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AMA Pro Racing press release

Of the five riders who earned points for the team, 18-year-old Ben Carlson topped the list.

Ray Gundy photo

Wisconsin-based Red Bull HMC KTM Supermoto Racing Team 1 captured the 2003 AMA Supermoto Unlimited Team Championship at the fifth round of the series last Saturday, Nov. 1 in Irwindale, Calif. Heading into the season finale on Nov. 21, Red Bull HMC KTM Team 1 holds an insurmountable 78-point lead over Red Bull HMC KTM Team 2. East Hills Motorsports Harrington Vertemati is a distant third in the team standings.

A total of five riders earned points towards the team's Supermoto Unlimited Championship, with Ben Carlson the leading scorer for the squad. Other riders earning team points for Red Bull HMC KTM 1 were Kurt Nicoll, Jurgen Kunzel, Chris Fillmore and Boris Chambon. Team championship points are determined by the team's top two rider's finishing points earned in all six rounds.

"It was very important to KTM," said Red Bull HMC KTM team owner Mitch Hansen referring to the team championship. "We were fortunate enough to dominate and win every round. We just hope we can finish out the season with the same result in the Supermoto class in Las Vegas."

Red Bull HMC KTM Team 1 also leads the Supermoto class coming into the Las Vegas championship finale but the Troy Lee Designs Honda team anchored by Jeff Ward and Jeremy McGrath trail by only 38 points and is within striking distance of that championship.

Hansen's team had a mix of young and experienced riders. Nicoll, Kunzel and Chambon are among the best supermoto riders in the world and Fillmore and Carlson are quickly establishing themselves in the new AMA series.

"KTM has always believed in finding promising young riders and helping develop that talent," Hansen said. "Ben (Carlson) was a fast kid at his local track and we saw his potential. Chris' dad came to us and asked us to take a look at him. He came to a race up here in Wisconsin and finished third his first time out so it was obvious that he had a lot of raw talent."

Hansen also cited a major contribution by Doug Chandler to the team. "Doug raced in a couple of the European rounds and came back with a wealth of knowledge that he passed on to the younger riders." Unfortunately, Chandler is not expected to make the Las Vegas finale. He is recovering from a broken leg sustained in the Columbus, Ohio, round in October.

In addition to the Supermoto Team Championship that is up for grabs at the season-ending finale, individual rider championships will also be determined in a winner-take-all format. Riders have earned the right to enter the gala Las Vegas finale by carding a top-20 finish in one of the season's five qualifying rounds.

For Las Vegas ticket information, visit www.showtickets.com or call (888) 217-9565. For more event information, visit www.redbullsupermoto.com. The Las Vegas finale will be televised live on Outdoor Life Network starting at 9 p.m. EST on Nov. 21.

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.