Makita and Suzuki's long term partnership has yielded over 20 championships in Supercross, Motocross, Superbike, ATV, and Amateur - including Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey's historic 2010 championship run in Supercross and Motocross.
Makita is also a sponsor of the Rockstar Makita LeDuc Racing team in Short Course Off Road Racing, as well as the Scheuring Speed Sports Makita Tools Snocross Team.
For just the second time in 37 years, a rookie stole the show during the 2010 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, as Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey joined legend Jeremy McGrath as the only other first-year champion in the Supercross class. Preseason buzz is already calling the upcoming season the most anticipated championship of all time. Perhaps no rider is more motivated than Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto. Led by former Supercross Lites champion Trey Canard, who will be making his Supercross class debut for Team Honda just one year after a memorable guest appearance in the class, this group contains another class rookie in Brett Metcalfe, who joins Dungey at Rockstar/Makita Suzuki, as well as former race winners Josh Grant, at Team Honda, and Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGR's Davi Millsaps.
Additional riders who have found new homes this season are Ivan Tedesco at Dodge/Hart & Huntington Kawasaki, "Tommy Hahn at MotoConcepts Yamaha, Michael Byrne at BTOSports.com/BBMX/Palmetto Suzuki, Nick Wey at Valli Motorsports Yamaha, and Dan Reardon at the new JDR Motorsports/Motorex KTM."
Additionally, a trio of riders are ready to enter their rookie seasons in hopes of being wild cards in the championship in San Manuel Yamaha's Kyle Regal, Valli Motorsports Yamaha's Austin Stroupe, and MotoConcepts Yamaha's Vince Friese.
Based on experience, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Josh Hansen is considered a heavy favorite in his chosen region while last season's rookie of the year in GEICO Powersports Honda's Justin Barcia is also receiving recognition.
Teams are frantically prepping both riders and machines for one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory as a field of unprecedented talent embarks for Anaheim Stadium in Southern California.
The upcoming race at Anaheim features a trio of past and current champions. Winner of two Supercross titles, Chad Reed will be featured for the first time racing aboard his own newly formed TwoTwo Motorsports team. San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart is returning from hiatus and will face more pressure than ever to reclaim the glory from his 2009 title-winning season. Things will hardly be the same for Dungey in the upcoming Supercross season, however.
Two other riders hoping to rebound from hard times during the 2010 season are Reed and Stewart. Canard enters the premier class as the reigning Motocross 250 Champion after an intense tussle with Frenchman Christophe Pourcel.
In 2010 Shorty suffered an ankle injury early in the Supercross series and missed most of the season.
Contrasting the roster of young bloods flooding into the premier class is Geico Powersports Honda’s Kevin Windham. The Lites class also has the makings for a great season. While decisions about which regional series each rider will participate in are ongoing, the Geico Powersports Honda and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki teams remain the two biggest forces in the regional championships. Rockstar Energy Suzuki, DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha and Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda will all throw down with a mixture of young and old talent. It will be Musquin and Roczen’s debut year in the AMA ranks as the international stars try their hands in the world’s premier Supercross series.