AMA Motocross now planned to start in August

The ongoing growth of the pandemic across the globe continues to play havoc with sporting fixtures everywhere and the latest series to be further delayed is the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

The previously announced opening pair of events were slated to begin in just over two weeks, on July 18, with the Circle K Ironman National in Indiana, followed by the GEICO Motorcycle WW Ranch National in Florida on July 25. However, due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, notably recent spikes of positive cases in a significant number of states, series managers deem it necessary to push back the start of the series once more. MX Sports Pro Racing will now look to begin the season in August.

“From the moment we were forced to delay the original start of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in May, we have diligently worked towards developing as complete a championship-calibre calendar as possible for both our athletes and our fans,” said Carrie Russell, CEO of MX Sports Pro Racing. “In tandem with our event organisers, we have been in constant communication with local officials from the government, health department, and department of public safety for each respective venue to ensure every National is operated in accordance with social distancing measures established by each county and the CDC.

“Following the recent spike in positive cases around the country, a pause is warranted as we evaluate the impact of the stall in state-issued reopening phases and newly implemented travel quarantines,” continued Russell. “Our manufacturers are the lifeblood of American motocross, and we stand by them with our support in times of need. As a result of recent developments, MX Sports Pro Racing needs to take the definitive and proactive step of postponing the start of the season temporarily, which will allow us to work through the current challenges we face.”

In response to this latest decision, MX Sports Pro Racing and event organizers will continue to maintain extensive communication with local officials. The evolution of the pandemic has included dramatic changes from one week to the next, and as states and counties take necessary action to confront the latest concerns of the coronavirus spread, MX Sports Pro Racing will be in a position to take immediate action when the opportunity arises to confirm events at a future date when the time is right.

“It is our sole focus to host a successful season that will not only allow us to crown a pair of AMA National Champions, but will also allow our incredibly loyal fanbase to celebrate the return of racing by cheering on their favourite riders,” concluded Russell. “These are extraordinary times that have had a significant impact on our industry, and that has called for us to take unprecedented action on behalf of the well-being of our community. This sport is a family, and we will not be deterred from accomplishing our goal, despite this adversity. We remain steadfast in bringing everyone the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship they deserve. Our event organisers have put in far too much effort, while our broadcast partners, series sponsors, manufacturers, participants, and fans have all shown tremendous patience. We owe it to all of them to bring this season to fruition, and we’ll do everything in our power to make that happen.”

Source: MCNews.com.au

2020 AMA Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

Following a historic seven-round stay in Salt Lake City to close out the 2020 FIM/AMA Supercross Championship, a trio of newly crowned titleholders will now set their sights on continued success in this summer’s Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship which will kick off in Indiana in a matter of weeks, on July 18, with the Circle K Ironman National.

As the reigning three-time Pro Motocross 450 Class Champion, it was only a matter of time before the success Tomac has achieved in the grueling conditions of the world’s most prestigious off-road motorcycle racing series eventually parlayed into a championship on the prolific stadium circuit.

Eli Tomac celebrating on the top step of the podium at the Ironman National in 2018

Tomac is now the winningest active rider in supercross, tied for sixth all time with Ryan Dungey at 34 wins, and has been the dominant force in the discipline for several seasons. Despite all that success, a championship had managed to elude Tomac, but as the 2020 season soldiered on, even withstanding a global pandemic, many of the lessons learned over the course of his Pro Motocross three-peat paid big dividends in his pursuit of a first supercross title.

Eli Tomac and Monster Energy Kawasaki will carry the momentum of a supercross title into the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, where Tomac will seek a fourth consecutive 450 Class crown.

No matter where he started, Tomac found a way to overcome adversity and claw his way through the field, ultimately finishing no worse than seventh, with an average finish of 2.5, over the course of 17 rounds. His series-leading seven wins, including two in Salt Lake City, were more than enough to finally get the job done, making Tomac the 14th rider in the history of the sport to possess both a supercross and Pro Motocross championship. He’ll now shift his focus on making a clean sweep of both U.S. championships in a single season, something 12 others have done before him.

Eli Tomac – 2020 Monster Energy Supercross 450 SX Champion

“Consensus around the world over the past several years has held Eli Tomac as one of the absolute best, if not the best motocross racer on the planet, which is attributed to all of the success he’s had across two distinctly different disciplines,” said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. “While his journey to earn that maiden supercross championship was longer than expected, we all knew he was destined to win this championship as well. We in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship have bear witness to Tomac’s greatness en route to back-to-back-to-back 450 Class titles, and we’re delighted to see that he and Monster Energy Kawasaki have finally prevailed in supercross. While significant congratulations are in order for this accomplishment, there’s still more history to be made this summer, where Tomac is in a position to join Ricky Carmichael as the only riders in Pro Motocross history to win four in a row.”

Tomac will seek a fourth consecutive 450 Pro Motocross crown.

More often than not, the supercross regional championships feature unpredictable, hotly contested title fights. This season’s championship battles were no different, with single-digit margins separating the title hopefuls in both the East and West regions coming into the finale. What followed was arguably the wildest round of the entire season, from which both Ferrandis and Sexton were able to secure rare repeats.

With a second straight supercross title, Dylan Ferrandis enters the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship as a favorite to capture the national title in the 250 Class.

While heartbreak befell one of the championship contenders, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner, both Sexton and Ferrandis answered the call, even though neither rider enjoyed a stress-free afternoon. Sexton overcame a crash in his heat race to grab the bull by the horns in the main event and storm to his fifth win of the season, clinching the title in emphatic fashion, while Ferrandis survived a trip to the LCQ to stay out of trouble and bring home a second championship.

All three AMA Supercross Champions, Sexton, Tomac and Ferrandis

As they make the transition to the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, dramatically different opportunities await this duo. For Sexton, he’ll make an anticipated move up into the 450 Class, joining forces with former two-time champion Ken Roczen at Team Honda HRC. As for Ferrandis, he’ll enter his final season in the 250 Class as a major title favorite, following a breakout season in which he finished runner-up to 2019 class champion Adam Cianciarulo.

Chase Sexton will make his anticipated move into the 450 Class for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, joining Ken Roczen at Team Honda HRC.

“There’s no doubt both Chase Sexton and Dylan Ferrandis are leaders of the sport’s bright future,” added Coombs. “We’ve been privileged to witness the growth of both riders into budding stars, and while they’ll be headed on different paths this summer, they both have the talent to carry the torch for years to come. We applaud them for fending off all challenges to once again prevail as supercross champions and look forward to seeing what they’ll accomplish during the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.”

Eli Tomac – 2019 AMA Pro Motocross – Ironman National

Young Australian competitors Hunter and Jett Lawrence are eager to make their mark on the outdoors series after some great rides in supercross competition.

Source: MCNews.com.au