Morgantown, W.Va. (August 20, 2009) - The third-annual ATV Open, originally scheduled to take place directly after the final round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Steel City Raceway on September 5, has been cancelled. Event organizer Bellco came to the decision to cancel the event after discussing the situation with ATV teams and stakeholders in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
The rest of the Steel City race weekend will go on as scheduled, with the 250, 450 and Women's MX classes racing in two moto formats on Saturday, September 5.
Unlike the previous two years when the ATV Open raced at Steel City, this year's pro national event operates on a one-day format, with practice and racing taking place on one day (last year, practice took place on Saturday with racing on Sunday; this year, both practice and racing takes place on Saturday). A proper, extended practice session for ATV riders and adequate time for track maintenance to prepare the track for ATV racing could not be placed in the schedule while still allowing time for the 450, 250 and WMX classes to practice and race.
Television coverage originally planned for the ATV Open has been shifted to the Loretta Lynn ATV Dirt Days, held last weekend at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN. Moving TV coverage over to the final round of the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV MX Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited will spotlight the teams and riders that followed the full national tour. The program will air on the VERSUS network on Sunday, September 27, at 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday, September 29, at 5:00 p.m.
MX Sports is committed to the idea of combining national ATV and bike motocross in one event, but due to several factors, will be unable to do so this year. MX Sports would like to thank all riders and fans for their consideration in this matter.
MX Sports Pro Racing
MX Sports Pro Racing manages and produces the world's most prestigious motocross series - the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. An industry leader in off road powersport production and management, its mission is to raise awareness of motocross racing through the production of professional championship racing events nationwide. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing fields more than 60,000 action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of active fans, spectators and enthusiasts. For more information, please visit www.mxsportsproracing.com.