Team Green rider, Destry Abbott, piloted his Kawasaki KX 450F to victory last weekend in Lucerne Valley, Calif. to become the 2006 AMA Hare and Hound Champion. The 34-year-old Peoria, Ariz. native impressed all in attendance with a stellar performance while leading the pack for most of the 80-mile race.


Abbott came into the last round of the eight-round series six points behind series leader Russell Pearson, knowing he had to win the race in order to clinch the championship.


“Today it came down to Russ Pearson and I. We were basically tied in points, and whoever beat the other guy would be the champion,” said Abbott. “I’ve been feeling pretty good and have been practicing on my 2007 KX450F and am amazed at its performance. It’s going to be a great bike to ride next year.”


Abbott’s win at round eight was the perfect end to an already astonishing season. Abbott finished on the podium six times throughout the season with first-place victories at round two and three, as well as second-place finishes at round one and four.


This is the fourth Hare and Hound championship for the Team Green rider who piloted his green machine to overall victories in 2000, ’01, and ’04.


Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft and utility vehicles through a network of more than 1,500 independent retailers, with an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in power products and general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 2,400 people in the United States, with 400 of them located at the Irvine, California headquarters.


Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.”, is recognized worldwide and the brand has become synonymous with powerful, stylish motorcycles for over four decades.