2012 AMA Supercross Championship

The AMA Supercross championship will, once again, be aired on Motors TV. The 2011 season was one to remember with defending champion Ryan Dungey battling with future title winner Ryan Villopoto and Chad Reed. The Australian won the hearts of American supercross fans as he managed to create his own team (Two Two Motorsport) just a few weeks before the start of the season. Reed was able to battle on equal terms with better funded factory Suzuki and Kawasaki riders. Villopoto when on to win six times with James Stewart taking five victories, while Canard took three, followed by Reed with two and Dungey only made it to the top step of the podium once. He was also responsible for the most spectacular crash of the year in AMA Motocross. Both Villopoto, like Stewart before him, returned from injury to go on to win his first career title in AMA SX (See the video about Villopoto's title).

Dungey leaves Suzuki for KTM

2012 is promising to be one of the finest seasons yet. The 17 round schedule kicks off at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California and ends at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Jacksonville has been replaced by New Orleans where the best riders in the world will compete in the world-famous Louisiana Superdome. James Stewart has signed to race for the Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX team. Ryan Dungey has left Suzuki and joined KTM and will race in both the US Super-Cross and Moto-Cross championships. And he will do this on a bike that has yet to date enjoyed success on the other side of the Atlantic. Ryan Villopoto remains at Kawasaki and Trey Canard is back for another year at American Honda and he could be an outsider the others will have to keep a close eye on.

Roczen could make history

In the Lites category, Justin Barcia and Broc Tickle where the respective 2011 East and West coast champions. Tickle has moved up to the 450cc class with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. While the west coast season was particularly competitive, Barcia won his title through consistency. For 2012, in the East coast series we expect a battle between Barcia and Dean Wilson, who is looking to grab the title after coming so close to the crown in 2011. Blake Wharton has moved from the Honda Geico team to Rockstar Energy Suzuki. Disappointing in 2011, he wants nothing more to return to past glory and put the title on his resume. Following his injury while testing on KTM’s training circuit, Ken Roczen will race in the East. The German will be out to make history as the only rider to have won a Motocross world title, followed by the AMA crown the following season.

On the west coast, Blake Baggett begins his second year as a pro after getting his first taste of victory in 2011 and he’s gone just one goal and that s the SX Lites title. And there will be just serious contender in his way in the person of Eli Tomac on the Geico Honda. French rider, Marvin Musquin will finally get his chance to take on the best US riders, such as Daryn Durham from the Kawasaki Pro Circuit team and Justin Boogle, who turned heads on his professional debut in MX last year and his Honda Geico team-mate Wil Hahn.