The Suzuki factory motocross team might have taken the unusual route of allowing their principal sponsor – Rockstar Energy – to make the announcement, but the prospect of both of their MX1 stars Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos tackling the second and third rounds of the AMA Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in the United States is big news nonetheless.
Both Belgians currently hold positions in the top five of the MX1 class of the FIM Motocross World Championship and their plans to contest the races in Colorado and Tennessee have come about due to a happy collision of circumstances. Principal Rockstar AMA representative Davi Millsaps (runner-up in the AMA 450SX Supercross championship) is due knee surgery and faces a sizeable absence. Desalle and Strijbos – currently in Brazil for the seventh round of the GP series – were originally to stay in South America for the Grand Prix of Mexico the following week but with the cancellation of the event in Guadalajara their schedule is now free to consider the second meeting of the AMA calendar at former Motocross of Nations venue Lakewood. The small gap in the FIM fixture list means they can also head to Blountville.
The only obstacle has been the commitment to the 2013 Belgian Championship by Strijbos but the team are currently in negotiations with organisers in Europe to excuse the former MX1 championship runner-up from his obligation and run the Rockstar colours on American soil.
“I’m excited and I think it is nice to go there and do a race at that level where you don’t have the pressure of the championship on your shoulders,” said Desalle who scored a podium on his last appearance in American motocross at Unadilla in 2010. “I’m looking forward to getting on a good track and overall it is a good opportunity. Things have come together to make it happen, so why not? Sure, people can say it is a long way, it is dangerous and so on but I can crash and get injured anywhere.”
“I just want to get a good feeling on the bike this weekend in Brazil – after the heavy crash in Portugal – and then just go there and see what I can do.”
“Eric [Geboers, Team Manager] told me about a possible plan of doing a whole season there but it turned out to be too difficult and that changed into making one or two race appearances,” revealed Strijbos. “Going for the whole season would have been a big change and I was told not to get too used to the idea initially but it was impossible not to think about it.”
“I really do not have any expectations,” he added. “My aim is to make this as much of a fun experience as possible. This might be the last time I can go to the U.S. with this level of support so I want to make the most of being there and enjoy it. I think I’ll need the first race just to take everything in and see how the event runs and then maybe be a bit better for the second meeting in Tennessee. Of course they are fast there, but we are not slow here and I don’t think Clement or I will be going to fight for fifteenth place. I’ll go to make my laps and battle where I can.”
