CHM Exhaust/Pro Honda Oils/Sunoco Race Fuels Supermoto Racing Team Race Report:

Rounds 4 & 5 of the XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championship Series

CHM's Sylvain Bidart becomes the 2009 Premier Class Champion on a drama filled day!

September 7 2009: Rosamond CA

On a breezy but sunny day at the beautiful and excellent for Supermoto race track that is the Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah, the CHM/Pro Honda Oils/Sunoco Race Fuels Supermoto Racing Team blew into the AMA history books as their rider, France’s Sylvain Bidart took home the Championship #1 Plate in the 2009 XTRM/AMA Supermoto Championship Series’ Premier class.

With the cancellation of what was to be the final race of the year at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, the Miller Motorsports Park hosted TWO main events in one day for all three of the AMA Supermoto classes.

The day would be made up of a morning practice followed by two timed qualifying sessions that would set the grids for the main events.

In the 450 class, CHM’s Sylvain Bidart was just 3 points behind series leader and 3-time champion, Jeff Ward, and also 3 points in front of third place rider, and 2007 AMA Supermoto Champion, Mark Burkhart, and the pressure was on the Frenchman to take destiny into his own hands with podium finishes at least or win at best!

As has been his usual all year long, Sylvain learned the track quickly and went fast immediately at another venue that he had never seen before, with both of his 450 class teammates, Jason Conlon and Micky Dymond, close behind.

Timed Practice 450/Premier: Sylvain Bidart 2^nd, Jason Conlon 5^th, Micky Dymond 9th

Timed Practice 250/Lites: Dustin Hoffman 5^th

Race #1: 250/Lites

Up first was CHM’s young fast kid, Dustin Hoffman who had a ringer in the form of Gray Davenport and a back from physical re-hab, Joey Pascarella, to deal with along with series leaders Danny Casey and Matt Burton who were 1^st and 2^nd in the AMA Championship standings in front of Dustin and also in front of him on the front row.

With a number of riders bunched up in front of Dustin on the start he was mired mid-pack and started picking off riders only to have his front end wash out in one of the fast right-handers on the large Miller karting track. Unable to re-fire his CRF250R by kicking it, Dustin had to wait for the arrival of a turn marshall on a scooter to get a push start but by then he was a full lap down and would have to wait until race #2 to make up for it.

Race #1 250/Lites results:  Dustin Hoffman: 11^th

Race #1 450/Premier

Race #1 would be the first possible step for Sylvain to take back home to France the most coveted and prestigious of Supermoto Championships, and it would be an eventful and successful race for the whole team.

From the start Sylvain took matters into his own hands by getting the hole-shot and leading coming out of the first turn. Directly behind him were all the contenders who wanted to take the chance for the title away from Sylvain. Jeff Ward, Brandon Currie, Derek Costella, and Mark Burkhart.

Sylvain was riding like a Frenchman possessed but made one slight mistake in one of the two dirt sections that are bookends at the Miller Karting track and Jeff Ward got past Sylvain as did Derek Costella who was one of the other riders with a mathematical chance of beating out Sylvain.

Then two strokes of good luck came to Sylvain’s aid in the form of Mark Burkhart crashing, and Jeff Ward’s motor blowing up. Ward’s DNF took him out of the Championship hunt, and Mark Burkhart crashed which would make it that much harder for him to catch Sylvain even though he remounted and made it all the way to fourth at the checkered flag.

As the laps wound down it was Brandon Currie getting past Sylvain and taking his first win of the year while Sylvain rode bar to bar with Derek Costella to end up a very hard fought 3^rd place and the new leader in the championship standings. Behind Sylvain, teammates Micky Dymond and Jason Conlon were battling with Kyoshi Saai and Jason brought it home with an excellent 5^th place finish with Micky in 7^th.

Race #1  450/Premier results: Sylvain Bidart 3^rd, Jason Conlon 5^th, Micky Dymond 7^th.

Race #2  250/Lites:

The second race of the day for the “Lites” class would line up the same as in race #1 which was a good omen for Dustin after his crash in the first go-round.

Off the start Dustin slotted into the 5^th behind first race winner Joey Pascarella, Gray Davenport, and the Danny Casey/Matt Burton battle that would be for the class title.

This time Dustin would ride fast and keep both tires on the pavement all the way to the checkers and though not able to pass Burton or Casey, he’d hold fifth at the checkers for a good finish to an excellent first year in Pro competition for the 16 year-old from Temecula, California.

Race #2 250/Lites results: Dustin Hoffman 5^th:

Race #2 450/Premier:

Having finished behind Derek Costella in the first race, Sylvain was now leading him by only 5points and he’d increased his lead on Mark Burkhart to 6 from 3. Again, at the drop of the flag it was CHM’s French missile getting the hole-shot and doing what he needed to do to win the title but again it was Derek Costella and Brandon Currie all over him with Mark Burkhart and Jeff Ward right behind them.

Supercross competitor Costella got by Sylvain and then Sylvain had Brandon Currie all over his back wheel just like in race one. As the laps wound down, luck again would hand a little bone to Misseur Bidart as Derek Costella would bely his dirt capabilities with a crash that handed the lead back to Sylvain, but Brandon Currie wanted to go out with a win and Sylvain knew that all he had to do was to finish ahead of Costella and Mark Burkhart and the title was his. Once again, behind Sylvain, Jason Conlon and Micky Dymond battled in the top eight with a slew of other riders and with each other but in the final two laps after Brandon Currie put a hard pass on Sylvain in the tight right hander at the end of the fast front straightaway, Sylvain knew he didn’t need to win and he brought home the Honda CRF450R into second place and the first series title for the CHM Exhaust/Pro Honda Oils/Sunoco Race Fuels Supermoto Racing Team, AND for France!

Sylvain was beside himself as he made his way into the CHM pits where he called his brother and parents in France where it was 2am, and the tears of happiness flowed just like the Champagne that would soon be popping on the podium!

Race #2 450/Premier results: Sylvain Bidart 2^nd, Jason Conlon 6^th, Micky Dymond 8^th

2009 XTRM/AMA Supermoto 450/Premier Final Point Standings:

Sylvain Bidart 1st 104points   Micky Dymond 5th 82points   Jason Conlon 7th 75points

XTRM/AMA Supermoto Lites Final Point Standings: Dustin Hoffman 3rd 74points

It was an incredible finish to an incredible year for the only team in the AMA paddock that was basically run, managed, driven and wrenched on by one man, team manager, Roger Hensley.

On the podium, Sylvain could barely speak as his throat was tight with emotion but he managed to thank Roger, CHM, Dunlop, Pro Honda Oils, Supermoto Engineering, Sunoco Race Fuels, and all the personnel and help that made it all possible.

The CHM Supermoto Racing team would like to thank their sponsors that helped make this 2009 Season a CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON:

CHM Exhaust, Pro Honda Oils and Lubricants, Sunoco Race Fuels, Race Tech Suspension Services, Dunlop, SuperMotoOnline.com, Supermoto Engeering, Works Connection, Hammerhead Designs.

For 2010 Sponsorship and Marketing opportunities with the CHM Supermoto Racing Team please contact: