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AMA Pro Racing press release

Raised on California flat tracks, road racer Zemke has raced a few AMA Flat Track short tracks this year, in addition to some supermoto racing.

Dave Hoenig photo

A quartet of well-known riders, Jake Zemke, Roger Lee Hayden, Johnny Murphree and Stefy Bau, are planning to make their debut in the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship this Saturday, Oct. 18 in downtown Dallas, Texas. Awaiting these riders is the longest and potentially the fastest supermoto course to date. The Dallas track is built in the central business district near Reunion Arena and the track will go under the roof of the convention center at two points. Fans will also get an opportunity to watch the race from a unique perspective. An elevated roadway that runs along the western edge of the course will serve as a great vantage point for Dallas Supermoto fans.

Stefy Bau (wearing #811), a two-time Women's Motocross League Champion, will attempt to become the first woman rider to qualify for an AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship race. Bau, 25, from Italy, is one of the elite women's motocross racers in the world and has come close several times to qualifying for AMA Supercross and Motocross races.

Roger Lee Hayden (#195) will debut in the series on a Honda CRF450R backed by American Supercamp. Roger Lee, the youngest of the racing Hayden brothers, is a top-10 rider in both AMA Formula Xtreme and AMA Supersport racing and an occasional AMA U.S. Flat Track competitor. Hayden's versatility should serve him well on the Dallas circuit and the Owensboro, Ky., native should be one of the top contenders.

Teaming with Hayden on the American Supercamp squad is AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship runner-up Johnny Murphree. Murphree (#20) will be making his supermoto debut and is looking forward to learning a new type of racing. "It's two wheels and a throttle so I ought to be able to figure it out," Murphree said. "I'm really excited about trying out a new form of motorcycle racing. I'm going out there to enjoy myself. That's what I like to do all winter long on dirt bikes. Hopefully I'll learn some things that will help improve my riding in dirt track next year."

Perennial AMA Formula Xtreme contender Jake Zemke (#980) is riding Dallas as part of the powerful Troy Lee Designs Honda squad that also features Jeff Ward and Jeremy McGrath. Zemke, who will compete in the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship for Honda next season, is having a busy off-season so far, testing Superbikes recently at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and now taking up supermoto.

In addition to these four new riders, World Supermoto points leader Boris Chambon (#23) and Ivan Lazzarini (#150), will be at Dallas to compete in their second AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship event in hopes of qualifying for the Las Vegas finale.

The longest track yet!

The downtown Dallas Supermoto track is shaping up to be one of the most interesting circuits yet in the series. The pavement section may be the key to this track, but motocrossers and flat trackers won't be at too much of a disadvantage since the dirt sections of the Dallas track are going to be designed to be more technical than previous configurations.

For additional information on the Dallas Supermoto round, contact (800) 326-4000. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com. The race will be taped for a Nov. 13 airing on Outdoor Life Network.

About the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship
In its first year, the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship, AMA Pro Racing's newest championship series, is a unique form of motorcycle racing that features a course made up of both dirt and pavement. Many top competitors from the world of motorcycle racing are contesting the series including multi-time AMA Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath, freestyle motocross legend and multi-time X-Game medallist Mike Metzger, former AMA Supercross/AMA Motocross champ and Indy Car driver, Jeff Ward and former World 500cc Grand Prix Champion Kevin Schwantz, among others. The six-round championship culminates on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas in conjunction with the annual AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet.

About AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the AMA Supercross Championship, the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship, the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship and the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship. Nearly 2 million race fans attended AMA Pro Racing events during the 2002 season. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.