Update: TV ratings, Privateer $$$, Gadzooks, Privateer Test Day

TV Ratings: The Atlanta 250 race on ESPN 2 earned a .54 rating. This is the highest rating on ESPN2 this season for EA SPORTS Supercross and the highest rated program on all of ESPN2 for Saturday (March 2). A .54 rating equates to 425,000 households and 935,000 television viewers who saw Ricky Carmichael capture his fourth EA SPORTS Supercross victory on the season. The 125 program that aired immediately after the 250cc program earned a respectable .41 rating. That show featured Chad Reed winning his third consecutive 125 Eastern Regional Supercross main event.



Mike Weber, executive vice president for television and licensing, Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports said: “The new faces in supercross and parity of the season have been a huge asset to the season and have created a nationwide thirst for supercross and the television results on ESPN2 are doing nothing but getting better.”







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$100,000 Bonus Program Pays Privateers Weekly: Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced that their $100,000 bonus award program, which is designated for the privateers, distributing $6,667 at each round to privateers that qualify for the 250 main event, will be paid per event starting with the New Orleans round.



In an effort to help support privateers, Clear Channel Entertainment will pay the sum earned by the privateers one week after each event. In addition, privateers will be paid their earnings up to the New Orleans event this weekend.



“It’s important to keep they journeymen of our sport on the road; therefore, we will begin paying the privateers throughout the season,” said Todd Jendro, director of supercross, Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports. “The privateers have limited resources, so we want to get the money in their hands in order to continue racing.”





Here’s a partial breakdown on some monies paid out in the series so far this year



Kyle Lewis: $7,952

Heath Voss: $7,952

Nick Wey: $7,952

Michael Craig: $2,666

Jean Sebastian-Roy: $7,000

Ryan Terlecki: $833

Ted Campbell: $833

Ryan Clark: $1,666

James Polvolny Jr.: $2,333

Tyler Evans: $1,333

Daniel Blair: $1,333

Isaiah Johnson: $2,166

Kevin Crine: $1,333

Jeff Gibson: $2,285

Brian Mason: $666

Robbie Reynard: $1,619

Keith Johnson: $2,285

Jimmy Wilson: $952

Jason Thomas: $666





And, here are monies paid the riders that get the Powerade Holeshot



125 classes



David Pingree (Anaheim, Round 1): $1,000

Rodrig Thain (San Diego): $1,000

James Stewart (Anaheim, Round 3): $1,000

Casey Lytle (Phoenix): $1,000

Brock Sellards (Anaheim, Round 5): $1,000

Kelly Smith (Indianapolis, Atlanta): $2,000

Chad Reed (Minneapolis: $1,000





250 class



Michael Byrne (Anaheim, Round 1): $1,500

Kevin Windham (San Diego and Anaheim, Round 2): $3,000

Jeremy McGrath (Phoenix and Anaheim, Round 5): $3,000

Ricky Carmichael (Indianapolis, Atlanta): $3,000

Sebastien Tortelli (Minneapolis): $1,500







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Clear Channel and Gadzooks Team Up to Cross Promote 2002 Season: Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced a five-market agreement with EA SPORTS Supercross and Gadzooks to promote the 2002 season, which will include New Orleans, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, and Dallas.



Through the agreement, Gadzooks, who currently carries a supercross-oriented line of clothing, will receive on-site presence at the five cities mentioned above that will be coupled with Clear Channel radio stations. Fans can register to win at any of the 425 plus Gadzooks locations around the country for a trip for two to the Las Vegas season ending round of the 2002 EA SPORTS Supercross tour. Runner-up winners will receive HONDA RACING casual jerseys, autographed by the team.



“The relationship with Gadzooks is another clear indication that the sport of supercross is furthering its position into the mainstream,” said Scott Mendel, director – national sales, Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports.







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Clear Channel Entertainment Offers Privateer Test Day at Round 11 in Houston: Clear Channel Entertainment will offer a ‘privateer test day’ on Thursday, March 21 at the Houston round of EA SPORTS Supercross from 1:00-3:00 p.m. to any privateer who is competing at this event and is an AMA pro-licensed rider.



The relationship between Clear Channel Entertainment and the Reliant Astrodome, whom together produce and promote several motor sports events each year in Houston, offers this opportunity to the hard-working privateers on the EA SPORTS Supercross tour. Dubbed privateer test day, riders who do not have the luxury of a supercross test track, can polish their supercross skills on Thursday as well as the existing Friday practice.



In years past, stadium restrictions have prohibited such access as privateer test day. This year Clear Channel Entertainment has offered this riding session to privateers at Edison International Field in Anaheim, and now the Reliant Astrodome in Houston. Clear Channel Entertainment will continue to work with the various venues on the schedule to make this opportunity available to privateers. Those dates will be announced once they scheduled. Today’s supercross tracks present technical dynamics to privateer riders that demand precision, and the privateer test day will help the privateers hone their supercross skills.



“Racing the entire supercross schedule as a privateer is very demanding, and our resources are very limited,” said privateer Ryan Clark, national number 54 of the LCR Racing.com Team. “This is the perfect opportunity to adapt to the technical supercross tracks on the circuit. The factory riders have the access to their own test tracks to dial in the settings on their bikes, and now we will have a similar opportunity. I want to thank Clear Channel for looking out for the privateers.”