FIM, promoter Feld Entertainment, Inc., and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced today that the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, a FIM World Championship, will resume on May 31st at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah and will run through June 21st. The last seven television races will be broadcast on NBC networks with no viewers. The Utah Sports Commission, a longtime partner of Supercross, coordinated his return to Utah.
Like all sports the Monster Energy Supercross Championship was abruptly canceled in early March after completing ten rounds of the 17-round championship. The last race took place on March 7th at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, where Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac secured his fifth win of the season against Ken Roczen of top rival Honda HRC, both of whom are fighting for their first premier class title just three points behind.
The sports industry in the United States, like virtually all industries, has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Monster Energy Supercross powers an entire industry and is the primary source of income for thousands, including competitors. Without events, the industry is in serious economic danger. Getting back to work is important for the economic infrastructure. Unlike other professional sports with guaranteed contracts, supercross athletes, team staff, and many others involved in event and television production are independent contractors.
Responsible return to racing will provide participants and key personnel with guidelines and protocols that conform to all federal, state and local health guidelines and mandates. Mitigation efforts include mandatory screening, tests, temperature controls, face masks, increased hygiene measures, and social distancing to limit contact between people running the events. The stadium will help us implement and execute our plan. In collaboration with the Alpinestars Medical Unit, Supercross has a trained medical team of 7 professionals who help on site.
The race format has been adjusted to reduce the number of remaining athletes within the minimum requirements and a standard racing format will be used for all seven laps, with the exception of the final, which will be an Eastern / Western Regional 250SX Class Showdown.