Ever since Red Bull Teka KTM's Tony Cairoli won the 2010 MX1
World Championship title in the debut year for the new KTM 350 SX-F
rumors have circulated that this revolutionary MX machine from the
Austrian market leader in sports motorcycles was actually closer to a
400 ccm machine than a standard 350 model.
The recent string of holeshots in the AMA Supercross Series has only
served to strengthen these rumours so KTM was more than happy when,
following yet another holeshot by Mike Alessi last weekend at Arlington, that the AMA chose his 350 SX-F for a
random tear down inspection after the race.
Pit Beirer, who heads the Racing Department at KTM's HQ in
Austria and Roger DeCoster manager of the U.S. Red Bull KTM Factory
Racing Team, said they were pleased that the AMA inspection settled the
score once and for all.
Pit Beirer: "The AMA chose to control Alessi's bike and
this was a good thing, because we at KTM Racing are completely in favour
of strict controls," he said. "We want to compete in accordance with the
regulations. And when our riders do well we want to be confident that
it is the result of the effort, research and development we invest in
our factory bikes and because of our own factory riders' talents."
The AMA inspection of Alessi's KTM 350 SX-F and its subsequent
clearance as a completely legal, appropriately bored 350 ccm machine,
Beirer said, also proves that Alessi has been scoring his holeshots on
his and the bike's merits. |