Mix n' match
By TMX Archives on 6th Dec 04
MX and road racing, SX and enduros - the Yanks are getting a taste for two-wheeled cocktails. And it's all happening in Las Vegas TOM PETTY said it best even if he did sound a bit nasal when he said it - the waiting really is the hardest part. And that's never more true than it is during that barren, hopelessly dull stretch of the year that we call the off-season. Sure there are one-off races, rumours and predictions to keep you busy but that feeling of being in the middle of the season, well, there's no substitute for that. Just when you've come down from this weekend's race it's time to start thinking about the next one. Things are always changing, never standing still long enough for you to get a good look. If sports are a metaphor for life then the off-season is the time you spend asleep. All of which can be frustrating for a columnist. During the season, you've got a plot to follow and subplots at every turn. Unfortunate injuries, surprise performances and utter disappointment are in full supply. You've got drama and it makes this job easy. But now on the eve of the '05 supercross season waiting has become the #1 story. Last month I talked about the upcoming season with Carmichael, Reed, Stewart, Windham, Pastrana and McGrath all competing in the 250 class together for the first time. In the month that has passed, that's still the biggest story over here. But a few interesting things have gone down. Let's get to it. It moved to America, took on a sexy new name, got a little 'work' done and now spends its time on the streets of Las Vegas. No, it's not an Eastern Bloc prostitute - it's supermoto, the motocross/road racing hybrid that's taking the States by storm! All right, maybe it's just a drizzle but the sport is beginning to gain a nice fan base over here. Big names are constantly drawn to it, whether current stars looking for a fun diversion (Ben Bostrom, Mike Metzger, McGrath, Pastrana et al) or former racers who just can't shake the racing bug (Doug Henry and Jeff Ward among others). The series recently held its final round - the curiously named Supermoto-A-Go-Go - right in the middle of downtown Las Vegas. If supermoto does find a niche in America it could be as a way to extend racers' careers after their bodies can no longer handle the rigours of the national motocross/supercross schedule. For example, this year's series champion was 43-year-old racing legend Jeff Ward. While no rookie to the sport - he competed in the inaugural ABC's Wide World of Sports Superbikers, this country's official introduction to the sport - Ward has been away from bikes for some time now having retired in 1992 to race Indy cars. His supermoto title is in the books as his eighth career AMA championship and his first since winning the 500cc MX title in 1990. If the industry can support the sport until the fan base comes around it could add decades to professional racing careers. Another factor in the Supermoto Revolution (as it will now be called) is its inclusion in the ever-so-popular X-Games. The yearly action-sports festival has lost none of its lustre over the years as audiences continue to crowd the venues and tune in on the telly. For a younger generation more familiar with the Metal Mulisha and assorted freestyle goonery some real old-fashioned racing might be just the thing. Supermoto isn't the only new kid on the motorcycling block these days though. In fact it isn't even the newest one. In November the first-ever Maxxis Endurocross took place in (all together now) Las Vegas. Yet another hybrid venture, this event combined supercross and off-road racing on the floor of the Orleans Arena. At first look it appeared as though a supercross track had simply exploded - massive rock piles, mountains of monster-truck tyres and piled-up logs were strewn across the dirt-covered floor. The event drew some of the biggest names in off-road and trials including Geoff Aaron, David Knight, Paul Edmondson, David Pearson and Ty Davis. However, it was motocross hardman Ryan Hughes who dominated the evening, pocketing a very nice $10,000. By all accounts the endurocross was very entertaining which shouldn't be a surprise - after all, Paris-Bercy SX and US Open mastermind Eric Peronnard was at the helm. In fact, most of the riders themselves remained trackside when they weren't racing just so they could watch the constant passing and non-stop action. It's difficult to say whether endurocross has wings - despite the fun factor it may just be a bit too gimmicky - but I wouldn't be surprised if this turned into a successful annual event. At the very, very least it's yet another excuse for the industry to go to Sin City. I look forward to revisiting this topic in another 12 months. Will supermoto take hold in America? Will endurocross forever marry the worlds of off-road and supercross? Will this hybridisation stop or will Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi soon be launching their Moto GP bikes from 90-foot triples? Only time and spectator dollars will tell... Words by Jeff Kocan courtesy of RacerX