AMA Outdoor titles up for grabs

four riders, one title. That’s what it all boils down to as the 2007 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF comes to a conclusion at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 9.
Excitement will be at a fever pitch at the 12th Annual Giant RV AMA Motocross Nationals at Glen Helen. Four different riders on four different brands of motorcycles are in the hunt to win the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship. Yamaha’s Grant Langston leads the way coming into the hilly Glen Helen Raceway, but he is closely followed by Honda’s Andrew Short, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Tim Ferry and Mike Alessi of Red Bull KTM.
Only 15 points separate the top four riders in the Motocross championship battle. This makes the 2007 edition of the series one of the closest in the history of AMA Motocross. All four riders are vying for the first AMA Motocross title in the post-Ricky Carmichael era. Langston is a former AMA Motocross Lites (then called AMA 125 Motocross) Champion.

Langston is thrilled with the unexpected turn of events that led to him being the series leader going into the final round.
“When James got hurt it just blew things wide open,” Langston said referring to Kawasaki’s James Stewart, who was leading the series when he injured his knee at the Washougal, Wash., round in July. “Did I expect to be leading the points going into the final round? No, not really. I was sixth in the championship four rounds ago. It’s been quite a jump and I’m excited to be in the position I’m in.”

Langston has momentum on his side having won the overall in the last two AMA Motocross events in Delmont, Pa., and last weekend in Wortham, Texas.

“I like Glen Helen,” Langston continued. “I’ve always done well there. I’m definitely looking forward to it and hopefully I can finish this off and win a championship.”

Andrew Short had an excellent opportunity to close the gap on Langston in Texas this past Sunday, but he fell in the second moto and had to settle for a third overall. In spite of this Short is only eight points back with 50 points on the line at the finale.

“I left it all on the table in Texas,” Short said. “I was pretty disappointed about tipping over. That kind of mistake gives me a lot of motivation to go and do well at Glen Helen.”

Tim Ferry led the series earlier this summer and expects a dogfight this Sunday.“Everyone’s going to see a good battle in the final race,” Ferry predicted. “This is what everyone wants to see. I’d like to close out the season with a win and to have a little luck go my way.”

Ferry is the only defending Glen Helen Motocross National winner in the field. He won the race in 2001.

While the battle is between a quartet of riders in the Motocross class, the Motocross Lites division is a two-man contest.
Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates Ryan Villopoto and Ben Townley have traded the Lites class lead back and forth all season long. Defending champ Villopoto has given himself a little breathing room with victories in the last two rounds. That has pushed his lead over Townley to 19 points going into Glen Helen.
While Villopoto has the inside line on the title at Glen Helen, the title won’t likely be decided until the final moto. Villopoto is the defending Glen Helen Motocross Lites winner

Gordon Crockard

Gordon Crockard on the mend

Only four weeks after breaking his top rib and left collarbone into a number of pieces while qualifying at Namur in Belgium for the MX1 GP, Newtownards rider Gordon Crockard – who was also knocked unconscious in the high-speed incident suffering severe whiplash – is back on two wheels. Unfortunately it’s not on his PAR Homes Honda just yet, but after initially expecting to be recuperating until the New Year, Gordon is already out on his road bike punching in the miles to keep his fitness level at a respectable level.

Unfortunately Gordon is still uncertain if he can make the trip with the Irish Team to the Motocross Des Nations in the USA at the end of the month, and a decision on his position will be made next week after a meeting with his consultant. Although Gordon is very upbeat about his recovery after only four weeks, he will not jeopardise that process, especially if his body has not repaired itself to a level where he can do himself, or the team justice.Gordon Crockard“I had my first-ever ‘foreign’ holiday away from racing, taking time out in Spain which helped me immensely. The hot weather and swimming every day was great for my recovery, but I am also doing my best not to put any undue strain on the injuries. Just today I have started riding my road bike without too much discomfort, so I will step that up to the mountain bike in the coming days. I have already had a meeting with the Irish Des Nations team, but I’ll not be in a position to make a decision on riding until next week.The crash at Namur was certainly a big one and I was unconscious for over 10 minutes. I actually lost 24 hours after the accident. The pain was incredible at the time, but the tablets I was taking were actually making me feel worse and a bit depressed. We were going to go for a plate to fix the collarbone but I didn’t fancy having any metal work in my neck; then when I found out it was broken into five bits we didn’t have the luxury of that option! The recovery so far proves how well the body repairs itself, but I’ve a bit to go yet.”FootnoteGordon is now planning to take in a number or Supercross and Supermoto events in the off-season to aid his bike fitness before the start of the 2008 season. He will also be involved in a Motocross Training School at Tenerife in December. A release will be issued next week with regards to a decision on the Motocross Des Nations.