and it was really hard and I couldn’t do much to it, so I fixed it up as much as I could,” said Villopoto, whose fast lap of 1:59.859 was nearly fur seconds quicker than his closet challenger. “I spun really bad and came out in the middle of the pack.”

Second in the moto on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX250F was Team Australia’s Brett Metcalfe. Third went to French rider Anthony Boissiere. 2008 MX2 World Champion Tyla Rattray of South Africa was fourth and 2008 MX2 Vice Champion Tommy Searle placed fifth.



With only the final MX Open moto left to be run, Team USA had already nailed down the number on qualifying spot for Sunday’s main event. Nonetheless, Team USA’s Timmy Ferry wanted to make a clean sweep of it all. Team New Zealand’s Cody Cooper was the first rider out of the first turn, while Ferry, who had suffered a poor jump out of the hole, was way down the leader board. While Cooper led the way over Canada’s Dusty Klatt, Italy’s Alex Salvini, Belgium’s Steve Ramon and Australia’s Michael Byrne, Ferry collided with another rider and fell to the ground in a heap. As the race wound down to the 20-minute mark, American Zach Osborne — racing for Team Puerto Rico — made a run towards the front, zapping Australian Michael Byrne at the bitter end to snake second. Ferry, meanwhile, kept on chipping away at it, making it all the way back to ninth, and in the process, clicked off the fastest lap of the race with a 2:02.710.



“I got a great start, so I think my starting technique is real good on this sort of dirt,” Cody said after the race in a press conference. “I’m just real happy to be up here. I don’t know what happened to Tim Ferry, but he normally gets a decent start and powers through to the front, but I think a lot of people were having a bit of problems with the track, and I just got my rhythm going and had a bit of fun out there.”

The world of kart racing is pretty insane, so Monster Energy’s right in the middle of if with champion driver Phillip Conte of FX Racing





  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 27, 2008) – Used to be go-karts were a lawn mower engine-run contraption forged from scrap metal by somebody’s dad who had a welder. Piloted renegade-like at dusk in school and church parking lots or, worse yet, blitzed though neighborhoods and sending kids scrambling off their BMX bikes, go-karting would inevitibly lead to some irate mom to calling the cops.



Primitive in design by today’s standards, about the biggest revelation back then was when somebody figured out the eight-horse motor would run better if you pulled the governor off it. Brakes? Converse high tops put to the pavement Flintstones style.



Then everything kind of changed when some guy showed up with, not one, but TWO MacCullough chain saw engines (aka “Mac 9s) on a go-kart. Blew everyone away. As lore would have it, the dude ran it underneath a parked car and, well, it’s said now that the whistling spectar abboration resembling a human head shows up at the exact spot on eve of the “incident” year after year.



Somewhere between then and now the “go” was clipped from kart and now it’s just called “karting.” And if you think that go-kart with the Mac 9s on it was fast, your socks would roll up and down if you got the chance to drive one of these fully tricked out Monster Energy/FX Racing/Makita Trackmagic karts not only capable of speeds upwards of 120 mph, but able to stick to a corner at speeds nearly that fast.



One of the guys that’s put the Trackmagic Monster Energy/FX Racing/Makita team karts to test this summer – better than anyone else – is current 2008 ProKart Challenge Racing Series S3 Heavy class champion, Philip Conte.



To give Monster Army members a better idea of what competitive karting is these days, take a look at this short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2kXYCVLFpo



Conte, 39, fits the classic ‘gearhead’ bill. Born into a family of car enthusiasts, Conte cut his racing teeth at young age in CanAm, SuperVee, IMSA GTP and vintage car racing. Running his first go-kart in 1974, Conte was earmarked to continue the family’s racing heritage. But instead of the super high dollar world of car racing, he chose a route that Monster Army members can relate to a bit better.



“I really started my racing career on jet skis,” said Conte. “That and motorcycles. From there I did get into some drag racing and ovals, to sports cars and open wheel racing, but after my daughter was born (1993) I decided to go kart racing.”



Conte, who won the California State Jet Ski championship in 1992, was quick to adapt to the world of kart racing and began racking up wins right out of the gate. Juggling family responsibilities with a successful career in manufacturing high voltage electrical switchgear, Conte eventually aligned himself with the FX Racing program – Monster Energy’s partner in karting – a couple years ago and eventually won this year’s ProKart Challenge S3 Heavy class, Monster Energy/FX Racing/Makita and Conte’s second championship in three years.



“It was a good season. We had stiff competition at every round and the team got strong as we progressed – grabbing the points lead mid-season,” said Conte, who moved from the G1 class to S3 Heavy a couple races into the ’07 season. “I’m the driver, yeah, but the entire Monster Energy/FX Racing/Makita crew really deserves the nod.”



Conte says that, in karting, the ProKart title is only one component of the team’s season. And now that goal is met the Monster Energy/FX Racing/Makita team can focus on what amounts to karting’s Daytona 500 – the upcoming (Nov.) SKUSA SuperNationals at the Rio in Vegas.



“The SuperNationals is karting’s biggest event of the year,” said FX Racing’s founder Frank Bain. “There’ll be at least five thousand people there from the karting industry alone, and another three to four thousand spectators. We race in the parking lot of the Rio and it’s just an incredible event to see. We’ll have Phillip dialed and, with the help of the experience he gained racing and winning the the ProKart Challenge this summer, trust he’ll be able to contend for the SuperNationals title.”



For more information on the Monster Energy/FX Racing/Makita team and the sport of kart racing, link to: www.fxracingusa.com



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it karts, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Philip Conte digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

Capes is on the stratospheric cusp of outer space, hits 390-plus for the second time this summer, sets a new W.R., but can't quite reach what seems like the moon



 



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 24, 2008) - In recent years action sports fans have been privileged to see some phenomenal milestones. Skateboarding's 900, BMX's 1080 and FMX's double back flip. Even this summer with a couple more unheard of tricks from Monster Energy athletes, including Mike Spinner's BMX quad tail whip and Danny Harf's wakeboard switch toeside 1260 - the first time ever those two completely mind blowing tricks have been landed.





But there's one Monster Energy athlete who's sofa king out there on the fringe that it's almost unfathomable to grasp what he's trying to do. And he's become so obsessed with the notion that a recent attempt which nearly went awry resulted in an experience beyond belief.





"Everybody thought I saw a ghost, man," said Monster Energy motorcycle distance jumper Ryan Capes. "I had a ramp gap at 341 feet, hit the take off at 100 mph and the bike was straight up and down when I cleared the safety deck. Thought I was done. Saw the light, had my life flash before my eyes - everything. Scared so bad I thought I was gone."





Hyperventilating, Capes - who somehow managed to land the motorcycle (with his chest on the handlebars after they'd been ripped out of his hands) - was led to the awaiting ambulance where he received oxygen and had a now stinging wrist looked at. "People said I was as white as a bed sheet," he'd recall.





Something would happen next - the thing that separates all but a couple guys from the rest of us mere mortals in the world. Capes would put his helmet back on, get on his bike and hit the jump again. Only this time going faster and flying farther, far enough to break his old world record by about a half a foot - but still short of this magical, mystical 400-foot barrier.





To get a quick idea of how far 400 feet is, at his very best - and granted this is without modern dirt bike-style suspension - Evel Knievel jumped 19 cars (Ontario, Calif., 1971). At 400 feet Capes would clear 80 cars.





One of the guys to best put Capes' drive and determination into perspective is the caretaker of all things associated with motorcycle distance jumping records - Roger Wells, aka Johnny "JA" Airtime. JA, who's good buddies with Capes, was good enough to pen a few words for us via email on Capes and the 400-foot barrier. Here's JA, uncut:





"Ryan exemplifies the determination and courage of a world record distance jumper - he's smart, confident, competent and extremely brave.





Hitting a ramp at high speed feels like you're actually committing suicide, in the boldest way. You know that if you make one wrong move, one slight hesitation, it's over. The feeling is so berserk, you face such information overload, and it takes not only perfect timing and technique, intelligent introspection and analysis, but the refined ability to blast the thing like a bull in a china shop, ignoring anything and everything that doesn't get you to the landing. It's like motocross in a way - you can't take the time to hyper focus on each little bump on a whooped-out straightaway. You wick it to the stops and blast the section with a bleary-eyed, insane commitment that most people will never experience, and somehow you get through it, never even considering 90% of the bumps you just blasted through. Things are coming at Ryan so fast that he's just got to skim the tops, average things out and look at the overall picture - at that speed, there's precious little time to tinker with details.





After all the thinking and analyzing is done, his job is to be that violent bull in a china shop and just destroy the distance with everything he's got, everything the bike's got and everything his ramp's got. 400 feet will wring out all three, and there's nothing easy about it. If distance jumping was easy, street riders would be doing it. It's not easy, and even the best riders - motocrossers and freestylers - have to respect the stunning achievements of the current leaders in the distance game, and Ryan is leading the field right now by the slimmest of margins.





Ramp gap is the most important measurement, more important than total jump distance, and Ryan is the ramp gap king. Being the ramp gap king, Ryan is the king of distance jumping. The second place rider is only a foot behind him, but the third place rider is a hundred feet back!





Serious props from Johnny Airtime notwithstanding, Capes nearly bought it earlier this week. After almost having both arms forcibly removed from the shoulder - taking the blow with his chest to lessen the ripping momentum effect from the landing on his arms/wrists - Capes again incredibly got back on his bike and uncorked a 391-foot leap, topping his old world distance record of 390-4. Capes, who had to have his right foot (previous injury) shot with Cortisone before the attempts thinks he might have missed the brake pedal when stabbing at it mid-flight. And that's what caused the horrific situation when landing his 378-footer.





"You fly the bike with the back brake, then power through the landings with the throttle," explained Capes. "Something happened with the back brake. Not sure if it was me or what. We'll get that figured out. But I almost splatted. Ripped my left hand off the bars and I buckled down onto the crossbar. Swapped at high speed, but was able to manhandle it and rode it out."





Capes said he hit the take off ramp on the ensuing jump at 102 mph, adding "At 103 I'd have had it (400 feet)." "Probably should have just gone again and done it, but my wrist was hurting too bad. I'll have it X-rayed today (Editor's note: Capes confirms a cracked navicular bone)." He thought for a moment then said: "I've gone 390 a couple times...I know I can jump 400 feet."





The 900, 1080, double back and - hopefully - 400 feet. Capes, already a legend, thinks he'll endear himself to the world the next time he goes for it - reportedly on New Year's Eve in Vegas.





Frickin' stay tuned, man.





Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it insane distance jumping, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster's fruit juice hybrid dubbed "M-80," the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Ryan Capes digs 'em - so will you. On the 'Net at www.monsterenergy.com

Team USA’s the favorite at the annual motocross race deciding the world’s best three-man motocross team with Monster riders leading several of the top teams

   

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 24, 2008) – Monster Energy’s involvement in motocross is quite apparent here in the United States. And it’s about to get even bigger globally as the glowing green M-Claw logo – already enjoying a solid foothold in Europe – will be at the forefront of the global Motocross Des Nations event this weekend.



Monster Energy will crash this party in a big way, placing premier riders on several of the top MX nations’ teams that’ll battle against each other to decide which nation’s the best.



America enters the event, held at the UK’s Donington Park, as the odds-on favorite. And the all-Monster Energy team featuring Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart and Tim Ferry, along with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, is looking to extend the USA’s overall win mark to 19 after last year topping the UK’s all time win mark set at 17.



But in this global village we now live in due to the vast-reaching Internet, the name David Philippaerts (Yamaha) is becoming as common here in the States as many of our great riders, versus ten years ago when Sebastien Tortelli showed up and won the LA SX (’98) and everyone was going “Who?” Monster Energy and Philippaerts enjoyed a gigantic summer of MXGP racing in 2008, one in which Philippaerts was able to win the overall MX1 class title – a similar title to that won by Monster Energy’s Stewart on this side of the pond. And thanks in part to widely read industry websites, and with help from www.monsterarmy.com, even the most casual fans are easily able to follow all the great MX talent overseas.



Joining Philippaerts in giving Monster Energy a decidedly more international look at the Des Nations this year will be: Philippaerts’ Monster Energy/Yamaha teammate Josh Coppins (New Zealand). Coppins was 5th overall in the MX1 class. Monster Energy/CAS Honda’s Billy Mackenzie (UK). 1st place British MX Championships and 9th o/a MX1. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Brett Metcalfe (Australia). 3rd o/a AMA MX Lites class. Monster Energy/Cernic’s/Kawasaki’s Dusty Klatt (Canada). A three-time Monster Energy/Canadian MX Nationals champ (twice MX2, once MX1). And, of course, Klemen Gercar.



“Klemen what kind of car?,” you ask. Precisely! The Yamaha-mounted MXGP MX2 class racer (ranked 48th at season’s end) is doing his part to spread the word on Monster Energy with young action sports enthusiasts in the north Mediterranean region of Slovenia. And while you likely won’t see Gercar showing a tire to, say, a guy like RV, he plays a very important role in Monster Energy’s brand expansion overseas.



“While we’ll for sure be rooting for Team USA this weekend, we’ll – at the same time – be celebrating the huge global success that Monster Energy has enjoyed in motocross this past summer,” said Monster Energy’s John Lee. “It will be cool to see MXGP champion David Philippaerts and our stateside champion, James Stewart, go at it – both running the M-claw logo. And American Lites class champion, Ryan Villopoto, and how he’ll do against the top MX2 class racers from Europe. Ferry, too. It’s going to be epic!”



Both Villopoto and Ferry have their names etched multiple times on the Chamberlain Trophy (awarded to the competition’s top-scoring nation), Stewart once. And of the three, from a pure success standpoint, Villopoto has enjoyed some of his best efforts at the Des Nations – including last year at Budds Creek (Md.) where he won (straight up against everybody) two of the three motos – something never done before on a smaller bore bike (250cc four-stroke in his case).



“You can’t help but be pumped for the Des Nations,” said Villopoto. “It’s one of the premier events for the sport of motocross all year and I think it’s pretty cool that Monster will have athletes there from a bunch of different nations. Monster’s blowing up big all over the United States and looks like that’s starting to happen in Europe as well.”



For more information on the 2008 Motocross Des Nations at Donington Park (UK), stay tuned to www.monsterenergy.com.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, SX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All our guys running the M-claw logo at the Motocross Des Nations will be diggin’ ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

We're currently working on the 2009 Monster Army Website and Sponsorship Programs. We'd love YOUR input and feedback! What do you like? What do you hate? What can we improve on?



Monster Army Community Memembers, click HERE to access the COMMUNITY SURVEY.





Monster Army Sponsored Athletes, click HERE to access the SPONSORSHIP SURVEY.

Lutzka shows up, basically bails on practice, then proceeds to reel off probably his best run of the summer – winning over Latin American skate icons Ortiz & P-Rod



Also: Monster Energy’s Adam Jones takes silver in FMX!

  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 23, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Greg Lutzka kind of reversed the term Skate & Destroy this past weekend at the Mexico X Games, coming in pretty much destroyed from injury through much of the summer and ended up skating past some of the world’s top competition - most all the names that were finishing ahead of Lutzka at the LA X Games and on the Dew Tour street skate scenes this summer.



Jetting into Mexico City late, Lutzka showed up for Skate Street practice just in time to roll around for about 15 minutes – barely enough time to get a look at things. Seemingly lacking in the focus department competition-wise and more in tune with the fun vibe that Mexico City has to offer, Lutzka nonetheless punched the clock to open the comp and didn’t let up through the final jam session – winning his first contest of the summer over Paul “P-Rod” Rodriguez, a rippin’ Tyler Hendley and possibly the best young street skate prospect on the planet – Chad Ortiz.



Maybe being at ease the way he was helped Lutzka - who’s dealing with several nagging injuries this summer (though never complaining once about them) - skate so well. He blitzed the new Mexico City course like he had one in his backyard. Running the rail both front and backside – flipped, Lutzka made use of the mid-course volcano obstacle as well (frontside kick flips) and crushed the tranny areas with tre’ flips to fakie.



Round about mid-run Lutzka would pull out the trick that would eventually convince the judges that he’s it, a jaw-dropping frontside 270 nose blunt slide on the rail. Then to bring everybody’s heart back from stoppage, he ran a 5/0 slide down the hubba and nose blunt slid the big rail and frontside flipped out about six feet beyond the bottom of the stairs.



When the judges scores came in, Lutzka grabbed the nearest Monster Energy logo (water bottle) and made his way to the top of the podium. 1st place. Killed it.



“I was just hanging and having a good time,” Lutzka told expn.com. “The fans got me stoked to skate. I don’t ever go to practice. I just skate, you know? Win, lose – who cares? I just wanted to come here and have fun so it’s all good.”



On the FMX ramps Monster Energy’s Adam Jones – fresh off a Dew Tour stop win in Salt Lake City – was close to being golden as well, but settled instead on a silver medal behind winner Jeremy Lusk. Jones stepped on the gas his second run and blasted away from all but one of the competitors with a series of flip variations (Stripper, Cliff Hanger & Shaolin), in addition to a bevy of non-inverted tricks that included a Ruler and a double grab Hart Attack.



“We had a blast in Mexico City,” said Jones. “The crowd was completely into the FMX event and all the riders there really put it on the line to make for a great contest. Would have liked to won, but Jeremy rode real well and deserved the overall. Looking forward to running it back at the LG World Championships of FMX in Pomona this weekend (Sept. 27).”



Noteworthy: Monster Energy’s Blake “Bilko” Williams crashed hard during the Mexico X Games’ FMX Best Trick comp while doing a no-handed 360 - broke some toes and is possibly looking at some knee surgery. More on Bilko as it develops.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it X Games, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Greg Lutzka, Adam Jones and Bilko Williams dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

By Eric Johnson



The Donington Park circuit in England is a very historical place. First opened in 1931, Donington hosted a number of Grand Prix automobile and motorcycle races before being closed in 1939 due to the outbreak of World War II. On May 27, 1977, it came back to life, once again to stage world-renowned motor races. A new, soon to be written chapter of the Donington book of folklore will play out this Sunday, September 28, 2008, when the facility will hold the biggest, most historical and most important motocross in the world: The Motocross of Nations. The lead players in this drama and riding bikes festooned in the jet black and electric green colors of Monster Energy will be James Stewart, Tim Ferry and Ryan Villopoto. Virtually unprecedented, not only are all three riders sponsored by Monster Energy, but all three also ride for the Monster Energy/Kawasaki racing team.



The last time the stars lined and the U.S. sent out a one-manufacturer team was 22 years ago in Maggiora, Italy. That sunny day, Team USA was made up of all Honda riders, their names David Bailey, Rick Johnson and Johnny O’Mara. The power trio dominated the event so thoroughly they became the first team in the modern era to place first and second in al three motos. In the eyes of many railbirds, experts and enthusiast, it was the greatest single day performance since the birth of the event in ’47. Now, for the first time since 1986, all three Americans will all be on bikes emblazoned with the slashing Monster paw.



Heading the team up in the MX1 division will be the sensational James Stewart. Beginning on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, Stewart won the opening moto of the 2008 Motocross National Championship. 19 motos and three months later, he had still not lost, becoming the only rider in history (with the exception of Ricky Carmichael) to score a perfect season.



"I'm excited to be a part of Team USA," says Stewart who was a member of the winning American Motocross of Nations team that got the job done in Matterley Basin, England in 2006. "My main goal this season was to win the motocross championship and I knew if I could do that I would have a good chance of representing the USA at the Motocross of Nations."



Three-time AMA Lites National Champion Ryan Villopoto will ride for Team USA for the third consecutive time on Sunday. Last year at Motocross of Nations held at Budds Creek Raceway park in Maryland, Villopoto shocked the world and the 40,000 fans present by beating ALL the world’s best riders on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki 250F, handily winning both motos and finishing in front of every 450F and 250 on the track.



"Riding for Team USA is a great experience," says three-time winning team member Villopoto. "This will be my last race on a Kawasaki KX250F and I really want to end my Lites career with another great run against the world's best."

Riding the big green Kawasaki 450F in the MX Open classification for Team USA will be Tim Ferry. A member of last year’s winning team and runner-up to Stewart in the 2008 AMA National Championship, the veteran rider puts a perfect finishing touch on the team.



"It is an honor to be a part of this team," declares Ferry, who claims last year’s Motocross of Nations victory is the highlight of his career. "Being on the team with James and Ryan is awesome and I know we are going to do our best to win it all again."



And who will be the riders to threaten U.S. dominance at Donington Park? Well, to begin with, one will be recently crowned MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts. Philippaerts, who rode for the Monster Energy Yamaha team in 2008, will lead Team Italy. Other 450F-mounted riders of note in the MX1 and MX Open classes will be Josh Coppins of New Zealand, Chad Reed of Australia, Ken De Dycker and Steve Ramon of Belgium, Cody Cooper of New Zealand, Marc De Reuver of the Netherlands, Jonathan Barragan of Spain and Max Nagl of Germany. Heading up the MX2 classification will be undoubtedly be new World Champion Tyla Rattray of South Africa and MX2 World Championship runner-up Tommy Searle and Shaun Simpson of Great Britain and Brett Metcalfe of Australia.

Campbell closes the 2008 rock racing/rock crawling season in fine style, winning the XRRA finals by 14 seconds in Jellico, Tenn.



 

 

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 22, 2008) – Monster Energy’s rock racing/rock crawling motorsports star Shannon Campbell concluded the 2008 competition season with a win this past weekend at the Xtreme Rock Racing Association (XRRA) East vs. West National finals in Jellico, Tenn. – the win giving Campbell and his Monster Energy-emblazoned moon buggy the overall XRRA championship and national braggin rights through 2009!





 

Teamed up this past weekend with Brad Lovell (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Campbell scored three of the fastest times (in four courses) to qualify for the Top Six Shootout. Running two courses in the Shootout, Campbell opened his first run by getting hung up on a rock pile. Fortunately, Lovell was able to get help get him out of the jam and he was able to finish – but down some time heading into his final run.



 

“We got off the starting line pretty good in our second run and gained the lead early,” said Campbell. “From there I just put my foot into it, kept ‘er clean (no time penalties) and ended up coming across the finish line with a 14-second win. And that got us that 2008 XRRA overall championship.”



 

The XRRA finals in Jellico were an East vs. West affair, pitting all the top drivers from both sides of the Mississippi against each other in one big Shootout.



 

“I’d definitely like to give Monster a special thanks from our whole team,” said Campbell. “It’s been one crazy season and if it wasn’t for Monster, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”





Next up for Monster Energy’s rock racer/rock crawler Shannon Campbell is the premier of the much anticipated “King of the Hammers” DVD, held Oct. 2 at Currie Enterprises in Anaheim (Calif.). The premier is open to the public, celebrating 50 years of business for the company. Note: The Monster Energy M-claw logo should be pretty prominent in the show as Campbell won this King of the Hammers event. Following the movie premier Campbell will be appearing at the Off Road Expo, Oct. 3-5, in Pomona, Calif.



 

Competition-wise, Campbell will next take to the dirt the weekend of Oct. 25-26 for the CORR event in Primm, Nevada.



 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it rock crawling, rock racing, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Shannon Campbell digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

In its first year of major European MX championship involvement, Monster Energy not only captures the British MX Championships, but also the World MXGP title!

 

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 22, 2008) – Just when you thought Monster Energy would be hard-pressed for an encore to the dual AMA Motocross Championship titles it enjoyed it was awarded a couple weeks ago in Steel City (Pa.), last week Monster Energy/Yamaha’s David Philippaerts captured the MX World Championships (MXGP) overall title and his past weekend it was Monster Energy/CAS Honda’s Billy Mackenzie taking top honors in the British MX Championships.

 

So that’s another major global MX title to give Monster Energy complete brand dominance of the two premier MX classes – American MX class with Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart and MX1 (Philippaerts) – along with the UK’s top MX prize.

 

“It’s no doubt been quite a summer of motocross racing for the Monster Energy’s M-claw logo,” said Monster Energy’s John Lee. “International sales of the Monster Energy brand are jammin’ and we can attribute a good deal of the brand’s rise in popularity to the success our athletes overseas have enjoyed – especially David and Billy – wrapping up two big time championships here the last two weekends.”

 

Two weekends ago Monster Energy/Yamaha’s Philippaerts became only the sixth Italian racer in the history of MXGP racing to win the overall premier class championship. And he did so in front of his fellow countrymen at Italy’s Faenza circuit with a podium finish in the first moto (3rd), then only needing three points to secure the overall title, Philippaerts put in a conservative yet strong second moto for 9th and the overall 2008 FIM World Championship title.

 

“It has been a long, long year and now I am so happy,” said Philippaerts. “Steve (Ramon) and Ken (De Dycker) were really fast all week and kept the pressure on. I wanted to take decent points at every GP and I only really believed that the title was in my grasp during that second moto today. I had looked at Steve's season in 2007 and I knew that consistency was the key to the title. I am so pleased for the team, Yamaha, Michele and my sponsors. I also want to say a big thank you to my girlfriend, Alice. I am happy and it was so emotional to win the championship here in Italy and in front of those fans. I do not know what else I can say!”

 

Following up Monster Energy’s World MX Championship was Mackenzie who this past weekend regained his British national premier class title at the motocross-crazy UK’s Hawkstone Park. Monster Energy-backed Mackenzie, a top ten finisher behind Philippaerts in the MX1 class (9th o/a), brought his CAS/Honda CRF450R home in 1st place in the first moto, then for laugh ran a specially-prepared 1998 CR500 two-stroke in the second moto and was actually getting the lap times dialed in (his first time ever on that bike) when some vibration problems forced  him to pull the bike into the pits.

 

Championship in hand (the 9th consecutive British MX Championship title for Monster Energy-backed CAS/Honda), Mackenzie engaged the crowd and celebrated his overall win: “It’s fantastic to win the championship again especially after a year with a few ups and downs,” he said. “It has really helped having a great team behind me and the bike has been awesome. I’m looking forward to next season already when I’m determined to improve on my consistency at the GPs.”

 

This weekend both Monster Energy-backed champions – Philippaerts and Mackenzie – will represent their respective countries at the last major pro motocross event of the summer, the annual running of the FIM Motocros Des Nations, held this year at the UK’s Donington Park.

 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, MXGP, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. David Philippaerts and Billy Mackenzie dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com

Monster’s top dog wakeboarder overcomes a back injury that had him on shore for three months to land the first-ever 1260 spin – and HUGE props from his peers

  

 



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 19, 2008) – Monster Energy wakeboarder Danny Harf put an exclamation point on what could have been a crummy summer (due to injury), earning the admiration from his wakeboarding industry peers – 50 of them - as he was voted the “Wake Rider of the Year” for WakeBoarding Magazine at the recent 5th annual Surf Expo held in Orlando, Fla.

In addition, Harf also garnered the “Move of the Year” with his unthinkable switch toeside 1260 – the first time that trick’s ever been landed.

“Definitely like to give a shout out to Monster Energy for having my back – literally – this summer,” said Harf, who missed three month of the 2008 wakeboard season with a back injury. “Things started out pretty rough this season but we were able to bring it all together in the end.”

The cool thing about Harf’s back-from-back (injury) winning performance was that he kept it on the DL all week, breaking it out in video at the last second to blow everyone away. “It was cool to surprise everyone with the footage,” he said. “Normally ever year people know what went down. So it was cool to have a little last-minute video footage to show everyone.

“It threw a little twist into the night.”

Adding to the MONSTER evening for Harf at the Surf Expo in Orlando was the fact he also won the year’s “Best Video Performance – Wakeboard” for his elevated performance in the Sean Kilgus-produced video “DRIVE.”

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Danny Harf digs ‘em! On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com

RC will contest his first super speedway event this October in what could be a precursor to moving up in the ranks of NASCAR racing



 

  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 19, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Ricky Carmichael called to tell us he will step outside his No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet and the Camping World Series East competition to contest the Oct. 3rd ARCA RE/MAX 250 race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Note: ARCA stands for Automobile Racing Club of America.



 

Longtime friend and NASCAR racer Kevin Harvick (Kevin Harvick, Inc.) is giving Carmichael the shot at his first super speedway event where he’s got the green light to be racing outside the structure of his current team, Ken Schrader Racing. Note: Harvick’s car RC will be driving has the No. 33 on it (Harvick’s #29 plus RC’s #4).

“We’ve been working extremely hard to get to the next level of NASCAR racing,” said Carmichael. “But to do so you’ve got to prove yourself at the super speedways  including Talladega and Daytona (Fla.). And Kevin Harvick’s giving us that opportunity.”

Check this out: After nearly winning the Loudon (N.H.) Camping World East round this past weekend (fastest car, ran out of gas with two laps to go), Carmichael’s week got insanely busy.

 

• Flying from New Hampshire to North Carolina (Harvick’s race shop), Carmichael was fitted for the ARCA car.

• He then flew from the race shop to Talladega on Tuesday evening for a Wednesday test session (which we’re told went well).

• RC then flew from Talladega to Dover International Speedway (Delaware), home of the “Monster Mile,” for his Camping World East practice sessions on Thursday.

• And (fweew!) he races Dover today.

Here’s a few pics of RC from Talladega courtesy of Scott Taylor. Things are certainly getting exciting for Monster Energy’s NASCAR star-in-the-making!

Next up for RC and the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet is the NASCAR Camping World East’s stop at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, Sept. 19.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it NASCAR, MX, MotoGP, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Ricky Carmichael digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Capes re-designs his landing area, has Pro Circuit dial in the suspension on his KX450F  and pretty much guarantees that the 400-foot mark will fall this weekend

  

 



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 18, 2008) – Monster Energy motorcycle distance jumping phenom, Ryan Capes, the guy who Evel Knievel himself dubbed the “King of Motorcycle Distance Jumpers,” is set to make another inexplicable attempt at the elusive 400-foot distance mark this weekend at Toe’s MX Park in Royal City, Wash.



 

 

Capes, who’s currently in Kansas for a press conference on his upcoming Oct. 4th world record ramp-to-ramp over a river jump attempt in downtown Wichita dubbed “The Wichita River Jump,” (see: www.wichitariverjump.com) is pretty pumped about this weekend and making another run at 400 feet – and beyond.

 

“My confidence is at an all-time high and I have no doubt I’ll be calling all my buddies on Monday morning saying I went 410,” said Capes. “I was the first person to break 300 and I’m gonna be the first to break 400.”

 

The world distance jumping record holder at 390’- 4” (that’s an entire football field, end zones and up about 15 rows or so into the stands), Capes said there’s three things that will make this weekend’s attempt at the 400-foot barrier different than his last effort in July.

 

1.)    Landing ramp’s bigger. Capes’ crew doubled the size of his landing ramp to counter the negative effects of the side winds that nearly spelled disaster for Capes last month. The new landing ramp is double wide (60 feet instead of 30 feet) and two feet higher (34’ instead of 32’).

2.)    New suspension from Pro Circuit. “My Monster Energy/Kawasaki KX450F has been tightened up to the max,” said Capes. “Sent my suspension back to Pro Circuit and it came back significantly stiffer, which will help me measurably this weekend.”

3.)    New Vertex Rev Limiter: In Capes last jump he lost a bit of power right at the end of the take-off, forcing the front tire to dive. BAD news on a 400-foot attempt, with Capes quoted as saying in his last release: “I don’t know what happened, but when I came off the ramp (100 mph) the front wheel dove,” said Capes. “So the first half of my flight was a panic rev…f’in gnarly.”

 

In all Capes says he’ll have his KX450F in 5th gear – pinned – at 102 to 103 mph when he hits his take-off ramp, launching himself some 60-feet into the air and, if all goes as planned, more than 400 feet out from his point of departure. Stay tuned to www.monsterenergy.com for more information – including video – on what could be a very historical weekend in motorcycle jumping.

 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it insane distance jumping, MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Ryan Capes digs ‘em on the Dew Tour – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com

Places in Top Three in Prestigious Men’s Poll for the First Time, Also Secures Solid Quarter Final Finish at Boost Mobile Pro at Trestles



 

 

(Corona,  CA – September 15, 2008) – The 36th Annual SURFER Poll and Video Awards proved to be a stellar evening for Monster Energy's Dane Reynolds as he walked away with the Best Maneuver award for his ride in Irons Bros Productions’ Dude Cruise last Tuesday evening at the Grove of Anaheim in Anaheim ,  California .

 

The  Southern California native’s determination and passion for surfing has catapulted his career into the ranks of one of the best surfers in the world.  A rookie to the ASP World Tour, and currently ranked 20th in the world after his 5th place finish last week at the Boost Mobile Pro, Reynolds was featured in the highly-anticipated Irons Brothers debut film, Dude Cruise, where he threw his Best Maneuver winning move, a corrupt flip.  Dude Cruise offered a behind the scenes look at the antics that occurred on surf trips and showcased some of the most progressive surf footage.

 

This is a landmark achievement for Reynolds as The SURFER Poll and Video Awards are voted on by SURFER magazine readers, making the awards one of the most celebrated events among surfers and surf industry members. Along with taking the top position for Best Maneuver, Reynolds solidifed himself as one of the best surfers in the world as, for the first time, he secured placement in the top three in the overall Men’s Poll.

 

If fan voting wasn't enought, none other than eight time world champion, Kelly Slater, gave props to Reynolds at the awards event, stating,  “Dane Reynolds is the best surfer in the world by far. Surfing has advanced to where it needs to be right now and Dane is proof of that.”

 

In other Monster surf news, Monster's Bobby Martinez also secured a quarter final, equal 5th place finish at the Boost Mobile Pro, while finishing ninth in the overall Men's Poll.

Italian great MotoGP racer and former 250cc World Champion will leave the Ducati program for Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s MotoGP effort for 2009-‘10

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 16, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s MotoGP program made a stunning announcement this past weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s MotoGP race; Italian great Marco Melandri will join John Hopkins for the 2009 and ’10 MotoGP seasons aboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RRs.

Melandri, a former 250cc World Champion (2002) and runner-up in the 2005 MotoGP championship, brings a wealth of experience – along with instant popularity – to the Monster Energy/Kawasaki MotoGP program. A five-time winner on the world’s premier motorcycle road racing circuit, up to the start of this season Melandri has only failed to finish outside the top five overall in points just once (’04) since he began contesting the MotoGP class in 2003.

Said Monster Energy/Kawasaki boss Michael Bartholemy on MotoGP’s official website: “I think with him (Melandri) and John (Hopkins) it is the strongest rider lineup we have had since we joined MotoGP in 2003.”

Melandri’s passion for racing arose at the impressionable age of six when he was introduced to the sport by fellow Italian MotoGP racer Loris Reggiani. Melandri follow in the footsteps of the many great countrymen that preceded him, climbing through the competitive ranks on mini bikes, some motocross and then finally to the Italian and European 125cc championships.

At age 15 Melandri would score his first World Championship podium finish – a 2nd place run at his home track of Mugello (Italy). Less than a year later he would take his first-ever professional World Championship circuit victory – still prior to his 16th birthday – at the Netherlands’ Assen TT. This made Melandri (at the time) the youngest rider ever to win a World Championship 125cc race (15 years, 324 days).

The following season (’99) Melandri won five 125cc World Championship events, but lost the overall title by one point to Emilio Alzamora. Ascending to the 250cc class, Melandri would move from 5th (2000) to 3rd (’01) and the overall 250cc World Championship in 2002.

And in true ‘Monster’ form, Melandri not only rips on a motorcycle, but he can also hold it down on snowboards and BMX bikes! Check it out: http://www.marcomelandri.co.uk/

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MotoGP, NASCAR, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Marco Melandri will be diggin’ ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

UPDATE: Timmy Knuth is the new Free Flow Tour Skate Park champ. He beat out CJ Dixon and Alex Longcamp for it. I was also super impressed by Ryan Thompson, Cody Davis, and Tyson Bowerbank. Great contest! Watch for Timmy Knuth next month in Orlando: His Free Flow Tour win gives him wildcard entry to Prelims at the PlayStation Pro. The same deal a year ago has worked out pretty well for Chaz Ortiz.

--

I'm in Salt Lake City for the 4th stop of the Dew Tour and the Free Flow Tour Finals, which go down tomorrow and Sunday. I'm stoked: In the last three years, the Free Flow Tour has helped introduce the world to skaters David Loy and Chaz Ortiz, and also to BMX sensation Mike Spinner. I wonder if the folks who started it had any idea it would be as awesome as it has ended up being?

I'm bummed to see that Ben Hatchell, an old friend from the days of the Vans Skatepark in Woodbridge, VA, has scratched out: He won the FFT vert contest last year and took 4th in the Park contest, and he was qualified to skate both again this time around. Quick, put your heads together: Is there anybody else in amateur skateboarding holding his own in park/pool/street/vert? We'll miss you this weekend, Ben.

On the vert ramp, that leaves a pretty epic battle between Zack Miller, son of vert/concrete legend Chris Miller, and Dylan Taylor, whippersnapper brother of Adam Taylor, the 18 year-old currently holding down the #5 spot overall on the Dew Tour, behind Bucky Lasek, Bob Burnquist, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, and Andy Macdonald, most of them nearly twice his age. There are some other guys in the FFT vert contest too, but I must confess to no t knowing a lot about them: Full report after the contest, but the list includes Miller, Taylor, Joey Hamlisch, Brian Kucharski, Chris O'Reilly, Zack Deraad, Jordan Price, and Paul Luc Ronchetti.

The Skate Park contest looks like a good one, too: There are 4 heats of 6 skaters in Round 1, and the list includes  Timmy Knuth, Ryan Thompson, Mark Nicholson, Joey Dillon, Taylor Bray, Clayton Lane, Taylor Smith, DJ Fort, CJ Dixon, Nick Matthews, Jack Olsen, Connor Ose, Cody Davis, Chase Webb, Dan Narloch, Andrew Gary, Liam McCabe, Alex Longchamp, Tyson Bowerbank, Anthony Estrada, Brandon Strosser, and Reed Levine. I'm not going to pretend I know all of those guys, but there are a lot of familiar names in there and it points to an interesting phenomenon: A lot of these am skaters are finding their way to an awful lot of contests these days. I think the Free Flow Tour was probably originally envisioned as a series of regional contests building to the big national Finals, so that, for example, the kid who won the Denver contest would actually be from Denver, but the reality is that these kids are traveling from all over the place to get to these contests, and many of them are skating at multiple stops along the tour trying to make the cut. Curious.

If I had to pick one name from the list that stands out, it's Tyson Bowerbank. He's one of the Osiris kids, hand-picked by Tony Magnusson, who, let's not forget, also gets credit for spotting Danny Way back when he was about Tyson's age.

One of these kids is going to win this thing and get to go skate with the pros next month in Orlando. Anybody care to hazard a guess before the contest goes down? Who's gonna be the next Chaz Ortiz? 

 

RC and the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet was in 2nd place with two laps to go – and charging – when the gas ran out and dropped him back to 16th 





  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 15, 2008) – Oh man, Ricky Carmichael and the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet were within a couple cupfuls of gas of scoring their best NASCAR finish to date, running in 2nd place and closing on the lead in the final laps of the Loudon (N.H.) Camping World Series East race when the carb sucked the last few drops out of the tank – rendering it dry and RC back to 16th place.

“I think everybody knew who was good today,” said Carmichael. “I’m pretty pumped that we ran that good! I just want people to know I can drive these things.”

Carmichael started the race in 16th place and had moved up to 12th by lap 18. By the 30-lap mark he was up to 8th and, in front of the entire NASCAR community, had moved up to 5th place by lap 60. Several laps later Carmichael dove underneath Antonio Perez for 4th, then began an exciting six lap battle with Trevor Bayne for 3rd.

Into podium position as the race approach lap 80, Carmichael was feeling it and caught Eddie McDonald for 2nd place with the same move he used to get past Bayne. An exciting battle then ensued with Steve Park as the two traded the No. 2 position – with Carmichael eventually capturing it with just a few laps remaining.

But the high would be short lived as the car at that point (lap 123) ran out of gas and Carmichael coasted into the pits.

“I would have had something for the leader. I was ready to go,” said Carmichael. “I just ran out of fuel. I appreciated everybody running us clean. It was a good day for us despite the finish. I love this track – it’s my favorite track. Obviously, that helps!”

Next up for RC and the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet is the NASCAR Camping World East’s stop at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway, Sept. 19.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it NASCAR, MX, MotoGP, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Ricky Carmichael digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Monster Energy/Andrews Racing back racing after the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series kicks into gear following summer break

 



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 15, 2008) – Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha racers had a couple months here during the dog days of summer to heal up and get fired up about returing to race the 2008 Can Am Grand National Cross Country Series, aka the GNCCs, following the series’ traditional summer break. And they came back hot, recording yet another podium finish in the popular cross country style form of motorcycle racing on the east coast.

Returning to action at Snowshoe Ski Resort in Snowshoe, W.Va., the four Yamaha-mounted Monster Energy crew – under the tutelage of off road racing great Fred Andrews – were led by a 3rd place podium XC2 class finish from team newcomer Jason Thomas.

“I started the race out with a crash and that made me mad,” said Thomas. “So I charged all day. My Monster/Andrews/Yamaha worked awesome in the rocky and hilly track, that also had a few mud bogs in it.”

When the flag dropped on XC2 class opener the Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha team blasted out with everyone on the team – Dustin Gibson, Josh Weisenfels, Dave Snyder and Thomas – all located within the top ten. When Thomas went down, Gibson had also dropped off the pace after getting stuck on one of the many hills. But worse than that, Weisenfels would go down on lap one and injured his shoulder. He then recorded a highly rare (for him) DNF when he retired on lap two.

“Josh is a tough customer and you’ve gotta believe he was hurting pretty bad when he pulled off,” said Andrews. “He’ll get the shoulder looked at and hopefully, with two weeks before our next GNCC, he’ll be ready to go.”

By the first gas stop Thomas had come charging back through the pack from outside the top ten (after his lap one wreck) to 6th place overall. Gibson had moved up to 9th place, but his day ended when a rock knocked out a hole in the ignition cover.

Running hard with two laps remaining, Thomas had caught up closer to the lead pack – passing for a top five position. Still wanting more, he rallied on the next lap and picked up two more spots to put himself onto the podium! Snyder would pick up the last top ten spot for Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha with a 10th overall.

On the season XC2 class standings Gibson remained in 2nd place in the XC2 standings while Weisenfels is in 5th.

Next up for the Monster Energy/Andrews/Yamaha team is the Sept. 28th GNCC at Unadilla Valley Sports Center, New Berlin, N.Y.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it GNCCs, EnduroCross, MTB, off road, MX, supermoto, FMX, skate, 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. Fred Andrews and his boyz dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Wisconsin’s Greaves makes three out of four podiums in both the Pro 2 and Pro 4 classes, Monster teammate Rick Huseman’s 4th twice in Pro 4



  





CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 15, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Johnny Greaves continues to extend his off road legacy forged on the legendary Midwest circuits of Crandon (Wis.) and Bark River (Mich.), this past weekend stepping up and again battling with the west coast’s top off road drivers at the second of three rounds of Championship Off Road Racing Series (CORR) at Chula Vista (Calif.) International Raceway – aka the “Quarry.” 



 

Greaves, who scored three podium finishes in four Pro 2 and Pro 4 class races, led a sizable Monster Energy off road contingent – including Jeremy McGrath, Rick Huseman, Rodrigo Ampudia and Travis Coyne - that represented in front of an estimated 12,000 fans at the Quarry.

 

Running his Monster Energy/Potawatomi Toyota Tundra, Greaves saved his best effort for the last event when he beat rival Kyle LeDuc to the wire in a photo finish for 2nd place in Sunday’s Pro 4 main event. “I’m a little disappointed we did not get the win today, but with all the close action out there we came out of the weekend with some pretty consistent finishes,” said Greaves, who suffered several spectacular crashes in the CORR events leading up to Chula Vista II. “All in all it was a very solid weekend and I am really glad I didn’t look up to see that ambulance coming after me in the middle of the race again!”

 

Monster Energy’s iconic M-claw logo was very visible in the premier Pro 4 class with three Monster-backed drivers making the top ten in the standings on both Saturday and Sunday. Joining Greaves in the Pro 4 top ten were Huseman – just off the podium in 4th place each day – and Coyne, who went 10th/9th.

 

In Sunday’s Pro 2 clash fan favorite “Showtime” McGrath would battle like a champion and looked like he had a podium finish wrapped up when he was punted off the track. Undaunted, McGrath got right back into the action and made his way back up to a respectable top ten finish. And if the lines for autographs in the pro pits are any indication of a driver’s popularity then – hands down – Monster Energy’s McGrath is the marquee athlete at CORR.

 

“My race results didn't show what was really going on for me this weekend,” said McGrath. “I felt very competetive all weekend with much better qualifying (than past CORR events). Overall for me, I feel like I have gained another level of speed with not having to worry about driving, I was racing. Obviously I was looking good for podium finishes at least and had dumb luck.”

McGrath continued: “I can't wait for Primm because I feel a win is just around the corner. Our team is really gaining the confidence we need to be able to win races, so I am happy with everything.”

 

Noteworthy: The only reason Greaves didn’t make his fourth podium on Sunday in Pro 2 was due to a mechanical issue.

 

Rounding out the podium finishes for Monster Energy was Ampudia in Sunday’s Pro Lite class. The popular Baja-born racer placed 3rd overall with a best time of 59.648 seconds on the .82 mile long circuit.

 

Next up on the CORR schedule for the Monster Energy-backed racers is the Oct. 25-26 Primm (Nevada) event.

 

Developed in 1983, Championship Off Road Racing™ (CORR) brings high action four wheel motorsports including 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive trucks onto closed course off road tracks. The 2007 CORR season includes seven events in Los Angeles and San Diego, Dallas and Las Vegas.

CORR is divided into two series, Pro and Sportsman. The Pro Series is composed of three divisions: Pro 4 – Full-size 4wd race trucks, V8 engines, 800 HP; Pro 2 – Full-size 2wd race trucks, V8 engines, 800 HP; and Pro Lite – Compact/Mid-size 2wd race trucks, 4 cylinder engines, 300+ HP. The Sportsman Series is made up of two buggy divisions: Single Buggy -- Limited to a 1600cc VW Type 1 engine; and Super Buggy – Featuring a 1650cc water cooled power plant.

 

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

 

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it WSORR, SCORE, CORR, Best in the Desert, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, road racing, 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 Monster-backed guys racing the 2008 CORR Series are diggin’ ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

That’s three out of four AST Dew Tour stop wins for Bestwick while Jones gets his first; Mike Spinner, PLG and Donny Robinson also podium



 

  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 15, 2008) – Monster Army generals Jamie Bestwick (BMX Vert) and Adam Jones (FMX) were on top of their games at this past weekend’s Salt Lake City AST Dew Tour stop, winning their respective events in leading Monster Energy athletes in another successful weekend on the summer-long action sports competition tour.

And joining the two with similar high-level performances that would also score podium finishes were Monster Energy’s Pierre Luc “PLG” Gagnon (Skate Vert), BMX Park rider Mike Spinner and, in a demonstrational sport, Olympic bronze medalist Donnie “DR” Robinson (BMX Supercross).

Beginning with Bestwick, the well-versed Brit – who doubles as the Dew Tour’s BMX Park color commentator for NBC Sports – was able to keep it on two wheels this weekend on the vert ramp while still providing action sports fans with the amplitude they crave, winning his signature event in another epic battle staged with friendly rival Chad Kagy. So close was the final scoring that the two had identical 93.0 top scores. So the judges were forced to defer to the riders’ next highest score, which would give Bestwick the overall win and extend his points lead to 30 points over Kagy (385-355).

“Contests are never going to be easy,” said Bestwick, who alley-ooped everything in his bag of tricks, including a rarely seen alley-oop Superman seat grab. “You got out there, prove it and you’ve got to want it.”

Following up Bestwick’s top-of-the-podium effort with an equally impressive one of his own was Jones in FMX. With a 5th place finish at the Baltimore (Md.) opener, Jones stepped up his game big time at SLC and uncorked a run worthy of gold. “My first run was probably the best I’ve laid down all year,” said Jones. “I was riding really well all day and felt super confident.”

Fortunately Monster Energy’s deep in its FMX talent pool because defending Dew Tour champ Nate Adams wadded up on a lazy boy back flip and was unable to continue at SLC. “I ended  up breaking two fingers and couldn’t answer the bell for my second run,” he said. “I’ll work hard to get myself back into shape for the LG Action Sports Tour stop in Pomona (Calif.) here in a couple weeks.”

Also flying the red badge of courage in SLC’s FMX pit was Monster Energy’s Blake “Bilko” Williams. The Dew Tour FMX points leader heading into SLC packed it in hard in practice on Friday and limped into Saturday’s finals with the guts you’d expect from someone who makes a living jumping a dirt bike. “I jacked up my ankle and palms of my hands pretty good,” said Bilko. “Tough time walking over to get to my bike, then came up short on a couple jumps in the finals – which didn’t feel that good. But I’ve got some time to heal here before Orlando and there’s only five points separating me and Adam for 1st, so we’ll look forward to running it back here in a month (Oct. 16-19).”

Back on the BMX bikes Monster Energy’s Spinner is truly at a loss for words. He’s seemingly done everything possible to unseed four-time BMX Park winner this summer, rival Daniel Dhers. But for whatever reason Spinner just can’t seem to close the deal on 1st place and this past weekend wasn’t any different (to the judges), coming in second by a 93.0 to 93.33 score.

“Daniel did it again, put it down,” said Spinner. “So I’ve pretty much secured 2nd place overall and I’m going to Orlando to have some fun, come back next year and I’ll be on it.”

Spinner arguably had the best run of the competition on his first run. He didn’t, however, throw his quad bar spin – which is something the judges might have been looking for. On his second run he sketched a couple times early and packed it in, relying on his first run score to carry him. Dhers had other plans and tore into his second run like crazy, which ended up sitting real well with the judges. So basically it’s Orlando for the first-ever Dew Tour season sweep for Dhers – with Spinner being the rider with the most legitimate shot at derailing Dhers’ effort.

Also putting up noteworthy efforts in both BMX Park and BMX Dirt was Monster Energy’s Ryan Guettler. After a mediocre first Park run, Guettler nailed the competition’s only double back flip and was able to secure a 5th place overall. Things looked even better in Dirt as Guettler was in 3rd place after the prelims, but he wasn’t able to bring it together in the finals (12th).

On skateboards Monster Energy got another fine performance from PLG on and above the vert ramp, but the Canadian was edged out in an oh-so-close final by a quarter point, 90.50 to 90.25, to veteran Andy McDonald.

“It’s going to come down to Orlando because everything’s pretty close,” said PLG. “I’ll have to skate the prelims, which I have no problem doing and bring it for the finals.”

PLG’s in 4th place right now, only a couple points back of McDonald in 3rd. And should Bucky Lasek and/or Bob Burnquist slip up (1st & 2nd place o/a), it’ll be a heck of a shootout for the top Skate Vert spot in Orlando. Also, Monster Energy’s Alex Perelson qualified in 3rd place for the SLC Skate Vert, placed 10th and moved to within two points of the top ten overall. Not bad for a 17-year-old!

On the Skate Park scene Monster Energy’s Greg Lutzka continued to blaze in the competitive field – just missing the podium at SLC (4th). Lutzka did receive his share of TV time as Toyota selected him as the subject of some specially-prepared cars in the Toyota Driving Matrix Challenge. Lutzka was joined in the driving skills competition by Monster Energy teammate Bestwick, along with Burnquist.

Finally, Monster Energy BMXer Donny “DR” Robinson (Bronze medal in Beijing) placed on the podium in 3rd in the BMX Supercross demonstrational event held at SLC. DR scored a 2nd place finish in his semi final race, but didn’t have the greatest gate pick for the finals. He made up for that with a mid pack move that forced himself (from roughly 6th) into 4th place coming off the big double into the first turn, then put himself on the podium by diving down into 3rd place at the end of the first turn.

Next up for the Monster Energy Army generals is the Oct. 16-19 Dew Tour round in Orlando.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. The guys running the iconic Monster “M-claw” logo are diggin’ ‘em on the Dew Tour – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com

Abbott, with Monster/Kawasaki teammate Ricky Dietrich, helps lead Team USA to 3rd place podium finish in Serres, Greece

  

 



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 12, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Destry Abbott just returned from Greece, smiling from ear-to-ear with this report from the 2008 International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), a grueling off road motorcycle competition dubbed the “Olympics of Motorcycling” and featuring the world’s top off road specialists.



Abbott, a four-time AMA Hare & Hound Series champion, along with Monster Energy/Kawasaki teammate Ricky Dietrich, helped lead Team USA to its first ISDE medal since 1982, finishing in 3rd place despite losing team captain Kurt Caselli early on in the competition.



In his words, here’s Monster Energy’s Abbott describing this incredible event that took place in and around the rugged terrain surrounding the town of Serres:



Day 1:



“The first day was around 170-miles (like most of the first five days). It was really my first time getting to see how the bike was going to work, because our container with the bikes didn’t show up until two days before the event started. We had five tests on the first day, and then the rest of the days we had 6 (beside day 6 where we just had the final moto). My first test was going good until I tried to pass a slower rider on the MX test. I ended up going down because it was so slick (from them watering it). I kept it upright the rest of the day, but wasn’t real happy with the way I rode. The best part of the day was when we found out our trophy team was in third overall in the standings. This is something the US team hasn’t done in over 20 years. Kurt Caselli and Ricky Dietrich put in awesome rides that really helped us out. Nathan Woods had a mechanical problem, in one of the tests, which lost him a good 10 minutes. The good part was that they only count 5 of our 6 best riders, so Nathan’s score for the day was dropped.



Day 2:



I was looking forward to day two, since they rearranged the starting order to reflect each rider’s finishing position from the previous day. This put me up front with the faster guys (32nd out of 450 riders) and now I didn’t have to worry about getting by guys in the test. Most of the tests went really well, besides the last Enduro test where I took two soil samples. My time was really bad, but all my other tests were pretty good so I still moved up in the overall (around 28th and 13th in E2). Our team still rode awesome, and Kurt was still in the overall lead with Ricky not to far behind in 6th overall (I think). We knew we all did pretty well and were still in a solid 3rd overall and not that far behind France and Italy. Later, after the race, we found out they wanted to dock Kurt 5-minutes for breaking the ribbon (because he crashed) and not getting back on where he left the course. The rule says you get an automatic DQ if you ride backwards so he did what he thought was the safest thing to do. He was on the outside of the corner and still lost more time doing what he did (which was the right thing to do). They decided to only give him a one minute penalty, but this dropped him out of the top spot (now in 3rd overall).



Day 3:



This was the first day I started to ride like myself and was putting in some top 15 overall times in some of the tests. It also helped that we were on new trails and the tests weren’t as chewed up as the first two days. I had Nate Kanney and Jimmy Jarrett close to my minute, so it was fun being able to ride with two of my fellow US teammates during the trail sections. The day was a little longer and we were on our bikes close to 8-hours today, but at the same time they had some easy road sections too. After the first of two loops, I saw Kurt sitting at the factory KTM pit when I rode by (the main pit). I gave him the nod to see how things were going, and as soon as he looked at me I knew something was wrong. When I got to the Team USA pit I found out he had knocked himself out, in the Enduro test, and wasn’t going to be able to ride anymore. This was a huge loss for us since he’s our team captain and our score leader on the team. Now that Kurt was out we all had to step up and try to ride consistent. The Finland team wasn’t that far behind us and they have Juha Salminen (overall leader) on their team. After the days results we were still holding down third, but had lost time to Italy and France.



Day 4:



This was a typical race for me, because I felt like I kept getting better as the race was going on (I’ve always been a slow starter). We rode the same tests as day three, and you could tell the trails had started to get a little beat up again. You definitely had to stand on the bike a lot if you didn’t want to get beat up by the seat. For the most part, the day was going really well until the bike started to backfire and not want to run. This was really scary, but I was 90% sure what it was. The same thing happened to me at one of the H&H’s this year. Silty conditions had plugged up the pilot jet and the bike wasn’t getting any fuel down low, so you always had to keep the throttle on. I was riding down the big mountain, and it wasn’t fun having to hold the throttle open all the time. I rode a really good pace to make sure I had extra time at the main check below to fix it. Luckily I was able to change it during the time I had. After the first day, I kept consistently moving up in the standings and was feeling good. As for the team, Finland made up some time on us and was around 1 minute and 20-seconds back from us. We knew it would be tough to get in the top 2 now, but we really wanted to finish on the podium. Ricky D is the one that stepped it up the most and I believe we was in 4th overall on his KX250F. Nathan Woods was also putting in solid results for being so far back in the pack (because of his first day). The five of us rode solid again!



Day 5:



This was basically the last day we really had to spend 7+ hours on the bike, and it was also going to be new trails and tests again. Day 5 was by far the best I rode at this point. In one of the tests, I put in the 3rd fastest time (lost by 1 second) and had some other really good tests too. We had 6 tests again today, and after the 5th one I knew I was going to bump into the top 20 overall if I did the same thing in the last test. It was another Enduro test that was really sketchy, but the first time I went through it I posted a top 15 time. I felt good and pinned it, but there was one small mud hole I tried to jump and the bike just stuck to the other side. Of course, I went flying over the bars! I wasted a good 30 seconds there before I got going. Even with that test, I still moved up to 11th in E2 and I think I was in 24th overall. It was really good to get back to Parc Ferme and know I just had one moto test to do, which I was really looking forward to. When the team results came out we were now in 4th and 2 ½ seconds behind Finland for the podium spot. That night we had another Trophy Team meeting and talked about our strategy. We felt we still had a great shot at the podium since we could all moto really well. It’s pretty amazing after 5-Days of racing (counting 5 scores everyday) it comes down to less then 3 seconds for the podium.



Day 6:



This was the first day we got to sleep in since the Trophy rider’s motos went last. The MX track was really cool, but it was over 100 degrees and on the humid side. This place was packed and had the full Euro feel with air horns, flags waving, and screaming fans. We had Kit Kamo helping us out in the press room. She was keeping an eye on the times for the five of us and Finland’s five. The E3 class was the first to go off, for the Trophy riders, and we only had one guy left in that class (Nathan Kanney). He rode an awesome race and put in a great time even with a slide out. Now it was time for the E2 class where there were three of us (Nathan, Jimmy, and myself). They started us out where they hold the road races. We were on the road course and lined up on the starting grid. I was 11th in class and Jimmy and Woods were behind me. When the lights went off, we took off. This was the first time I’ve ever done a road race start like this. Going into the first corner, I was in 6th or so and made a couple quick passes to get into 4th on the first lap. I was feeling really good and knew this was going to be a great time.



Juha was leading and I was just going to see if I could stay with him, or try not to lose a lot of time, but after the first lap they black flagged us. I think someone from Spain hit the ground and knocked themselves out. It was time to go line up on the grid again. We sat in the heat (100+ degrees) for a good 15-minutes before it was our time to race again. I had another great jump again, and was in fifth after the first corner (which was a really sketchy first corner). I saw Juha was right there, but when he hit the dirt I knew he went down. I couldn’t see his bike since it was so dusty. At the last second, there it was sideways and right where I was going. I tried my best to dodge it, but still hit it and went over the bars. I know I wasn’t the only one to hit his bike though. The first thing I thought of was at least Juha was down too, so that’s going to be good for the team. I got up around 30th and started to pin it. The first two laps I know I wasn’t making any friends and was riding aggressive.



I could see Nathan and Jimmy were a ways in front of me, and I just kept thinking Juha is behind me and my goal was to keep him back there. I was passing guys every lap and then I got behind Nathan. We had a good pace going and just kept working through guys. When the checkered came out I finished 9th in the moto, less then a second behind Nathan with Jimmy putting in an awesome ride for 6th. When I got off the track, they told me Juha’s bike broke from the crash and it looked like we had third wrapped up as long as Ricky could finish his moto. I went and changed out of my gear real quick so I could watch Ricky go throw it down with Cervantes. Ricky got a second place start and followed Cervantes for basically the whole moto. They put a huge lead on third before they got the checkered flag. As soon as I saw Ricky get the checkered flag I knew we had secured 3rd overall.



Overall Summary:



I have to say it was for sure a successful 6-Days for me and the team. My goal was to get top 10 in the most competitive E2 class and I did that with a 9th (and 22nd overall). I also got my third Gold medal and an awesome third place team medal. We got the team on the podium and I know there weren’t a lot of people that thought we could do it (besides Rich Caselli, the six of us, and a lot of our USA supporters).”



Next up for Monster Energy’s Destry Abbott and Ricky Dietrich is this weekend’s AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross at the Florence (S.C.) Civic Center, Sept. 13th.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it enduro, mini bikes, MX, MotoGP, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Destry Abbott and Ricky Dietrich were diggin’ ‘em over at the ISDE in Greece last week. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Monster Energy's perennial Gold medalist, the first rookie to take the Gold at X Games and the first to win Gold back to back are all titles that signify Kyle Loza's impact on the sport of FMX. However in 20 years from now, when it's all said and done, the thing that will be remembered most is the Hostile Takeover that left the FMX community scratching their head and playing catch up. The lasting impressions left by a rider that breaks the boundaries of FMX and goes where none have gone before will be his legacy. The sport that needs to advance faster than imaginable may have meet its match. The new tricks being released in the near future are bigger and more technical than ever imagined and Kyle Loza is leading the charge. It is fair to say that for the first time, the Video Games have to play catch up with reality. Mexico X Games is only a few weeks away and this looks to be one heated competition that will put the best in the world in a battle for all the Peso's. Kyle, whose grandfather is full blooded and from the same region in Mexico, takes these games very seriously and has planned a new trick to release.



Check out www.MonsterEnergy.com for the full report following Mexico X Games.

 

Campbell, the defending WE Rock Grand National champion, takes the overall weekend title with a 3-1 two day finish in Hannibal, Mo.





  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 11, 2008) – Monster Energy rock crawling/rock racing’s Shannon Campbell successfully defended his 2007 WE Rock Grand National Unlimited class title with a 3rd/1st finish in the two day competition held recently in Hannibal, Mo.



Campbell got out of the first day in 3rd place, some 56 points out of 1st in the Unlimited class. Having to play catch up he teamed with Georgia’s Lance Clifford of Pirate4x4.com as his spotter on day two and the team was able to make up the 56 points to take the overall win – with 25 points to spare!



“Our hard work paid off as we made very few mistakes on the second day and were able to his our bonus lines to make up the point deficit from day one,” said Campbell. “Thanks a bunch to Monster for being there with me this summer. Glad we were able to deliver the win.”



America’s top rock crawler/rock racer, Campbell will be in southern California this weekend for the Championship Off Road Racing (CORR) round at Chula Vista International Raceway, aka the “Quarry” to compete in the Pro Lite division.



“Going to CORR was probably one of the most difficult crossovers I have had to do,” said Campbell, who contested the Pomona CORR round earlier this season. “We built a dirt modified in the off season to prepare for CORR. The car is called our ‘CORR trainer.’ I'm learning a lot and getting more confident in my driving style.”



Following CORR the next event for Monster Energy’s Shannon Campbell is the XRRA finals in Jellico, Tenn. (Sept. 19-20).



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it rock crawling, rock racing, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Shannon Campbell digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Ricky Carmichael tests for a possible seat in the No. 8 Spirit of Daytona Porsche Coyote at the upcoming Grand Am Series’ Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona





  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 11, 2008) – Things just got a little bit more interesting in the world of car racing for Monster Energy’s Ricky Carmichael.



Yesterday the all-time winningest motocross racer and current NASCAR Camping World Series East series racer took to the high banks of Florida’s Daytona International Speedway to get a feel for the world of Grand Am racing, specifically what it feels like to approach 200 mph in a Grand Am Prototype model car.



“It’s a learning experience for me,” said Carmichael in an interview on the Grand Am series’ website. “I’m having a blast. These guys are awesome. That makes my experience fun. More than once I’ve dreamed of racing here and I’m slowly creeping up on it. More than likely the Rolex 24 will be my first race here.”



Noteworthy: Carmichael partnered with Daytona Superbike legend Scott Russell at Daytona for the Rolex test. Carmichael’s buddy Scott Taylor forwarded some pictures over to us. Check ‘em out and stay tuned to monsterenergy.com for more information on RC and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona!



Carmichael is now off to Loudon (N.H.) to practice today and race Friday – same place the NASCAR Spring Cup and Craftsman Truck series drivers will be racing this weekend.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Rolex 24 Hours, NASCAR, MX, MotoGP, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Ricky Carmichael digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

•    Monster/Kawasaki’s MotoGP team returns to U.S. for Indy GP

•    Monster/Yamaha’s Philippaerts 4th @ MXGP of Holland

•    Monster/CAS/Honda’s Mackenzie 5th @ MXGP of Holland

•    Monster/Honda racers Crutchlow & Ellison 2nd & 4th @ Donington



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 10, 2008) – With Monster Energy status continuing to blow up big over in Europe, the iconic M-claw logo again stood out in numerous motorsport competitions with international Monster Energy riders representing well abroad, and will do so over here this weekend for a the second of two MotoGP rounds here in the States.



MotoGP



 



This weekend the Monster Energy/Kawasaki team of John Hopkins and Anthony West return to the United States for the inaugural running of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway MXGP race, round 14 of the 2008 MXGP series.



Both Hopkins and West have as good a shot as anyone currently ahead of them in the points as no one has run the Indy circuit yet. With a clean slate both racers are looking forward to this weekend’s contest at what’s expected to be a packed house at IMS.



“I'm really excited about Indianapolis as it's my second home round and unfortunately I missed Laguna Seca because I was injured,” said Hopkins of the previous U.S. round. “Not only that, but I grew up around the racing world, and although two-wheeled motorsport is my favorite, the family would all get together to watch races like the Brickyard and the Indianapolis 500 at this track. It's a very special feeling to be racing in MotoGP there, and although I'm not familiar with the circuit, I'm incredibly motivated for this event. I've been studying the track layout and Olivier tested the Ninja ZX-RR earlier this year, so we have a little bit of feedback from that, but being in front of my home fans at such an incredible place is going to be fantastic - I just can't wait to get out there.”



Added West: “Indianapolis is a new challenge for everyone as no-one knows the track. I'm hoping this will give us a little bit of an advantage, as it should be more of an even playing field. At Misano we struggled with the front-end of the bike, and although we managed to make some improvements in the post-race test, there is still work to do. I stayed in Italy following the event where I've been doing a lot of cycling and training ready for this weekend, so I'm feeling relaxed and ready for the challenge. We'll go and try to get as many laps under our belt on Friday to put us in the best possible position for the race, and it will be a case of trying to capture as much data as we can, then going from there. I'm looking forward to it and I hope we can get a strong result.”



MXGP







Monster Energy-backed MXGP racer and current MX1 class points leader David Philippaerts (Yamaha) raced to a 4th place finish in last week’s Grand Prix of Benelux (Holland) on the Lierop circuit, while Monster Energy-backed teammate Josh Coppins finished 5th.



A sizable crowd reported at 35,000 saw the Italian Philippaerts take another step to securing the overall MX1 class championship with a 3rd place podium finish in the first moto and a 5th place finish in the second moto.



Said Philippaerts: “This was a big result today. I wanted to go out there and try to win the title, not the race. I finished third in the first moto and for an Italian at Lierop I did not think that was bad at all! In the second moto I looked for the victory but pushed a bit too hard because I felt tired at the finish. I had some close moments out there and I tried my best, aware that anything can happen. The team worked really hard all weekend and the bike was great for the races; I am really happy with this GP. We go to Faenza next and I think two top five positions will be good enough for the championship. I will go home and remain focused this week. I just want to train and do my normal routine and see what next weekend brings.”



Coppins came very close to winning the second moto, only to have a slight miscalculation result in a crash and relegate him 6th on the last lap, ultimately finishing 5th.







“The same old story for me really, two crashes and something little and annoying like a tear-off in my mouth. In the first race I took it a bit easy at the start because I was mindful of my energy for the second moto. After crashing with Marc in the second I just put all my anger and frustration at this season in the rest of those laps and it brought me to the front. It was nice to race with the guys again after so many incidents at the starts of motos recently. I honestly did not know I was second. I did not see anything on the pit-board and I guess positions were changing quite fast. If I knew Ken (De Dycker) was the leader then I would have backed off slightly in order to line him up. I can't seem to get a Grand Prix right, but I will give my best in Faenza to try and get something from this season."



Also, Monster Energy’s Billy Mackenzie (CAS Honda) placed 5th overall in Holland and is 9th in the overall MX1 class standings. “I tried to put a fast lap in at the start of the session and it was a really good lap, I’d almost got everything perfect,” he said. “I caught the guy up in front of me and he must have got cross-rutted because he didn’t clear the jump and then came right across me, I was already in the air and no-where to go! I was really looking forward to this GP and very disappointed not to have been able to add to my series points.”



With one race remaining on the MXGP schedule Philippaerts leads Steve Ramon by 14 points, 477-463. Coppins is in 5th place overall, four points back of Jon Barragan (419-415). The final MXGP round – the Grand Prix Citta di Faenza, or Grand Prix of Italy, takes place this weekend.



British MX Championships



Monster Energy-backed Honda racers Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant), Leon Haslam (HM Plant) and James Ellison (Hydrex/Bike Animal) all competed in the World Superbike championships held this past weekend on familiar pavement, the UK’s Donington Park (British Superbike Series venue). Crutchlow would lead the Monster Energy assault on the podium, placing 2nd in his first-ever WSB podium effort. Haslam was also looking to podium, but a mechanical issue took him out of the contest. Ellison turned up the heat as well and placed 4th at the event.



European MX2 Championship



Monster Energy’s Klemen Gercar (Yamaha) placed 12th overall at the Roggenburg circuit in Switzerland, round 13 of the European MX2 Championships. The Slovenian was running close to the leaders, but ran into some issues late in both motos. Here’s how he put it: “In moto 1 after 10 minutes I suffered with arm pumping and I could not force to attack the leaders and just had to wait and finish the race in 4th, while in moto 2 everything was going well and I was again 3rd when in the final laps I had to slow down a bit because I was loosing the left grip on the handlebar, but overall I'm very satisfied with my weekend.”



World Speedway Grand Prix Championship







Monster Energy’s Greg Hancock finished 4th at the Daugavpils (Latvia) Speedway GP, keeping himself solidly on the overall podium (3rd place) in that series.



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MotoGP, MXGP, British Superbikes, European MX2, WSB, MTB, off road, supermoto, FMX, skate, 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 really starting to dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Supercrosser-turned-off road truck racer will try and podium with top Monster Army teammates Greaves, Huseman, Ampudia and Coyne

 

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 10, 2008) – The second of three rounds of Championship Off Road Racing Series (CORR) at Chula Vista (Calif.) International Raceway – aka the “Quarry” – gets underway this Saturday (Sept. 13) with the greatest supercross racer of all time, Monster Energy’s Jeremy “Showtime” McGrath, leading a contingent of Monster Army pro off road truck racers into battle on the west coast’s premier short course off road racing series.

McGrath, who brings with him a huge contingent of dirt bike fans to the sport of off road truck racing, is currently in 6th place (after ten rounds) in the overall Pro 2 points chase, having scored three podium finishes and six top five results. Running the 4,200 pound, two-wheel-drive, 800 horsepower Baldwin Racing truck, McGrath is pumped and ready to get after it this weekend in Chula Vista, put himself back on the podium.

“We had a good run going between the first Primm and second Pomona rounds where we scored three-straight podiums,” said McGrath. “I’d definitely like to start a similar streak this weekend at the Quarry and hopefully carry the momentum through the end of the season, move us up in the standings towards the overall Pro 2 podium.”

Topping the Monster Energy effort in the overall points chase in the Pro 4 class are racers Rick Huseman (3rd o/a) and Johnny Greaves (4th o/a). Huseman especially is within striking distance of the overall leader (Scott Douglas), trailing the top spot by a mere 16 points (931-915) in the standings. And those 16 points were basically expensed at the last CORR round in Pomona when Huseman was black flagged and forced to re-enter the race at the back of the pack after a get together with Carl Renezeder was deemed a bit too rough by CORR officials. The end result was a 7th place finish in what could have been a win for Huseman.

“CORR made its call and we have to stand by that,” said Huseman, who runs a Fabetch/Toyota in the Pro 4 class. “Our focus now is to get back on the podium this weekend. There’s a lot of racing remaining on the schedule, but success at this point of the season will bode well come the finals in December.”

Huseman and Greaves have each won Pro 4 races this season, Huseman capturing two top spots (rounds four and six at Pomona) with Greaves winning the first Primm round.

In the Pro Lites class Monster Energy is led by Rodrigo Ampudia. The winner at the last round in Pomona (round ten), the popular driver of the Papas & Beer Pro Lite ride is currently in 4th place in the standings, but only a couple points off the overall podium and less than 20 points (803-875) out of 1st place. Five additional podium finishes to go with his win has Ampudia right in the hunt for the overall Pro Lites title, as long as he can remain consistent through the final six rounds. Ampudia is also in the top ten (10th) overall in the Pro 2 class.

Finally, those attending the Chula Vista CORR event live or following the action on the SPEED channel can keep an eye on Monster Energy’s Pro 4 class driver Travis Coyne. Currently 15th in the overall standings, Coyne has a podium finish (3rd at the second Pomona round) and only has been out of the top ten in the standings twice.

Next up for the Monster Energy-backed CORR racers is this weekend’s (Sept. 13-14) round of the series at Chula Vista International Raceway. The event will be broadcast live on the SPEED Channel. Consult your local listings for times.

Developed in 1983, Championship Off Road Racing™ (CORR) brings high action four wheel motorsports including 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive trucks onto closed course off road tracks. The 2007 CORR season includes seven events in Los Angeles and San Diego, Dallas and Las Vegas.

CORR is divided into two series, Pro and Sportsman. The Pro Series is composed of three divisions: Pro 4 – Full-size 4wd race trucks, V8 engines, 800 HP; Pro 2 – Full-size 2wd race trucks, V8 engines, 800 HP; and Pro Lite – Compact/Mid-size 2wd race trucks, 4 cylinder engines, 300+ HP. The Sportsman Series is made up of two buggy divisions: Single Buggy -- Limited to a 1600cc VW Type 1 engine; and Super Buggy – Featuring a 1650cc water cooled power plant.

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

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it WSORR, SCORE, CORR, Best in the Desert, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, road racing, 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 Monster-backed guys racing the 2008 CORR Series are diggin’ ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Bestwick’s leading the BMX vert, PLG’s got 2nd twice and Spinner’s pulled off 2nd place three times to rank as Monster’s top Dew Tour athletes

  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 9, 2008) – Monster Energy Monster Army generals will be out in full force this weekend when the world’s top action sport athletes converge on Salt Lake City (SLC) for the fourth round of the summer Action Sports Tour, aka the “Dew Tour,” – featuring names like “Bestwick,” “PLG” and “Spinner” – Monster names synonymous with action sports greatness.



 

Leading it off on the BMX bikes for the SLC Toyota Challenge will be Monster Energy’s Jamie Bestwick. Untouchable through out the first two-thirds of the summer with Dew Tour wins in Baltimore and Cleveland, along with a gold medal at the ESPN Summer X Games, Bestwick finally showed a chink in his armor when he lost a tough decision to friendly rival Chad Kagy at the third Dew Tour round (Portland, Ore.). Undeterred, Bestwick got right back after things at his training compound at Camp Woodward (Pa.) and put the torch to his training, re-igniting the fire that burns like a white hot crucible inside his ultra competitive body.

“The battles between Chad and I have been unreal,” said Bestwick. “We’re both having to step up our games to levels I never though imaginable. It can be a bit nerve-wracking, but focus is all part of it. I blinked at Portland and it cost me. I’m looking to rebound here in Salt Lake and put myself and Monster back on top of the podium.”

Parallel excitement abounds on the BMX Park course where Monster Energy’s Mike Spinner has pulled out all the stops to take down the reigning king of that discipline, Dan Dhers. Spinner’s pulled the first ever quad tail whip in competition and now had it as a staple in his run, as is the 1080 spin. Albeit for a couple minor sketches – namely at Cleveland – and Spinner could easily have a win to go with his three 2nd place efforts.

Also on the BMX bikes keep an eye on Dave Mirra. Story has it the rally racing fire suit has been ditched for some intense riding sessions as the all-time winningest BMX rider wants to put his Monster Energy emblazoned Mirraco bike back up where it belongs – on the damn podium! Equally as hungry is Monster Energy’s Ryan Guettler. Back from his teeth-loosening, nose-cracking BMX Park lipstand in Cleveland, Guettler – who’s got two podium finishes (one 2nd place each in Park & BMX Dirt) – would like nothing better than to become the first BMXer to podium in Park and Dirt at the same event this summer. And word is: “Don’t bet against him!”

On skateboards Monster Energy looks to have its best shot at hardware from Pierre Luc “PLG” Gagnon on the Skate Vert ramp and Greg Lutzka in Skate Park. Both were on the podium at the ’08 Portland Wendy’s Invitational last month with PLG placing 2nd and Lutzka 3rd. In the overall championship standings PLG trails Bucky Lasek by 37 points, 260-223, for the Vert title and the banged up Lutzka is in 4th place overall, 15 points behind Chaz Ortiz for the third and final podium spot (230-215).

“I busted my wrist about four weeks ago, but it shouldn’t effect me too much,” says Lutzka.

Also bringing it on the Skate Vert ramp for Monster Energy will be newschooler Alex Perelson. Just 17, the vert skater’s holding it down in the competition where the average age (Think: Halterman, McDonald, Burnquist & Dias) is up above 30. Perelson, who’s got a good story on him on the Dew Tour website today regarding his ‘young gun’ status, is joined on the rollout deck by Monster Energy’s Jean Postec. The French transplant, who finished 8th at SLC last year, is looking to break through with his first top five finish of the year.

Cranking back up the dirt bikes for the Dew Tour FMX championships will be Monster Energy’s Nate Adams, Blake “Bilko” Williams and Adam Jones. Adams won the FMX event last year at SLC, which helped him clinch the overall 2007 Dew Tour FMX title. This year’s been a bit different as two of the three stops (Cleveland and Portland) have been relegated to FMX “exhibition” events. So with two rounds to go (SLC and Orlando) Williams and Adams are 1-2 in the overall points as only Baltimore counted.

Noteworthy: Bestwick and PLG swept the SLC vert competitions at SLC last year…Guettler finished 2nd in BMX Park at SLC last year…Spinner spun to 5th in BMX Park and Lutzka crashed in the Skate Park finals (after qualifying 2nd) and placed 9th at SLC last year…Monster Energy BMXer Donny Robinson (Bronze medal in Beijing) has been invited to compete in the SLC Dew Tour BMX Supercross event.

Next up for the Monster Energy Army generals is the Sept. 11-14 Dew Tour round in Salt Lake City.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, MotoGP, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, mini bikes, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. The guys running the iconic Monster “M-claw” logo are diggin’ ‘em on the Dew Tour – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com

Wisconsin’s Steele clinches the overall championship early with a win under the lights on Friday at Crandon International Raceway, backs it w/ Sat. sweep!



 



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 8, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Keith Steele has just wrapped up the overall World Series of Off Road Racing (WSORR) Super Truck division championship, winning in front of his home state fans at Crandon (Wis.) International Raceway with a masterful 1-1 performance.

The two day event would feature a shortened three quarter mile technical track run under the lights at Crandon on Friday, with the second race being run on Saturday over the mile-and-a-quarter short track. Qualifying was held in the Borg/Warner Heavy Metal Shootout and Steele put his #229 Monster Energy Goodyear Tires Chevrolet Silverado on top of the field with a 1:28.91 lap time.

Scoring the top gate pick for Friday’s shortened ‘land rush’ start, several trucks tangled in front of the grandstands, but Steele was able to avoid trouble and put himself in a position to challenge Ron Schreiner for the lead early. By lap two Steele had 2nd place covered and was making his move on Schreiner. Lap five would have Steele power past Schreiner for the lead and keep the hammer down for the rest of the 16-lap contest, grabbing the checkers – and the overall championship – unchallenged.

“Tonight we achieved our main goal this year,” said Keith Steele. “We are taking the championship crown home to Madison (Wis.). A ton of hard work went into this season. My family, my crew, everyone involved with our team, put in 110-percent. I can't forget to thank Monster Energy and everyone that helps us get to the track, and all those that support our racing, giving us a place to race.”

Saturday was much of the same as Steele pulled through the Potawatomi Turn One in 2nd place, then took the lead by lap two and cruised to the victory. “Our main goal was to win the championship, but winning a World Championship ring was a close second,” he said. “This year I’ve been living the dream. Thanks to Monster, our entire team is always energized and ready to go to work when our race truck comes off the track.”

The win for Steele – who was 5th overall in the Super Truck class last year, came over Ben Wandahsega, 276-236. Dan Baudoux rounded out the podium in 3rd (226).

For more information on Monster Energy’s Keith Steele, check out his website at: www.steeleoffroad.com

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it WSORR, SCORE, CORR, Best in the Desert, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, road racing, 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. Keith Steele digs ‘em – so will you. Check it out on the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

 The Hawaiian tops a field of Californians in the Association of Surfing Professionals’ World Qualifying Series’ round six of nine

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 9, 2008) – Monster Energy-backed surfer Casey Brown (Kona, Hawaii) out-surfed a field of local Californians at Carlsbad’s Ponto Beach this past weekend to capture the first ever Vans El Ponto Loco, presented by Sun Diego, surf contest.

Round six (of nine) of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) stops was held in one to three-foot surf with all ASP WQS points being offered towards qualification for the 2009 ASP World Tour.

In winning the event the 20-year-old Brown topped Dillon Perillo (Malibu), Jason Collins (Santa Cruz) and Brad Ettinger (Huntington Beach) to win his first contest in some time.

“I haven’t won an event in such a long time,” said Brown. “It’s a good confidence booster because I can’t remember the last time I won an event.”

The highlight of Brown’s contest was pulling a 7.0 (out of 10.0) in the semis where the surf had calmed down to near nothing. This came in the closing minutes of the competition and, coupled with a top quarter finals score over Ettinger, gave Brown just the right amount of momentum he needed heading into the finals.

“I’ve never made a final before, so I’m stoked,” said Brown. “Even though this event is only a 2-Star (rating) it feels good. This event has been really good practice for me because I’m leaving for a contest in Spain, so it feels good to come over here and do well.”

Next up for Monster Energy surfer Casey Brown will be the Oakley Newport Pro, another ASP 2-Star, Sept. 16-21, at 56th Street in Newport Beach, Calif.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it surf, MTB, off road, MX, supermoto, FMX, skate, off road, 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. Casey Brown digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

 Round three of the popular indoor off road series moves to Florence, S.C., for the first-ever east coast round of AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Championship racing



 

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 9, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s trio of off road motorcycle racing greats – Destry Abbott, Ricky Dietrich and Damon Huffman – return to action back here in the States for round three of the 2009 AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Championship at the Florence (S.C.) Civic Center, Sept. 13.

Fresh off an overall 3rd place team podium finish at the recent International Six Days Enduro in Serres, Greece – America’s best finish since 1982 – Abbott, the 2008 AMA Hare & Hound Championship points leader and Dietrich, America’s top finisher at the ’08 ISDE (2nd o/a), should figure high in the S.C. EnduroCross scoring, as should Huffman.

“I know there’s a lot of guys coming from the east that we don’t get to see race out west in the WORCS and Hare & Hound series, so that east versus west rivalry thing should help pump the fans up even more,” said Abbott. “I’ll be a bit spent having just got back from Greece and the ISDE, but I’m sure I’ll snap out of it once the gate drops. Definitely want to improve on my position in the overall standings (16th).” Note: Former Monster Energy-backed racer Mike Brown (Tenn.) will be racing his first EnduroCross.

With Abbott gunning for his first EnduroCross podium finish of the year, Monster Energy teammates Dietrich and Huffman are currently No. 1 and No. 2 in the overall pro class points, with Dietrich winning the last round (#2) at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla., and Huffman finishing a close 2nd in what many were calling the most exciting finish in EnduroCross history.

“I can’t wait to get back in the starting gate,” said Dietrich. “We had such a blast in Oklahoma. Great show for the fans and I expect it to be just as intense in South Carolina.”

Also noteworthy: Monster Energy is the “official” energy drink of AMA/Maxxis Endurocross…Highlights of the Florence EnduroCross event will be broadcast on the Versus Channel’s Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour…For more information link to: www.endurocross.com

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it EnduroCross, MTB, off road, MX, supermoto, FMX, skate, 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, Ricky Dietrich and Damon Huffman dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

 Defending UCI World Cup elite class MTB downhill champ suffers a tough blow in the championship chase, has his work cut out for him @ final round in Austria



 



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 8, 2008) – Sam Hill (Monster Energy/Iron Horse) lost his grip on the UCI World Cup mountain bike elite class downhill overall points lead at the penultimate round and has a tough battle ahead of him as the series gets set for its final round this weekend in the Austrian mountains at Schladming.



The defending World Cup downhill champion, Hill has run the leader’s jersey for longer than any racer on the series this year. Unfortunately, an uncharacteristic non-podium finish (11th) for Hill at Canberra (Australia) toppled him from atop his throne and put him in a ‘must-win’ position heading into this weekend’s final World Cup stop in Schladming.



“You know, my race run in Canberra was nearly perfect,” recalled Hill. “I felt like I rode the technical bits really well and had a good flow down the track so naturally I'm disappointed with my result there. But I know what I need to work on for next year now.”



Fortunately for Hill the World Cup tour returns to a venue for the finals – the Planai mountain range – where Hill has enjoyed great success in previous years (three wins since 2005, including a win last season). The situation is pretty straight forward. There’s 250 points available in the qualifier (semi final) and finals. Hill trails rival Greg Minnaar by 116 point. Hill will no doubt be gunning for the win on the steep and rooty course, and hopes to put the pressure back on Minnaar.



“I'm really excited to be racing in Austria again for the finals,” said Hill. “It's my favorite track on the circuit and I feel confident that I can win there. I'm pretty much just going to Schladming to win the semi final and the final. I know that's what I have to do to have a shot at the championship. And if I can win those then it's up to Minnaar to deal with the pressure and have a fast run.”



Joining Hill at Schladming will be his Iron Horse teammate, Brendan Fairclough and fellow Monster Energy-backed racer Sabrina Jonnier (Maxxis), who’s chasing Great Britain’s Rachel Atherton for the overall women’s downhill championship.



Team Monster Energy Iron Horse is also sponsored by: Mad Catz, Game Shark, Air Drives, RockShox, SRAM, Avid, FUNN, Maxxis, DT Swiss, FSA, Crank Brothers, WTB, e.thirteen, DW Link, Troy Lee Designs, Minoura, Maxima, Obtainium Performance Products, Five-Ten, Freestyle Watches, THE, Alligator, Yamaha of Troy, KMC and Kicker.



For more information on the Monster Energy/Iron Horse downhill mountain bike racing program, link to: www.madcatzracing.com



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MTB, off road, MX, supermoto, FMX, skate, 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. Sam Hill, Brendan Fairclough and Sabrina Jonnier dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Currie’s a perfect four-for-four in Lites class racing, Monster Energy-backed Grave/Yamaha teammate Mark Burkhart makes Supermoto class podium (3rd)

Price, who placed 2nd at Loretta’s, wraps up summer with 1-1 @ MX National

  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 5, 2008) – Monster Energy’s Sara Price sure had an excellent summer on her dirt bike, wrapping things up this past weekend with a 1-1 performance at the Steel City (Pa.) round of the Women’s Motocross Association (WMA) series.

Prior to Steel City, Price - backed by the highly successful Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green program – captured the overall championship at the Ponca City (Okla.) Grand Nationals. She then placed 2nd at the most high profile amateur motocross event in the world, the Ski Nautique AMA Amateur National MX Championships held at Loretta Lynn’s ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

“The racing was great all summer” said Price. “There are so many fast women racers coming through the ranks. Overall I think I have learned a lot and will be ready to turn pro in 2009.”

Next up for Price will be the Winter Mini Olympics, aka the “Mini O’s,” held Thanksgiving week in Gainesville, Fla. Price is gunning for her second Golden Boot (MVP) award.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, Supermoto, MotoGP, road racing, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Sara Price digs ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Defending XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championship series champions take to the Miller Motorsports Park this weekend in Tooele for round four (of seven)



 

  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 5, 2008) – Monster Energy’s superstar supermoto racers Mark Burkhart and Brandon Currie, both of whom run the Yamaha YZs for the Graves Motorsports program, are back in action this weekend for round four (of seven) of the 2008 XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championships held in Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

Dubbed “Cycle Fest” by promoters, Burkhart and Currie will run the showcase events at Miller, contesting the AMA Supermoto and AMA Supermoto Lites classes, respectively. Burkhart trails rival Troy Herfoss by three points, 70-67, for the overall points lead while Currie has swept all three events this year and leads Matt Burton by nine points, 75-66. Note: Both Burkhart and Currie are the defending champions in their classes.

“We ran well at Miller last year and the plan is to do the same this weekend,” said Burkhart, who won the event last year – which was critical in his pursuit of Jeff Ward for the overall championship points lead. “The facility is excellent, the course is a blast and we’ve got a good battle going for the championship at the midway point of the season. I’m definitely looking forward to a shot at putting my Monster/Graves/Yamaha back on top of the podium.”

In the Lites class Currie has been unstoppable. Last year in the Utah Supermoto Lites class Currie held onto his overall points lead with a 2nd place finish in the event. Currie started 2nd and finished 2nd to David Pingree.

“Graves Motorsports has my YZ set up to win, and so far I’ve been fortunate to deliver,” said Currie. “But as the season moves along and the newer guys keep getting more experience, the racing gets tighter. Tough on me for sure, but no doubt great for the fans. Should be a great Lites race again this weekend in Utah.”

Monster Energy’s XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championship champions – Burkhart and Currie – return to action this weekend, Sept. 5-7, for round for of the series at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. For more information on the 2008 XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championship, link up to: www.amasupermoto.com

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it Supermoto, MX, MotoGP, road racing, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Mark Burkhart and Brandon Currie dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

For the third consecutive year, Monster Energy would like to pull back the big velvet curtains and introduce the highly acclaimed Absinthe Film-produced Sphere of Influence Tour that's poised to flash across the silver screens of North America. Featuring the new film “Ready”, the 21-city stop tour will begin in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 30, 2008 and visit the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, as well as the U.S. states of California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado before wrapping up in Juneau, Alaska on November 15.

 

Led by longtime director and respected filmmaker Justin Hostynek, “Ready” features a diverse lineup of some of the world¹s best snowboarding talent and certainly holds true to Absinthe Films’ focus “to present the highest level of  progressive snowboarding to its audience in a fresh, inclusive and engaging way” and to be “focused on establishing new standards rather than keeping up with the pack.”

 

Shot primarily in Alaska, British Columbia and Utah, the 3rd Annual Sphere of Influence Tour¹s film Ready stars riders such as Nicolas Muller, Gigi Riff, JP Solberg, Mikey Leblank, Matty Ryan at Wolfgang Nyvelt. Also featured are Monster-backed snowmen Marc Franck Montoya and Louie Vito. Vito, the overall 2008 Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Championship

winner and Montoya, a snowboarder with prodigious big mountain and freestyle skills, light up the big screen with their big air and go for broke antics.

 

“We’ve been supporting the Sphere of Influence Tour for the last three years,” says Seth Pulford, Monster Energy Sorts marketing Manager. “Justin Hostynek and his crew, the guys who made “Ready”, traveled the world to make something that is really good. I mean they had the highest selling snowboard video last time out, so we all know the follow up is going to be pretty good.”



For a 3:14 second preview, got to http://www.absinthe-films.com/. Opening with a Monster Energy helicopter hovering over a blinding white, 90-degree canvas of snow — and all played out to a sonic backdrop of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" — it'll knock your block off.

 

James Stewart joins fellow Monster Energy-backed athlete Ricky Carmichael as the only overall winners of the prestigious three race MX award



 

  

CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 2, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart put his name into the record books this past weekend when, along with sweeping every moto and overall of the entire 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship, he also secured the overall $25,000 Motocross class win in the fourth annual Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross – the richest three race promotion in the sport’s history.



Said Stewart in the post-race press conference at Steel City (Pa.): “I didn’t want to get to 23-0 and blow it in the last moto. The track was really tricky and there were a lot of bumps out there. So I was a little nervous. For me it was (a relief for the season to be over). After the last few seasons I’ve had in outdoors, I’ve had a really tough time finishing the season. It was just a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders, especially after coming off the surgery. The way the season went is just unbelievable. It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same category as Ricky Carmichael.”



Stewart raced flawlessly - again - in gaining his 23rd and 24th-consecutive moto wins and running his record to 12-0, with three of those wins coming at Mt. Morris (Pa.), Buchanan (Mich.), along with this past weekend in Delmont (Pa.) - the three rounds that comprise the $100,000 Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross.



Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto didn’t fare quite as well as his Motocross class counterpart. Villopoto had swept the opening two MX Lites class rounds and was poised to capture a $25,000 bonus as well – and in doing so would have been the first-ever Lites class racer to win the Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross. However, a get together with fellow racer Nico Izzi at the beginning of lap eight of the first moto would damage Villopoto’s shifter and he would be unable to finish.



“Definitely not what we planned on having happen,” said Villopoto. “We’d have really liked to win the Triple Crown, being the first Lites team to do so. But our main goal was to win the overall Lites championship, which we were able to do. So the Lites Triple Crown remains elusive, something they’ll have to battle for again next year.”



Villopoto had started poorly (for him) in 16th place, but mounted a feverous charge through the pack of some of the world’s top Lites class racers. Up to the top ten at the end of the first lap, then to 7th by lap three – using an outside/inside pass on the downhill 180 section coming off Toyota Hill. Some 14 seconds back of race leader Josh Grant, Villopoto then caught Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Brett Metcalfe and then Ryan Sipes to move into the top five on lap five.



Making his move onto the podium – after starting in 16th – by lap seven, the Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross looked to be within Villopoto’s reach. But the guy he passed for 3rd, Izzi, had different ideas and, as they say, That was that.



“We’d no doubt like to congratulate all the racers that competed for the Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross bonus money, factory and privateer racers alike,” said Monster Energy’s John Lee. “The competition went right down to the wire this year and Stewart was able to capitalize – and for that we applaud his efforts and look forward to watching him defend his Triple Crown title next year.”



Privateer racers Sean Collier (MX class) and Steven Clarke (MX Lites) would each earn $2,000 in Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross bonus money at Steel City, adding their names to a list of top privateers including: Michael Willard and Sean Hamblin from Mt. Morris, along with Jeff Alessi and Kyle Cunningham at RedBud.



All totaled Stewart would rake in $34,000 of the $100,000 possible bonus money from Monster and Kawasaki. Villopoto would collect $6,000 and Steel City Lites winner, Ryan Dungey, would collect $3,000.

                            

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, MotoGP, 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, Monster’s fruit juice hybrid dubbed “M-80,” the party-friendly MIXXD and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream drink line supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. The guys racing for the Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross money at the Outdoor Nationals dug ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Stewart’s in the record books with Monster’s Ricky Carmichael as the only racers ever to complete a perfect season; teammate Tim Ferry also on the podium



CORONA, Calif., (Sept. 2, 2008) – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s James Stewart parlayed a 1-1 moto finish into what equaled the greatest motocross season ever – 24-0 in motos and 12-0 in overall wins – taking top honors at the Monster Energy/Kawasaki Steel City Outdoor National, the 12th and final round of the 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship.



Stewart, who joins Monster Energy-backed Ricky Carmichael as the only racers to record a perfect outdoor season (RC did it in 2002 & ’04), was flawless on the day, leading both MX class motos from start to finish (all 30 laps) and recording the fastest lap time on the day by more than two seconds.



“I didn’t want to get to 23-0 and blow it in the last moto,” said Stewart at the AMA post-race press conference. “The track was really tricky and there were a lot of bumps out there. So I was a little nervous. For me it was (a relief for the season to be over). After the last few seasons I’ve had in outdoors, I’ve had a really tough time finishing the season. It was just a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders, especially after coming off the surgery. The way the season went is just unbelievable. It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same category as Ricky Carmichael.”



And to the victor go the spoils as Stewart was also crowned as the 2008 Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross champion, earning him a $25,000 bonus check for sweeping High Point (Mt. Morris, Pa.), RedBud (Buchanan, Mich.) and Steel City (Delmont, Pa.).



Joining Stewart on the podium with one of his best rides of the outdoor season was Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Tim “Red Dog” Ferry. Ferry put on a masterful performance on the natural stadium-like Steel City circuit carved into a valley, battling both motos with local pro Broc Hepler. The effort allowed Ferry to secure 2nd place overall in the MX class standings – Ferry’s best finish ever outdoors and the second time he’s been on the overall outdoor premier class podium (2001).



 “Obviously second (in points) was good. I obviously didn’t want James (Stewart) to get that perfect season, but he came out strong and rode flawless,” said Ferry at the post-race press conference. “I think I’ve had my best year results wise. Aside from a supercross injury, I’ve had the best results. To finish the season off at the last race and feel strong will make this off-season a lot better. It took me a half moto in both motos to adapt to the lines Broc (Hepler) was using. Luckily I found a way around.”



Rounding out the MX class’ top ten scoring for Monster Energy was Yamaha-mounted Sean Hamblin (7th) and Josh Hill (8th). Hamblin had his best finish in the first moto with a 6th overall and Hill’s top finish came in the second moto where he scored a 5th. On the season both finished in the top ten as well, Hill coming in 7th place and Hamblin 9th, giving Monster Energy 40-percent of the riders in the top ten and two out of three podium spots – including the MX class title!



In the MX Lites class Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto was charging from a poor start in the first moto and made it all the way up to a podium spot (3rd) when he and Nico Izzi came together on lap seven. The subsequent impact bent RV’s shift lever to the point where it wouldn’t function, thus ending the first moto. Having already wrapped up the MX Lites class championship two races prior (Millville, Minn.), RV cruised to a 5th place finish in the second moto for 20th overall. His Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Brett Metcalfe, who had already wrapped up 3rd place overall on the MX Lites season, faired better – finishing 4th overall at Steel City (3-6). And Monster Energy-backed snocross/motocross star Tucker Hibbert placed a respectable 22nd.



Also noteworthy: Monster Energy’s Grant Langston (Yamaha), who’s been sidelined this summer due to injury, in a great gesture of sportsmanship took a pre-race lap of the Steel City course and handed over the MX class’ No. 1 plate to Stewart. Langston was the defending Outdoor National MX class champion.



Next up for Stewart, Ferry and Villopoto is the Motocross Des Nations, the annual nation-vs.-nation MX event taking place at England’s Donington Park (Sept. 27-28).



Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MX, SX road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, 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. Stewart, Ferry, Hill, Hamblin, Villopoto, Metcalfe, Lawrence & Hibbert dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

Jimmy rocked this year winning Wake Games, four out of five tour stops and Nationals.  He also won the Brostock Double up contest and he just got back from killing it at the Malibu Challenge where Hyperlite won and Jimmy was the "Top Performer of the Weekend".  He will be riding Pro next year.  Four years ago I never would have imagined all of this!!