First place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.  “It’s crazy, you know, the season’s never over, you’ve just gotta put your head down and now it’s tied; it’s pretty crazy. So we’ll just stick to our thing, but man, it was great. Great race, had a great pace out front, and then made a big mistake. I missed the rhythm, and the guys got [up to] me. And then Chase was riding really well, I could feel him coming. [I lost time] just being kind of dumb in the whoops. [On the] last lap I decided to skim, and it was the best I hit them. But it was great, man. To get a holeshot like that, to lead every lap, was huge. The track was really tricky, especially when it started to rain, it could reach up and bite you. So it was a great race and, man, to get [into] the points lead is amazing. I want to give it up to the Good Lord, the whole Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team, they worked their butts off, my mechanic Alex, [other sponsors], my wife, and man, this feels great.” – Cooper Webb

SEASON STATISTICS

250 results

COMBINED SEASON STATISTICS

During press day inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Ferry fell, resulting in an injury to his right shoulder. Initially, Evan and the team were hopeful that he would be able to compete in the event, but following medical examinations, it became clear that he was unable to take part in today’s proceedings.

Evan will seek further medical investigation and advice from his personal doctor on Monday to confirm what the prognosis will be.

Everyone at Triumph Racing wishes Evan all the very best for a speedy recovery and looks forward to seeing him back on track soon.

Bobby Hewitt – Triumph Racing Team Principal:
“Obviously, this is a huge disappointment for Evan and the whole Triumph Racing team. Evan had a really rough time of things at the opening round of the 250SX East series, getting taken out in the first corner of the main event, so we were really hoping that this weekend he’d be able to show what he’s capable of. Sadly, that’s not going to be the case, which is a huge shame for Evan. Everyone in the team wishes him all the best for a speedy recovery and we hope to have a more detailed update on the situation when he’s seen his doctor on Monday.”

Nestled in the heart of Birmingham, Villa Park stands tall as an iconic venue steeped in rich sporting heritage. Since its inception, this hallowed ground has witnessed countless thrilling battles and unforgettable moments across various disciplines. From football to concerts and now the FIM World Supercross Championship, Villa Park has become synonymous with sporting excellence.

Dating back to 1897, Villa Park was originally constructed to serve as the home ground for Aston Villa Football Club. With its classic architecture and vibrant atmosphere, the stadium quickly garnered a reputation as one of the most revered football venues in England. Over the years, it has witnessed numerous historic moments, including domestic and international matches that have captivated fans worldwide.

However, the arrival of the FIM World Supercross Championship marks a thrilling new chapter in Villa Park’s storied history. This esteemed venue, with its expansive stands enveloping the excitement of a Supercross track, provides the perfect stage for high-octane Supercross action. The contrast between the stadium’s historic charm and the cutting-edge world of Supercross creates an atmosphere that is as vibrant as the racing itself.

In 2022, history was made as the World Supercross Championship burst onto the scene with incredible intensity. The 35,000 fans packed into Cardiff’s Principality Stadium were treated to an electrifying spectacle. The racing itself lived up to expectations, showcasing the finest talent in the sport. Eli Tomac of Monster Energy Yamaha, taking full advantage of his wildcard status, dominated the WSX competition, leaving Ken Roczen and Vince Friese in his wake.

However, the event was not without its challenges. Supercross legend Chad Reed experienced a catastrophic crash due to a part failure, resulting in a violent impact with the ground.
In the SX2 class, Shane McElrath claimed a solid victory in an exhilarating three-final format, pipping Chris Blose and Mitch Oldenburg. The event proved to be an overwhelming success, captivating both seasoned supercross fans and newbies alike. The electrifying atmosphere and thrilling racing action left an indelible mark on the spectators – the World Supercross Championship had arrived!

Now, Birmingham has the honour of continuing the legacy of this exhilarating event as it hosts the 2023 series opener. The track has been designed to provide a true battlefield: technical rhythm sections, big whoops, eyewatering triple jumps, and a finish line jump just waiting to play host to victory whips. These elements will test the athletes’ abilities and provide world-class racing – get ready for some bar-bangin’ action!

The British GP will witness an impressive gathering of Supercross talent, with absolute superstars of the sport showcasing their skills on the Villa Park track. Leading the charge in the WSX class is the fiercely competitive Ken Roczen. There isn’t a rider with a bigger heart than Roczen, fighting back from a near career-ending injury to be crowned the 2022 World Supercross Champion. Roczen is at home on his Suzuki RM-Z450 machine, evoking memories of his success in both the USA and Europe on yellow machinery. Roczen is carrying momentum from his AMA Supercross success and means business. However, this won’t be an easy task for “Kickstart Kenny,” as a worldclass lineup of Supercross athletes is chomping at the bit to steal Roczen’s thunder.

The lineup of American racers vying for success is led by veteran racer Justin Brayton, who has his sights firmly set on the top step. Retiring from racing in the USA, Brayton has shifted his focus to the World Supercross Championship, joining the Firepower Honda team. JB is a smooth and calculated rider who possesses the ability to disrupt the Roczen show. Joey Savagty, riding for Rick Ware Racing, showed flashes of brilliance and incredible speed in 2022. With another year under his belt, expect Savagty to capitalise on that speed to become a serious threat to win races. Savagty’s teammate, Colt Nichols, will be one to watch, as will the legendary Cole Seely.

French riders Cédric Soubeyras, Jordi Tixier, Greg Aranda, and Thomas Ramette will bring their European flair to the Supercross circuit, while lone Australian Matt Moss could be an underdog capable of stealing the show – this WSX class is stacked!

The SX2 class is set to be a high-revving, bar-banging affair as reigning World Champion Shane McElrath fights to make it two in a row. McElrath and his number-one Rick Ware Racing machine mean business, with a host of newcomers and returning athletes nipping at his heels. The MotoConcepts duo of Mitchell Oldenburg and Mike Alessi will have their Honda machinery focused on the front, while MDK Motorsports SX’s Justin Bogle will look to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season to be in the running for the crown. Keep an eye on the young Aussie Craig Dack Racing Yamaha duo of Luke Clout and Aaron Tanti; these guys mean business and have the speed to turn heads.

In addition to the international stars, British fans have two local riders to cheer for: Dean Wilson and Max Anstie, both mounted on FirePower Honda machinery, aim to make their mark on home soil. Wilson is lining up in the WSX class on his CRF450R in his first season as a supercross-only rider. Max Anstie is coming into the SX2 class with a whole load of momentum, fresh off his impressive AMA Supercross results. Max won’t be lining up to finish in second place, particularly in front of the British fans. With their extensive experience and hometown support, Wilson and Anstie possess the potential to surprise and delight the crowd.

The series will feature a highly exclusive structure, with only 10 team licenses available to independent owners, and an unparalleled level of financial support for teams, including seed funding for every team entering the series, appearance fees at every event, and logistics and freight support throughout the series. In total, more than $50 million has been designated specifically for team and rider support over five years. In addition, the independent ownership model opens the door for significant sponsorship opportunities on global and local event levels.

The global series will feature the richest prize purses in the sport’s history, with a total of $250,000 up for grabs at each event. The FIM Supercross World Championship will follow the established two-class format, with each team fielding four riders – two in the WSX (450cc) class, and two in the SX2 (250cc) class. Furthermore, every event will allow for two wildcard entries in each class, providing opportunities for local riders and sponsor-driven exemptions to round out the 22-rider field. SX Global also plans to deliver an elevated experience for fans, through unique race formats, broadcast innovations, and in-stadium attractions that elevate the overall entertainment experience. 

Plans for the global championship series were underscored today by the news of Mubadala Capital’s investment in SX Global, bringing an unprecedented level of financial support and development resources on behalf of the FIM Supercross World Championship. Mubadala Capital, the asset management arm of Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign investor with $243 billion in assets under management, brings a wealth of experience in funding the development of global business and sports ventures. 

“There is a massive fanbase and untapped demand for supercross outside the United States and backed by the financial support and significant resource of Mubadala Capital, we intend to feed that, bringing the sport to new regions through the most exciting and lucrative world championship series in the history of the sport,” said Tony Cochrane, president of SX Global. “We have created an entirely new model for supercross: one that emphasises expanded financial support and opportunities for riders and teams, expanded opportunities for sponsorship and an elevated experience for fans.”

The FIM Supercross World Championship will take place annually, in the second half of the year. With plans for five events from September through November, 2022 will serve as a ‘pilot’ season, allowing the series to establish itself and build momentum. 2023, and subsequent years, will see the series expand annually between June and November. 

While professional supercross has seen success in the United States for decades, there has yet to be a definitive global series to lay claim to a true FIM-sanctioned world championship. Highly-successful events are held throughout Europe and Australia every year, normally around September–December. However, these events are not currently linked by any official FIM ‘championship’ status, and this remains a significant untapped opportunity for the sport’s ongoing credibility and evolution, as well as a significant opportunity for riders and teams to expand their influence and financial prospects.

“Over the years, there have been various attempts to build a true world championship series for supercross, but none of them have succeeded, due to deficiencies in funding and resource, lack of global and regional relationships and a variety of other factors,” said Adam Bailey, managing director, Motorsport, for SX Global. “Our team possess the necessary supercross and international event background, relationships and expertise, and the funding to make this world championship a reality.”

SX Global brings a team of highly qualified motorsports and entertainment executives, armed with the experience to successfully deliver a series of this magnitude. SX Global President, Tony Cochrane, spearheaded the development and success of V8 Supercars, an Australian-based auto racing series that became one of Australia’s most successful motorsports, eventually expanding with events in Shanghai, the United States, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and New Zealand. In addition, proven supercross event veterans Adam Bailey and Ryan Sanderson have been the driving force behind Australia’s highest-profile supercross offering, the AUS-X open. The duo has promoted five years of consecutive sold out AUS-X Open events in Sydney (2015-2018) and Melbourne (2019), along with successful events in Auckland, New Zealand in 2018 and 2019.

“Our entire careers have been driven by a passion for motorsport and entertainment, and our motivations are as pure as they come: to continue to evolve and elevate our sport and its incredible athletes to new levels of global relevance and success,” said Ryan Sanderson, managing director, Commercial, for SX Global. “Our aim is to take the amazing sport of supercross global and reveal its greatness to millions of new fans all over the world.” 

About SX Global: Based in Queensland, Australia, SX Global is a collective of world class sports marketing and entertainment experts who operate globally within the motorsports and entertainment industries. Considered the “founding father” of the modern era of Australian motor racing, Tony Cochrane leads the SX Global team as president, bringing more than 45 years of experience in developing and managing successful motorsports series and events. Managing Directors, Adam Bailey, a former competitive rider, and Ryan Sanderson, bring extensive proven experience in supercross event development, management, and promotion after five years of successfully delivering the largest action sports and supercross event in the southern hemisphere, the AUS-X Open. 

MUBADALA CAPITAL BACKS SX GLOBAL

Mubadala Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, one of the world’s leading sovereign investors with US$243 billion of assets under management,today announced its investment in SX Global, an Australian company established to develop, promote, and commercialize the FIM Supercross World Championship.

Mubadala Capital has established a track record of successfully investing in category leaders across sports, media, and entertainment—including EMI Music Publishing, Endeavor Group Holdings, Reigning Champs, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES Network), among others—and this investment continues its history of backing world-class management teams in building differentiated global sports, media and entertainment businesses.

Mubadala Capital’s investment will support SX Global’s expansion plans for supercross and its efforts to capitalize on the exclusive rights it has secured from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) to manage and promote the new FIM Supercross World Championship, bringing the exciting sport of off-road motorbike racing to fans across the globe in a new competitive format.

“Our commitment to SX Global and the FIM Supercross World Championship builds on our strategy and track record of selectively investing in premier content properties with strong global appeal,” said Adib Martin Mattar, Head of Private Equity at Mubadala Capital. “We expect that our investment in SX Global will introduce the exciting sport of professional supercross to a global audience and build lasting value by delivering an authentic, exciting and fan-centric experience.”

SX Global’s President, Tony Cochrane, added, “We’re proud to partner with Mubadala Capital, a company that shares our vision and global aspirations for the FIM Supercross World Championship. With the international reach, resources, and business building experience of Mubadala Capital alongside us, we’re looking forward to establishing FIM Supercross World Championship as a leading global motorsport and entertainment property.”

Representing Mubadala Capital on the SX Global Board of Directors will be Matt Kim and Russ Pillar, who collectively bring decades of experience backing and leading global sports, media, and entertainment companies. They will be joining Tony Cochrane, SX Global’s President; Adam Bailey, SX Global’s Managing Director (Motorsport); Ryan Sanderson, SX Global’s Managing Director (Commercial); Tom Potter, Rush Sport & Entertainment; and Tavo Hellmund, Founder, Event Partners Marketing, on SX Global’s Board of Directors.

In December 2021, the FIM awarded SX Global the exclusive organisational and commercial rights to stage, manage and promote the FIM Supercross World Championship. Under the leadership of the SX Global Team, and with the financial backing and support of Mubadala Capital, Supercross will become a true global sports property, competing on a legitimate international platform for the first time in history. The FIM Supercross World Championship will commence in late 2022.

Mubadala Capital

Mubadala Capital is a wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, a leading global sovereign investor headquartered in Abu Dhabi. In addition to managing its own balance sheet investments, Mubadala Capital manages over $10 billion of third-party capital on behalf of institutional investors in all its businesses, including three private equity funds, two early-stage venture funds, a public fund, and two funds in Brazil focused on special situations.

Mubadala Capital and its affiliated entities have a long track record of owning and/or operating globally recognized sports, media, entertainment and premium content and services properties including EMI Music Publishing, Endeavor Group Holdings, Reigning Champs, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network.

SX GLOBAL – BOARD

Matt Kim – Non-Executive Board Member

• Matt Kim is a Senior Principal at Mubadala Capital and leads the team’s sports, media and entertainment investment activities. He possesses over a decade of investment experience, and prior to joining Mubadala Capital, Mr. Kim was an investment professional at Bank of America Capital Advisors, where he focused on evaluating private equity investment opportunities globally.

Mr. Kim graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurship and is a CFA charter holder.

Russ Pillar – Chairperson

• Russ Pillar is a Senior Advisor and Operating Partner of Mubadala Capital where he initiates, evaluates, and manages investment opportunities globally. He is a tenured sports/media/consumer CEO, with executive roles across the Virgin Entertainment Group, Prodigy Internet, the CBS Internet Group, the Viacom Media Group, the Los Angeles Marathon, and Reigning Champs, among others.

Mr. Pillar previously held directorship roles for more than three dozen private and publicly traded sports, media, retail, entertainment, and technology/tech services companies. A Phi Beta Kappa cum laude graduate of Brown University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies, he also is a Henry Crown Fellow at The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Tony Cochrane AM – President

• Tony Cochrane’s passion and experience forge a formidable combination and have ultimately resulted in some unforgettable milestones in entertainment and sport generally over the past 45 years both in Australia and on the global stage. 

Over the past 45 years with partners and solo, Tony has produced and promoted over 400 sporting and entertainment events throughout the world, sold in excess of 25,000,000 tickets with gross sales exceeding two billion dollars, and written nearly $250,000,000 in sponsorship sales. 

In his time as Executive Chairman of V8 Supercars, Tony Cochrane was considered the founding father of the ‘modern’ era of motor racing in Australia, the touring car category that was arguably amongst the world’s best. During this period, V8 Supercars had an extraordinary rise to the top of sport within Australia and on the world motorsport scene. It became a multi-million dollar industry under his strong leadership. His credits and performance in world motorsport are uniquely recognised both in Australia and overseas. He holds an FIA acknowledgement and an Order of Australia for his contributions. 

Tony Cochrane’s passion and experience forge a formidable combination and have ultimately resulted in some unforgettable milestones in entertainment and sport generally over the past 45 years both in Australia and on the global stage.

Over the past 45 years with partners and solo, Tony has produced and promoted over 400 sporting and entertainment events throughout the world, sold in excess of 25,000,000 tickets with gross sales exceeding two billion dollars, and written nearly $250,000,000 in sponsorship sales. 

In his time as Executive Chairman of V8 Supercars, Tony Cochrane was considered the founding father of the ‘modern’ era of motor racing in Australia, the touring car category that was arguably amongst the world’s best. During this period, V8 Supercars had an extraordinary rise to the top of sport within Australia and on the world motorsport scene. It became a multi-million dollar industry under his strong leadership. His credits and performance in world motorsport are uniquely recognised both in Australia and overseas. He holds an FIA acknowledgement and an Order of Australia for his contributions. 

Adam Bailey – Managing Director – Motorsport

• Adam’s experience in Supercross began as a competitor in the early 90s. He established an athlete and event management agency in 2005 that represented some of the most respected athletes and brands in this space. These networks led to valuable and unique international industry relationships. 

Launching AME Management with Ryan Sanderson in 2012, the duo combined their experience to establish a boutique sports marketing agency in Australia and launched AUS SX Holdings and the AUS-X Open event in 2015. The events went on to achieve sell-out crowds annually for five years including the successful creation and expansion of the FIM Oceania Supercross Championship into New Zealand in 2018 and 2019. Adam leads key aspects of brand creative strategy, content, industry partnerships, international talent and operations. 

A creative marketer, many of Adam’s unique PR, marketing and content strategies have helped see the events become recognised and respected, globally. 

Ryan Sanderson – Managing Director – Commercial

• Ryan spent five years at V8 Supercars Australia under Tony Cochrane’s reign. In Ryan’s tenure as Sponsorship Manager, he serviced some of Australia’s largest sponsorship properties, managing over 20 V8 Supercars Championship partners, with over $22M in annual spend. 

Ryan and Adam launched AME, a sports marketing agency together in 2012 and then sold-out Supercross events in Australia & New Zealand from 2015 – 2019. 

Ryan secured major commercial partnerships for both AUS-X Open & S-X Open Auckland Supercross events including Monster Energy, Australian Tourism & State Government funding, Boost Mobile, Michelin, Komatsu, Castrol & Repco/NAPA. Ryan developed leading entertainment, fan engagement and innovative commercial experiences, as well as international TV broadcast distribution including IMG, Seven Network, Fox Sports Australia, CBS, Eurosport & Fox Asia to over 382 million homes. 

Ryan brings a unique skillset to SX Global and has extensive international broadcast, promoter and commercial partnership networks globally. 

Tom Potter – Non-executive Director | Europe

• A former racing commercial veteran of McLaren and Williams F1, Tom founded Rush Sport & Entertainment in 2010 which has grown internationally to become one of the most successful businesses in motorsport sponsorship and marketing services whilst also delivering record-breaking deals for other major entertainment properties such as The Rolling Stones. Rush is responsible for placing over $500M sponsorship of F1, Formula E and IndyCar properties since 2016 alone. Rush has helped identify, structure, negotiate, activate and measure sponsorship investments for brands including Petrobras, Mercedes-Benz, Prudential, IHG, Marriott, Avis, Renesas, Adecco (Modis), Progressive and Saudi Aramco. 

Few can boast the level of energy, insight and understanding of global motorsports’ commercial landscape and entertainment value. Tom is an expert at leveraging sports marketing and the sports business environment to create value and accelerate growth. 

Tavo Hellmund – Non-executive Director | North America

• Tavo Hellmund was the founder of the FIA Formula-1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, the co-founder of the FIA Formula-1 Mexican Grand Prix and a co- founder of the Circuit of the Americas race track in Austin, Texas. Tavo Hellmund has been the founder and President/Managing Partner of Full Throttle Productions, LP, Event Partners Marketing, LLC, Grand Prix Partners, LLC and Tavo Hellmund Inc. since 1994.

These companies manage and provide event project management, day of event oversight, staffing/volunteer services, venue planning, consulting and logistics support, marketing, sales, sponsorship, public relations and consultation services for sporting and special events around the world. Tavo Hellmund’s global event production experience includes brokering, sanctioning, producing or promoting over 150 sporting and entertainment events, which have generated more than 1.5 billion dollars in sales.

This double dish of moto goodness takes place at Cusses Gorse MX near Salisbury, SP4 6JW commencing with the Supercross on Tuesday starting with the Madison supported Youth event during the daytime with the Pro, Expert and Adult Clubman competing in the evening with the first race on at 6pm.

Pro riders named for the inaugural event are riders with AMA Supercross experience such as Dylan Woodcock and ASA United Gas Gas’s Steven Clarke, who will be joined by the Revo Seven Kawasaki duo of Dylan Walsh and James Dunn, and the Team Green Kawasaki brothers Joe and Ben Clayton. Other Supercross experts include Matt Bayliss, Jack Brunell, Adam Chatfield, Jordan Booker, Scooter Webster, Ash Greedy and new convert, Crescent Yamaha rider Jamie Carpenter.

The Pro riders will also be riding for the ‘Melvyn Brunell Memorial Trophy’ in memory of Jack’s dad.

Rock it ’til Sundown, like Airborne Gunner sees the Youth event presented by Stolen BMX taking place throughout the day with the top young racers in the country doing battle with some tremendous prizes from the likes of Alpinestars, Troy Lee Designs, Spy Goggles, Fly Racing, Fox, Motul, Duck Smart, Madison and many more.

Again in the evening, the Adult Pro riders take the track as well as the Clubman riders with the first race at 6pm.  After two moto’s the top nine Pro MX1 and MX2 riders are joined by the winning Clubman MX1 and MX2 riders for the Relax To Race Super Final which will be run on a shortened track and will include the UK’s first-ever Joker Lane.

Riders to watch out for will be last years top MX2 rider in the Super Final Tom Grimshaw, 2020 third-place finisher Stu Edmonds, 2 stroke young gun Bobby Bruce,  Jamie Carpenter,  the in form John Adamson, year one runner up Josh Gilbert, his Par Homes Husqvarna teammates Florian Miot and Callum Mitchell, Cab Screens Crescent Yamaha racer Dan Thornhill and the first-ever Rock it ’til Sundown champion Elliott Banks Browne. 

Tickets can be purchased online in advance on steelhawkmc.cc or on the day.  For a day ticket it is £10 for an Adult, £5 for Children 12-16 with Under 12’s going free. Two-day tickets can also be purchased for the discounted rate of £15 for Adults and £7 for 12-16 year olds and again these can be purchased online or on the gate. Image courtesy of X-Cast Media

Funny to read a comment from Ricky Carmichael, “You still got it man!!!! Come back!!”

Cole Seely has finished his road legal off-roader and its ready to ride! Lets see how the first ride goes at the Supercross track.

Two-time Supercross champion James Stewart officially announced his retirement yesterday. Thank you, James Stewart! You changed the game!