Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ivan Tedesco Scores First AMA MX Nationals Podium Finish – Moves Into Second Place Overall In 125 Class Standings Teammates Walker (4th), Langston (7th) and Carpenter (11th) highlight fine day at Budds Creek National for Monster Energy squad

 

CARLSBAD, Calif., (June 21, 2005) – Team Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ivan Tedesco found the speed he possessed all season long in the supercross series and parlayed that to a near victory at the AMA Motocross Championship, presented by FMF, MX National at Budds Creek this past weekend, going 2-2 for second overall – just one point out of first.

 

The podium for Tedesco was his first of the year, second of his Outdoor Nationals career - the first coming at Budds Creek in 2002.

 

“The last couple years I’ve been trying to prove what I can do outdoors and I think I’m finally doing that this year,” said Tedesco.  “Sitting in second in the series and getting better and better every weekend. Been working really hard and things have started to pay off for me here.”

 

Tedesco would have scored the overall win had it not been for a wild second moto charge by eventual race winner, Mike Brown, riding a Pro Circuit-tuned Honda. Brown was able to get past Tedesco’s teammate, Matt Walker, for third overall in the moto which, coupled with his moto one victory, gave him the overall by one point, 45-44 over Tedesco.

 

“Both Ivan and Mike were riding great all afternoon,” said Walker of  his current and former teammates, respectively. “I did everything I could to hold Mike off in the second moto, but in the end he just had a bit more in the tank than I did.”

 

Added Brown on Tedesco: “Ivan’s going to be the guy to beat this year.”

 

On the podium in the first moto, with yet another gutty performance, was Monster Energy’s Grant Langston. The popular South African racer, battling a horribly injured ankle, finished in third place in the first moto and was poised for another podium finish. However a miscue in the second moto would relegate him to 19th and he had to settle for seventh overall.

 

The final Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider to score points at Budds was Paul Carpenter, who just missed finishing in the top ten, going 10-13 for 11th overall.

 

Though four rounds of the series, Brown holds a 27-point lead over Tedesco (164-137) for first place. Langston, who wasn’t able to race the Mt. Morris round due to his injury, is in fifth place with 116 points. Walker moved into the top ten overall with his fourth place o/a at Budds, accumulating 82 points this season. Carpenter is tied for tenth overall (with Danny Smith) at 76 points. The fifth Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racer, Stephane Roncada, is still racing 

and well onto the comeback trail, but has yet to score a point on the Nationals tour.

 

Team Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki returns to action July 4th weekend for the Monster Energy/Kawasaki MX National at RedBud, Round Five of the 2005 AMA Motocross Championship, presented by FMF.