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Australia's own premier big bore motorcycle road-racing category, Formula Xtreme, will break into the big time in 2002 after securing a deal with leading motorsport broadcaster Channel TEN that will see all of the race action telecast during the winter race season. All Formula Xtreme races in the six-event Yamaha sponsored Xtreme Tri-State will be shown nationally Sunday afternoons from 12.30pm in six stand alone one hour shows. The 60-minute shows will appear in a delayed package shortly after each of the six Yamaha Tri-State events.

The Formula Xtreme category is now entering its sixth season and has quickly grown to become Australia's largest big-bore motorcycle road racing category with fields averaging over 39 entries per event in 2001. Along with the news of the race coverage being on Channel TEN, on-track race fans will be able to view all the action on conveniently located Superscreens opposite the major spectator area at each of the six events. This is another first for an Australia motorcycle racing, further highlighting Formula Xtreme's commitment to being Australia's leading category of motorcycle sport.

Scott Young, Network Ten's Executive Producer, Motorsport said "TEN is pleased to secure the Free to Air rights to the Tri-State Yamaha Formula Xtreme Series. We are confident the Sunday afternoon timeslot combined with the talents of presenters Greg Rust and Daryl Beattie will lift the profile of this impressive class of two wheel motorsport."

Terry O'Neill the Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State promoter said; "This is great news for the domestic motorcycle road-racing scene as well as for our sponsors and the competitors, who will finally be able to show mainstream Australian sports fans how high the level of talent and racing is in our country. It has always seemed a shame to me that previously the only way that most mainstream Australian TV sports fans had of watching our racers compete was through watching International events. This is about to change! Channel TEN has provided a great opportunity for Formula Xtreme and its competitors to strut their stuff on the big stage. I'm sure that no one will be disappointed when they see how good this class of racing really is. This opportunity with Channel TEN will finally showcase why we produce so many motorcycle world champions."

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Editors Note:  Now this is a TV deal worth having.  FX was on SBS last year but I really didn't imagine their being much benefit from being on such a little watched channel.  Having Australian motorcycle racing on what has proved to be Australia's motorsport channel (Ten) is where it is at.  This is great news for Aussie racing.

• Feb 20 - News - MA and FX in talks regarding the possibility of a combined series in 2003