During F1 and IndyCar's off-seasons, there's still plenty of racing on - MotorSportsTalk

Now that we’ve all had our fill of Christmas turkey and holiday cheer, attention is quickly turning back to what really matters.

Race cars.

The new Formula 1 and IndyCar seasons may seem a long way away right now, but there is plenty of racing action to keep you occupied through the winter.

Here’s a run-down of the motorsport that is on tap in the next couple of months to keep you satisfied until lights out in St. Petersburg and Australia.

JANUARY

January 5-7 – Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing (IMSA)
January 6-20 – Dakar Rally
January 13 – Marrakesh E-Prix (Formula E)
January 25-28 – Rolex 24 at Daytona (IMSA)
January 25-28 – Rallye Monte-Carlo (WRC)

FEBRUARY

February 3 – Santiago E-Prix (Formula E)
February 3-4 – Race of Champions, Riyadh
February 15-18 – Rally Sweden (WRC)
February 26 – March 1 – Formula 1 pre-season testing, Barcelona

MARCH

March 3 – Mexico City E-Prix (Formula E)
March 6-9 – Formula 1 pre-season testing, Barcelona
March 8-11 – Rally Mexico (WRC)
March 9-11 – Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (IndyCar)
March 14-17 – Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring (IMSA)
March 17 – Punta del Este E-Prix (Formula E)
March 16-18 – Qatar Grand Prix (MotoGP)
March 23-25 – Australian Grand Prix (Formula 1)

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In a continuing effort to help fans keep track of the on track action, SuperMotocross is in the process of developing and implementing leader lights for the unified series.

Currently Supercross (SMX) utilizes stanchions in the infield that are triggered manually by a race official. At least two stanchions are used in each race as a way to draw the eye to the leader, which is especially useful in the tight confines of the stadium series when lapping often begins before the halfway mark in the 22-bike field. This system has been in place for the past two decades.

Later this year, a fully automated system will move to the bike itself to replace the old system. At that point, fans will be able to identify the leader regardless of where he is on track.

The leader lights were tested in the second Anaheim round this year. An example can be seen at the 1:45 mark in the video above on the No. 69 bike.

“What we don’t want to do is move too fast, where it’s confusing to people,” said Mike Muye, senior director of operations for Supercross and SMX in a press release. “We’ve really just focused on the leader at this point with the thought that maybe down the road we’ll introduce others.”

Scheduled to debut with the first SuperMotocross World Championship race at zMax Dragway, located just outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 3D carbon fiber-printed LED light will be affixed to each motorcycle. Ten timing loops positioned around the track will trigger the lights of the leader, which will turn green.

SMX’s partner LiveTime Scoring helped develop and implement the system that has been tested in some form or fashion since 2019.

When the leader lights are successfully deployed, SuperMotocross will explore expanding the system to identify the second- and third-place riders. Depending on need and fan acceptance, more positions could be added.

SuperMotocross is exploring future enhancements, including allowing for live fan interaction with the lights and ways to use the lighting system during the race’s opening ceremony.

During F1 and IndyCar’s off-seasons, there’s still plenty of racing on

SuperMotocross set to introduce Leader Lights beginning with the World Championship finals

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