From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

SCHWANTZ TO DEBUT NEW SUZUKI AT RENO AMA SUPERMOTO

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 24, 2004) — Former 500cc Grand Prix World Champion road racer Kevin Schwantz will ride Suzuki’s new RM-Z450 in its American racing debut at the Reno round of the AMA Supermoto Championship on Saturday, Oct. 2. This will mark Schwantz’s first AMA Supermoto race of the season.

Suzuki is introducing its highly anticipated RM-Z450 four-stroke motocross racer for the 2005 season and Schwantz will give U.S. fans a preview of the new machine in its supermoto guise.

“It’s going to be fun to debut the new RM-Z here in America,” Schwantz said. “It should make a great supermoto bike.”

Schwantz recently made his return to road racing by competing in the prestigious Bol d’Or 24 Hour Endurance race. One of Schwantz’s teammates crashed the team’s bike in the second hour and they later retired, but not before the 40-year-old Schwantz managed to show he still has plenty of skills by riding the bike from 18th to fifth place during his stint.

“Riding the Bol d’Or was good preparation coming into the Reno Supermoto race,” explained Schwantz. “I’ve been riding my motocross bike and putting in miles on my bicycle to get ready as well.”

Schwantz said he would get his first taste of the RM-Z450 Supermoto bike next week.

“I’m going to California the last week of this month to do some testing with the bike,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll build up some major calluses on my hands before it’s all said and done.”

While Schwantz will debut the new Suzuki, he isn’t the only rider hoping to get his hands on the RM-Z450 in AMA Supermoto competition. Former AMA Motocross and X-Games champ Travis Pastrana said he’s hopeful his Cernic’s Racing Suzuki squad will have the new bike by the end of the season. Pastrana made a successful AMA Supermoto debut earlier this month in Nashville, Tenn., riding a highly-modified Suzuki DR-Z400-based machine.

Suzuki will field its new bike alongside Honda, Yamaha, KTM and Husqvarna supermoto machines presently in the series.

The race is free to the public. A $10 paddock pass can be purchased and will allow fans to meet the riders and see the trick supermoto bikes up close. The race will be taped and later nationally televised on OLN.

For additional information on the Reno event visit www.amasupermoto.com or contact (303) 377-3278.


More, from another press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA Supermoto Takes to Reno Streets

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 24, 2004) — In what may be the most unique course design yet in the emerging AMA Supermoto Championship, riders will weave their way through the downtown city streets of Reno just a short distance from the glitz and glamour of the city’s trademark casinos. The race is round four of the seven-round championship series.

Fans at the October 2nd event will witness some of the top motorcycle racers in the nation battling it out in an urban-style track that features a mixture of high-speed straights and tight, technical sections made up of both dirt and pavement.

“The Reno course is probably the best example yet of our vision for AMA Supermoto,” said AMA Pro Racing Supermoto Series Manager, Chris Bradley. “One of our original business objectives for this series was to bring the racing to downtown settings and this race, similar to those we’ve held in Columbus, Ohio and Dallas, Texas probably comes closest to that model.”

The 15-turn, .85-mile course is located just south of Harrah’s Reno, the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino, the El Dorado Hotel and Casino, and Circus Circus, four prominent Reno casinos. The course will cross over the Truckee River twice and riders will approach speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour on the course’s two long straight-aways. Additionally, the course features a dirt section where riders will tackle motocross-type jumps and obstacles as well as a flat track-inspired turn where deft throttle control will be required to keep from sliding out or losing ground to the competition.

The series’ signature metal ramps, the Parts Unlimited UrbanCross section, will also be featured and will launch riders high into the sky.

The riders in each class that can best navigate the tricky and diverse layout will be the ones who emerge as the winners. Two classes make up the championship: AMA Supermoto for motorcycles up to 450cc and AMA Supermoto Unlimited for motorcycles over 490cc.

The race is open free to the public. A $10 paddock pass can be purchased and will allow fans to meet the riders and see the trick supermoto bikes up close. The race will be taped and later nationally televised on OLN.

For additional information visit www.amasupermoto.com or call (303) 377-3278.