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

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MX Sports Issues Statement Regarding 250 Class for 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship

CPSIA Lead Ban Cited as Top Priority

MORGANTOWN, W.V. (March 4, 2009) - After‚ careful deliberation on a possible change in class structure, MX Sports, organizers of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, has decided not to‚ suggest any immediate changes to the AMA Pro Racing rulebook concerning the 250 Class and the placement of 250cc two-strokes alongside 250cc four-strokes.

MX Sports was considering‚ a plan‚ to make the 250cc Class a "true 250 class" by allowing 250cc two-strokes to compete against 250cc four-strokes, rather than‚ keep the two-strokes in the 450 Class which has long been the practice. However, given the current state of the industry in the wake of the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that bans the sale of youth motorcycles and ATVs due to lead content, devastating the American motorcycle industry, MX Sports‚ realizes that the focus of the OEMs right now must be on reversing this law or gaining an exemption‚ for‚ off-highway vehicles and ATVs.

"The attention and the resources of the OEMs, dealers nationwide, the aftermarket vendors, and every rider and enthusiast in the motorcycle‚ industry‚ should be‚ on the CPSIA right now, not‚ changing the rulebook right before the series starts," said Davey Coombs, vice president of MX Sports. "Rather than asking‚ the struggling OEMs and teams‚ to focus on developing a two-stroke in the next eight weeks for outdoor motocross,‚ we‚ realize that it is more important to‚ address a much more urgent situation that has placed the entire‚ motorcycle industry in jeopardy.‚ Once there is some resolution to this issue,‚ and hopefully there will be soon,‚ we will‚ reconsider the idea for‚ 2010. In the meantime, we‚ will be adding several‚ 250cc two-stroke‚ support races‚ to the 2009 schedule."

Since taking effect on February 10, 2009, the CPSIA has had a debilitating impact on the entire motorcycle industry, especially in regard to motocross. A significant portion of motorcycle sales in the U.S. have been affected by the CPSIA ban and, as a result, MX Sports has postponed discussions regarding the integration of two-stroke and four-stroke motorcycles.

"MX Sports spoke to many team managers, riders, OEM and aftermarket representatives and found many voices both for and against the rule change," stated MX Sports Director of Competition Jeff Canfield. "We realize this is a passionate debate among many enthusiasts,‚ and we will continue to evaluate the situation with the two-strokes in the coming months."

"It was going to be difficult to make such a change in the middle of the season, given that there are also eight rounds of AMA/FIM Supercross to be run under the existing class structure," added Coombs. "But the new challenges our industry is facing made it impossible. While the decision not to pursue a new class structure at this time will certainly disappoint some of our fans, we‚ believe there are bigger issues to deal with right now; anyone who's visited a motorcycle shop since the ban‚ went into effect on February 10, 2009,‚ knows what we're all up against right now."

For more information, please contact Lucas Oil 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 Lucas Oil 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, Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, King of Wake series, and the Free Flow Tour; Alli TV 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.

Lucas Oil Products

Lucas Oil is a worldwide leader in the production of oils, greases, and additives. Based in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products is one of the fastest-growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry, featuring a premium line of oils, greases, and problem-solving additives. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top-selling additive line in the American truck-stop industry.

Forrest Lucas and his wife, Charlotte, founded Lucas Oil Products in 1989 after he spent 20 years as a truck driver and owner of a nationwide long-haul trucking fleet. They experienced firsthand the need for better lubricants and fuel treatments to maintain their equipment.

Lucas Oil is involved in an array of motorsports sponsorships, including the "Official Motor Oil of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship."