Oz SX Series

[Graeme M]

Just finished reading the article in the latest ADB about the new Supercross series for 08. They reckon they've got a 5+5 contract, building up to a full 12 round series by 2010. Sounds like they've put a bit of thought into it, and it's an exciting concept. But do we have the population to make it financially viable? I know they've done some pretty impressive things with the Crusty tour, so I guess all things are possible! I'll have to get along to one I think, would be a real spectacle.

[AjayVMX]

what's Supercross? 

[Wombat]

I saw an interview with the Supercross Promotor the other night (MXTV on the Aurora channel - Tue nights at 8.00pm Qld time).
He says many Promotors have been burned financially in their attempts at Supercross in Australia.
In his own words "Supercross is nowhere" in this Country; it hasn't grabbed the Aussie public at all.
He had a few concepts and his vision is to see Supercross promoted as 'entertainment' more so than 'motorsport'.
He believes 'man on man' races would be exiting - that's two people in the race.
Races in general would be much shorter; consisting of only a few laps.
This would raise the intensity of both the competitors and the crowd.
He noted 'Crusty Demons' as a good example of what stadium crowds like to see.
This concept has taken off and Supercross can and should follow this lead.
He went on to say Chad Reed would return to OZ in the next few years and Chad is also keen to lift the profile of the sport in this Country.
He believes Chad would smoke the field in the first season but the locals would rise to the challenge and lift their game over the following seasons.
History shows that certainly worked when the Europeans raced in the U.S. all those years ago.
The Americans lifted their game and look at them now.
He had some good ideas and they were all 'outside the box'.
Supercross has about fifty too many jumps and fifty too many corners for my liking.
It's not my cup of tea (I'm a traditionalist) but I can see my young bloke would love it. 

[firko]

god help us

[Freakshow]

Show time ............... i think it has to be either motor cross or pure X games style free style, that formula seems a bit of a basket case to me.  It needs to be a race or a jump show. A cross breed wont work IMHO its just to much of the same ol thing with bling.

[Doc]

last supercross I attended was one of the first PJ masters at Boondall..it was great but not a crusty stunt in sight..admit it..we are just old..no if's but's or maybe's

[Wombat]

I attended the '79 Supercross at Archerfield as a spectator.
I'm not sure if it was the first Supercross in OZ or just the first in Qld; does anyone remember?
I still have the entry ticket in a photo album.
The Competitors entry fee was twice the price of 'normal' MX, so instead of entering I chose to put the money toward a new rear tyre for my bike (KX 250 A4).
There were two Americans invited - I think Glenn Bell was one them.
 

[Maico31]

Wombat i was at that Supercross as well. It was definately the first in Qld but think they had one in Sydney before hand. The 2 Americans were Mike Bell and Rocket Rex Staten. Bell won with Staten 2nd and Gally was 3rd.

[magoo]

In late 1980 me and about 10 mates rode our road bikes from Sydneyto Archerfield in the absolute pissing rain to watch Chuck Sun ride the first watercooled CR. It pissed down from the time we left Sydney on Friday, all the way to Queensland, all through the Supercross, and all the way back to Sydney again the net day. The joy of it all. You would have been there Maico31 for sure.

[GD66]

 I went to the Sydney Superbowl of Motocross, Marty Smith was the other featured yank with Staten, and Doug Domokos wheelied the entire course on a KLX250 Kawa with an electric motor spinning the front wheel for gyro effect, also pulled a wheelie right across Sydney Harbour Bridge on it for publicity, and then pulled monos on a Z1300 outside the Sydney Showground and trashed the taillight. Date of that night was Sat, April 19, 1980, I still have the programme. Got a feeling the crowd was around 20,000, not sure but it was packed. A Blair Shepherd/ Mike Goodwin promotion, and a great night out !

[090]

I remember watching Chuck Sun at Archerfield. My dad couldn't get over the width of the handlebars he had. The next week dear old dad had a set of wide bars on my yz80. Hey if Chuck Sun had a set, they must have been the ticket!

[vmxrider]

I also went to that super x at Sydney showground, biggest crowd ever, I remember the traffic jam getting there, the atmosphere was electric, Domokus unbelievable, great big track fantastic racing between Gally and the yanks, everyone was stoked. Haven't experienced anything like it since. (although that Red Bull city X a few years ago came close) Have to dig out some photos now.

[Maico31]

Yes Magoo i was there.. I was also at the Sydney SX and got Marty Smiths #26 jersey off him that he raced in, sweaty and dirty. I still have it hanging in my wardrobe. Doug Domokos was incredible on that KLX.

[AjayVMX]

OK, my jaded 2c worth....

There hasn't been a top supercross held in this country in a major capital city for a very long time indeed.

The "supercross" that has been served up to us in basketball and tennis stadiums is NOT supercross, it's arenacross.

Supercrosses held at worn out and shonky speedway venues also do not count...

The reason supercross has captured the imagination in the USA is that the venues are major stadiums, the tracks are decent in length and the number of riders on the gate (usually 20) is substantial.  In other words, the racing is the spectacle, supported by the atmosphere that a big crowd creates.

Nothing like that has really happened here since the Sydney Showground supercross where (reportedly) 40,000 showed up to cheer Gally on....

No amount of frigging with the format of supercross, to make it "more entertaining" will substitute good old fashioned large scale spectacle.

Chad and his mates are fooling themselves if they try to do it on the cheap...  If Chad decided to run a race at Aussie Stadium, with Bubba and himself riding, then THAT would bring them in from miles around...including the mainstream press which is vital to bring the sport into the loungerooms of OZ.

[AjayVMX]

Oh yeah, I didn't see you at the wet Archerfield Magoo...  VMX42 and I were there covering it for ADB