FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE. CONTACT: Corey Eastman Corey.Eastman@husqvarna-motorcyclesna.com - phone 951-207-2947 To share on Facebook/Twitter: Click / Text File: Click Husqvarna Riders Represent at X Games! Jamie Lanza, Ryan Sandoval and Mandi Mastin fly the Husky colors at X Games 17 August 2, 2011 - Corona, CA - Center stage at STAPLES Center, live on ESPN and the talk of downtown Los Angeles... no it's not Kobe Bryant - it's EnduroCross making its X Games debut! Zip-Ty Husqvarna was there with riders Jamie Lanza and Ryan Sandoval getting in on the action. Zip-Ty Husqvarna heavy hitter Cory Graffunder had a practice crash the week before X Games 17, and unfortunately broke a bone in his right wrist (scaphoid) and was unable to compete. Graffunder was devastated to miss out on the action, but showed up to support his teammates in the grandest spotlight the AMA EnduroCross series has ever received. "This was a huge weekend for off-road racing and I'm just so stoked to be a part of it," Jamie Lanza commented. "The night didn't turn out quite how I wanted, but it's hard to be disappointed when we all put on such a great show. Everyone's really stoked and we're all hoping we'll have a chance to come back next year." Ryan "Sandypants" Sandoval got some bonus airtime on "ESPN RISE," a segment of Sports Center dedicated to showcasing up and coming high school athletes. Sandoval was featured in the July 21 edition of the show in a clip at the end, showing him practicing EnduroCross for the upcoming X Games 17 on his Zip-Ty Racing Husqvarna. Click here to view. "The track was amazing given the time they had to put it together," Sandoval commented. "It wasn't that technical to start off, but once they filled the pool with water everything just kept getting wetter and wetter. It was so slippery and sketchy by the end of the night, but I guess it made for some entertaining racing!" A third Husqvarna racer - Mandi Mastin - made the trip out west for X Games 17, which hosted a Women's race during the program. The GNCC champion, National Enduro Champion and International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) Women's World Cup champion scored an invite to the inaugural event, and even though it took place on the day before Mastin was scheduled to fly to Finland for her tenth ISDE, she still found time to represent Husqvarna at X Games! "That was insane," Mandi said. "But I had such a blast. It's just so amazing to be here. ESPN and all the X Games crew are amazing to work with and they treat the athletes so incredibly well. It's been a fun weekend, and now I'm heading straight for Finland!" "This was a truly ground-breaking event for everyone," National Marketing Manager Corey Eastman said. "Not just for Zip-Ty Husqvarna, but for EnduroCross and the entire off-road community. There was such a huge buzz at the X Games all weekend about EnduroCross, and people were really blown away by it. I'm so proud of all our riders and the Husqvarna team for capitalizing on this amazing opportunity." See the entire 2011 Husqvarna Motorcycle lineup click Be sure to follow Team Husqvarna on Facebook or via Twitter @HusqvarnaNA. Old school meets new school: Zip-Ty Racing graphics were a throwback to the vintage red/chrome look of 1970's Husqvarnas. Zip-Ty Husqvarna riders Ryan Sandoval (left) Jamie Lanza (top) and Mandi Mastin (right) get ready to walk the track at STAPLES Center. Jamie Lanza shows how it's done in the rock turn. Mandi Mastin traverses the water crossing during her timed practice session. Ryan Sandoval makes a break from the pack in the LCQ (but didn't go on to qualify for the main). (Crap! Tried to load photos but computer won't save them in a file I can find so...solly!)
