WORCS Racing to Sanction Great American Desert Grand Prix

Kit Palmer | July 31, 2003

The following is a press release from the Great American Motorcycle Experience –

LAS VEGAS-Adding another dimension to its racing schedule, September’s Great American Motorcycle Experience has announced that the Great American Desert Grand Prix will be sanctioned by the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS). GAME2003, the most unique and largest all-motorcycle event ever presented in Nevada, will be held Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 17-21, at the massive Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Great American Desert Grand Prix, featuring Pro, Expert, Amateur and Novice classes, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21, and held on a special five-mile desert track on the northeast corner of LVMS. The course will feature technical off-road obstacles, high-speed pavement and gravel sections and old-school TT-style jumps that will challenge the participants and provide excellent viewing opportunities for the diverse group of motorcycle enthusiasts expected to attend GAME2003.

GAME2003, presented by Boyd Gaming, is a five-day festival featuring eight styles of pro and amateur motorcycle racing, a long-distance jump, custom bike competition and show, Vendor’s Village, street and dirt industry exhibits, vintage motorcycle museum, the ultimate demo ride experience, concerts and fireworks, along with laser and light shows. GAME2003 is the first event to encompass every aspect of the motorcycle experience. GAME2003 will use nearly all 1400 acres at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Having a respected racing organization like WORCS as sanctioning body of the Great American Desert Grand Prix brings even more credibility to a first year event and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Dave Hamel and WORCS,” said Jason Beam, president of Beam Designs which is producing the Great American Desert Grand Prix.

WORCS, based in Southern Nevada, is in its third year of producing 12 regular season races (six each on the East Coast and West Coast) followed by an East-West shootout in November in Stillwater, Okla. This year’s Great American Desert Grand Prix will be a sanctioned, non-points race in WORCS, but will be added as a points race to the WORCS schedule starting in 2004.

“We are excited to be part of this carnival of motorcycle events, and be able to showcase professional desert motorcycle racing,” said Dave Hamel, WORCS President.

With a guaranteed pro purse of $5000 plus contingency postings, over 500 total riders are expected in this year’s inaugural Great American Desert Grand Prix.

With two full days of racing, the featured two-hour pro event will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. The classes competing will be Open, 250cc, 125cc, 4-Stroke, 30 (Riders over 30) and 40 (Riders over 40).

Among the top factory racing stars who have raced in a WORCS event this year are Yamaha’s Ty Davis and Russell Pearson, KTM’s Brian Garrahan and Kurt Caselli, Kawasaki’s Destry Abbott and Scott Sheak, along with Honda’s Johnny Campbell.

Boyd Gaming is also helping to produce the Great American Charity Ride, featuring sports and entertainment celebrities, to be held on the opening day of GAME2003, Wednesday, Sept. 17.

With participation expected from all major motorcycle manufacturers in the GAME’s colorful Vendor’s Village, racing, with over $300,000 in cash purses, will include motocross, freestyle, speedway bikes, flat track, drag racing, stadium motocross, side-cars, Café-style racing, road course racing and the desert grand prix.

Presenting the Great American Flat Track Championship is Eddie Mulder, the Great American Speedway Championship is being staged by Brad Oxley’s International Speedway, Inc., while producing the Great American Motocross Championship is Ron Henricksen, president of the National Motosport Association.

Open-wheel racer/TV-Radio sports announcer Davey Hamilton, who lives in Las Vegas, is the GAME Vice-President of Racing Operations and is specifically producing the Great American FreestyleMX Challenge, which will include a freestyle motocross competition. Hamilton has brought long-jump world record holder Ryan Capes to GAME2003 for a special exhibition on Thursday, Sept. 18.

A noted Southern Nevada motorsports artist, Jason Beam is producing the Great American Desert Grand Prix. In addition to the sanctioning from WORCS, also assisting Beam is Club MX of Las Vegas.

Veteran drag racing official Cliff Ricci and noted motorcycle drag racing official Thomas Popowich are presenting the Great American Drag Racing Championship and Joe Montoya and his American Federation of Motorcyclists is presenting the Great American Road Course Championship.

Tickets, including a special three-day “Super Pass,” are on sale daily at the GAME2003 office, the LVMS ticket office 800.644.4444 and at TicketMaster at 702.474.4000.

The special early-bird tickets, good for the main three days of the event (Sept. 18-20), are priced at $75 for adults and $15 for children (7 to 12 years old).

Wednesday, Sept. 17 is GAME2003 Preview Day and admission is free to the exhibits, vendor’s village and demo rides.

Daily adult general admission ticket prices for the balance of the event are: Thursday, Sept. 18–$25, Friday, Sept. 19–$30, Saturday, Sept. 20–$35, and Sunday, Sept. 21–$15. Children’s tickets are $5 for Thursday and Sunday and $10 for Friday and Saturday.

The GAME2003 one-price tickets are good for all daily racing, concerts, demo rides, exhibits and vendor’s village. Overnight camping is also available during the event.

Michael Hyams, is Vice-President of Marketing and Project Development for G.A.M.E., L.L.C. One of Nevada’s most reputable and successful special event promoters, Hyams’ most challenging and successful endeavor has been ‘America’s Party’-the nationally-televised fireworks show on the Las Vegas Strip every New Year’s Eve.

Corporate advisor for GAME is Kevin Howell, president of the Howell-Kiser Development Corporation in Boise, Idaho.

Elaborate plans are being finalized to air the event nationally through a variety of special television shows highlighting the different elements of GAME 2003.

While Boyd Gaming is presenting sponsor, associate sponsors for GAME2003 are Budweiser, Red Bull, UniFirst and SpitzSeeds.

General event information and event tickets are also available by calling the GAME offices at 866.202.8832-nationally, locally at 702.651.1030, or by visiting the official website of GAME2003 at www.great-motorcycle-exp.com.

Kit Palmer | Off-Road Editor

Kit Palmer started his career at Cycle News in 1984 and he’s been testing dirt and streetbikes every since – plus covering any event that uses some form of a knobby tire. He’s also our resident motorcycle mileage man with a commute of 120 miles a day.