When Roger DeCoster brought young Mike Alessi to the Rockstar Makita Suzuki factory race team prior to this season, I paid attention. DeCoster is certainly a good judge of talent, and the retirement of Ricky Carmichael had me wondering which rider (or riders) would fill the void with Suzuki.
Alessi has never won an AMA championship. He first raced at the AMA pro level in 2004. In his first event, Alessi finished on the podium at the Steel City round of the AMA Motocross championship series. Last year, Alessi raced to second overall in the AMA Motocross championship series . . . finishing just 16 points behind champion Grant Langston.
The 2008 series could present a good opportunity for Alessi to repeat his second place finish, or even win the championship. Ricky Carmichael has retired, as stated earlier, and Kawasaki’s James Stewart (who would certainly be the favorite to take the title) is coming off an extended lay-off following an injury. Stewart’s first race in several months will be at the opening round of the series at Glen Helen Raceway on May 25, less than two weeks away. Another factor favoring Alessi’s chances is the current status of last year’s champion, Grant Langston, who is himself injured and unable to participate in the early rounds of the series. With mentoring from DeCoster this year, Alessi could put some serious pressure on the returning Stewart.
