It's been 52 years since a dirt bike roosted across Catalina Island in a competition format. Since then, the sleepy town of Avalon hasn't changed much; the boats in the harbor are a bit newer, there's now cell service, but overall the town itself appears untouched by time.

800 Riders, plus an estimated 3000 spectators converged on Avalon this past weekend for the 2010 Catalina Motocross Grand Prix. Endless big names littered the start sheet of many motos. Kurt Caselli, Kendall Norman, Ronnie Renner, Travis Pastrana to just name a few were among the many stars present to turn the dirt up on this epic event.

Cycle World's Ryan Dudek strapped on a helmet cam and gives us a pretty good idea of what the track looked like and felt like.

Check it out:

KTM is excited to announce a Christmas Ride Day open to all riders but FREE to KTM riders. The ride day will take place on Friday, December 17th at Cahuilla Creek MX Park. In addition to the FREE ride day, KTM will also have its FMF/KTM Factory GNCC riders on hand to introduce two new 2011 KTM off-road models. Check out the press release for more details. We hope to see you out there!

Midway through the 2010 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and FIM World Championship, season, Factory Honda rookie Trey Canard received the opportunity of a lifetime when he was asked to fill in for an injured Andrew Short while on hiatus from the AMA Supercross Lites Western Regional Championship. The Oklahoma native made his debut in the premier AMA Supercross class in Indianapolis and after six races, posted five podium finishes to prove he has the ability to succeed in the elite division.

As a result of his stellar substitute performances, Canard's service at Factory Honda also served as a tryout for the team heading into the 2011 Monster Energy Supercross season when the 2008 AMA Supercross Lites East Region Champion was slated to make his move into the premier class. He further proved his maturity and composure as a rider by staging an incredible come-from-behind performance to claim his first national title in AMA Motocross this past summer.

"The Lites class is an entirely different ball game when it comes to racing," said Canard. "But having such strong performances in the premier class helped give me a little more confidence (outdoors). The motocross championship has been huge (for me), but ultimately I'm the same guy. A lot of positives came out of that title."

When the offseason began, Canard knew almost immediately where he was headed, giving him a slight advantage over his many counterparts who were still solidifying their deals for the 2011 season.

"I was very thankful," he added. "I know a lot of guys stress about where they're going to end up, but American Honda is an amazing team."

With a breakthrough season under his belt, Canard arguably has the most momentum heading into his rookie campaign other than reigning premier class champion Ryan Dungey. Despite coming up short in his bid for the 2010 AMA Supercross Lites Western Regional Championship, the level in which he rode in the premier class turned heads and effectively put Canard in the conversation for title contenders in 2011.

"I really just want to be prepared," said Canard. "I want to come in ready, learn, and do the very best I can do. That's all I can ask (of myself)."

While longtime Factory Honda riders Andrew Short and Davi Millsaps have both moved on, Canard will welcome 2009 Anaheim 1 race winner Josh Grant as his teammate. Grant, who rode Hondas throughout the early portion of his career, has considerable speed and talent and will be a good motivator for Canard under the Honda tent.

"I really like Josh," explained Canard. "I think he's a great guy with a huge amount of talent. I think we should (be able) to elevate each other's riding this whole year."

Perhaps the best thing for Canard heading into 2011 is his continued relationship with Honda. The red riders have supported the fourth-year rider throughout his young career, giving him the opportunity that led to his ride for 2011. Having already established a working relationship with the Factory Honda crew in addition to bringing his mechanic Brent Presnell along with him, Canard looks to have all the tools necessary to make a title run and follow in the footsteps of the current champion and longtime rival Dungey.

"To have a team and a company like Honda behind me has been huge," said Canard. "The fact that I'm used to the bike and don't have to go through a whole learning curve is awesome."

For more information on the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305.

Red Bull/KTM's Factory rider Marvin Musquin needs surgery on his right knee is the reported findings of an MRI scan from last week. It was the crash at the Paris Bercy Supercross that caused the ligament in his knee to fail and will need surgery immediately. The date is set for December 6, 2010.

Here's a video from the incident:

After matching a career-best second place finish in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, standings last year, GEICO Powersports Honda's Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss., is back for his 17th year of professional racing.

At 30 years old, Windham says age doesn't matter in a sport dominated by youth.

"At this point, no matter my age or the competition, it's all about staying with what works," said Windham. "The seasons are always long and all we can do is be patient and see how the year unfolds."

While much of the attention is focused on the three AMA Supercross champions - James Stewart, Chad Reed and Ryan Dungey - competing for this year's title, Windham, who has 18 AMA Supercross class victories and sits ninth on the all-time win list, hopes to fly under the radar and challenge for some wins.

"There needs to be a lot of attention on those guys, but I also think there's going to be some people this year that creep up from the shadows," he added. "It's going to be an exciting season and it's my job to be one of the guys making things exciting."



This year's competition goes beyond the veterans in the AMA Supercross class as three AMA Supercross Lites champions graduate into the premier class - Trey Canard, Christophe Pourcel and Jake Weimer. Dungey became only the second rookie to win the AMA Supercross title and, en route, paved the way for the next generation of racers to run up front.

"You never know what to expect from the younger guys coming up," said Windham. "Historically they go fast but they have a tendency to crash. Dungey definitely broke that mold."

In 1996, Windham, who also has 12 career AMA Supercross Lites class wins, claimed the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class championship and has finished runner-up in the AMA Supercross class championship on three occasions. The oldest competitor in the series has won an AMA Supercross class race in eight different seasons and three different decades. He's been there and done that, and experience will be critical over the course of 17 races.

"My experience has exposed me to almost every situation there is in racing," he adds. "However, there's always things that can easily catch you if you have your guard down during a 17-race championship. I feel I'm really strong closing out the series but I need to find real consistency during this 2011 season. I'm training hard now to be ready for that challenge."