Champions crowned in inaugural American Supermoto Championship Ben Bostrom Grant Langston

Honda Racing's Ben Bostrom charged his way up from outside the top five to claim the inaugural AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship Friday evening at the Rio. Bostrom, the 1998 AMA Superbike champ, picked up his second career AMA Championship crown in the winner-take-all season finale by out-braking leader Jeff Ward (Honda) on lap 11 of 14 and holding off a late charge by Doug Henry (Yamaha).

In its first year as a national-level sport in America, the hybrid racing discipline that combines elements of motocross with road racing was dominated by the dirt riders, with former national motocross champs Ward and Henry taking four of the five regular season wins. The Vegas-based Bostrom -- a world championship calibre road racer -- turned the tables when it counted, however.

Afterward Bostrom said, "(Henry and Ward) rode incredibly and that really boosted us up there. I know my best lap times didn't come until the main chasing those guys down. They're definitely the cream of the crop. It's just good to see a road race guy sitting up because the motocrosses have been taking advantage of us all year. Every dog has its day, and here we are."

Frenchman Boris Chambon (KTM) and German Jürgen Künzel (KTM) came into the event as heavy favourites, ranking as two of top three riders in the more established World Supermoto Championship. The two failed in their missions to steal the first American title, however, as they crashed in separate incidents during the opening laps.

Another European, Alexandre Thiebault (France/Honda), led for more than half of the race before giving way to Bostrom, Ward, Henry, and Kurt Nicoll (GBR/KTM) in a thrilling five-man struggle for the win.

In other action, South African Grant Langston headed a KTM sweep of the championship in the Supermoto Unlimited division, while 15-year-old Mike Alessi won the Honda Red Riders Jr. Supermoto Challenge.

Langston, 21, of South Africa, took the win riding a Red Bull HMC KTM. Already the recently crowned winner of the AMA Chevy Trucks 125 U.S. Motocross Championship, Langston showed equal skill in supermoto. After battling with early leader Ben Carlson and European ace Kurt Nicoll, Langston pulled away late in the 14-lap final to take the victory and the championship in the winner-take-all format.

Langston, the 2000 FIM 125 World Motocross Champion, proved to be a quick learner in supermoto. After qualifying for the Las Vegas finale via a 10th-place finish at the Dallas round last month, Langston proved he would be a contender in Las Vegas after qualifying second to Nicoll in Friday’s first heat race. In the final Langston got a great start and ran second behind Carlson. He said running behind his more experience KTM team-mate gave him a great chance to make up a race strategy.

“Ben was a little faster in a few sections and I was faster in some others,” said Langston. “I was patient and found a place I could make my move. I might have been a little too cautious in the early laps, but once I made the pass I was able to go a little quicker and hold on for the win.”

Carlson finished a close second in the finale, a great performance for the 18-year-old from West Bend, Wis. Nicoll, former World Motocross star and manager of KTM’s world championship racing effort, was frustrated after making a big error at the start of the race. “I made a ridiculous mistake on the first turn,” said Nicoll, the winner of the opening round at Laguna Seca in July. “I found a lot of places to pass but just ran out of time.”

Langston won the Supermoto Unlimited title in live front of a national television audience on the Outdoor Life Network. KTM riders swept the first four positions in the championship race.