(Photo via Monster Energy Supercross Youtube)
There is no sport such as motocross, where the big game does not just happen once. Teams do it 31 times a year, from January to September. From California to Michigan and everywhere in between, they battle against each other and put their bodies on the line. All for the guts and glory to be crowned SuperMotocross World Champion.
Whether you have been watching motocross for years or are new to the sport, I have got you covered with any questions you might have. There is a lot to go over between the format of the series to prize money, the points system and how a winner is determined.
Let’s get right into it, it's time to go racing.
Format of series
(Sam Donsig/INTERMISSION SPORTS)
The most important thing to understand is how the SuperMotocross World Championship works in conjunction with both the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
The series is divided into 31 rounds, split between supercross and motocross. There are 17 rounds for the supercross season and 11 rounds for the motocross season. Then, to end the season, there are three rounds (two playoffs, one final) to decide the SuperMotocross World Champion.
Today, each series still claims a separate winner from the season for both supercross and motocross. The addition of the playoff rounds and a SuperMotocross Championship Final adds more excitement for the fans, plus a $5.5M purse split between the riders over the three rounds. The champion in the 250cc class gets to take home $575,000, while the 450cc champion earns $1.2 million. Money has never been openly public in the motocross world until recent years.
Jason Weigandt, a well-known pundit in the motocross world, recently revealed on a podcast episode of the Gypsy Tales that riders were already making big paychecks in both supercross and motocross. The details were just never revealed until the deal that took place between Feld Motorsports and MX Sports Pro Racing.
The schedule of a supercross weekend is quite hectic. There is a lot going on throughout the day, all leading up to the main event.
Here’s an example of what a typical supercross race weekend is like for the season opener in Anaheim, CA.
12:00 pm – 12:08 pm; 250SX Group C Free Practice
12:10 pm – 12:18 pm; 250SX Group B Free Practice
12:20 pm – 12:28 pm; 250SX Group A Free Practice
12:30 pm – 12:38 pm; 450SX Group A Free Practice
12:40 pm – 12:48 pm; 450SX Group B Free Practice
12:50 pm – 12:58 pm; 450SX Group C Free Practice
12:58 pm - 1:05 pm; Track Maintenance
1:05 pm – 1:15 pm; 250SX Group C Qualifying
1:20 pm – 1:30 pm; 250SX Group B Qualifying
1:35 pm – 1:45 pm; 250SX Group A Qualifying
1:50 pm – 2:00 pm; 450SX Group A Qualifying
2:05 pm – 2:15 pm; 450SX Group B Qualifying
2:20 pm – 2:30 pm; 450SX Group C Qualifying
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm; KTM Junior Racing Practice
2:45 pm - 2:55 pm; Promoter Track Walk #1
2:55 pm - 3:20 pm; Track Maintenance
3:20 pm – 3:30 pm; 250SX Group C Qualifying
3:35 pm – 3:45 pm; 250SX Group B Qualifying
3:50 pm – 4:00 pm; 250SX Group A Qualifying
4:05 pm – 4:15 pm; 450SX Group A Qualifying
4:20 pm – 4:30 pm; 450SX Group B Qualifying
4:35 pm – 4:45 pm; 450SX Group C Qualifying
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm; KTM Junior Racing Practice
5:00 pm - 5:10 pm; Promoter Track Walk #2
5:10 pm - 5:20 pm; Promoter Track Walk #3
5:20 pm - 6:15 pm; Track Maintenance
6:30 pm – 7:10 pm; Opening Ceremonies
7:10 pm - 7:18 pm; 250SX Heat #1 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 20 riders (1 - 9 to Main)
7:23 pm - 7:31 pm; 250SX Heat #2 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 20 riders (1 - 9 to Main)
7:37 pm - 7:45 pm; 450SX Heat #1 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 20 riders (1 - 9 to Main)
7:51 pm - 7:59 pm; 450SX Heat #2 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 20 riders (1 - 9 to Main)
8:05 pm – 8:11 pm; KTM Junior Racing Main Event – 3 Laps – 15 Riders
8:11 pm – 8:22 pm; Track Maintenance
8:22 pm - 8:29 pm; 250SX Last Chance Qualifier – 5 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 22 riders (1 - 4 to Main)
8:34 pm - 8:41 pm; 450SX Last Chance Qualifier – 5 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 22 riders (1 - 4 to Main)
8:41 pm – 8:50 pm; Intermission
8:50 pm – 8:53 pm; 250SX Sighting Lap
8:55 pm - 9:12 pm; 250SX Main Event – 15 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 22 riders
9:12 pm – 9:20 pm; 250SX Victory Circle
9:20 pm – 9:22 pm; Track Maintenance
9:22 pm – 9:25 pm; 450SX Sighting Lap
9:27 pm - 9:49 pm; 450SX Main Event – 20 Minutes/Plus 1 lap - 22 riders
9:49 pm – 10:00 pm; 450SX Victory Circle
As you can see, the weekend is pretty jam-packed. Fans definitely get their money’s worth for attending the event or even watching it at home. There's a lot of on-track action throughout the day, leading up the 450cc main event in the evening.
Let's talk specifics. For supercross races, there are two heats per class. The top 40 riders qualify for the heat races, in both the 250 and 450 class. The top nine riders from each heat advance to the main event. That accounts for 18 of the total 22 riders slotted for the main event. If riders didn't finish inside the top nine, they still have one final chance to get in, through the LCQ (last chance qualifier) race.
Some of the most exciting racing can come in the LCQ (last chance qualifier) race because for riders it's their last shot at getting into the main event. Only the top four make it into the main event.
Aside from the regular format, there are three special Triple Crown rounds held at different stadiums over the 17 rounds. During Triple Crown rounds there are three main events in both 250 and 450 series.
The AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Before we get into prize money and the divisions within the SuperMotocross series. It's time to dive into the other half of the SuperMotocross World Championship. The AMA Pro Motocross Championship takes place over 11 rounds spanning across the United States starting at the end of May and finishing at the end of August.
The first thing to go over is a typical schedule. Pictured below is the day schedule from the opening outdoor motocross race from last season at Fox Raceway located in Pala, CA.
As you can see, similar to supercross, motocross too has a jam-packed day filled with lots of on-track sessions to keep the fans at the track all day. The key difference is that in the Pro Motocross Championship, the winner for each weekend is determined by finishing place over two motos, not one main event.
For example, Jett Lawrence could finish first in the first moto, and fourth in the second. Meanwhile, Chase Sexton could finish second and third place between the two motos. Based on finishing order and the points payout, Jett Lawrence would still be the overall winner of the weekend. This can allow certain riders like privateers (more on them later) a good chance at earning a high overall finish, ultimately earning themselves a solid paycheck for their efforts.
Prize money
Everyone likes money, and every weekend riders are competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most riders have their salaries and sponsorship deals but the main event is where other riders (like privateers) can come home with a nice paycheck, as earnings are based on where they finish. The higher you finish, the more you take home.
As mentioned previously, there is a $10M dollar purse for the entire championship. $4.5M of that is split between the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and AMA Pro Motocross Championship, leaving the remaining $5.5M split between the final three SuperMotocross Championship rounds. During the season, each individual race for both the supercross and motocross championships will have a purse of $404, 810.
For the 450cc class, first place will earn a whopping $100,000 dollars. Second place takes home $50,000, third place $25,000, fourth $10,000, fifth $5,000, sixth $4,000, and seventh $3,900. This continues in thousand-dollar increments to 30th position and does include the LCQ competitors.
For the 250cc class, that prize money is slightly less. First place is awarded $50,000, second place $25,000, third $12,500, fourth $5,000, fifth $2,700. This continues by varying amounts to 30th similar to the 450cc class.
Divisions within the series
Now that I have gone over how the weekend works and talked about the prize money for riders, it’s time to talk about the different divisions within supercross. There’s the 250SMX West Division, 250SMX East Division, and 450SMX class.
The lot of 250cc riders in the West Division only compete in the west coast races, which are being held in Anaheim (Rd No. 1 & 4), Oakland, San Diego, Seattle, and Glendale. Similarly, 250 East Division riders race on the east coast only, with races in Houston, Tampa, Arlington, Daytona Beach, Indianopolis, Detroit, Atlanta, East Rutherford, and Nashville.
Round 17, the supercross final, has both 250 East and 250 West riders competing together. This race always takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah, around the middle of May.
For the Pro Motocross Championship, there are no separate divisions for the 250cc class. All 42 riders compete every weekend for the chance to be crowned champion.
The 450cc riders compete every weekend throughout the entire supercross season, from Rd. No. 1 through to Rd. No. 31. However, this is only for the riders who are with a factory team, as there are many privateers who attend a select few races throughout the season.
Privateer riders
The term "privateer" has been used loosely over the past couple of years, with everyone having their own definition. Most people define them as individuals who are paying for everything themselves and might have some small support through a local shop (they would still cover 90 per cent of the costs). However, others include “support teams” as part of the privateer list because they aren’t massive factory teams. They have tractor-trailers, two bikes and mechanics but still aren’t working with massive budgets.
In my eyes, it’s simple, a privateer is someone doing it mostly by themselves. Coming to the races with a small cargo van and maybe trailer and competing in a select few races during the season.
Privateers spend on average $5,500 USD a race (all-in with costs). These costs range from the fuel to drive there to the race fees and everything that is required in between. That is just for the supercross season alone. If a privateer were to compete in all 17 rounds, it would total up to just under $100,000 USD.
For the average person, it is no easy task to have that money lying around.
The biggest problem with Privateers in the sport right now is that they are being underpaid for the value they bring to the major corporations running the show. Privateers can sometimes make up close to half the field in the main event for supercross races, and they are bringing home far less than factory riders after each race. In comparison, Eli Tomac, who won in Anaheim last year, walked away with $100,000 just in prize money. For most privateers, who let's say finish last in the main event, they will walk away with a measly $2000.
Now the important thing to remember is that the privateer is ONLY making $2000. Meanwhile, top factory riders who might finish 16th or 17th because of a crash or bad start still have their salary and sponsorship deals on top of the prize money they earned that night. So, privateers should be paid much more because they are beating out factory riders with much larger team budgets and cash to spend.
Now over the history of the sport, both supercross and motocross have seen an increase in the success of privateer riders. Many current factory-sponsored riders started out as privateers and were able to secure rides with big teams after showing strong potential. Marvin Musquin, Cole Seely, Justin Brayton are just some of the riders that have made it through the cracks.
Points system
Moving on from privateer riders and getting back to the actual series itself. The points system for both supercross and motocross is the same. First place is awarded 25 pts, second place receives 22 pts, and third place earns 20 pts. Riders who finish from fourth place all the way to 21st receive points in single-digit increments from 18 pts down to 1 pt.
The rider who finishes with the most points in each separate given series is crowned champion. For supercross it would be the Monster Energy Supercross Champion, and for motocross it would be the AMA Pro Motocross Champion. The season does not end there though, as there is still the Supercross World Championship Finals, where organization and scoring get quite interesting.
At the end of the season, the top 20 riders are seeded automatically based on the combined points from the rider's results from both the supercross championship and Motocross Championship season. Riders ranked 21st to 30th, including any Supercross Main Event winners or even AMA Pro Motocross moto winners, will have the opportunity to race an LCQ race for the final two gate positions at each race.
Based on the seeding, riders are given adjustment points heading into the final three races. The no. 1 seed receives 25 points, no. 2 seed receives 22 points, no. 3 seed earns 20 points, riders seeded fourth to 20th receive points in single-digit increments from 18 points down to 2 points.
For the SuperMotocross Championship final three rounds they rely on Olympic-style scoring, the same one used for the Triple Crown events held at select races throughout the season. As is the case, the lower the score, the better. Yes, golf isn't the only sport with a lowest score wins system.
The scoring is as follows, first place earns one point, second place earns two points, third place earns three points. This continue's in single-digit increments down to 22nd, who earns 22 points. Then after the two motos, the lowest scores are tallied and the finishing order is made up.
The first playoff round riders are awarded the same points as during both the supercross and motocross season. The second playoff round points are now doubled. So first place now earns 50 pts, 2nd place 44 pts, third place 40 points and so and so forth. Now for the SuperMotocross Championship Final, points are tripled, making for an exciting final race to end off the championship, leaving the field entirely open for a winner to be crowned.
The winner of the SuperMotocross World Championship is determined the same way as the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The rider who finishes with the most amount of points at the end of the three races is crowned the SuperMotocross World Champion.
History
Today, motocross has massive corporations running the show, millions of dollars in prize money and massive TV deals. Let's go back to the beginning to understand how this came to be.
The sport of motocross originated in Europe in the 1950s, with it being introduced into the United States in the late 1960s. Pro Motocross was not formally recognized until a few years later by the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) in 1972. In the early days of Pro Motocross, European riders swept away and dominated the competition. American riders like Bob Hannah, Marty Smith, Jimmy Weinert, Tony DiStefano and Kent Howerton joined the sport a few years later.
Fast forward to the 1980s and Americans were starting to put their mark on the sport. American riders such as Rick Johnson, Broc Glover, and Mark Barnett were able to match the European riders with both speed and technique.
These giants of the sport would help carve a strong mold for future legends such as the likes of Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Emig, and Ricky Carmichael to enter the sport and have similar successes to them.
Ricky Carmichael is one rider to highlight, as he went on to win 10 AMA Pro Motocross Championships, the most by any rider to this day. Eli Tomac is the next closest active rider to Carmichael with three.
Flash forward to today and we have seen dominant seasons from riders like Australian Jett Lawrence, who had a perfect season, finishing first in every moto. His 550 points put him 151 points above his nearest rival, Dylan Ferrandis.
Now where does supercross come in? Well, the first-ever supercross race was held at Daytona International Speedway on March 9th, 1974. Dutchman Pierre Karsmakers was the inaugural winner for the 450cc class. He went on to become the inaugural Supercross Champion.
Despite his early success, Pierre Karsmakers did not win another supercross title after that. There was another man in the 70s, Bob Hannah, who was dominating the competition, winning three consecutive Supercross Championships. By the mid 80s, there was a little more competition in the series, as Rick Johnson, Jeff Ward, and Jeff Stanton would each win two Supercross Championships.
Similar to Hannah's success in the 70s, Jeremy McGrath blew the competition away in the mid to late 90s. Now legend of the sport and hall of fame, McGrath would win seven Supercross Championships over an eight-year span, only losing out to Jeff Emig in 1997.
While McGrath was enjoying his party in the 450 class, Carmichael was a young budding superstar in the 250 class looking to make the leap to the big bikes.
Having won three consecutive Motocross Championships in the 125 class and one Supercross Championship in the 125ESX class , Carmichael was looking to run with the 450 class. He had immediate success, winning three consecutive Supercross Championships and five total over six years. Carmichael and Chad Reed, the lone rider to break his streak, had a fierce rivalry that lasted several years, while they were both at the heights of their supercross careers.
After Carmichael's hay days were over, Reed and James Stewart passed the Supercross Championship back and forth, with Stewart winning in 2007, Reed in 2008, and Stewart again in 2009. Into the 2010s, two new names dominated the supercross scene. Ryan Villopoto & Ryan Dungey went on to win a combined eight Monster Energy Supercross Championships, with Dungey winning in 2010 and Villopoto winning four consecutive titles from 2011 to 2014 before Dungey won another three titles, back-to-back-to-back.
Villopoto's career was shortened due to a spinal injury he suffered while in Europe and Dungey retired because he felt that he had accomplished everything that he wanted to. Dungey did come out of retirement for what was supposed to be just two races in 2022 but turned into an entire outdoor season, leading some to think he might make a comeback. Utimately, Dungey decided to focus on his family and he did not end up coming back full-time.
The sport has seen many legends in both supercross and motocross dominate, but in recent years, we have seen little of that. The last five years have seen Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac each win two Supercross Championships, alternating years, before Chase Sexton wion last year's Monster Energy Supercross Championship.
Monster Energy
Now when it comes to sponsorships, Monster Energy has monopolized the market share with indoor motorsports, and now outdoor too.
Monster Energy became a title sponsor and official drink of supercross in 2007, inking a one-year, $3.5M dollar deal with Live Nation. Not one year later, Feld Entertainment, Inc. purchased Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc, then becoming Feld Entertainment Motor Sports. Feld Entertainment also purchased the rights to Monster Trucks, Arenacross and the IHRA.
From there Monster Energy stayed on as the official title sponsor of supercross. Last season they signed an extension to include the brand new SuperMotocross World Championship Finals. The deal has Monster Energy as the title sponsor for the series through the 2025 season.
Previous to Monster Energy taking the spot as the title sponsor for the AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the 2023 season and beyond, Lucal Oil Products Inc. was the main title sponsor for 14 years. They played a big part in helping create a larger audience for outdoor pro motocross.
It is crucial to mention this deal, as it is where the future of the sport is heading. Last year it was announced that Feld Motor Sports, Inc. and MX Sports Pro Racing would create a joint partnership to create the SuperMotocross World Championship. Each corporation managed a specific series before the deal took place. Feld Motorsports was in charge of supercross, and MX Sports Pro Racing was managing motocross.
This deal sent shockwaves through the motocross world, as the announcement of the playoff rounds and the increased overall purse excited fans.
Meanwhile, on the TV and broadcasting rights side of things, ESPN was the first network to start airing supercross and motocross in the 1990s. After about 10 years, Fox Sports came along with a small TV network called SPEED TV, which became an iconic network over the next decade. The height of supercross was on Speed TV, with former riders commentating on races and providing analysis. It provided fans with a whole new perspective on the sport.
Fast forwarding through the 2010s, Fox Sports maintained the broadcasting rights up until 2018, when NBC took the reins as the sole broadcaster. USA Network, CNBC, and Peacock came along as other broadcasting platforms for supercross and motocross in 2022.
Looking towards the future of the sport, SuperMotocross Video Pass is the best option for fans to catch all 31 rounds. It features all races live and playback, as well as behind-the-scenes and bonus content, is available. It is not cheap though, pricing at $240.90 CAD (taxes and fees all in) for the season.
Teams and Manufacturers
Similar to other motorsports, like Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar, there are lots of teams but only a few engine manufacturers. Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Husqvarna, Suzuki and GasGas are the current seven engine manufacturers in the series.
Between those seven manufacturers, there are 14 teams. Seven are considered Factory Teams, which basically means they have a much larger budget and bigger sponsors. The other teams are smaller satellite teams with smaller budgets and support up-and-coming riders.
FIRE POWER PARTS HONDA RACING
Fire Power Parts Honda Racing will be fielding two riders in the upcoming Monster Energy SuperMotocross Championship: Dean Wilson and Max Anstie, two veterans of the sport who are looking to continue their long run in motocross. After a shock win at the 250 East/West Showdown at Rd. 14 of the Monster Energy Supercross Season last year, Anstie is looking to keep the momentum going from last year. Meanwhile, Wilson is wanting to bounce back after missing last year entirely due to a gruesome injury suffered in 2022. I expect to see both riders competing for top 15 finishes week in and week out.
HEP MOTORSPORTS SUZUKI
Michio Suzuki started creating engines that could fit onto bicycles to help create more affordable transportation in Japan post WWII. 1952 hit and the first motorized bicycle was created, equipped with a 36-cc two-stroke engine. In 1975, Suzuki introduced the 'RM' (racing model) series of motorcycles. Within one night, the whole field of motocross turned yellow, with lots of riders switching to the Suzuki RM 125.
Jump ahead to 2017, and HEP Motorsports entered supercross with factory support from Suzuki. Dustin Miller, Kyle Cunningham and Henry Miller headlined the 450SX division, with Tallon Lafountaine entering the 250SX west division. In their short history racing, they have achieved little success in supercross in North America, as Ken Roczen achieved their only win last season at Rd. 9 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship. However, internationally, Roczen has helped them win back-to-back World Supercross Championships.
For the 2024 season, HEP Motorsports Suzuki will run under two separate squads, the Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki team and the Twisted Tea Suzuki.
HONDA HRC (Honda Racing Corporation)
For the past 50 years, the name Honda has meant two things: reliability and winning. In 1973, Gary Jones took the first produced Honda motocross bike (CR250M Elsinore) to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Since then, Honda motorcycles have produced some of the most reliable motorcycles known to man. My family used to own a Honda 70F and it always started on the first kick, from the day we bought it to the day we sold it to a family friend. From dirt bikes to street bikes and everything in between, Honda has always been reliable. Now, similar to Kawasaki, the names of supercross and motocross champions for Honda HRC is a long and decorated list.
Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Stanton, Rick Johnson and many more have raced fro Honda HRC. Now they have Jett and Hunter Lawrence, who swept the 250 Monster Energy Supercross Regional titles last season, with Hunter winning the 250 East and Jett winning the 250 West. Jett would go on to a perfect season in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, winning all 11 rounds. The future of Honda HRC looks bright, with Jo Shimoda, Chance Hymas and both Lawrence brothers leading the way. I wouldn't be surprised to see Honda HRC winning multiple titles over the next five years.
LIQUI MOLY BETA RACING TEAM
Beta surprised everyone in the motocross world when they announced they would be going racing in 2024 in the Monster Energy Supercross Championship. Nonetheless, they are here and ready to make some noise. Colt Nichols and Benny Bloss will headline their inaugural campaign for 2024. Both Nichols and Bloss have spent relentless hours on the Beta 450 RX, getting it ready for Anaheim 1.
MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
Kawasaki has deep roots in the sport of motocross, dating all the way back to 1972, when the first prototype for the KX250 and KX125 were created and entered into local races. A year later, they went into production and the rest is history. This season they celebrated their 50th anniversary with a special production version of their KX250. Over those 50 years, they have earned a combined 38 supercross and motocross championships in the 250 class alone. Add in the 450 championships won by James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto and the total number is close to 45.
They have been able to produce competitive motorcycles year after year, with an impressive list of champions. Jimmy Weinert, Jeff Ward, James Stewart, and Ryan Villopoto all have had great success under the Monster Energy Kawasaki brand, winning multiple championships in both supercross and motocross.
Monster Energy joined forces with Kawasaki Racing in 2007 and have maintained a strong relationship with them ever since. Monster Energy Kawasaki has been able to be contender each year for both the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
MONSTER ENERGY PRO CIRCUIT KAWASKI
As mentioned above, the Kawasaki Brand is used to winning a lot. Now, I want to focus specifically on how Pro Circuit and Kawasaki came together to create one of the most dominant race teams in recent history.
Over their 30-year partnership, they have won a combined 28 AMA championships across supercross and motocross in the 250 class, as well as collecting six MXoN (Motocross of Nations) victories for Team USA. Of those 28 AMA Championships, 17 have been won in supercross. The remaining 11 championships were earned in Motocross, including three straight from 97' to 99' and four in a row from 2005-2008.
It has been a couple of years since a Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider has graced the top step at the end of either a supercross or motocross season. The hope still remains strong for the Pro Circuit Kawasaki team, despite regular contender Jo Shimoda leaving the team for Honda HRC. With Shimoda having left the team, could this be the end of the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki dynasty?
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA STAR RACING
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing is a team built on history. Founded in 1999 by Bobby Reagan, an entrepreneur at the time, Star Racing started out as a privateer team and found success early on. In 2005, Yamaha backed them as a major sponsor, helping them become a factory team. Later, in 2016, Monster Energy hopped on as the main title sponsor for both the supercross and motocross teams.
They have had some success over the past decade, collecting a Supercross Championship in 2018 and putting together a solid lineup for the 2024 season that includes Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb and Haiden Deegan, among eight other riders. I wouldn't be surprised to see them on the top step almost every weekend.
MUC-OFF/FXR/CLUBMX YAMAHA
ClubMX Yamaha will have a total of six riders for the 2024 season. Coty Shock, Jeremy Martin and Jett Reynolds will compete in the 250SX East division, while Garrett Marchbanks and Phil Nicoletti take part in the 250SX West. Mark Fineis will only compete in the SX Futures rounds before jumping to the pro divisions in AMA Pro Motocross.
PHOENIX RACING HONDA
Phoenix Racing will take on a new challenge this year in the 450cc class for the SuperMotcross World Championship, as well as the AMA Monster Energy Supercross & Motocross Championship. Dylan Ferrandis will be their sole 450SX rider, with Cullin Park taking on the duties of racing in the 250 class.
RED BULL KTM
KTM (Kronreif Trunkenpolz Mattighofen) has an interesting history in the sport of motocross. Over the past 20 years, they've had success in both American and European racing series, winning five AMA 450 Supercross titles since 2015 and a staggering 30 of 51 total possible MX World titles since the beginning of the 21st century, 12 MX2 World titles, and eight MXGP titles since the start of the 2010s.
That wouldn't have been able to happen without the help of a major title sponsor in Red Bull.
For the past 20 years, Red Bull and KTM have maintained a strong relationship that has led to massive success over multiple racing series. Their focus was on motocross specifically until 2014, when the two came together to agree on having Red Bull sponsor KTM's USA Factory Racing Team. Over the nine-year relationship it has included lots of exciting moments, including Ryan Dungey winning multiple supercross (16', 17', 18') and motocross (15') titles under the KTM name. He went on to an illustrious career with KTM, etching his name in motocross history. Today, KTM still proves to be a dominant team with Chase Sexton winning last year's 450SMX Supercross Championship.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA
Husqvarna, a Swedish brand, started making motorcycles in 1903. 52 years later, they produced their first bike meant for off-road use, the Silverpilen, and it was one of the first bikes used in an outdoor motocross-type race. During the '60s and '70s, Husqvarna was THE motorcycle brand everyone was trying to catch up to, having won a total of 24 Enduro European Championships, 14 Motocross world titles, and 11 Baja victories. Since the company's inception, they have won 108 international competitions.
Husqvarna did make one attempt to race in AMA Supercross in 2001, which did result in success. Travis Preston won at the Houston Astrodome in the 125cc-class. For the next 12 years, they were absent from racing in American racing series but in 2013, KTM decided to purchase Husqvarna and then started producing off-road race bikes again. It wasn't until 2015 that they launched their Supercross and Motocross team, returning to the iconic Swedish blue, yellow and white colour scheme. Rockstar Energy immediately joined on as their main title sponsor, giving them much-needed funding to race in both series.
Celebrating it's 120th anniversary this year, it's amazing to see how full circle Husqvarna has come as a brand, and I look forward to what they bring to the sport in the future. Malcome Stewart, and Christian Craig will headline the 450SX division, with Guillem Farres (250SX East) and R.J Hampshire (250SX West) representing them for the 250SX East and West divisions.
TRIUMPH RACING
Triumph Motorcycles is a brand with over 100 years of history in multiple types of racing series. From the first Triumph in 1902, designed by engineer Mauritz Schulte, to their first MX dirt bike produced just last year, Triumph may be new to supercross but are no strangers to outdoor racing and winning.
Gary Nixon repeated Elmore's 1966 feat, earning a victory in the Daytona 200 on a Triumph Tiger 100. Meanwhile, John Hartle helped Triumph earn some more trophies in the Isle of Man Production TT. Flash forward three years, and Malcom Uphill won the Production TT on a Triumph Bonneville, recording the first-ever lap over 100mph on a production motorcycle. In the early 2000s, Bruce Anstey gave Triumph its first TT win in 27 years, after he won the Junior 600 on the Valmoto Daytona 600. It's safe to say that they may know a thing or two about success in motorsports.
Triumph will enter into the 2024 SuperMotocross Championship with the Triumph 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes. Evan Ferry and Jalek Swoll will headline their team in the 250SX East Division class, with Joey Savatgy entering the 450SX division in 2025.
TOYOTA REDLANDS BARX SUZUKI
Toyota Redlands BARX Suzuki will field five strong riders between the 250 and 450 classes. Derek Drake will be the sole rider for the team in the 450SX class, while Dilan Schwartz, Max Miller, Preston Boespflug, and Anthony Bourdon will headline their 250SX team.
TROY LEE DESIGNS/RED BULL/GASGAS
GASGAS Motorcycles, originally founded in Salt, Spain in 1985, has a deep history in motorsports. The name GASGAS comes from the Spanish phrase "Vamos! Gas a fondo gas gaaas!!!" which translates to "C'mon, give it full gas!!, Go...faster, faster!" GASGAS has dominated the FIM Trial Championship, collecting 16 FIM trial world titles since 1993 including a stretch of winning four straight FIM Trial-E titles. In 2019, GASGAS joined the Pierer Mobility Group. They expanded their model line-up and in 2021, debuted their supercross team, the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory team. Troy Lee Designs and Red Bull were already together in Supercross with KTM since 2008, but decided to make the switch over for the 2021 season.
Seven months later, Justin Barcia earned Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS their maiden AMA National win in Millville, MN. Today, they still are chasing greatness both with the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas Factory team and all other of GasGas's racing teams across the world.
There you go, a complete rundown on the sport of motocross. You can now consider yourself a mini-expert within the sport. Come join me in watching one of the most gruelling, exciting sports in the world. With about 24 hours until gate drop for Anaheim 1, the anticipation is building towards the 2024 season.
I'm definitely excited to see what's in store. Will we see one rider dominate like last year? Or maybe will there be a surprise contender for the title? There is only one thing that will tell us, and that is time.
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