Swanepoel Set For AMA Supercross Debut

Cycle News Staff | February 11, 2011

South African motocrosser Gareth Swanepoel will make his AMA Supercross Lites debut tomorrow night at the Houston Supercross, the 25-year-old set to make his debut for the DNA Shred Stix Racing team on a Yamaha YZ250F.Swanepoel signed with the team late last year and rode in the last three rounds of the AMA Motocross Championship. Swanpoel, a 10-year veteran of the World Motocross Championship, has raced Supercross internationally, but the race inside Reliant Stadium will be his first in the U.S.

“I really enjoy riding Supercross and I’m surprised how well I have adapted to it” Swanepoel said in a team release. “I have raced all the major Supercross races in Europe like Bercy, Dortmund, Sheffield and did well so have always wanted to race in the USA and try my hand at Supercross. Bobby Regan and the DNA Shred Stix Star Racing Team have given me this opportunity and I intend to make the most of it. My consistency at the test track is really good so I feel confident I can put in 15 solid laps. The start is going to be important and I just need to relax and get through the qualifiers without any incidents and then take it from there. There are a lot of young, talented riders who are going to want to prove a point come Saturday night, but I have experience on my side and just want to put in consistent results and not make any mistakes.”

Swanepoel ‘s Yamaha will be clad in number 387.