Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing congratulates newest team member Nico Izzi for being honoured with the prestigious 2008 AMA Motocross/ Supercross Rookie of the Year award.

"Getting AMA Motocross/ Supercross Rookie of the Year caught me by surprise," admitted Izzi of the accolade. "But I'm really pumped about it. My team mate Ryan Dungey got the award last year and it's great for Rockstar Makita Suzuki that we won it two years in a row. It's also a confidence-builder for me going into the 2009 season."

In his first professional season, Izzi finished an impressive third overall in AMA Supercross Lites (East Coast), with a podium finish and multiple top-four and top-10 results. In AMA Motocross Lites, Izzi overcame an early-season injury to finish fifth overall. Along the way, the 17-year-old Michigan native racked up two podium finishes and several top-five and top-10 results.

"My 2008 season overall was really good," continued Izzi. "I was happy with Supercross and finishing in the top three. I had some good races on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 and some not-so-good races that maybe could have been better. But in the end, it all worked out and I just tried to be consistent. The Motocross season started a bit rough, with getting injured and everything, but it ended pretty good. I mean, it doesn't get much better than to finish the season with a podium in the last race at Steel City."