Honda's Cale Downen In For AMA Pro ATV Open

First alternate Cale Downen agrees to replace Jeremy Lawson at Steel City's AMA Pro ATV Open

MORGANTOWN, Wv. (August 22, 2007) – The AMA PRO ATV Series Manager Harv Whipple is proud to announce that Junction, Illinois' Cale Downen will race the first-ever AMA Pro ATV Open Invitational. This unique event will bring the fastest AMA Pro ATV riders in front of the national caliber crowd in Delmont, PA for the first time in history. Twenty handpicked entries will compete in a special one-moto format, following the lead of prestigious invitational supercross events like the Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open in Las Vegas. The winner will take home $5,000 of the $10,000 purse, along with bragging rights that come with the AMA Pro ATV Open Championship No. 1 plate.

"When I contacted Cale to ask if he would be willing to participate in the AMA Pro ATV Open due to Jeremy's absence, his response was, 'That's a stupid question; of course!'" Harv Whipple said of Cale Downen.

"Cale was the first alternate on the list and is a Honda rider as well, so it will work out perfect," Whipple continued. "He was traveling with fellow Honda rider Sage Baker on the way to Canada to film a video, and showing typical signs of camaraderie between racers, Cale said, 'What about Sage?'"

"Sage is currently the first alternate, [and] due to the popularity of the event, we plan to contact the promoter to see if it is possible to add an extra loop in the gate to accommodate 21 riders," Whipple said. "The final decision will not be made until AMA Pro Racing determines if the first turn will allow 21 rider's safely. Obviously the most important factor when adding additional racers is safety, so we have to assure ourselves that we can make this happen in the best interest of everybody involved."

Stay current on the latest ATV news by hitting refresh on www.atvmotocross.com for more information.

Steel City Raceway has hosted a round of the AMA Motocross Championship since 1988, and hosted a round of the ITP/Moose Racing ATVA MX Nationals for the first time last year. The track features plenty of elevation changes and jumps, all laid out in a valley which provides some of the best spectator viewing in the sport. Amateur bike racing takes place on Friday.

The inaugural AMA Pro ATV Open at Steel City will take place on Saturday, August 25th in Delmont, Pennsylvania. The event will feature a Main Moto format starting at 11:30 am – rain or shine. ATV Pro pits will be open to fans for pro autographs.

Gates open on Thursday, and overnight camping is available. Admission for adults is $50 (Thur-Sun), $40 (Sat-Sun) and $30 on Sunday. Admission for Children 6-12 is $35 (Thur-Sun), $25 (Sat-Sun) and $15 on Sunday. Kids under 6 are free.

Tickets are available at the gate. Sorry, but there are no Saturday only tickets.

The ATV Open will be featured on Speed TV’s AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Show.

WHAT: AMA Pro ATV Open, an inaugural pro invitational race held in conjunction with Round 10 of the 12-round AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF

WHERE: Steel City Raceway, Delmont, PA
Located 20 miles east of Pittsburgh off Route 66

WHEN: Saturday, August 25, 2007

SCHEDULE:

SATURDAY -
10:00a ATV Open Practice
11:30a ATV Staging & Opening Ceremonies
11:45a ATV Open Main (20 Min + 1 lap)
1 - 5:00p Bike Timed Qualifying
5:15p WMA Open Practice

SUNDAY -
8:30a WMA Moto 1 (20 Min + 1 Lap)
9-11:30a Fast 40 Timed Practice for Gate Pick
12:30p Opening Ceremonies
1:00p Moto 1: Lites National (30 Mins + 2Laps)
2:00p Moto 1: Motocross National (30Mins + 2 Laps)
3:30p Moto 2: Lites National (30 Mins + 2 Laps)
4:30p Moto 2: Motocross National (30 Mins + 2 Laps)
5:30p WMA Moto 2 (20 Min + 1 Lap)

COURSE: 1 mile (approx), loamy top soil with sawdust additive

WHO: 20 of the top AMA Pro ATV racers, chosen in coordination with AMA Pro Racing and the following teams: Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki & Yamaha.

PURSE: $10,000, with $5,000 to win
Winner will be awarded AMA Pro ATV Open #1 plate

For more information on the inaugural AMA Pro ATV Open contact Bellco at 304.284.0084 or visit www.atvmotocross.com. For information about the Monster Energy/Kawasaki National Motocross at Steel City, visit the website at www.steelcitymx.com.

About AMA Racing:
AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members.