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2012 AMA National Enduro Series Results

The 17-year-old Steward Baylor continues to impress off-road fans with his fast-speed and technical abilities on his KTM motorcycle at such a young age. This past weekend in Sumter, S.C., he stepped up his game again when he took his first-ever pro career AMA National Enduro Series win.

Baylor has been setting records throughout his teenage years in the GNCC Series and he was most recently crowned the GNCC XC2 Lites Champion in 2011. He took the past two and half months that made up the off-season and trained hard to come out to the opening round of the AMA National Enduro Series in Sumter, SC and make himself and his Ride PG/KTM Team a threat for the championship.

The Georgia native was impressive from the start to the end of the race. He took three of the six special test wins in order to claim his first victory. He was strong in each section only making a mistake in the fourth test where he hit his head on a tree branch that he wasn't able to duck under. Luckily, he was okay and came back to finish second fastest in the fifth special test and first in the final test.

Steward Baylor says: "It feels great to come out to the first round and get the win. I have been training really hard over the past year to increase my sprint speed and I think it shows today. I'd like to thank my team and my family for their help to get me to this level in my racing."

Joining Baylor on the podium was 8-time National Enduro Champion Mike Lafferty finishing in the runner-up position and fellow KTM rider Charlie Mullins who put his FMF/KTM on the final podium step.

Mullins, who finished second overall in the 2011 championship, struggled at the beginning of the race but came on very strong in the second half taking a section win in the fourth test.

His second half charge was just strong enough to knock his teammate Cory Buttrick off the podium. Buttrick put in a great race just finishing 12 seconds off of Mullins in the overall times.

The final member of the Factory FMF/KTM Team and the reigning National Enduro Champion, Russell Bobbitt, had a rough start to the season. Bobbitt, who was injured in mid-November, has only been back on the bike for three weeks and suffered from a lack of endurance in the longer tests.

Russell Bobbitt says: "I broke my wrist in November and it is still really sore when I ride for a long distance. There were a few long tests today and it was hard for me to maintain the race pace. I have a few weeks before the second round and I think that will really help me build up my endurance to be competitive for a podium position from here on out."

Factory FMF/KTM Team Manager, Antti Kallonen, was very excited with the outcome today, "We are excited for Steward to get his first win. He has been riding very strong over the past year. We are also excited that our FMF/KTM riders Charlie and Cory were battling for the podium throughout the day. We know Russell suffered some endurance problems but he always bounces back and we will help him over the remainder of the season to get back to race speed. Overall it was a great start to the weekend for our KTM riders."

The next round in the 2012 AMA National Enduro Series will be in Greensboro, Ga., Feb. 19, 2012.

2012 AMA National Enduro Series: Sumter, S.C. Overall Results:
1) Steward Baylor - KTM
2) Mike Lafferty - HSB
3) Charlie Mullins - KTM
4) Cory Buttrick - KTM
5) Brad Bakken - YAM
6) Russell Bobbitt - KTM
7) Jordan Ashburn - YAM
8) Andrew Delong - HSQ
9) Jason Raines - YAM
10) Jesse Groehm - KTM

Allaboutbikes.com

KTM and Ryan Dungey have only been competing together in the AMA Supercross for a couple of weeks, but the Austrian manufacturer has already claimed its first win. Ryan Dungey stood at the top of the podium last night in Phoenix after capturing his first win of the season and KTM's first Supercross victory in its history.

"This was a big step in right direction for KTM," said Dungey. "They've been behind me the whole way and believed in me. We've come a long way since the off-season, but there's still a lot of racing to go. I got off to a great start and (moved) into the lead early, which made it nice on myself. If it wasn't for all these people (at KTM) working their butts off every week, this wouldn't happen, so I owe this all to them."

Dungey won last night's race from start to finish while his main title contenders suffered difficulties throughout the race. A first lap crash by Davi Millsaps brought Ryan Villopoto to the back of the pack. Chad Reed and James Stewart both had bad starts and finished the first lap in the middle of the pack.

"This was a big step in right direction for KTM," said Dungey. "They've been behind me the whole way and believed in me. We've come a long way since the off-season, but there's still a lot of racing to go. I got off to a great start and (moved) into the lead early, which made it nice on myself. If it wasn't for all these people (at KTM) working their butts off every week, this wouldn't happen, so I owe this all to them."

Villopoto was able to fight his back onto the podium behind Dungey and Jake Weimer, while Reed took 5th and Stewart took 8th.

Dungey and Villopoto are now tied at the top with 45 points apiece.

Supercross Class Results: Phoenix

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
2. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki
3. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
4. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
7. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda
8. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
9. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki

Supercross Class Season Standings

1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 45
2. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki – 45
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda – 38
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki – 38
5. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda – 31
6. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda – 29
7. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha – 28
8. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda – 25
9. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki – 22
10. Brett Metcalfe, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Suzuki – 22

Thanks to Allaboutbikes.com

Tom Wera
01/16/2012

Ultimatemotorcycling.com

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2012 Dakar Rally

Following Cyril Despres' victory at the 2012 Dakar Rally, the Frenchman gave the Austrian-based KTM its 11th consecutive title in the race coined as the "toughest" in the world.

KTM has won every Dakar Rally since 2001, with the exception of 2008 when the event was canceled due to security threats. Despres has won four of those (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012), Marc Coma three (2006, 2009, 2011), Nani Roma (2005), Richard Saintc (2004) and Fabrizio Meoni (2002, 2001).

The 2012 edition was especially kind to KTM, with eight of the top 10 and 15 of the top 20 finishers finishing on KTM motorcycles.

Like the last seven years, the biggest battle in Dakar was between KTM rivals/teammates Despres and Coma.

KTM says: "Both riders set the scene for a two-way competition right from the first stage and remained minutes apart until the penultimate stage on Saturday. Coma won five stages in the 2012 edition and Despres four but it was the turn of the Frenchman to ride in triumph into Lima."

Cyril Despres (Red Bull KTM 450 Rally Dakar) says: "Today we won and it's simply fantastic. This is without a shadow of a doubt the toughest Dakar I've ever raced in. It was difficult physically, but even more psychologically.

"Challenging yourself every morning and fighting on the course takes its toll on your mind. It's not like a 42-kilometer marathon; here, you have to earn your place every morning. All victories are beautiful, but this one is special because it came down to the wire and was decided at the last minute.

"This was an unimaginable scenario, with the leaders separated by mere seconds. I've done 90 or 85 rallies throughout my life, and this one was the one where I had to fight the hardest. Today will leave its mark on me."

The 2012 Dakar Rally took the KTM riders almost 5,600 miles from Mar Del Plata in Argentina, through Chile, to finally finish in Lima, Peru. Along the way they encountered vastly different terrain ranging from the Argentinean pampas to the high Andes, the daunting Atacama Desert of Chile and finally the southern coastal plains and rios of Peru. It was the first time that the rally had included Peru and the first time it represented a dash from the Atlantic coastline to the Pacific

Alex Doringer (Team Manager for KTM's factory team) says: "The battle between them was amazing," he said from the finish in Lima, adding the team was also very happy that Johnny Aubert from the KTM Enduro Factory Team finished in overall fourteenth place in his rookie Dakar ride. Johnny rode a standard series model KTM 450 Rally Replica and went into the rally with a mission to learn and enjoy."

Heinz Kinigadner (KTM Motorsports Expert) says: "This battle between Cyril Despres and Marc Coma was one of the tightest and one of the most interesting in the history of the rally. They were virtually wheel on wheel in almost every stage.

"They both gave everything both physically and mentally and they both deserve to go into the Dakar record books for this great effort. It is naturally unfortunate that Marc had some gearbox problems in the penultimate stage and picked up a 45-minute penalty for the engine change. Otherwise their times at the finish line would have been only minutes apart."

2012 Dakar Rally: Top Five Overall Results
1. Cyril Despres, France, KTM, 43 hours 28 minutes and 11 seconds
*Fourth Dakar Title for Despres
2. Marc Coma, Spain, KTM at 53:20
3. Helder Rodrigues, Portugal, Yamaha at 1:11:17
4. Jordi Viladoms, Spain, KTM at 1:40:56
5. Stefan Svitko, Slovakia, KTM 1:47:28

Other KTM:
6. Pal Anders Ullevalseter, Norway, KTM at 2:11:56
7. Gerard Farres Guell, Spain, KTM at 2:14:22
8. Alessandro Botturi, Italy, KTM at 2:59:04
10. Felipe Zanol, Brazil, KTM at 3:25:56
12. Rubin Faria, Portugal, KTM at 4:13:10
13. Jacek Czachor, Poland, KTM at 4:39:09
14. Johnny Aubert, France, KTM at 4:39:39

Thanks to Ultimatemotorcycling.com

KTMRyan Dungey has had only two weeks to test his new Factory KTM, but he claims to be ready for this weekend's Monster Energy Cup in Las Veg

By B.J. Smith - ESPN.com

Count 2010 AMA Supercross Champion Ryan Dungey as 'in' for this weekend. Dungey, who announced his switch to KTM on October 1, has been testing with the team in Southern California for less than two weeks. This afternoon he made an unexpected announcement to race in the Monster Energy Cup this Saturday night in Las Vegas at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I am feeling confident enough to compete and am really eager to see where I stack up against the competition," Dungey said. "It's a last minute decision to race this event but the team is behind me 100% and I am excited to make my debut on the bike."

The addition of Dungey comes as very welcome news to the ticket holders and promoters. The lineup of the MEC has received heavy blows this week with former AMA Supercross Champions, James Stewart and Chad Reed and 2011 Supercross Lites East Champion Justin Barcia all dropping from competition.

KTMRyan Dungey's Factory KTM is ready for competition.

Dungey's decision echoes that of one Ricky Carmichael made in 2004. After only a few weeks of testing his new Suzuki RM250 he decided to race the US Open of Supercross in October in Las Vegas rather than wait until January for round one of the AMA Supercross series. The weekend wasn't without problems and Ricky was able to let his new team know exactly what his expectations were. The experience proved valuable for Carmichael and Suzuki who went on to win the AMA Supercross and Motocross titles in 2005 and 2006.

The announcement even came a as a surprise to KTM's Team Manager, Roger DeCoster, who, ironically, was also Carmichael's team manager in 2004 when RC made his Suzuki debut.

"We didn't expect him to race after only two weeks on the bike," DeCoster said. "But he will use the event to help gauge where he stands speed-wise against the competition. It will also give the team a racing opportunity to test different setups with the bike prior to the opening round of the Supercross."

Dungey has won every major AMA Supercross/Motocross championship and became the first rider to win the coveted Supercross class and 450cc Motocross class championship as a rookie in 2010. In the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross championship, Dungey earned one win and 12 podium finishes en route to third place overall. He has a career seven Supercross class wins and 17 podium finishes.

source: http://espn.go.com/action/fmx/story/_/id/7097008/ryan-dungey-race-monster-energy-cup

Racer Ryan Dungey signs up with the Red Bull/KTM Factory Race Team for the 2012 and 2013 AMA Pro Supercross and Motocross Championship Series…
by Red Bull, Oct 6, 2011

He may only be a tender 21 years old, but Ryan Dungey has already accomplished every career goal he has set for himself. In 2009, the American rider won the AMA Supercross Lites Western Regional Title and followed that up with the AMA Pro Motocross Championship 250cc class crown. That same year, he competed in the 2009 Motocross des Nations where he was one of three members of the winning US Team.

In 2010, he became the first rider in history to win both the AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross Championship in his rookie year before again going on to lead the 2010 Motocross des Nations team to victory. Most recently, in mid-September, he captured yet another Motocross des Nations victory in France.

“I am excited to start something new and am ready for the challenge."

And now, Ryan is taking another huge leap forward in his career by signing up to the Red Bull/KTM Factory Race Team: “I’m looking forward to riding for the new Red Bull/KTM team and working again with Roger [DeCoster, Red Bull/KTM Team Manager],” said Ryan. “I am excited to start something new and am ready for the challenge.

“I like the way that KTM has backed Roger since he made the switch last year and I appreciate KTM’s goal of working hard to develop their race team to earn championships. I am making this switch to win races and work toward getting that championship for KTM.”

It’s a switch that’s being welcomed by the hard-working Red Bull/KTM team, with Roger DeCoster returning the love: “I am really happy to have Ryan Dungey join our team,” said DeCoster. “He and I have worked together for several years so we know each other well. Our past should help us get the best out of each other and put us in position to be legit championship contenders in the big bike class.”

The well-decorated rider’s first official race with the Red Bull/KTM Factory Team will be the opening round of the AMA Pro Supercross Championship Series on January 7, 2012, where he'll race the KTM 450 SX-F in the premier Supercross class.


SOURCE:  http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Article/Ryan-Dungey-Joins-Red-Bull-KTM-Team-021243097704418

Red Bull/KTM's Marvin Musquin (Photo: Hoppenworld.com)

Feld Motor Sports® announced today that Red Bull/KTM’s Marvin Musquin will race in the inaugural Monster Energy Cup at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium on October 15.

Born in France, Musquin won back-to-back MX2 World Motocross Grand Prix Championships in 2009 and 2010, before coming to the United States. In 2009, he also won the MX2 overall at the Motocross des Nations. The two-time world champion is geared up to compete alongside the world’s top riders for this stand-alone event.

“I'm really happy to race at the Monster Energy Cup,” exclaimed Musquin. “It should be a fun race on my 350cc KTM. I’ve been told the track should be a mix between motocross and Supercross, so I am looking forward to seeing the final layout. My goal is to have fun and be out in front with the other big Supercross riders and get some valuable experience before next year.”

Musquin is coming off his best finishes stateside, earning third place at the final two stops on the AMA Motocross Championship and will represent the growing list of international riders competing in the Monster Energy Cup.

The unique hybrid track will consist of Supercross/motocross terrain and will have a tremendous motocross-style influence, making it unlike any other stadium race in the world. This track will be the perfect blend of Supercross and motocross combined and created into the ultimate battleground. The Monster Energy Cup posts a $250,000 purse, awarding the winner a $100,000 check, and for the “first time ever,” $1 Million will be paid to a rider that wins all three main events.

Tickets for the 2011 Monster Energy Cup can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, UNLVtickets outlets, online at www.UNLVtickets.com, www.MonsterEnergyCup.com, or by phone at (702) 739-FANS. Tickets will be available at the Sam Boyd Stadium Box Office on the day of the event only.

Source:  http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/sx-musquin-to-compete-for-monter-energy-cup/

source: http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2011/suzuki-dungey-blogs-motocross-mxon