HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Nathan Ramsey will race the remaining seven rounds of the AMA Supercross Championship with the JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha team while Cody Cooper
recovers from injury. “In NASCAR, everything is sponsor driven,”
commented JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha team owner Coy Gibbs, son of Joe Gibbs,
NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach and founder of three NASCAR Sprint Cup
teams. “We made a decision to allow Cody to rest and rehabilitate his
knee in preparation for the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, but we want
two riders representing our sponsors at the supercross events. Nathan
is a good fit for our organization. He is a hard worker, a family man,
and has the experience to represent our team and our sponsors on the
track.”
Ramsey, a veteran with a Lites supercross title along with numerous
wins and podium finishes to his credit, is looking forward to his first
race of the 2009 season this Saturday, March 14 at the Louisiana
Superdome in New Orleans, La. “It’s been an exciting week,” said
Ramsey. “I have been in North Carolina and am really impressed with the
JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha operation and the resources they have. My last race
bike was a Yamaha YZ450F and I feel comfortable already.”
Cooper, a motocross (motocross is held outdoors on natural terrain)
specialist from New Zealand, has had some difficulty staying healthy
during the first half of the supercross season (supercross is held in
major U.S. stadiums with technical combination jump and rhythm
sections) and has repeatedly injured his knee since the opening round
of the series in Anaheim, Calif. He is anxiously awaiting the start of
the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship on May 23 in San
Bernardino, Calif. where he will be in his element. In 2008, on a
privateer motorcycle, Cooper amassed eight top-10 finishes, two overall
podium finishes, and three individual podium moto finishes to earn
fifth overall during the 12 round series.
“We knew that Cody would need some time to adapt to supercross and the
injuries he sustained have only made the transition harder,” said JGRMX
Toyota/Yamaha team manager Jeremy Albrecht. “The safety of our riders
is a top priority, and we want Cody 100% for the motocross season. I
have known Nathan for a long time and think he is the perfect guy to
help us out while Cody gets healthy.”
The original television broadcast of the New Orleans supercross will be at 6:00 p.m. (EST) March 15, on SPEED.