2009 Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open Notes Package
2009 Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open Notes Package
Press Release Issued By Feld Motor Sports (October 7, 2009)
Past Rockstar
Energy Drink U.S. Open Winners
’08: James
Stewart, Yamaha
’07:
Grant Langston, Yamaha
’06:
James Stewart, Kawasaki
’05: Ricky
Carmichael, Suzuki
’04: Chad
Reed, Yamaha
’03: Chad
Reed, Yamaha
’02: Mike
LaRocco, Honda
’01: Ricky
Carmichael, Honda
’00: Ricky
Carmichael, Kawasaki
’99 Jeff
Emig, Yamaha
’98: Damon
Huffman, Kawasaki
Rockstar
Energy Drink U.S. Open Notes
James Stewart’s 2008 Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open
championship was earned on his Team San Manuel Yamaha debut.
Chad Reed crashed in both nights of racing last year
on his Rockstar/Makita Suzuki debut.
Grant Langston’s win at the 2007 Rockstar Energy
Drink U.S. Open was the most notable indoor win of his career in the
premier class.
Carmichael holds the most wins at the U.S. Open with
three. Stewart or Reed can tie the record this weekend.
Reed and Carmichael are the only riders to win the
U.S. Open in back-to-back years.
Carmichael, Reed and Stewart are the only riders to
win the U.S. Open in the same years they earned AMA Supercross
championships.
Stewart, Emig, LaRocco, Reed and Carmichael are the
only riders to have won the World Supercross GP championship as well as
the U.S. Open.
U.S. Open wins by brand: Yamaha: 4; Kawasaki: 3;
Honda: 2, Suzuki: 1
Huffman and LaRocco are the only past U.S. Open
winners that have not won an AMA Supercross class title.
In 2005, Carmichael became the only rider in history
to win the grand slam by sweeping the U.S. Open, AMA Supercross, World
Supercross GP, AMA Motocross and Motocross of Nations championship in the
same season.
Seven-time AMA Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath’s
best finish at the U.S. Open was second in 2001.
Langston, Stewart, LaRocco, Emig, Carmichael and
Reed have all won an AMA Motocross championship and a U.S. Open
championship.
Huffman’s only major AMA Supercross class
championship is the U.S. Open.
Stewart is the only rider to win the mini class and
AMA Supercross class championships in U.S. Open history.
The Alpinestars 85cc Mini
Invitational features the nation’s top 12 minicycle racers from the 85cc
12-13 Stock Classat the AMA Air Nautiques Amateur National
Championship Finals at Loretta Lynn Ranch. Adam Cianciarulo won the 85cc
12-13 Stock Class this summer and leads the field of the supercross stars
of tomorrow.
Former AMA Supercross Lites class
champion Ezra Lusk has come out of retirement to race this weekend. Lusk,
who retired in 2004 following the Washougal AMA Motocross National, has 12
AMA Supercross class wins and seven AMA Supercross Lites class wins.
Riding a MB1/Tokyo Mods Suzuki, Lusk returns to the track very optimistic.
“I am not sure what to expect at this race,” said Lusk. “I never stopped
riding, just racing, so I have had plenty of seat time and excellent
training. This is a great opportunity for me to showcase what I have. It’s
going to be tough just making it to the main event, but this is a unique
race. History shows that the fastest guy doesn’t always win the overall.”
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan
Dungey made his U.S. Open debut last year, finishing third overall with
5-4 finishes. Dungey competed at the U.S. Open an amateur in the 85cc Mini
Invitational and finished a solid seventh place with 6-4-5-11 finishes.
Jake Weimer is the only Lites class rider to win a
moto at the Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open. Weimer won the Saturday night
main event in 2007 and finished fourth overall.
Freestyle motocross legend Travis Pastrana remains
the only rider in U.S. Open history to compete in the racing and freestyle
portion of the event.
The U.S. Open is the unofficial birthplace of
four-stroke motorcycles racing supercross. The inaugural U.S. Open in 1998
hosted an exhibition four-stroke race featuring riders like Greg Schnell
and Lance Smail. In 2006, Carmichael and Michael Byrne made their
four-stroke début on a supercross track. Today, the four-stroke is the
weapon of choice for all of the top supercross/motocross racers.
The 2009 Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open will air on
CBS Sports Saturday, October 17, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. EST.
The pre-race press conference will be webcast live
Thursday, October 8, from Noon-2:00 at www.ussx.com, featuring James Stewart.
Click here to for the webcast: http://www.ussx.com/webcast09.asp
Each night of racing will be webcast starting at
7:00 p.m. PST on www.ussx.com.
