FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014

HALL-OF-FAME RACER, FOX SPORTS ANALYST JEFF EMIG PREVIEWS 2015 SUPERCROSS SEASON

“Dirt Bikes, Great Race Action, Crashes, Professional Athletes, Music, Pyro, Killer Pit Parties, Monster Girls … Did I Miss Anything?”

FOX Sports analyst Jeff Emig is a 2004 inductee to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and a six- time member of the U.S. des Nations team, who enjoyed a career that included three AMA Motocross Championships, one AMA Supercross title, a 1999 victory at the U.S. Open and 37 national event wins. Below, Emig, who joined the FOX Sports team in 2006, previews the 2015 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season. The entire season airs live on the FOX Sports family of networks, with the first race scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 3 (10:00 PM ET) on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports GO:

FOX SPORTS: With defending Monster Energy Supercross champ leaving the series and popular former champ James Stewart suspended for 2015, what do you expect the early "on-track" stories to be about?

EMIG: Depth of field. I feel like there is a tremendous amount of exceptionally talented racers suiting up for this year’s championship. Plus, they are all working with some of the best physical trainers in the world of sport. They know that with two of the most highly decorated champions the sport has ever seen out, it can be anyone’s title come round 17. We will be using the Hashtag #WhosNext all season long to follow the action.

FOX SPORTS: Which riders are ready to make the step from strong racer to title contender in 2015 and why?

EMIG: , Trey Canard, Justin Barcia, Davi Milsaps, Eli Tomac, Dean Wilson, Blake Baggett, Cole Seely, Justin Brayton … and that’s just a list of riders who haven’t already won the title. and are favorites, too. So, that’s 11, and we still have to wait and see how riders like Will Hahn and Broc Tickle perform after coming back from injury.

FOX SPORTS: Who are the young riders in the sport to keep an eye on in 2015? Who could be a factor sooner than expected and why?

EMIG: I believe this year’s crop of rookies in the premier class is going to make an impact early. Dean Wilson, Jason Anderson, Cole Seely and Blake Baggett all have race wins on their resume. Only time will tell if we have the next Jeremy McGrath on the line or not.

FOX SPORTS: Supercross enjoyed great year-to-year growth in younger TV audience numbers in 2014 (up 35% with Males 18-35; median viewer age dropped from 45.7 to 40.7). What is it about SX that attracts that audience?

EMIG: Dirt bikes, great race action, crashes, professional athletes, music, pyro, killer pit parties Monster Girls … Did I miss anything?

FOX SPORTS: Which active racer would you most like to race against and why?

EMIG: I’m not sure I would like to race any active racer. They are all so well prepared this year. I feel it would be very difficult to beat them in a 20-lap main event. That being said, I would like the opportunity for and I to get out of the FOX Sports broadcast booth and go at it … just one more time.

To add the full season schedule to your calendar, simply Tweet #SXonFOX to @FOXSports1 and check your notifications or visit FOXSports1.com. For the full and exclusive Monster Energy Supercross on FOX Sports television schedule, please visit: http://bit.ly/13qGP8O

MEDIA/SOCIAL RESOURCES

Web Pages: http://www.foxsports.com/tag/supercross, http://www.supercrossonline.com/,

Mobile viewing: www.FOXSportsGO.com

Twitter: @RalphSheheen, @Emig47, @RickyCarmichael, @JennyTaft, @FOXSports, @FOXSports1, @SupercrossLIVE, #SXonFOX, #WhosNext

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speed, https://www.facebook.com/supercrosslive

About FOX Sports

FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 2; Fox’s 22 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com, Scout.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.

--FOX Sports--