OREANDA-NEWS. January 07, 2013. With round one of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross only days away, Team Honda Muscle Milk is ready to take on the competition, reported the press-centre of Honda.        

Honda has been at the forefront of American Motocross and Supercross action since the beginning, winning its first AMA 250 National Championship in 1973 and amassing an unparalleled race record over the past 40 years, and that winning tradition looks to roll into 2013 as well with champions Trey Canard and Justin Barcia ready for action.

For 2013, Canard and Barcia will compete on Honda's all-new 2013 CRF450R in the AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross series. The 2013 CRF450R made its debut during the off-season at the Monster Energy Cup, where Barcia won the event overall. Since then, the team has continued to develop the CRF450R in the hands of Canard, Barcia and Jeremy McGrath, who also provided valuable input during hundreds of testing laps during the off season.

After an exciting 2012 season, Muscle Milk is eager to continue their partnership with American Honda in 2013. "We're extremely proud to be partnered again with Honda Racing. They have a great tradition in racing, a strong commitment to winning, and we both share a common goal of making the highest quality products for consumers," says CytoSport's SVP of marketing, John Peirano. "The 2012 season was a great opening year for us as the title sponsor of Team Honda Muscle Milk. We are even more excited about the 2013 season with riders Trey Canard and Justin Barcia leading the way. Both riders embody what a Muscle Milk athlete represents with their determination and commitment to be the best."

Team Honda Muscle Milk also had some changes during the off season.  First, Mike Tomlin moved from GEICO Honda to the Team Honda Muscle Milk factory team to continue wrenching for Barcia. Three-time WMX champion, Ashley Fiolek, announced she would retire from racing the WMX series. During her four years as a Team Honda factory racer, Ashley consistently demonstrated a professional approach to racing and reflected a racing spirit that is at the core of the Honda brand.

Two more changes to the team effort this year include the addition of Replay cameras and Honda Racing HPD as team sponsors. They join returning sponsors Troy Lee Designs, Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals, Dunlop, Showa, Renthal, D.I.D, VP Racing Fuels, Twin Air, Yoshimura, Hinson Racing and Throttle Jockey.

About the Riders
Canard returns to the team in 2013 for the third year in a row. Since his professional debut in 2007, Canard has become a fan favorite with his humble personality, fierce competitive attitude and undeniable talent. In the 2010 AMA Motocross Lites series, young Canard rode to his first-ever outdoor championship, adding to his long list of accomplishments, which includes a 2008 Supercross Lites East title. After his devastating accident last February that led to a long recovery, Canard believes 2013 is all about new beginnings, and he is confident in his ability to win races.

Barcia enters the 2013 season as the newcomer to the premier class. However, he is nothing new to winning—or to Honda. After making an impressive professional debut in 2009, the young phenomenon has continued to top the podium in both Supercross and Motocross races around the country. In the 2011 AMA Supercross season, Barcia appeared on the podium at every round of the nine-race series and was able to clinch his first Lites East Championship title on his GEICO Honda CRF250R. During the 2011 outdoor Motocross season, he was given the opportunity to ride the last four rounds aboard a factory CRF450R. He showed that he could run up front with the fastest riders in the series by taking third place overall at both Unadilla and Pala, and grabbing a moto win at Southwick. Barcia's 2012 season proved just as successful as he earned five race wins, maintaining his points lead throughout the entire Supercross Lites season and wrapping up his second Lites East Championship on the GEICO Honda team with one round remaining. He ended his 2012 season by winning the Monster Energy Cup, beating the best 450 racers in the country. His agenda for 2013 is simple: Get out front, get on the podium and win races.

Team Honda Muscle Milk would like to invite fans to stop by for an autograph in the Supercross paddock and to keep an eye on Barcia and Canard on the racetrack. They'll be the easy to spot: Just look at the front of the pack.

For more information on American Honda's racing teams, go to www.powersports.honda.com

For more information on Muscle Milk go to www.musclemilk.com