Mark Burkhart, the 2008 Moto X World Supermoto Champion, 2007 X-Games Supermoto Gold winner, and 2007 AMA Supermoto Champion was just one position shy from the top spot at The X Games 15 SuperMoto X final.

The SuperMoto X course was without heavily complex rhythms in the dirt sections of the course, which favored the European Supermoto racers rather than those of a Supercross background.

Aboard a Honda CRF450R, Italian World Supermoto Ivan Lazzarini ran a nearly flawless race to control the charge from start to finish, taking home the X Games Supermoto gold.

After getting off to a mediocre start, Monster Energy KTM-backed rider Mark Burkhart worked his way through the top five and into place behind Lazzarini where he began pressuring the race leader. Burkhart hoped for a mistake, but one never came from Lazzarini. He even got a wheel in on him in the turn after the ramp coming out of the stadium, but with the inside line, Lazzarini promptly closed the door on him.

It was the same turn where Jeff Ward caught his foot and re-injured his ankle, which he broke in June. Ward stayed in the race, but was not able to keep pace with the lead pack. He ran in second for the first several laps, but slipped back to seventh by the end of the race.

French Husqvarna rider Adrien Chareyre finished in third to collect the bronze medal in his first-ever X Games competition. Fellow countryman Sylvain Bidart finished fourth followed by TLD rider Cassidy Anderson who rounded out the top five.

Results

1) Ivan Lazzarini
2) Mark Burkhart
3) Adrien Chareyre
4) Sylvain Bidart
5) Cassidy Anderson
6) Brandon Currie
7) Jeff Ward

The Yamaha MX Star, James Stewart, injured himself by leaning too far to the inside of a corner and struck his shoulder on a hydro-barrier. Officals estimated speed at the time he wacked the barrier at 60 miles per hour. Follow up reports indicated the MRIs and X-rays have shown that there is no serious damage.

Stewart has suffered major bruising of his shoulder muscle but will not require surgery or lengthy rehab – brilliant news for his regular racing career.

James Stewart Quote:

“Yeah, I’m hurting pretty bad right now. It is very, very painful, and I can’t lift my shoulder above my side at all. If I could ride the bike I would, but there’s just know way at this point. Before the accident, James had moved his Graves-backed factory Yamaha into the third qualifying position, and was continuing to pick up speed. “I was feeling really good on the bike and was having a ton of fun. I was really looking forward to tomorrow’s events, but I’d still like to thank all of my sponsors for making this happen and getting me this far. I also want to thank Graves Yamaha for hooking up the bike, ESPN for all of the coverage, and all of my fans for sticking by me.”

Photography by SMR Magazine’s Scott Hoffman at Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside, California!

It was featured at Broc Glover’s Breath Easy Ride. And many in the industry liked the Chardonnay:

Golden Boy Chardonnay Drinks as Good as 2 Buck Chuck!
-Robin Harfiel, Digital Moto News

The ‘Golden Boy Chardonnay’ retails for $28.00 a bottle plus tax and shipping and is available direct from the Golden Boy  on line store or by phone. Only 1,200 (twelve hundred) bottles will be released.

Golden Boy Chardonnay

The Breathe Easy Ride Against Cystic Fibrosis was founded in 2008 by American Motorcycle Association Hall-of-Fame motocross champion, Broc Glover, shortly after his 6-year-old son, Dayne, was diagnosed with the cruel and life-shortening disease. In its first year, the ‘Ride’ exceeded all expectations, proving the motorcycle community is unmatched in its compassion. This commemorative wine benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s search for a cure as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to this heartfelt cause. The event takes place March 29 in Old Town Temecula, CA.

Broc Glover, a leading motocross racer in the late 1970s and 1980s, earned six AMA National Motocross Championships, a record which stood for nearly 20 years. In 1977, at the age of 17, Glover won the 125cc National Championship in his first full year riding as a pro and became the youngest AMA motocross champion in history; a record that stood until 2000. After defending his crown in 1978 and 1979, he moved to the 500cc class in 1981 and won the national championship that year. He added 500cc championships in 1983 and 1985 then retired after the 1988 season holding the AMA all-time wins record in both AMA 125cc motocross and 500cc motocross.

The wine, a 2006 Chardonnay, hails from the Carneros appellation, a micro-climate in the southern Sonoma Valley known for producing some of the world’s finest Chardonnay. The wine’s vibrant gold color, symbolic of Glover’s ‘Golden Boy’ image, is met with opulent notes of pear and apple leading to an inviting creaminess and finishing with a delicate crispness. It was aged in French oak barrels for 10 months then bottled at the Sonoma-based winery.

2009 XTRM AMA Supermoto Championship Series Schedule:
1. March 22: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA
2. May 31: Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas, NV
3. May 17: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA
4. September 6: Miller Motorsports, Salt Lake City, UT
5. September 20: Mammoth Mountain, Mammoth Lakes, CA

New this year, the series will feature both pro and amateur competitions to see who will end up on top at the end of these high action series. Both the Pro and Amateur series will kick off March 20 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA – ending September 20 at Mammoth Mountain, CA. This season promises to be an exciting challenge for all competitors in a brutal battle for the ultimate Supermoto champion.

The 2009 XTRM AMA Pro Racing Supermoto National Championship features the Yamaha, Honda, Aprilia, and KTM factory supported Supermoto teams as well as a host of new and existing teams and racing stars competing for top honors in the Premier 450 Supermoto class, the Unlimited Supermoto class, and the 250 Supermoto Lites class.

The addition of the amateur events on Saturdays encourages manufacturers and sponsors to gain additional bang for the promotional buck through the powerful XTRM Sports Network platform. XTRM efficiently manages the complete process from online registration and live timing and scoring to credentials, sponsorship and contingency programs.

Amateur Schedule

2009 XTRM Supermoto USA National Championship Series (Amateur):
1. March 21: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, CA
2. May 16: Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA
3. May 30: Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas, NV
4. June 21: Willow Springs Raceway, Rosemond, CA
5. July 12: Thunderhill Raceway, Willows, CA
6. August 30: Reno Fernley Raceway, Fernley, NV
7. September 5: Miller Motorsports, Salt Lake City, UT
8. September 19: Mammoth Mountain, Mammoth Lakes, CA

The XTRM team is excited about the variety of venues and the inclusion of the amateur racers this season. “We are looking to truly ramp up the popularity and exposure of this unique discipline. The teams and sponsors have been very supportive as we take the reins of Supermoto” says Joe Lynam, CEO of XTRM.

To view the entire schedule and for additional race details, go to http://www.xtrm.com/supermoto

About XTRM Sports Network
XTRM Inc. is the fastest growing online and offline action sports network. XTRM provides huge value for sponsors, advertisers, properties, event organizers, athletes and fans. XTRM is headquartered in Belmont, CA with distribution throughout the United States and Europe. For more information, please visit www.xtrm.com or call 866.367.9289.

About AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

website support & promotion is provided by the publicity company: Biker Pros.

Following the 2008 season, it was uncertain where the former AMA Supermoto Champion Mark Burkhart would land. With very short notice the stars aligned as Burkhart and the championship-winning HMC team aligned forces. A mutual friend, Larry Pegram, helped unite Burkhart and Mitch Hansen of HMC Racing.

Before the two melded, HMC was not planning on going racing in 2009 due to economy and cutbacks in racing budgets at KTM. HMC still retained the very same bikes that earned HMC the 2008 450 supermoto championship and it seemed like a no-brainer once the two teamed up.

With help from Monster Energy, Team Monster Energy HMC Burkhart Racing KTM was formed. The team made the trek from Wisconsin to California for the opening round of the 2009 XTRM AMA Pro Supermoto Championship after only a short time to prepare for the season. With the talents of Burkhart and the precisionally-tuned Uli Toporsch-prepped HMC KTM, it made for a lethal cocktail going into the opening round.

Weather was a factor come race day and Mother Nature let loose and started to rain on the parade. As the day wore on, the sky started to clear up and the track started to dry out during timed qualifying. As expected Burkhart put in the best time and took pole for the main over Jeff Ward and Burkhart’s former teammate, Brandon Currie.

In the main event, Wardy bested Burkhart at the start of the race but it was clear early on that Burkhart was on it. It didn’t take very long to make a pass and work his way into the lead. Ward was not about to just give up and stayed fairly close to Burkhart’s tail, or at least close enough to regain the lead if a mistake was made.

From there it looked like the making of a textbook victory. However it was a little too early to celebrate as Burkhart made a small mistake and ended up going down in a fairly slow-speed turn. Falling back in the pack, it was time to charge the afterburners and gain as many points as possible at the checkered flag.

Soldiering on, Burkhart put his head down and powered through the pack picking off positions. Burkhart was by far the fastest rider on the track but also one of the most unlucky after going down in the lead. By the time he made his way to third, the 20-lap main event was at a close.

Burkhart is right there in the point chase and very much a contender for the 2009 number-one plate. The goal is for Burkhart to re-capture the title he earned in 2007 and for HMC to earn back-to-back titles.

Look for Team Monster Energy HMC Burkhart Racing KTM at round two of the series on May 16-17 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

website support & promotion is provided by the publicity company: Biker Pros.

Mark Burkhart, the 2008 Moto X World Supermoto Champion, 2007 X-Games Supermoto Gold winner, and 2007 AMA Supermoto Champion
will be racing factory KTM bikes. Ulrich Toporsch will be crew chief for the team.

Sponsorship interest for the Burkhart Racing team has been very strong. Longtime supporters including Monster Energy Drink, Arai, Sidi, Scott, Cycra and Dunlop, KTM, Vortex, Fuchs Silkolene Oil, DID Chain, Beringer Brakes, Akrapovic Exhaust, Millennium Technologies, EBC Brakes, Wiseco Pistons, Cometic Gaskets, Hot Cams, and Pivot Works.

“I am looking forward to working with Mitch this year and racing the factory KTM bikes. I raced the KTM’s for the first time this past weekend in Florida and loved the way they handled. Mitch and Uli are a great team and they obviously know how to build bikes capable of winning championships. I am feeling strong and looking forward to racing again. The last few months have been very stressful and quite hectic. I was pleasantly surprised by all the support for Burkhart Racing from the motorcycle industry and appreciate all the sponsors coming through for me and the team in this tough economy. I also want to thank Larry Pegram and Ed Kuhlenkamp of Build-Momentum for advising me on putting together the team and working on the deals,” commented Burkhart.

Jeff Ward Competes in 2009

Last year’s gold medal winner at the Summer X Games stepped down from full-time racing but is back to challenge for the title in 2009.

“I’m feeling good,” says Ward. Adding, “The series looks good this year and I am really stoked on our bike. From the first day I rode the 2009 CRF450 it was incredible. We made a few changes and immediately we had a better package than we ever have. Our team has been working hard to make sure we have the best bike on the track and I’m confident that we do. I’m really excited to go racing on it.”

Jeff will compete for the 450 Premier title while his new teammate, Joey Pascarella, will vie for the Lites championship. Joey is a former Red Bull Rookies Cup rider and a former Supermoto amateur national champion.

His first outing for the TLD team will be on March 22nd when the season kicks off in Fontana, CA at Auto Club Speedway.

2009 will be Mark Burkhart’s seventh year competing in Supermoto. He has participated in every AMA Pro Racing national event since the inception of the series in 2003.

The new team, Monster Energy Burkhart HMC Racing, will kickoff the season on Sunday March 22, 2009 at the SoCal Auto Club Speedway.

Both the XTRM AMA Supermoto and AMA Suzuki Superbike races will be happening the same weekend! So the battle is on with asphalt ripping side-to-side motorcycle racing action… Just a month away.

Round 1 Race

Palo Alto, CA, March 6, 2009– XTRM, AMA Pro Racing and Auto Club Speedway are pleased to announce the schedule for the kick off to the 2009 XTRM AMA Pro Racing Supermoto Championship Series and 2009 XTRM AMA Amateur Supermoto Championship Series.

This year the Supermoto event kicks off with a large bang at Auto Club Speedway for all motorcycle fans. Both the XTRM AMA Supermoto and AMA Suzuki Superbike races will be happening the same weekend! Get ready for high-speed thrills and side-to-side motorcycle racing action as the starts of Supermoto and Superbike battle it out.

Sunday March 22, 2009 – Pro Championship

For tickets, visit: www.autoclubspeedway.com or call 1-800-944-RACE

XTRM
XTRM Inc. is the fastest growing online and offline action sports network. XTRM provides huge value for sponsors, advertisers, properties, event organizers, athletes and fans. XTRM is headquartered in Belmont, CA with distribution throughout the United States and Europe. For more information, please visit www.xtrm.com or call 866.367.9289.