Loretta Lynns is the Title Sponsor for Team USA 2005 - News - Dirt Rider Magazine

AMA Pro Racing announced today that the AMA/Air Nautiques Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn's has become the title sponsor of Team USA at the 2005 Motocross of Nations (MXoN) Sept. 24-25 in Ernee, France.Team USA consists of 13-time AMA Motocross and AMA Supercross Champion Ricky Carmichael, veteran contender Kevin Windham, and the newly crowned 2005 AMA Motocross 125 National Champion, Ivan Tedesco. All are graduates of the Loretta Lynn's AMA amateur motocross program. Team USA is managed by five-time world champion and current Team Makita Suzuki Manager Roger De Coster."Competing in the Motocross of Nations would not be possible without great sponsors and team support. We are thrilled that the Loretta Lynn program has stepped up to support Team USA in our goal of recapturing America's reputation as the home of the world's fastest motocross racers," said AMA President Robert Rasor. "It has been five years since Team USA has won the MXoN, but with the talent of these three great riders and the support of sponsors such as the Loretta Lynn program, we have all the ingredients for success."The AMA/Air Nautiques Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn's began in 1982 and have grown into the largest motocross event in the world, with nearly 22,000 entries in this year's nationwide program. The race has been held every year at the Hurricane Mills, Tenn., home of country music legend Loretta Lynn, the multi-time Grammy winner whose life story was the basis of the Academy Award-winning film Coal Miner's Daughter.Each member of this year's Team USA is a graduate of Loretta Lynn's: Windham is from the class of 1994, Carmichael is from the class of 1996, and Tedesco graduated from the Loretta Lynn's program in 1999."Loretta Lynn's is a really special place for me and my family, and we go back to the race every year just to enjoy ourselves," said Carmichael, who earned a then-record 10 AMA/Air Nautiques Amateur National Championships before turning pro. "Having them sponsor Team USA means a lot to me and my teammates."Tim Cotter, the manager of Loretta Lynn's race organizer MX Sports, said the sponsorship is one way to celebrate the success of graduates of the Loretta Lynn program."We are particularly proud of what three Loretta Lynn's graduates—Ricky, Kevin and Ivan—have accomplished in their professional racing careers," Cotter said. "We also hope that every participant who has ever lined up on the starting gate at Loretta Lynn's will consider themselves a Team USA supporter and a teammate of Ricky, Kevin and Ivan."The last American team to win the MXoN consisted of Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Hughes and Travis Pastrana who captured the victory in 2000 at St. Jean d' Angely, France. From 1981 to 1993, Team USA won the prestigious event a remarkable 13 straight times