[American Motorcyclist Association] - Scheduling forces U.S. team out of FIM Jr. Moto

[Ninjette Newsbot]

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association regrets that due to scheduling incompatibility, a U.S. team will be unable to defend the team championship it captured last year at the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Jr. Motocross World Championship.

"Unfortunately, the July 19 date for the FIM Jr. Motocross World Championship in El Moral, Spain, is too close to the July 29 start of the AMA Amateur Motocross National Championship at Loretta Lynn's for us to participate in both," said AMA Motocross Manager Kip Bigelow. "It would be unreasonable to ask our motocross families, which invest significant resources into the national program, to also travel to Spain within a 10-day period."

The U.S. team has participated in the FIM Jr. Motocross World Championship the past five years, winning the team title four of those years.

"I couldn't be more displeased with the scheduling conflict," Bigelow said. "The AMA has put forth great effort to support this event with a full team of our elite racers and crew."

In addition to team titles, U.S. riders have won four individual titles in recent years. They include Eli Tomac, the 2010 125cc champion; Jake Pinhancos, the 2011 65cc champion; Joey Savatgy, the 2012 125cc champion; and Aiden Tijero, the 2013 65cc champion.

"With the 2016 event recently being announced to be held in Russia and the 2017 event in Australia, it's the hope of the AMA that the event returns to its traditional date following our national finale," Bigelow said. "We certainly hope to recapture the world title, and when the calendar allows, we will put forth our full effort to do so.

"We wish all world championship contenders luck in 2015," he added.



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