LOS ANGELES, California - Beginning in 2023, motorcycle racing will crown a new champion with the announcement of a partnership between Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing to form the SuperMotocross World Championship. The purse for this championship will award $10 million in prize money, making this the richest payout for either sanctioning body.
The first championship will end on October 14, 2023, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif., stretching the combined seasons from January through October.
“With the creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship, we are taking a significant step towards growing the sport into a series that will be better suited for the expanding global marketplace and its impact on our fans and sponsors,” said Kenneth Feld, Chair and CEO of Feld Entertainment, Inc. in a release.
Each series will continue to crown individual champions at the end of their respective seasons.
Based on combined points in both series, the top 22 riders in the 250 class and 450 class will then compete in two SuperMotocross Playoff rounds and a World Championship round for the SuperMotocross No. 1 plate - and the most lucrative prize money in the history of the sport.
Eli Tomac is both the reigning supercross 450 champion and current points’ leader in motocross after eight of 12 rounds.
“We are celebrating 50 years of American Motocross this season and the creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship and working in unison with Supercross may be one of the most significant changes the sport has ever undertaken,” said Carrie Coombs-Russell, Chief Executive Officer, MX Sports Pro Racing. “This collaboration will create the only off-road racing series on the planet that provides a fully supported infrastructure, from amateur development to the professional ranks for global competitors to race on the world’s most challenging and demanding tracks.”
The course design for the SuperMotocross rounds will combine elements of both supercross and motocross to highlight the various strengths of each discipline.
Additionally, this marks closer ties between the primary sanctioning bodies for supercross and motocross. Leadership from Feld and MX Pro Racing will contribute to create a unified rule book. They will also work together to provide marketing and operational expertise to grow the sport both domestically and internationally.
All of the primary original equipment manufacturers have committed to the new series.
“The creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship is the biggest and most positive step to ever happen in our sport,” said Roger De Coster, Director of Motorsports, KTM Group North America. “Supercross and Motocross racing in the U.S. is very strong right now and this investment from Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing will bring the next generation of fans to motorcycling.”