MORGANTOWN, W.V. (May 14, 2010) - When race fans tune in to SPEED and NBC's coverage of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, they are going to hear some familiar voices. Former AMA Motocross and Supercross champion David Bailey returns to the booth as color commentator, splitting races with another multi-time champion, Jeff Emig. The two Hall of Fame riders will join host Jason Weigandt and sideline reporter Erin Bates to provide comprehensive television coverage of the 12 rounds that determine the best racers in motocross.
The action starts Saturday, May 22, with the Rockstar Energy Hangtown Classic in Sacramento, Calif., which will air on SPEED the very next day, with two full hours of coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Each of the following rounds will air live on NBC or SPEED or enjoy same-day coverage (450 Class) and next-day coverage (250 Class) on SPEED.
"The anticipation of who will shine in AMA Motocross is always exciting, and this year it's no different," says veteran broadcaster Bailey. "I think the talent is deeper than it has been in a long time."
"I can't wait for Hangtown," adds Emig, who just wrapped up providing color commentary on SPEED's coverage of AMA Supercross. "There is a tremendous amount of excitement for the opening round. This is a contract year for many of the riders, so you know there won't be any sandbaggers this summer. It's go-time for everyone!"
Both Bailey and Emig have spent their entire lives around motocross, first as top racers and now as television analysts. After traveling the circuit for more than a decade, Bailey took a long hiatus from the TV booth but returned last year for the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross tour.
"The improvement of the facilities has been amazing," Bailey says. "From the upgrades to the tracks, combined with the attention to detail at each event site, the presentation is impressive. I also like how proactive MX Sports is in organizing everything. Problems don't linger and better ideas are always being considered."
"I attended my first AMA Motocross race way back in the '70s at Agency, Mo.," recalls Emig, a former Yamaha and Kawasaki factory rider. "So much has changed since then, especially how professional the events are. Every form of racing has a charted growth and trajectory that it must maintain to continue, and I'm happy that the AMA Motocross promoters are making the necessary improvements to keep the racers and the fans happy."
Riding for Team Honda, Bailey was a winning force on the AMA circuit in the 1980s before turning his attention to television, just as the sport was starting to finally see some regular coverage.
"When motocross was first on TV, I used to do the voiceovers with Art Eckman in post-production-for airing the following weekend," he explains. "Now half the series is live! You can flip back and forth from NASCAR or any other major league sport and there's no difference in quality, but the there's a big difference in excitement. Motocross is such a unique sport, and the new TV crew did a fantastic job capturing it last summer. With a year under their belts, this season will be even sharper."
"If people could only see what happens behind the scenes with the TV crew, they would know that to do an AMA Motocross race live on TV or the internet is a very big job," adds Emig, a four-time AMA Champion from the 1990s. "We have a kick-ass crew in the truck and some very dedicated cameramen out in the dirt. With everyone on the production crew's dedication, we get to see Lucas Oil AMA Motocross live, so it's all worth it."
As for his expectations for racing action this summer, beginning with the 42nd Annual Rockstar Energy Hangtown Classic, Emig thinks it will be..."Mind-blowing! Both classes have a tremendous amount of returning talent, plus some gifted newcomers. It's a recipe for success in my book. It's going to be a fantastic summer of motocross racing."
Besides SPEED and NBC, you can hear David Bailey and Jeff Emig, along with Jason Weigandt and Erin Bates, on the live video stream of the first set of motos from every round of the series on www.allisports.com, beginning on Saturday, May 22, at 4 p.m ET.
For tickets, fan and racing information on the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, log onto www.allisports.com.
For more information about the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, please contact media coordinator Brandon Short via email at brandon@mxsports.com or by telephone at (949) 365-5750.
About the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is the world's most prestigious motocross series. The Series is managed and produced by MX Sports Pro Racing, whose mission is to raise awareness of motocross racing through the promotion of professional championship racing events nationwide.
The series is also produced in conjunction with Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, a global business that encompasses national and international action sports events, multimedia production and a consumer-based lifestyle brand.
Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a vast network of athletes, fans, brands and properties.
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