The history of motorcycle racing can be traced back just about as far as when the first two motorcycles were sold. In those early days of motorcycle racing, people just raced along a stretch of road or along a beach; whatever was available in fact. In deed there were not many proper roads to speak of either, not in the modern sense of the word.
So people just made the best of dirt tracks. As time went on and the dirt clogged some engines, races were held on tarmac and real race tracks were created by entrepreneurs. It is comical when you think about it, because the sport of motorcycle racing has almost turned full circle, in many aspects.
All the types of motorbike racing that have existed are still being practiced somewhere in the world. Flat track racing is still popular, but the riders and the producers and ultimately, the fans wanted more thrills and faster races, so supercross motorcycle racing came into being.
Supercross motorbike racing is off-road racing, but the off-road territory is man-made. This way 'natural' obstacles such as tight bends, small hills and even ponds can be put in, taken out and moved about at will in order to vary the course. It has made motorbike racing much more exhilarating, bringing cross country racing to the arena where it can be watched and filmed more easily.
The aim, as with all races, is to finish first, but with supercross racing, there are a lot of bikes in each race and the course is very challenging. So much so that it is a triumph even to pass the finishing line let alone win the race.
Supercross motorcycle racing is really a variation of motorcross, although motorcross is held in the countryside. With supercross they have brought the countryside into the arena. Because of this, it is difficult to put an exact date on the birth of supercross. It just kind of evolved bit by bit.
Motorcross started to bring in the spectators in the Seventies, but crafty entrepreneurs noticed that it was difficult to charge fans for standing on the roadside, which is why they brought supercross into the stadium. The first time the term Supercross was used was in the Los Angeles Coliseum, when a promoter said that that racing occasion was like a cross between motorcross and the Superbowl. The term supercross was coined and stuck.
Supercross motorcycle racing teams are similar in many ways to the NASCAR racing teams in that they are large teams that travel the country putting on shows or races in a variety of stadia, often the very same ones that a NASCAR team has just left. However, amateur supercross also exists, although mostly only on a local level. Most, but certainly not all local supercross courses are in the open.
Usually, these supercross races will be held either once a week or once a fortnight. Television has transformed the popularity of both professional and amateur supercross and has provided money to make the sport much more spectacular.
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Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on quite a few topics, but is currently concerned with thinking about the
Poconos International Raceway in Pennsylvania. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at
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