Motocross Mania
No. 1 Racing Series Speeds Ahead
By Adrianne Bowen
Considered the “original action sport” for its high-speed, high-flying excitement, motocross is poised to reach new heights as a result of growing participation and changes to events that have long been organized by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), according to industry officials.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is the largest motorcycle membership organization in the United States that protects and promotes the rights of motorcycle enthusiasts, sanctions on- and off-road riding activities, and oversees professional and amateur racing events. AMA—the only American affiliate of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international governing body for motorcycle sport and touring activity—has entered into an agreement to sell the sanctioning, promotional and management rights of AMA Pro Racing properties to Daytona Motorsports Group (DMG), based in Daytona Beach, Fla., according to AMA President/CEO Rob Dingman. “We are honored to be working with the Daytona Motorsports Group. By placing AMA Pro Racing in the hands of people with a proven record of excellence in motor sports organization and promotion in a fashion similar to our successful partnership with Live Nation, the AMA will be able to focus its resources on its core mission to be a member advocacy organization.”
DMG is led by Roger Edmondson, founder of the Championship Cup Series (CCS) motorcycle racing series and president of the Grand American Road Race Series LLC, and by Jim France, vice chairman/executive vice president of NASCAR. “Our goal is to guide motocross into the mainstream of American culture and showcase the extraordinary abilities of the competitors and their teams,” Edmondson said.
Besides owning the rights to the AMA Pro Racing properties, DMG also will assume responsibility for many AMA racing series events. Management and promotion of the 12-race AMA Toyota Motocross Championship series—the major championship series in professional outdoor motocross racing—would likely be handled by the National Promoters Group (NPG), which is negotiating with DMG, according to Tony Gardea, NPG spokesperson. NPG is composed of the track owners of the facilities that host the 12-race championship and “was formed to create consistency among the 12 races. We are responsible for helping to organize the events from coordinating series-wide sponsors and ensuring consistent banners and event structures to securing a professional and consistent layout in the pits and on the track. NPG has really assisted in raising the level of professionalism for the series,” he said, adding that the championship series continues to spark heightened interest in the sport.
| SUPERCROSS ACTION
Supercross, an “Americanized” variation of motocross, is run on man-made tracks, according to Pete Terhorst, spokesperson for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). The races are shorter and dominated by big jumps and
obstacles, which mean timing and precision are more important than top speed, he said. The biggest supercross series in the world is the AMA/FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motorcyclisme, or International Motorcycle Federation) Supercross Series—a 15-round series owned by Live Nation that runs from January to May throughout the United States. Tony Gardea, spokesperson for National Promoters Group, which is negotiating with Daytona Motorsports Group to acquire the promotional rights to the AMA Motocross Series, said the Supercross Series is extremely popular and has brought motocross to the masses at major stadiums across the nation. |
Held June 28 at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colo., it was the first night round ever to be held in the 12-race championship series.
“We wanted to break new ground this year by giving the series a new feel,” said David Clabaugh, promoter for Thunder Valley Motocross Park. “Hosting the race at night brought a new element to AMA Motocross and gave fans a new perspective. In this ever-changing marketplace, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve our event; night racing seemed like a perfect fit for our region’s fans.”
In fact, motocross promoters are always looking for ways to involve fans, often through means besides just the sport itself. “Companies are able to woo the fan demographic, which is a young, enthusiastic crowd primarily of 14- to 24-year-olds—the ‘Y Generation’—by bringing a new element to our events,” Gardea said, adding that typically fans would go into the open pit, watch a practice and go home. “Now, our events are evolving into mini-festivals with interactive displays and activities, bands and other acts during intermission. This is expanding the event site and giving fans something to do the entire time.”
The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship also is promoted through the organization and promoters’ community involvement. “We get involved in local community affairs to attract fans and to give back,” Gardea said. One of NPG’s community focuses is children’s hospitals, and Gardea said motocross “does very well with children. It’s appealing to them, and we do hospital visits to raise money for the kids and to bring some sunshine to them.”
The motocross fan base and event schedule are growing, according to Gardea. “We’re going coast to coast and adding new markets at a great rate.” He believes much of the sport’s appeal is that it isn’t all about the bike; 80 percent of the focus is on the rider’s style, skills and tricks with the bike, he said.
“People consider motocross the original action sport, as it has been in the United States since the ‘70s and even longer in Europe, where the sport began,” Gardea said. “The sport really is global.”
In fact, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship series is the No.1 racing series around the world in terms of spectators and TV viewers, according to Gardea. The series attracts approximately 350,000 spectators combined and is televised globally. “The sport of motocross is seeing international growth,” he said, adding that the AMA motocross circuit includes riders from Brazil, Japan, Canada, Australia and many other countries.
AMA’s supercross series—featuring shorter races on man-made tracks—includes an FIM race, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross World Championship, in Toronto. Gardea said he hopes AMA’s motocross and supercross series will expand beyond North America to include other international competitions in the near future.
In addition to growing globally, motocross is gaining popularity among female riders. According to Miki Keller, president of the Women’s Motocross Association (WMA), “Our athlete participation is growing at an even faster rate than participation in men’s motocross. It’s a really good time to be a woman [motocross] racer.”
Women have been racing in motocross since its inception in the ‘70s, but efforts to elevate women’s pro racing began in earnest in 2000, according to Keller, who was involved in the U.S. Women’s Motorcycle League from 2000-2003 before forming the WMA in 2004. “The WMA was created to continue to provide opportunities for women in the sport of motocross, in both nationals and amateur racing.”
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Sport REPORT
• Number of AMA clubs nationwide: 1,400+
• Number of AMA members: 290,000 (26,700 competitive riders) • Number of AMA events annually: 4,500 • Targeted areas of expansion: Motocross series Contact: Bryan Cohn, senior director of AMA Racing,
(614) 856-1900, ext. 1271; www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com |
The AMA/WMA Women’s National Motocross Championship, presented by Kawasaki and held in conjunction with the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship, includes six events across the nation from May through September, and the same size of bikes are used in all categories of each race. Keller said this year’s women’s championship will make history with competitions on Sunday—the “big day” in the championship series events.
Women’s motocross racing also will be a part of the 2008 X Games, televised live on ABC and ESPN, in August. “People across America are going to see women riding dirt bikes in an actual racing class,” Keller said.
Keller believes interest in women’s motocross racing will continue to grow, which will increase opportunities for sponsorship “so that women riders can really reach their full potential. Also, more media coverage will bring more fans, especially girls who will see it and will want to go out and ride a dirt bike and get started in the sport.”
Increased participation nationally and internationally has helped make moto-cross a quarter-billion-dollar industry, with more than 2 million participants and 2 million viewers (event spectators and TV viewers) a year. “The sport is in great condition and is on the rise already,” Gardea said, “and with DMG’s involvement, it’s a great time for motocross.”