News Release
Morgantown, W.Va. (March 10, 2010) – Racer Productions and MX Sports, in partnership with Florida racing facilities Daytona International Speedway and West Gate River Ranch, plus Aonia Pass MX in Georgia, as well as Ricky Carmichael and his team, hosted over 3,500 competitors at AMA-sanctioned events during Daytona’s Bike Week. The racing included the Parts Unlimited River Ranch and Maxxis General rounds of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross Championship on Daytona’s famous infield supercross track, and Ricky Carmichael University, held on Monday afternoon on the same circuit.
“In a time of economic bad news throughout the industry, we hope the success of these events indicates some light at the end of the tunnel for all of us involved in this sport,” says Tim Cotter, Event Director for MX Sports and Racer Productions. “We’re thrilled that so many families and racing enthusiasts came out and enjoyed themselves, and we’ll continue to explore new events and opportunities to help stimulate the sport.”
The GNCC tour kicked off by drawing 1,200 motorcycle and ATV racers from 25 states and eight nations to the opening round in Lake Wales. A few days later, over 1,500 GNCC racers competed in Washington, Georgia, at the second stop on the 13-round Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Championships.
At the same time, 750 amateur racers took to the Daytona International Speedway infield as part of the first-ever Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross Championship, with another 110 filling up every available spot in the RC University the following day-including NASCAR team owner Kyle Petty! RCU featured instruction on the course from 15-time AMA Motocross/Supercross champion Carmichael, fellow multi-time champions Jeff Stanton and Jeff Emig, plus pro racer-turned-Dunlop technician Clark Stiles, and Jeannie Carmichael, who helped shape her son’s extraordinary career.
“It’s a whole new world working on this side of the track,” says Carmichael of his first foray into race promoting and riding schools. “I’m just really, really excited about the potential of this event, and the chance to give back to motocross and supercross like this. We had a great time and I hope everyone learned a few things. To have the chance to compete at Daytona and learn supercross, I’m super-pumped that riders now have that opportunity. It’s a chance I wish I had when I was a kid!”
About GNCC Racing
The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series is America’s premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1979, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,800 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles, competing for more than $3 million in prizes. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.
About MX Sports
MX Sports, Inc. is a Morgantown, West Virginia-based motocross production company. The group coordinates the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships, which includes a national qualifying program consisting of 52 Area Qualifying races held annually from February through May and 12 Regional Championship races conducted in June at select motocross facilities across the country. Less than five percent of the Area Qualifier entries actually qualify for the national championship event, held during the first week of August at the home of country music star Loretta Lynn in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. In 2010, MX Sports organized the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross Championship at Daytona International Speedway, and Ricky Carmichael University, an exclusive riding school with the 15-time AMA Motocross/Supercross Champion. For more information, please visit www.mxsports.com.
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