The Motorcycle Industry Council will cross the border next week for the San Felipe 250 off-road race to increase awareness of the need for the voices of those riders most affected by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act's ban on youth motorcycles and ATVs to be heard by Congress.

MIC will have a booth at the event where visitors can get information on the youth dirt bike and ATV ban and can sign letters to Congress calling for an end to the restrictions.

"We want more letters from American residents voicing their concerns with the lead ban but we also must continue to raise awareness among the very group of riders that will be affected the most," said MIC General Counsel Paul Vitrano.

"Not all off-roaders know about the ban. Or, they see youth models being sold again in dealerships and believe that the problem's been solved. But there's only a temporary stay of enforcement and this fight is not over. Until we get Congress to change the law and permanently end the ban, we're in danger of losing small dirt bikes and ATVs, family trail riding and youth racing. And without youth models, youth riders are more likely to wind up on adult-sized machines, which we know is hazardous."

MIC representatives will staff its Stop the Ban booth on the San Felipe Malecon (a famed beach boardwalk) during the March 12 Contingency Row pre-race festivities and tech inspection for the 24th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. The booth will be located directly across from the Rice & Beans Restaurant.

SCORE International is one of the most widely recognized off-road motorcycle and ATV race sanctioning bodies in the world, known for the annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The San Felipe 250 is the first of the three-race SCORE Baja series that also includes the Baja 500.

Background Information on the CPSIA:

Three key reasons why youth ATVs and motorcycles should be excluded from the CPSIA's lead content provisions:

1. The lead content poses no risk to kids. Experts estimate that the lead intake from kids' interaction with metal parts is less than the lead intake from drinking a glass of water.

2. The key to keeping youth safe is having them ride the right size vehicle. Kids are now at risk because the availability of youth ATVs and motorcycles is limited due to the lead ban.

3. The lead ban hurts the economy for no good reason when everyone is trying to grow the economy and create jobs. MIC estimates that a complete ban on youth model vehicles would result in about $1 billion in lost economic value in the retail marketplace every year.

Visit stopthebannow.com for background information, FAQs, and public outreach tools for the Stop The Ban campaign.