Supercross races to be timed events in 2017

Samuel Reiman

Beginning with Anaheim 1 at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on Jan. 7, 2017, all Supercross events - including heat races, Semi’s, Last Chance Qualifiers and Main Events - will be timed races.

A release from Supercross read:

“Every venue is a different size and shape throughout the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and lap times can vary exponentially from race to race. This new format will make sure that racers like Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, HRC Honda’s Ken Roczen and defending Monster Energy Supercross Champion, Ryan Dungey get to race in front of their fans for the same amount of time, every time.

“With the exception of adding the semi races to the program a few years ago the last time a major change was made to the format was the 1985 season when there were two main events. That particular season is regarded as one of, if not the most exciting in the sport’s history.”

“We believe this change will bring the fitness element more into play and provide more excitement for our fans,” said Sr. Director of Supercross Operations Dave Prater.

The 250SX Main Events will all be 15 minutes plus one lap in length, while the 450SX Main Events will all be 20 minutes plus one laps. This means that if the leaders cross the line with 15 seconds left on the clock, they know that there will be 2 laps left to go.

In the case of a red flag, the clock will be stopped. Since most Supercross courses average a little under 1 minute per lap in length, most races will be lengthened by several laps.