The kick-off event of the 2012 AMA Motocross Championship season happens this weekend at the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, Calif. And it's an Outdoor season chock-full of sub-plots and intrigue ready to play out over the course of a grueling summer series.

The Outdoor season is unique in that it's a battle of attrition rather than a sprint for the finish like the Supercross series.

Outdoor races take place in triple-digit heat over long, difficult tracks set up to take the meaning of "arm pump" to hellacious new levels. Fatigue and injury are a factor at every stop on tour, and the season is a real test of fitness for some of the fittest, toughest athletes on the planet.

2011 AMA Motocross Champ Ryan Villopoto hurt his knee at the Seattle Supercross race and will not be around to defend his title (he just won the 2012 AMA Supercross title, too) against the likes of past champions Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey and young upstarts like Justin Barcia, Brett Metcalfe and Mike Alessi.

Just to keep things interesting is the news that 2008 Outdoor Champ James "Bubba" Stewart will return to race the entire '12 Outdoor series. If Bubba's return to the Outdoor isn't enough to make things interesting, following the last race of the 2012 Supercross season he broke his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing/Yamaha and picked up a brand new bike sponsor in the form of Yoshimura Suzuki Racing. That's right, he's on a Suzuki now and he's riding the Outdoor series essentially for free. His contract with Yoshimura Suzuki doesn't technically begin until 2013.

Check out the 2011 season premiere of FUEL TV's excellent "The Moto: Inside the Outdoors" for a primer on Hangtown and the Outdoor series:

Back in 1970 there was no official AMA Motocross Championship, yet that did not discourage Enduro icon Dick Burleson to take the first title as top American in the Trans Am (AMA) motocross series. You see, back in the early, early days, the European racers pretty much whipped our asses all day including Sunday. There was an off-season series (for the European racers) that took place in America each year and an impromptu title was given to the top finishing American in the series. The official AMA National Motocross Championship did not officially kickoff until 1972. Burleson, nor any other Americans, could not beat the European riders in the Trans AMA series, yet a title of Top Yank was given out. In fact, in 1972 Mark Blackwell took top American honors while Gary Jones held top stars and stripes kudos in the 250 division.

Burleson made the transition to off road while working at local shops and at Husqvarna in the 1970s. Dick is famous for his Six Day ISDE gold medal accomplishments, not to mention he is the only rider to ever win 8 consecutive AMA National Enduro titles in a row. To this day DB still works in the industry and his son Jon-Erik runs KTM America. Wet met up with the former champ for a few words.

Motocross.com: You were the unofficial/official National Champion back in what was it, 1970?
DB: Trans AMA Series. Oh dude, that's back in the day.

Did they actually award you a championship?
Yeah, I got a plaque from the AMA. I even got one of those varsity coats with tan leather sleeves and a #1 on it. I got that stuff.

How old were you at the time?
I was 23.

You were going to college when you won the first AMA Championship?.
Yeah, I was going to the University of Michigan. We were on trimesters so I was going to school for one semester and racing the other one so it took a little while to finish college.

How did the very first National Champion himself come in to being a National Enduro Champion. How many times did you win the National Enduro Championship?
I got lucky. I won 8 National Championships. It really has to do with kind of one of those chain of events. I was living in Ann Arbor and then there was a motorcycle dealer in Toledo and he was really a dealer so his kids could have bikes. My roommate got a job managing that shop and I went down there and started working. Well, that guy was an old enduro riding buddy of John Penton. As a result of that connection, John eventually got me to go to Six Days because I was a motocross guy and you had to have those skills for that. Then I rode one or two enduros but didn't do any good but then we did the Six Days in '73. After that, the Swedes had brought over this trick 350 Husky prototype that they raced and it was in our office in Ohio so I like scammed it after the Six Days and took it to an Enduro in St. Louis, Missouri, and won the damn thing overall on that bike. So I had been riding kind of the wrong bike and stepped onto the right bike and won that and was just like, dude, that was fun. The next year I just raced them all and won the series and just kept on doing it.

What was motocross like back then? The sport was just barely established in America at that time?
Well, there were really a lot of people doing it which meant that you'd go there and you'd be there all day but only get to ride for 20 minutes and that's what I really hated about it. There was a lot of people and there was no money in it, of course. We weren't making any money at all. When I did that series it cost me money to do that series, basically. Going to an enduro, you go there and you get to ride for 6 hours. I just wanted to ride longer. I didn't want to sit around the pits and not ride, so that was kind of one reason, and, I really liked riding in the woods. I just liked it a lot.

42 years later and you still ride motorcycles.
Yeah, I've got me an awesome 150 XC KTM little two-stroke thing. I swear to God that thing's got more horsepower than the 360 Husky had back in the day. It's so fun to ride. So I still ride a lot because I do testing and development work for Moose. I ride whenever I can, even if it means riding in 8-10 inches of snow in the winter in Michigan. I ride probably an average of once or twice a week.
Have you collected any of your prize motorcycles over the years?
I have a '78 250 Husky I rode in Sweden at the Six Days. That one is just exactly as it was when I finished the event. It was not a plan of mine, I'm not a collector of old bikes. It just ended up in my garage and I still have it. The stuff that I rode back in the day in motocross, I don't know where any of that went.

So you kept your feet in the motorcycle industry ever since you got them wet.
Never got out. I've never been in any other industry. I worked for Husky up until '89 and then I've been self-employed doing contract work and did a bunch of other stuff but always in the motorcycle business.

And you even raised a son to be a kind of a big wig over at KTM.
You know, to say I'm proud of him is an understatement, but it's obvious he's a lot smarter than me because he used his college degree to some benefit. I got an engineering degree, but I kind of turned into a racer. He made a much better choice than I did although that's my personal opinion. He does an awesome job. Those guys they, and when I say "they," I mean that company, they love the motorcycle business. They love the sport and it shows in their dedication to the sport in their investment in the product.

Do you see yourself running this game all the way until you can no longer work and you want to retire?
Dude I'm only a year away from Medicare so yeah, I'm like going. (Laughs).

Your Enduro record of 8 is a tie but you see it a little different?
Mike Lafferty got 8. I call them 8 and stuttering because he didn't do them all in a row. There's a remote possibility he could win another one, but I don't see it because the young kids coming up, Charlie Mullins and Russell Bobbitt, they are on fire and they're young and Mike's in his mid-30s. So I don't see it happening.

Even though it's tied, you did yours all in a row and he did his staggered, so you kind of take the second moto win advantage?
Yeah, that's the way I look at it. Eight in a row trumps 8 nonconsecutively, plus I got 8 gold medals at the same time so you've got to add that in too. But every record is made to be broken, who cares. All I want to do is see the sport continue and grow and that's why I got involved with Alan Randt with the National Enduro Promotions Group to help that sport. We changed the rules, got the AMA to change that around so that that sport could come back and be a preeminent off-road sport and it has.

And now enduro it's huge again and thriving?
Oh yeah, it's huge. It's back to where it was back in the day. Back in the day it was THE off-road sport and it's now huge. They'll open the entries and, like the one in South Carolina, it filled up 4 hours after they opened up the entries. 500 guys, full.

Interview: Scott Hoffman, Photos Hoffman and Dirt Rider Magazine archives

Following months of anticipation, this Saturday, May 19, the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will commence with the 44th running of the FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic from Prairie City OHV Park in Sacramento, Calif. Crisscrossing the United States, three world-class racing divisions-the 450 Class, 250 Class, and Womens Motocross Championship (WMX)-will embark on a summer-long battle for the most prestigious championship in motocross.

The Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club will make sure the competitors face a challenge when they visit the iconic track, which features plenty of elevation changes, highly technical obstacles, and a bowl-like layout that lends itself to spectacular sightlines from almost any vantage point. As the longest-running event on the schedule, the Hangtown Motocross Classic even precedes what is now known as the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and boasts a devoted local following.

Hangtown also signifies the start of the 2012 broadcast package with NBC Sports and FUEL TV. Opening motos will be showcased live on FUEL TV and AlliSports.com beginning at 4 p.m. EST, while same-day coverage of the second motos can be seen on NBC Sports Network at 12:30 a.m. EST.

On an international level, the second motos of Lucas Oil Motocross will be simulcast throughout the globe, with over 24 hours of live racing showcased on SPEED Australia, ESPN Brazil, and ESPN Latin America. This will bring the most prestigious championship on the planet to over 40 million homes across those continents.

Additionally, 15 hours of post-produced highlight shows will be distributed to Extreme Sports Channel in Europe and the Middle East, Germanys SPORT1, South Africas SuperSport, along with SPEED Australia, ESPN Brazil, and ESPN Latin America. This will expand the reach of the Nationals to over 65 million homes.

Dungey looks ready for the Outdoor season. Hoffman photo

450 Class
Reigning 450 Class Champion Ryan Villopoto will miss the entire 2012 season following an injury suffered prior to the start of the championship. In the Monster Energy Kawasaki riders absence, several contenders are prepared to step up.

Red Bull KTMs Ryan Dungey enjoyed the most successful rookie season of all time in 2010 en route to that championship. For his first season aboard a KTM, he wants to give the Austrian brand its first American title. Alongside Dungey is the newest member of Team Yoshimura Suzuki, James Stewart, the 2008 champion who has not competed full-time in Lucas Oil Motocross since his perfect season four years ago. Stewarts highly publicized move from Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX to Suzuki will be a major storyline throughout the season.

Other riders to watch include Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMXs Davi Millsaps, Team Honda Muscle Milks Justin Brayton and Tommy Hahn, Monster Energy Kawasakis Jake Weimer and Tyla Rattray, Team Yoshimura Suzukis Brett Metcalfe, MotoConcepts Suzukis Mike Alessi, Chaparral Hondas Andrew Short, and Jeff Ward Racing Kawasakis Josh Grant and Kyle Chisholm. Each knows what it takes to win at the sports highest level and will be battling alongside Dungey and Stewart all season long.

250 Class
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasakis Dean Wilson achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a national champion last season, and now hes back to continue his reign atop the 250 Class, home to the sports rising stars. As the first rider to defend his 250 Class title since the 2008 season, Wilson will meet a bevy of challengers prepared to make their own marks on the sport.

Wilsons Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Blake Baggett might be the biggest threat to his title defense. Baggett showed tremendous speed and ability on his way to a series-leading five wins last season. Red Bull KTM teammates Marvin Musquin and Ken Roczen have championship experience of their own, having split the last three World Motocross MX2 titles. Theyve now made the move to the States to compete alongside the worlds best in Lucas Oil Motocross.

GEICO Honda duo Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac got off to a successful start in 2012 AMA Supercross competition and will look to carry that momentum to the Nationals. With veteran riders like Star/Valli Yamahas Kyle Cunningham, along with Rockstar Energy Racing Suzukis Martin Davalos and Blake Wharton, the 250 Class is loaded with talented competitors.

WMX Class

Over the past four seasons, a captivating rivalry has developed between the two biggest names in the WMX Class. Team Honda Muscle Milks Ashley Fiolek and Rockstar Energy Racing Suzukis Jessica Patterson have traded wins and championships, establishing themselves as the premier female motocross riders on the planet and helping bring the WMX Class to the national spotlight.

Fiolek enters the 2012 season as the defending champion, having claimed her third title in four years, but Patterson is back with a new team and a renewed passion to reclaim the title she last won in 2010. Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Hondas Tarah Gieger will challenge every step of the way, as will the exceptionally fast Mariana Balbi, Jacqueline Strong, and Vicki Golden. Fioleks new Team Honda Muscle Milk teammate Sayaka Kaneshiro will look to make the most of her new opportunity as well.

If Red Bull needed any reassurance that bringing X-Fighters back to American soil was a good idea, then Saturday's event at Glen Helen did the trick. A crowd of 15,000 Southern Californian moto-heads celebrated the weekend by watching the world's best freestyle riders tear apart the largest and most challenging course in X-Fighters history.

In fact, it was the course that determined the winner. Handling the 60-foot high step-up feature was the difference between winning and loosing. Local favorite and Metal Mulisha rider Todd Potter relied on his experience riding FMX in the hills of Southern California to not only hit the jump, but to pull spectacular combinations all day on his way to victory. It was clear from the start that the judges planned to reward the riders who chose to utilize the entire course. Riders such as last year's champion Dany Torres who avoided the step-up feature paid the price, losing in the early rounds.

Clearly Potter was amped on the So-Cal inspired course as he commented on the role the course played in the victory, stating, "I think they [the other riders] need to suck it up and do it, that's the bottom line. You can't just circle and hit a ramp and come back and hit another ramp. This takes you out of your element and puts you into the real world of FMX and its roots."

With his victory Potter jumped into first place in the overall standings.

Results from Glen Helen:
1. Todd Potter (USA), 2. Thomas Pages (FRA), 3. Wes Agee (USA), 4. Javier Villegas (CHL), 5. Eigo Sato (JAP), 6. Rob Adelberg (AUS), 7. Levi Sherwood (NZL), 8. Dany Torres (ESP), 9. Maikel Melero (ESP), 10. Nick Dunne (USA), 11. Martin Koren (CZE).

The stockyards at Fort Worth Texas in 2009 was the last place the premier freestyle motocross tour was held in the U.S. This weekend the event returns stateside as the X-Fighters take over the famous motocross grounds at Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California.

In celebration of the return to the States, contest organizers worked hard to build what they are calling,"A truly massive course that dwarfs the footprint at previous Red Bull X-Fighters events." The course features more than 30 different riding options, including a step-down, a bowl-curved wall, a quarterpipe and a 160-foot jump-- the biggest ever in competition.

Glen Helen will mark the start of Dany Torres's 2011 title defense. Unable to compete at the first stop in Dubai due to an injury, he's eager to compete, stating, "X-Fighters determines the best champion in the world. With the best riders doing the best tricks there's no doubt a true champion is determined. Every time I ride, I know I need to raise my level of riding. I'm looking forward to getting back out there."

Here's a brief look at the last time X-Fighters was on American soil, which features a front-flip attempt and a successful double backflip:



To help promote the event at Glen Helen, Torres and Ronnie Renner brought freestyle motocross to Venice Beach for this first time ever. A crowd consisting of Venice locals, tourists, and beachgoers received an unexpected show.

"This is the first time I've ever jumped on a beach like this," said Torres. "It's great to see so many people here."

Here are a few shots from the beach:



Photos- Christian Pondella and Nate Hoppes