Image: Octopi Media.

An historic ‘SuperMotocross World Championship’ will be formed by Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing from 2023, operated in addition to both Supercross and Pro Motocross in the US with full factory involvement and a $10-million (USD) purse.

The two companies today jointly announced a partnership that will see the series culminate at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, 14 October next year, with further events remaining to be announced.

It appears to be in response to the new FIM-sanctioned Supercross World Championship (WSX) led by Australian promoters SX Global, which will launch a brief pilot series this season before planning on hosting 10-plus rounds from June next year. However, that’s not entirely the case since it’s understood planning had been in motion before the formation of WSX.

“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. “As media and technology continue to evolve, SuperMotocross will be able to capitalise on these innovations to reach new audiences and grow exponentially in the coming years.”

Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross will both continue to crown their own champions at the conclusion of their respective series. Afterwards, the top 450 and 250 athletes – 22 from each category – in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points will qualify to compete in two SuperMotocross playoff rounds and the world championship finals.

“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, CEO of 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.”

All seven of the primary manufacturers – KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas, Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki – have fully committed to competing with their official factory teams. This is in contrast to WSX, which will be made up of 10 independent teams that are exclusively licensed across both the 450 and 250 categories.

The SuperMotocross World Championship will combine both disciplines of Supercross and Pro Motocross introducing a unique and distinct form of racing called SuperMotocross, hence becoming a new discipline for the sport. Custom-designed tracks will be built to showcase this new style of competition.

World-class venues will allow room to integrate the best track designs from Supercross, Pro Motocross and now SuperMotocross, providing a stage where the sport’s ultimate debate can be decided – who is the best in the world and ultimately crowning a new overall champion.

Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing have worked together previously on industry related initiatives, none more significant than joining forces in the early days of the pandemic to save motorcycle racing in the United States. Both companies will continue to work together in a collaborative effort to continue growing the sport both domestically and abroad.

Bringing together the leadership experience of both organisations and creating a unified rule book will ensure consistency across the series for both athletes and teams, while their combined marketing and operational expertise will strengthen and grow fan engagement through integrated media, promotional, sponsorship and activation programming across the racing season.

The 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship schedule will be announced in the coming weeks, followed by the 2023 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing schedule.