Women's Motocross Association Acquired by MX Sports

TimeMonday, January 12, 2009 | 10:30 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Brandon Short
[email protected]
(949) 365-5752

Women's Motocross Association Acquired by MX Sports

Series Added as Third Class to 2009 AMA Pro Motocross Championship

Morgantown, W. Va. (January 12, 2009) - MX Sports announced today that it has acquired the Women's Motocross Association (WMA) National Championship. As a result, the Women's Motocross Championship will be fully integrated into the AMA Pro Motocross Championship beginning with the 2009 season.

MX Sports acquired the rights to the WMA from its founder Miki Keller. Based out of Oregon, Keller founded the company in 2004 and dedicated herself to the growth of women's motocross, building a legitimate women's championship that draws top racers from around the world as competitors.

Keller will remain an integral part of the women's program, consulting for MX Sports and working as the Women's Director on a contractual basis. She will continue to work independently on other projects including with ESPN on Women's Moto X at the X Games.

"I am thrilled with this latest development for the WMA and women's professional motocross," said Keller. "This validates my original belief that women racers are worthy of competing in their own series and young riders deserve to have a top level championship to aspire to."

MX Sports Vice President Davey Coombs added, "Miki has done an outstanding job developing and nurturing women's motocross and leading the sport into the spotlight and mainstream acceptance. With the new role of MX Sports as operators of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, we are finally in a position to provide the women racers the treatment they have earned in the series. Additionally, we look forward to working with Miki on the transition and into the 2009 season."

Plans are already underway to continue improvements to the women's program. The 2009 schedule will feature eight rounds of women's racing with both motos on Saturday in the new one-day national format.

"This is huge news for the sport of women's motocross here in the U.S.," said 2008 Champion Ashley Fiolek. "We all know that Miki Keller has worked tirelessly to improve the environment for women in this sport and for the WMA to make another step forward with MX Sports is awesome.‚ I look forward to defending my WMA Championship in 2009 and working with Miki and the MX Sports team to further improve the series."

Operationally, the 2009 Women's Class technical regulations will be the same as the men's 250 Class (formerly AMA Motocross Lites) and the women will be required to go through the same tech inspection while also attending the riders meetings at each event.

On the marketing side, the Women's Class will be included in the MX Sports television package and will be featured in the live webcast at each round where they compete. The women will also be promoted in pre-event media initiatives along with the post-event press conferences.

"This commitment to the women's pro class by MX Sports is a milestone for women's motocross and women athletes as a whole," added Keller. "It creates more career opportunities for the current women riders and offers aspiring women racers a shot at a career in professional motocross. I could not be more proud."

2009 AMA Pro Motocross Championship

Women's Class Schedule

May 23‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Glen Helen Raceway‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  San Bernardino, Calif.

May 30‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Hangtown Motocross Classic‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sacramento, Calif.

June 6‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Freestone Raceway‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Wortham, Texas

June 13‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  High Point Raceway‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Mt. Morris, Calif.

June 27‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Thunder Valley Motocross‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Lakewood, Col.

July 25‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Washougal MX Park‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Washougal, Wash.

August 29‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Moto-X 338‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Southwick, Mass.

Sept. 5‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Steel City Raceway‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Delmont, Pa.

2008 WMA National Championship Top-10

1‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Ashley Fiolek
2 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jessica Patterson
3 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sarah Whitmore
4 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Tarah Gieger
5 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sherri Cruse
6 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Mariana Balbi
7 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Elizabeth Bash
8 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Tatum Sik
9 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Ayla Cabus
10 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Alisa Nix

2009 Women's Class National Numbers

1‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Ashley Fiolek *

2‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Alisa Nix *

3‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sherri Cruse *

5‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Mariana Balbi *

11‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  April Zastrow *

12 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Ashley Boham *

14‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Katie McGuire

15‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Penni Cyrus

17‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Kristine Wright

18 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Lauren Volentir

20‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Kimberly Kocher

21‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Marissa Markelon

23‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Casuandra Regal

24‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Kirsten Raemisch

25‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sayaka Kaneshiro

26‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Taylor Miller

28‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Katelyn Crowley

29‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Danielle Sawicki

32 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jenn Mead

33‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚  Elizabeth Bash *

34‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jenna Smith

35‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jenny Mortimer

36‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Lindsey Jelitto

37‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Taryn Covington

38‚ ‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Bonnie Warch

63‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jolene Van Vugt *

68‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Tarah Gieger *

75‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Vanessa Florentino *

76 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jackie Ives

78‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sara Price

89‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sarah Whitmore *

105‚  ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Tania Satchwell *

114‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Maria Forsberg

174‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Nicole Madsen

184‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Hailey Larson

120‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚  Aubriana Dunn

188‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚  Alyssa Fitch

190‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Sydney Babcock

250‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jessica Patterson *

254‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jacqueline Strong

265‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Brittany Gagne

323‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jocelyn Killough

334‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Tatum Sik *

410 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Julie Parizek

473 ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Ayla Cabus *

569‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚  Jessica Smith

905‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ‚  Meika Cornelius *

* Denotes earned career number

For more information, please contact AMA Pro Motocross Championship media coordinator Brandon Short via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (949) 365-5752.

About MX Sports

MX Sports, LLC, owns, manages and produces the two most prestigious and world-leading motocross championships - the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and the Air Nautiques AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.‚  MX Sports is a second generation family owned business that has been in operation for well over 26 years and is an industry leader in the segment of off road/action sports race promotion in the United States.‚  Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports fields more than 60,000 action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of active fans, spectators and enthusiasts. For more information on MX Sports, please visit www.mxsports.com.

Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports

Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that encompasses national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia production, and a consumer facing lifestyle brand.‚  The Alliance includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, China Invitational, Maloof Money Cup, AMA Pro Motocross Championship, King of Wake series, and the Free Flow Tour; Alli Productions, which creates original content, produces and presents content with partners, and distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a network of athletes, fans, brands and properties. Its mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action sports, through competition and lifestyle, for a new generation of fans and athletes. The Alli properties are home to more than 550,000 spectators each year and broadcasts more than 150 hours of original content in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide. More information can be found at www.allisports.com.