2008 Supercross season opener preview

Monster Energy® Supercross Kicks off at Anaheim's Angel Stadium
Defending Champion Stewart Stages Title Defense

AURORA (December 31, 2007) -- The 2008 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, will kick of its 2008 race season at Anaheim's Angel Stadium Saturday, January 5. Two additional races on January 19 and February 2 will take place at Angels Stadium, bringing back the world's top racers to the fabled Southern California facility. Defending AMA Supercross class champion James Stewart aims to repeat his dominant performance at last year's Anaheim races where he became the first rider in history to sweep all three race wins in the premier class.

The opening round of Monster Energy® Supercross will be broadcast live on SPEED Saturday, January 5, from 7:00-10:30 p.m. PST in HD format. The 2008 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross season marks the first time in history that the sport will be broadcast in HD format, delivering a higher-quality television product to television viewers at home.

A pre-race press conference will be held Thursday, January 2 at Noon inside the Diamond Club at Angel Stadium, featuring reigning AMA Supercross class champion James Stewart, former AMA Supercross class champion Chad Reed, former AMA Supercross Lites champion Tim Ferry, reigning AMA Motocross champion and reigning U.S. Open champion Grant Langston and reigning Regional AMA Supercross Lites champions Ryan Villopoto and Ben Townley.

Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., made quick work of the competition, winning all three races at Angel Stadium last year en route to his first AMA Supercross class championship. His dominance in Anaheim helped him established an 18-point lead in the AMA Supercross class points standings over Yamaha's Chad Reed as the series moved to off the west coast to Houston's Reliant Stadium. The third Anaheim race will be remembered for the hotly contested race between Stewart and Reed.

"It was a great race," said Stewart last year at the third and final race inside Angel Stadium. "When Chad (Reed) passed me, it kind of caught me off guard. There are no hard feelings out there."

On the way to his first Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites championship, Kawasaki's Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash, swept all three races in Anaheim last season. Throughout the eight-race championship, Villopoto was victorious at every stop except Phoenix's Chase Field where his teammate Christophe Pourcel claimed victory to his first AMA Supercross Lites win.

The three-race sweep proved pivotal for Villopoto as he went on to clinch the championship with one race remaining on the season.

"I was happy to pull the holeshot tonight, and to get all three of the wins in Anaheim," said Villopoto on the podium at last year's third Anaheim race. "That was actually the first holeshot of the year for me. I'm hoping to clinch the championship at San Diego (in two weeks) before the east coast series goes into its eight-week break. That way I have nothing to worry about when the season starts again."

Villopoto joined Ivan Tedesco and Ernesto Fonseca as the only AMA Supercross Lites riders to sweep all three races at Angel Stadium.

Since 1999, nearly all 25 races have sold out in Angel Stadium. Monster Energy® Supercross, which made its racing debut in Anaheim on December 4, 1976, brings a multi-million dollar economic impact to the city for each race, where fans from around the world converge to watch the world's top racers compete. Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath share the all-time AMA Supercross class win record at Angel Stadium with eight wins each.

For the opening round of the Monster Energy Supercross season in Anaheim, tickets are available at www.SupercrossOnline.com, by phone at 714-740-2000, the Angel Stadium Box office, participating Yamaha dealers and all Ticketmaster outlets. Club and Diamond Club seats are $75; trackside seats are $50; upper deck are $35 and $30; select upper deck kids $15. All seats are $2 more on the day of the race. Gates open at 12:30 and the pit party runs from 12:30-5:30 p.m. for all three races. Pit passes will be available at www.Monsterenergy.com.

-credit: www.SupercrossOnline.com.