SuperMotocross playoff rounds to be hosted by zMAX Dragway, Chicagoland Speedway
The SuperMotocross League has announced that zMax Dragway and Chicagoland Speedway will host the first-ever SuperMotocross Championship Playoff Rounds in September. The championship will take place after the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and AMA Pro Motocross Championship conclude.
SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 1 will take place on Saturday, Sep. 9 at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. Playoff 2 will take place on Saturday, Sep. 23 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. As previously announced, the SuperMotocross World Championship Final will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14, in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“The design from the get-go was to make sure that each part of the country was represented so fans would have an opportunity to experience SuperMotocross first-hand,” said Dave Prater, vice president of Supercross, Feld Motor Sports. “It was important to have one playoff in the East, a second in the Midwest, and then the final on the West Coast making each round easily accessible to each region. zMAX Dragway, Chicagoland Speedway and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum all provide the perfect footprint to create world-class SuperMotocross tracks and a one-of-a-kind fan experience that will blend elements from both Supercross and Pro Motocross.”
zMAX Dragway is situated adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord and is the world’s first four-lane dragway. Built in 2008, zMAX is considered the “Bellagio of Dragstrips” for its expansive layout, large capacity grandstands and 40 luxury suites. zMAX will provide a layout that allows track builders to create lanes suited for grandstand and suite viewing while also allowing fans to “line the fence” as they typically would at an outdoor Pro Motocross event.
“Innovation and entertainment are at the core of everything we do, so adding a SuperMotocross event to our portfolio at zMAX Dragway just makes sense,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager, Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Fans who visit us expect big action and big fun, and that’s exactly what SuperMotocross provides. We couldn’t be more excited to make some Playoff history in September.”
Chicagoland Speedway sits right outside of Chicago in Joliet and will be easily accessible for fans traveling by car or plane with its central location and multiple airports. The 1.5 Mile D-shaped tri-oval Speedway sits on over 900 acres of land which will provide enough room for the track builders to get creative with the layout. Being a world-class facility, Chicagoland provides all the modern amenities motorsports fans expect when purchasing an event ticket. Chicagoland Speedway is no stranger to marquee events as they hosted Indy Car Series races for more than 10 years and NASCAR Cup Series races for nearly 20 years.
“As a proud partner of Supercross at Daytona International Speedway for over 50 years, we look forward to welcoming the first-ever SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs to the Midwest at Chicagoland Speedway,” said Chip Wile, senior vice president and chief track properties officer, NASCAR. “With a thrilling season of motorsports ahead, we are excited to see riders return to Daytona and Chicagoland for intense two-wheel action this season.”
The best of both worlds, the SuperMotocross World Championship is going to boast first of its kind track designs that will utilize a unique combination of both Supercross and Motocross obstacles. Each track layout will be unique but include five fundamental, yet essential elements of both disciplines – big air, long rhythm sections, rollers, fast straightaways and elevation.
The SuperMotocross World Championship playoff races and final will operate under a two-moto format for both the 450cc class and 250cc class. Each moto will be 20 minutes, plus one lap, in which Olympic Scoring will determine an overall finishing position for which SuperMotocross Championship points will be awarded.
The SuperMotocross World Championship series will boast the sport’s largest payout of $10 million over the course of the full 31-event season. Prize money is being added to both the Supercross and Pro Motocross Championships, leaving $5.5 million up for grabs for the playoffs and final. A guaranteed $1 million will go to the 450cc champion and $500,000 to the 250cc champion.
All 17 rounds of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final will go on presale, Tuesday, Jan. 31, followed by public on-sale Tuesday, Feb. 7.