Just-Signed Monster Energy Athlete Grant Langston Wins Steel City

August 27, 2007, 11:13am

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto takes the Lites class win and secures overall Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown Lites title, Alessi wins MX o/a

CORONA, Calif., (Aug. 27, 2007) – Newly signed Monster Energy athlete Grant Langston (Yamaha) won the final AMA Motocross class installment of the 2007 Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross, with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaski’s Ryan Villopoto winning the final Lites class race of the Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown this past weekend at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Pa., Round 11 of the 2007 AMA Toyota Motocross Championships.

“What a way for Grant to start his relationship with Monster – winning the overall event, taking home $3,000 by winning the final round of the Monster Energy/Kawasaski Triple Crown of Motocross and taking over the Nationals points lead,” said Monster Energy spokesman Scott Sepkovic. “And also a big congrats from Monster to Villopoto, who not only won the final Triple Crown round and took the overall points lead, but also won the $5,000 overall Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross Lites class award.” 

The $100,000 Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross – which ran through out the course of the 2007 Outdoor Nationals at High Point (Pa.), RedBud (Mich.) and Steel City (Pa.) had been swept the previous three seasons by Monster Energy-backed Ricky Carmichael. But with Carmichael, who won this year’s High Point and RedBud rounds now focusing on his auto racing career, the door was open for $5,000 in MX class bonus money – which KTM’s Mike Alessi won by one point over Langston and two points over Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Tim Ferry.

“The Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross certainly brought an additional element of excitement to the Steel City round this past weekend,” said John Lee, Sports Marketing Director for Monster Energy. “On behalf of Monster I’d like to congratulate both Grant and Ryan for their wins at Steel City, along with Ryan for his overall Lites class Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown win and Mike Alessi for his MX class overall Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown win.”

In addition, privateer Gavin Gracyk was again the top Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown MX class privateer and, with his 6th place effort at Steel City, wound up sweeping all three Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown rounds. For his efforts Gracyk earned and extra five grand for the top overall privateer, including the $2,000 from each round he won – bringing his earnings to a total of $11,000 on the summer! The top Lites class privateer at Steel City was Ohio’s Willie Browning.

And finally, Monster Energy and Kawasaki gave away yet another Pro Circuit-tuned Kawasaki KLX110 pit bike (valued at $3,000) to a lucky Steel City race fan.

“Monster Energy is very proud of its involvement with the Nationals this summer,” added Sepkovic. “From the Monster/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross, to the numerous teams and riders backed by Monster, to the six rounds (High Point, Budds Creek, RedBud, Unadilla, Steel City & Freestone) we sponsored and events like the Monster Energy MX Crossover Series (Hangtown & Glen Helen), Monster’s support of motocross is at and all-time high - as is the support for Monster Energy product from the fans of motocross.”