From a press release issued by F-USA:

KTM Announces Dirt Track Race Team

KTM Sportmotorcycle USA, Inc. will field a two-rider National Championship Dirt Track race team for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The KTM National Dirt Track Race Team will consist of 2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp and Kenny Coolbeth the 2002 AMA Grand National Championship third place finisher.

Both Kopp and Coolbeth will campaign KTM Racing Four Stroke 450 SX motorcycles in the K&N Filters Pro Series sanctioned by Formula USA and produced by Clear Channel Motor Sports.

Both Kopp and Coolbeth will also be involved in the testing and development of the new KTM LC8 V-Twin cylinder engine during the 2003-2004 racing seasons.

Joe Kopp’s motorcycles will be maintained and tuned by Travis Smith and Kenny Coolbeth’s by Andy Fenwick. Both race mechanics will be based out of Darrell Jones’, Jones Power Sports KTM in Columbia, Missouri. Jones, a long time Dirt Track and Road Race sponsor of both Joe and Kenny, will act as crew manager.

KTM’s engine development in the U.S. will be handled in-house by KTM USA’s Sean McLaughlin and the KTM National Dirt Track Race Team Manager will be Mike Rosso.

KTM has been participating in the sport of American Dirt Track racing for over three decades now and will continue to use this arena in the development of future KTM Racing Four Stroke models.

Dirt Track racing is the cornerstone of American motorcycle racing and can trace its roots back to 1901. The extremely close competition of Dirt Track and the need for superior power characteristics are great development tools for KTM Racing Four Stroke products.

Joe and Kenny with their world caliber riding abilities, development skills and great personalities are the perfect team for KTM and for the showcasing of KTM’s “Ready to Race” four-stroke line of motorcycles.

In addition to KTM Sportmotorcycles USA, Jones Power Sports KTM, WP Suspension and Wiseco Pistons will sponsor the KTM Dirt Track Team.