Ryan Villopoto will defend his 450 Class outdoor title for Monster Energy Kawasaki in 2012.

MX Sports Pro Racing and partners, Alli Sports have announced the 2012 schedule for the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

The series will begin on Saturday, 19 May, near Sacramento, California, at the Hangtown Classic and will conclude on 8 September in Southern California, at the championship’s newest stop (to be announced at a later date).

Throughout the summer, the 12-round series will visit such highly-regarded motocross circuits as High Point, in Pennsylvania, RedBud, in Michigan, Washougal, in Washington, and New York’s legendary Unadilla.

“We are very fortunate to have so many great, iconic motocross tracks as part of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship-tracks that challenge the racers and have strong, loyal fan bases that come out to see these races,” said MX Sports Pro Racing president Davey Coombs.

“This series is the pinnacle of professional motocross, and the growth we’ve seen in the last three years for both the live audiences and television viewers watching from all over the world has been outstanding.”

Not only does the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship include the best tracks in the sport, it also features the fastest riders on the planet, as well as an expanded television package with NBC Sports Group.

Add in a global television package that allows fans from all over the world to tune in, plus live event streaming on www.allisports.com, and the result is an unprecedented audience for motocross racing.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto will defend his #1 plate against no less than three former 450 Class Champions in 2012.

Besides the man he wrestled the 2011 title from, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey, as well as a hugely-popular Australian star in TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed, Villopoto must also contend with James Stewart, who is returning to outdoor motocross for the first time since his perfect 2008 season as a member of the Joe Gibbs Racing/Toyota/Yamaha team.

There will also be challenges from such formidable programs as Team Honda Muscle Milk, the Yoshimura Suzuki factory team, MotoConcepts/Alessi Racing, the new L&Mc Racing Honda team spearheaded by legend Jeremy McGrath, and more.

In the 250 Class, newly-crowned champion, and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider, Dean Wilson will not only have to defend his title against the best young riders in America, he will also be pursued by the two most recent MX2 World Champions.

Frenchman Marvin Musquin and German sensation Ken Roczen have each earned Grand Prix titles on 250cc motorcycles, and will now join forces at Red Bull KTM to challenge Wilson for the most-coveted outdoor title in the sport, a Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Add in the formidable GEICO Honda team, DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha, Rockstar Energy Suzuki, JDR KTM, in addition to Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda, and the 2012 season is ripe for exceptional competition.

Additionally, the Women’s Motocross Championship will be included at eight rounds. Led by defending champion, Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Ashley Fiolek, who claimed her third title in four years as a pro, the world’s fastest women riders are set to bring even more excitement to the series.

Fiolek can once again expect serious competition from her primary rival, and fellow multi-time champion, Jessica Patterson of the DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha team.

Following the traditional opener at Hangtown, series favorites Freestone, Thunder Valley, High Point, Budds Creek, RedBud, Spring Creek, Washougal, Southwick, Unadilla and Steel City all return to compose the bulk of the 2012 schedule.

While some venues’ traditional dates on the calendar have shifted, they remain as part of the integral foundation of American Motocross.

The season finale will feature a new venue in the motocross hotbed of Southern California. Details and additional information will follow.

Tickets for all 12 rounds of the 2012 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship will be on sale on Moto Monday, 5 December, in the U.S.

Fans eager to get a head start on plans for next summer can simply log onto the official website of American Motocross at AlliSports.com/motocross. Special holiday promotions for advance purchasers will be available.

2012 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Schedule:
Rd1 – 19 May – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Sacramento, Calif.
Rd2 – 26 May – Freestone Raceway – Wortham, Texas
Rd3 – 2 June – Thunder Valley Motocross – Lakewood, Colo.
Rd4 – 9 June – High Point Raceway – Mt. Morris, Pa.
Rd5 – 16 June – Budds Creek Motocross – Mechanicsville, Md.
Rd6 – 7 July – RedBud – Buchanan, Mich.
Rd7 – 14 July – Spring Creek Motocross – Millville, Minn.
Rd8 – 21 July – Washougal MX Park – Washougal, Wash.
Rd9 – 11 August – Moto-X 338 – Southwick, Mass.
Rd10 – 18 August – Unadilla – New Berlin, N.Y.
Rd11 – 1 September – Steel City Raceway – Delmont, Pa.
Rd12 – 8 September – TBA – Southern Calif.