AMA Supermoto Championship

The AMA Supermoto Championship was an AMA Pro Racing-sanctioned Supermoto motorcycle racing series that ran from 2003 through 2009.[1] AMA Pro Racing was a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Motorcyclist Association. An amateur national championship, known as AMA Supermoto and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association as AMA Sports,[2] was launched in 2013 with USA Supermoto as the new promoter.[3]

AMA Supermoto Championship
CategoryMotorcycle sport
Motorcycle racing
CountryUnited States
Inaugural season2003
Folded2009
ClassesSupermoto / Supermoto Premier, Supermoto Lites, Supermoto Unlimited, Honda Red Riders Junior Supermoto
ConstructorsHonda · Kawasaki · KTM · Suzuki · Yamaha • Husqvarna Motorcycles
Last Constructors' champion KTM
Official websitewww.amaproracing.com

Classes

Main classes consisted of Supermoto (also later known as Supermoto Premier) for 400-450cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder motorcycles, and Supermoto Unlimited, open to two-stroke, single-cylinder motorcycles 490cc and greater, four-stroke, single-cylinder motorcycles.[4] Support classes included the Honda Junior Supermoto Challenge with riders on identically prepared Honda CRF150Fs,[5][6] and, beginning in 2005, Supermoto Lites for 200-250cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder motorcycles.[7]

Course design

Racecourses were designed with approximately 80% pavement and 20% dirt, with jumps, whoop sections, and a flat-track-style turn. Courses were between .6 and 1.1 miles in length.[8] Tabletop and Kicker "Urbancross" jumps were designed, fabricated, and then built on-site by ASD (a subsidiary of All-Access Staging and Productions) and these added an extra Motocross dimension to the paved portion of racecourses.[9]

Venues

Unique to the AMA Supermoto championship were the use of temporary race venues in addition to traditional, purpose-built courses. Temporary venues such as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (unused portion of the racetrack and a parking lot), Reno (public streets), Columbus (public streets and parking lots) Dallas (Reunion Arena parking lot), Las Vegas (Rio Hotel parking lot and Bally's Casino[10] parking lot), Copper Mountain (parking lot) were converted into racecourses complete with dirt sections and Urbancross ramps. Kart tracks (Miller Motorsports Park, Road America, USA International Raceway[11] ) were also used as the tight, winding circuits lend themselves nicely to the agility of Supermoto motorcycles. Dedicated racecourses (oval automobile courses with infield road courses) were also used. Examples include South Boston Speedway, Irwindale Speedway, and Music City Motorplex.

2003 Championship Format

The 2003 Red Bull AMA Supermoto Championship (6 rounds) was structured in a winner-take-all format in order to attract riders from other motorcycle racing disciplines who may not have otherwise been able to compete in the new series. The first five rounds were used as qualifying rounds for the final round, the Red Bull Supermoto-A-Go-Go held at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Riders and teams were able to participate in the final championship event based on points earned in earlier rounds. Seventy-four riders qualified for the Championship finale.[12] The unique championship format was successful in attracting racers who were competing in other series. Examples include Ben Bostrom, Eric Bostrom, and Jake Zemke (AMA Superbike), Chris Carr, Joe Kopp, Jay Shelton and Roger Lee Hayden (AMA Flat Track), and Grant Langston (AMA Motocross). In addition, many riders who had retired from competition in other disciplines participated in the 2003 series. Among them were AMA Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath, AMA Flat Track and Superbike racer Larry Pegram, AMA Superbike Champion and Grand Prix racer Doug Chandler, ACU British National Motocross Champion Kurt Nicoll, Grand Prix Champion Kevin Schwantz, AMA Motocross Champions Micky Dymond and Chuck Sun, AMA Superbike racer Mike Smith, FMM Champion Omar Isaak, and French Ice Racing Champion David Baffeleuf.

2004–2009

In 2004 and subsequent years, the Supermoto Championship was a traditional cumulative points championship with points from each round contributing to the championship.[13]

Television

The series was broadcast tape-delayed on the Outdoor Life Network from 2003 through 2005, with the 2003 Red Bull Supermoto-A-Go-Go televised live on November 21, 2003.[14]

AMA Supermoto champions
YearSupermotoSupermoto UnlimitedSupermoto LitesJunior Supermoto
2003 1) Ben Bostrom (Honda)
2) Doug Henry (Yamaha)
3) Jeff Ward (Honda)		 1) Grant Langston (KTM)
2) Benny Carlson (KTM)
3) Kurt Nicoll (KTM)
N/A


 1) Mike Alessi (Honda)
2) Jamie Siever (Honda)
3) Aaron King (Honda)
2004 1) Jeff Ward (Honda)
2) Jürgen Künzel (KTM)
3) Doug Henry (Honda)		 1) Kurt Nicoll (KTM)
2) Micky Dymond (KTM)
3) Benny Carlson (KTM)
N/A


 1) Chad Cose (Honda)
2) Justin Hanna (Honda)
3) Taylor Clemons (Honda)
2005 1) Jürgen Künzel (KTM)
2) Jeff Ward (Honda)
3) Chris Filmore (Honda)		 1) Micky Dymond (KTM)
2) Darryl Atkins (KTM)
3) Troy Herfoss (Husqvarna)		 1) Mark Burkhart (Yamaha)
2) Brandon Currie (Kawasaki)
3) Joel Albrecht (Kawasaki)		 1) UNK (Honda)
2) UNK (Honda)
3) Michael Johnson (Honda)
2006 1) Jeff Ward (Honda)
2) Doug Henry (Yamaha)
3) Chris Filmore (Honda)		 1) Benny Carlson (KTM)
2) Micky Dymond (KTM)
3) David Baffeleuf (KTM)		 1) Cassidy Anderson (Honda)
2) Brandon Currie (Yamaha)
3) Alex Thiebault (Husqvarna)
N/A


2007 1) Mark Burkhart (Yamaha)
2) Jeff Ward (Honda)
3) Troy Herfoss (KTM)		 1) Benny Carlson (Aprilia)
2) Kurt Nicoll (KTM)
3) Robert Loire (Husaberg)		 1) Brandon Currie (Yamaha)
2) David Pingree (Honda)
3) Adam Cini (Husqvarna)
N/A


2008 1) Troy Herfoss (KTM)
2) Chris Fillmore (KTM)
3) Cassidy Anderson (Honda)		 1) Steve Drew (KTM)
2) Darryl Atkins (Aprilia)
3) Josh Chisum (KTM)		 1) Brandon Currie (Yamaha)
2) Matt Burton (Yamaha)
3) Joel Albrecht (Kawasaki)
N/A


2009 1) Sylvain Bidart (Honda)
2) Mark Burkhart (KTM)
3) Brandon Currie (Yamaha)		 1) Kurt Nicoll (KTM)
2) Steve Drew (KTM)
3) Justin Ross (KTM)		 1) Danny Casey (Honda)
2) Matt Burton (KTM)
3) Dustin Hoffman (Honda)
N/A


References
  1. Assoc, American Motorcyclist (August 2003). "Supermoto Gains Momentum". American Motorcyclist. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "New 2003 Supermoto Championship series announced". Motorsport.com. March 7, 2003. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  5. "Honda Red Riders Junior Supermoto Challenge Begins Its Third Year". SupercrossKing.com. April 6, 2005. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  6. DiSanto, Ralph. "Honda Junior Supermoto Program Discontinued for 2006". Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  7. "2005 AMA Supermoto schedule announced". Motocross Action Magazine. March 24, 2005. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  8. "AMA Launches Super Moto Series". RoadracingWorld.com. March 6, 2003. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  9. Hoffman, Scott. "All Access Portable Supermoto Ramps" (PDF). SMR. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  10. Pak, Mark (November 11, 2004). "Veteran Ward ready to cap amazing Supermoto comeback". USA Today. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  11. "Hiemer wins AMA Supermoto Championship debut". ESPN. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  12. "Who Qualified For AMA SuperMoto Final". Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News. November 11, 2003. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  13. "AMA Pro Racing Announces 2004 Supermoto Schedule, Details". Roadracing World. May 26, 2004. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  14. "AMA Supermoto Championship To Air on OLN Starting in August". Retrieved November 21, 2013.
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