PICKERINGTON, Ohio (April 20, 2004) -- Ivan Tedesco clinched the 2004 AMA 125 West Supercross Series championship by taking his sixth series victory at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas on Saturday, April 17. Tedesco, a 22-year-old New Mexico native who now calls Murrieta, Calif., home, earned his first AMA Pro Racing title in his fifth season as a pro. He rides for the powerful Pro Circuit Kawasaki Racing Team.

Tedesco has been a perennial AMA 125 Supercross contender since finishing fifth in the West Series in 2001, his debut AMA Supercross season. Injuries over recent years kept Tedesco from reaching his full potential, but this year everything finally came together for him. He had the combination of good physical health and a top-notch motorcycle.

“Mitch (Payton) built me a great bike,” said Tedesco of the Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250F. “I worked really hard this year. I changed my attitude coming into the season. I didn’t worry about the championship; I let it come to me. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”

Tedesco opened his 2004 campaign with five-straight wins. His only loss came in San Francisco in February, where he finished second to Honda’s Nathan Ramsey. Tedesco came back to win in Dallas last weekend to earn his sixth victory in seven rounds. He hopes to earn his seventh win in the final round of 125 West competition in Salt Lake City this coming Saturday. If he wins in Salt Lake City he would crack the top-10 on the all-time AMA 125 Supercross wins list. He started the season tied for 47^th on that list.

Tedesco’s championship completes a remarkable Supercross season for Kawasaki. The manufacturer also won the AMA 125 East title with James Stewart. Kawasaki is the first maker to win both the East and West titles in a single year in a decade. Suzuki was the last manufacturer to accomplish the feat in 1994 with Ezra Lusk (East) and Damon Huffman (West).