All things youth moto…

Winning is one thing – winning in the face of bureaucratic adversity is another as Cobra Moto podiums whilst weathering the Lead Law storm

Including the 2011 Cobra All-Star Team!

HILLSDALE, Mich., (Dec. 30, 2011) – In the corporate equivalent of clearing a 100-foot triple on 50cc bike, Cobra Moto won maybe its – and mini cycle racing’s in general – most important race of all time … the race to defeat the ominous CPSIA “Lead Law” that cast a shadow over the entire youth motocross industry the past two years.

Battling in suits and ties on one front, Cobra Moto was backed by some incredible young talent on the other – racers who were victorious in the vast majority of 50cc races at the major American amateur MX Nationals – from Oak Hill, Texas, to Mill Creek, Ala., Mesquite, Nev.’s Mini GPs, Ponca City (Okla.), Loretta’s (Tenn.), Branson, Mo., and the Florida Mini Os. Cobra Moto racers also won big at the annual MX Masters Kids in Europe and well as a number of Canadian MX championships.

“2011 will certainly go down in Cobra Moto’s heritage as a turning point year not only for the company, but the sport of mini cycle racing in general,” said Cobra Moto President Sean Hilbert. “Along with the principles at MX Sports, the AMA and the Motorcycle Industry Council, the biggest race Cobra Moto won this year was in Washington D.C.’s halls of Congress. Outside that it was the Cobra Moto kids that stepped up and made us proud, as they have since the company’s inception, at every major amateur MX National-caliber race throughout North America and Europe.” 

A number of factory-backed racers stood out for Cobra Moto in 2011. And most importantly, a number of them return for the 2012 competition season as senior members of their respective classes. Here’s a look at Cobra Moto’s 2011 All-Star Team!

Stilez Robertson (California) – Racing his final Loretta’s on a Cobra, Robertson set a 50cc class wins record that’s going to be tough to beat. Recording his 26th win at the big one – Loretta’s – Robertson broke the record previously held by former Cobra racer Adam Cianciarulo. Robertson went 1st/1st/1st to win out in the 51cc (7-8) AMA 1 Stock Senior class to become the winningest AMA amateur racer ever on 50cc bikes.

Pierce Brown (Utah) – Brown threw down at the season opener in Oak Hill, racing to victory in all three 50cc classes he entered on his Cobra CX50SR, aka the “King Cobra.” This included the 7-8 Stock, 7-8 Modified and the hotly-contested 4-9 Open class. In all Brown went 6-0 in six motos – the best results of any Cobra racer, setting the stage for excellent 2011 competition year for Brown and Cobra Moto. Brown also put the Cobra CX65 on a number of major amateur MX National podiums.
Ryder Di Francesco (California) – Stepping up big at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., Di Francesco became the first five-year old in the storied history of the event to win the 51cc (4-6) AMA 2 Stock Junior class. He gave up the first moto to his Cobra Moto-backed central Cal riding buddy Jett Reynolds, then went on to win the next two motos. Prior to Loretta’s Reynolds and Di Francesco had gone 1st/2nd, respectively, at Ponca – leading a Cobra Moto charge that would see the King 50 capture nine of the top ten spots in Ponca’s 50cc through 6 Mod class.
Jett Reynolds (California) – Wherever you found Di Francesco on the podium, Reynolds was sure to be there as well. From Ponca to Loretta’s, Cobra Moto’s Bakersfield Boyz – joined by New York’s Reed Cooper – also made up the entire 7-8 50cc class Olympiad podium at the Mini Os, the first time in memory which that’s occurred with one brand – Cobra Moto!
Brock Bennett (California) – The third Cobra Moto kid out of Bakersfield won big against his riding buddies at the World Mini GPs (50cc through 6 Mod class) and was a consistent high podium finisher at Ponca and Oak Hill.
Gage Linville (Georgia) – Although he got off to a bit of a slow start in 2011, Linville closed out the year on a high note, winning the coveted Olympiad title (MX/SX combined) in the 50cc 7-8 class at the Mini Os. Linville, 7, a longtime Cobra Moto-backed racer, will return to contest the 7-8 class again next year at all the major amateur MX Nationals.
Reed Cooper (New York) – Making the overall 50cc 7-8 podium with two Cobra Moto Bakersfield racers, Cooper blasted big at the Mini Os – winning the coveted 4-6 50cc Olympiad title. Reed also opened the season on a sweet note, sweeping top honors in both the 4-6 Stock and 4-6 Multi-Speed classes at Mill Creek.

Cobra Moto would also like to recognize its 2011 “Honorable Mention” racers: Tommy Rios (Florida), Tanner Ward (Canada), Jack Rogers (Maryland), Vance Stiers (Texas), Brayden Bruce (Wyoming), Dylan Woodcock (UK), Jayden Taylor (Michigan), Branden Walther (Texas), Hunter Budd (AX Champ, Texas), Cameron Davis (Pennsylvania), Kruz Sampson (Tennessee), Tanner Kemp (Ohio), Hunter Scott (Canada), Ryan Smith (Oklahoma), Cade Britt (Colorado), Alex Mann (Washington), Ramon Rusche (Oklahoma), Chase Yentzer (Pennsylvania), Seth Milam (Texas), Max Miller (Oregon), Chandler Baker (Oklahoma), Jeremy McKie (Canada), Tyler Archambault (Michigan), Dilan Schwartz (California) and Harry Wichmann (UK), along with a special Honorable Mention to Cobra’s top female racer – New Jersey’s Jordan “JJ” Jarvis!

Photos by Rodney Webb

Robertson breaks past Cobra ace Adam Cianciarulo’s 50cc career wins record; Di Francesco’s the first-ever 5-year-old to win class

Robertson & Di Francesco photos courtesy of Rodney Webb

HILLSDALE, Mich., (Aug. 11, 2011) – A couple young rippers from Bakersfield, Calif. – Stilez Robertson and Ryder Di Francesco – wrote a historic new chapter into the ongoing heritage of the American-made Cobra competition mini cycles as the two swept the 50cc classes at the 30^th annual Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by AMSOIL.

Held at country singing legend Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., Di Francesco became the first five-year old in the storied history of the event to win the 51cc (4-6) AMA 2 Stock Junior class. He gave up the first moto to his central Cal riding buddy, Jett Reynolds, then went on to win the next two motos. New York’s Reed Cooper got progressively better as the week went on, going 5^th/4^th/2^nd and placing on the Stock Junior class in 3^rd behind Jett and Robertson.

Overall Cobra took eight out of the top ten spots in the Stock Junior class – including 1^st through 7^th place, and 16 out of the top 20 places!

Racing his final Loretta’s on a Cobra, Robertson set a 50cc class wins record that’s going to be tough to beat. Recording his 26^th win, Robertson broke the record previously held by former Cobra racer Adam Cianciarulo. Robertson went 1^st/1^st/1^st to win out in the 51cc (7-8) AMA 1 Stock Senior class to become the winningest AMA amateur racer ever on 50cc bikes.

Robertson led a Cobra charge in the Stock Senior class that included a 1^st through 6^th place sweep on the legendary Cobra King 50 bikes, joined on the podium by California’s Dilan Schwartz (2^nd) and Utah’s Pierce Brown (3^rd).

“Everyone at Cobra is thrilled for the effort put forth not only by our Stock Junior and Stock Senior class podium placers, but also for the efforts by their families backing these young racers,” said Sean Hilbert, President of Cobra Motorcycles. “Stilez and Ryder’s record-setting efforts highlighted another epic year for Cobra at Loretta’s. And while we certainly wish Stilez all the best as he moves forward with the Team Green program, we’re equally pumped to have such solid group of kids returning to the Cobra program for 2012.”

In the 65cc (7-9) Stock class Cobra’s Brown – on the American-made CX65 – raced to a 6^th place finish, which was the second-best finish in the class for an eight-year old.

Ponca City update: In the 50 Pee Wee Stock through 6 class Reynolds and Di Francesco went 1^st/2^nd – with Cobra bikes taking nine out of the top ten spots! Similar results would follow in Ponca’s 50 Pee Wee Modified through 6 class as Reynolds was again unstoppable, joined on the podium by fellow Bakersfield, Calif., native Brock Bennett in 2^nd place. Again, Cobra would capture nine out of the top ten places in the 50 Pee Wee Modified through 6 class – including 1^st and 2^nd place!

In the 50 Pee Wee Stock 7-8 class Cobra’s Ethan Mann, Brown and Robertson swept the podium with a 1^st/2^nd/3^rd showing in the massive 57-rider class. Oregon’s Max Miller would step up and take top honors on his King 50 in the 50 Pee Wee Modified 7-8 class, with Robertson and Brown rounding out the podium.

The Super Pee Wee Modified 6-9 class would bring all the class champs together for one big race – all brands included – and Cobra racers would again sweep the podium with Brown, Miller and Robertson going 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd.

All totaled the Cobra Nation swept every 50 class victory at Ponca. Way to go, guys!

On the 65s at Ponca Brown made the transition from his King 50 to the Cobra CX65 nicely, winning the first 65 Junior Stock 6-8 moto and placing 2^nd overall behind his Cobra 50 class teammate, Robertson. And in the 65 Junior Modified 6-8 class Brown scored another Ponca podium, placing 3^rd overall.

For more information on the 2011 Red Bull AMA Amateur National Championships – including up-to-date scoring, link to the Loretta’s website at: http://www.mxsports.com

For Ponca City info link to: www.nmamx.com

Young Motocrossers Rally In Washington D.C. Against Youth Motorcycle Sales Ban

That’s how Grant Parsons of the AMA worded his headline in the August 2011 issue of American Motorcyclist. It’s a great article, and if you haven’t read it, head to the AMA Website to check out the full text and pictures. To top it all off, Chase Yentzer (Cobra Team Rider) and his Cobra made the cover!

If you are looking for a quick way to make your voice heard, head to the Motoplayground homepage and sign their petition.!

California’s new “El Cajon Zone?” MX’s future points to Bakersfield as the West Coast Cobra Generation’s stars, led by Stilez Robertson, take charge @ Mini GPs

Stilez Robertson photo courtesy of Volcom.com

HILLSDALE, Mich., (April 21, 2011) – There appears to be a movement underway in the central California town of Bakersfield not unlike that in El Cajon back in the 1970s and 80s. A group of talented young motocross racers aboard Cobra Motorcycles – and led by Stilez Robertson – are putting Bakersfield on the map as, quite possibly, the new “El Cajon Zone.”

This past week/weekend in Mesquite, Nevada, at the NMA U.S. Mini GPs, Cobra’s Robertson, Jett Reynolds, Brock Bennett and Ryder Di Francesco all but channeled the names  of Glover, RJ, Lechien, Burnworth and Smith in dominating the 50cc classes at the 40^th running of the Mini GPs – an event that pretty much put mini bike racing on the map in the United States.

“El Cajon moves north to Bakersfield,” semi-joked Sean Hilbert, President of Cobra Motorcycles, noting that Cobra kids from Bakersfield swept every 50cc class at the Mini GPs.

In the 50cc thru 6 classes, Bennett would take top honors on his Cobra CX50JR in the Modified class and place second to Reynolds in the Stock class, while Di Francesco would podium twice (3^rd). Pennsylvania’s Callin Kauffman would break up the complete Bakersfield sweep of the class with a 2^nd place finish in the Modified class – giving the East Coast at least a glimmer of hope in the sport’s future (ha, ha).

Mini GPs 50cc Thru 6 results

Stock Modified

1^st – Jett Reynolds, Cobra                               1^st – Brock Bennett, Cobra

2^nd – Brock Bennett, Cobra                            2^nd – Callin Kauffman, Cobra

3^rd – Ryder Di Francesco, Cobra                    3^rd – Ryder Di Francesco, Cobra

In the 50cc 7-8 classes Robertson, as expected, put on a show – sweeping 1^st place in all four Stock and Modified classes on his Cobra CX50SR, aka the “King Cobra.” From there Cobra racers Dilan Schwartz (Calif.) and Pierce Brown (Utah) would go on to capture three of the four remaining 50cc 7-8 Stock and Modified podium spots.

Mini GPs 50cc 7-8 results

Stock Modified

1^st – Stilez Robertson, Cobra                          1^st – Stilez Robertson, Cobra

2^nd – Dilan Schwartz, Cobra                           2^nd – Pierce Brown, Cobra

4^th – Pierce Brown, Cobra                              3^rd – Dilan Schwartz, Cobra

Brining all the little fast guys back to the starting gate one last time for the 6-9 Super Pee Wee class finals it was again Robertson leading the way in an all-Cobra podium, followed by Schwartz (2^nd) and Wyoming’s Braden Bruce (3^rd). Noteworthy: Brown handed Robertson his only 50cc class defeat of the week, winning the second Super Pee Wee moto after crashing out in the first moto. Cobra’s Max Miller (Oregon) was also looking great – 2^nd in the first moto – before crashing in the second Super Pee Wee moto.

On the 65s Cobra was led at the Mini GPs by Brown (3^rd, 6-8 Stock) and Bruce (3^rd, 6-8 Modified), each of whom scored podium finishes on their CX65s. Las Vegas local Robert Hailey III also had two solid races, finishing 7^th in the 6-8 Modified class and 10^th in the Stock class.

Mini GPs 65cc 7-8 results

Stock Modified

3^rd – Pierce Brown, Cobra                              3^rd – Braden Bruce, Cobra

6^th – Braden Bruce, Cobra                              7^th – Robert Hailey III, Cobra

10^th – Robert Hailey III, Cobra                      8^th – Pierce Brown, Cobra

Added Hilbert: “Congrats to the NMA’s Ron Hendrickson on his 40^th year of organizing mini bike racing here in the States. Cobra was pleased to be on hand to provide support for our factory riders and assist wherever needed with all the kids racing Cobras. We’ll see you in July at Ponca City. And don’t forget to enter the “Kids Just Want To Ride” video contest for a chance to win a trip to Washington D.C. to help Congress exempt youth-model motorcycles and ATVs from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008!”

Contest link: http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/KidsJustWantToRide.aspx