FIM World Supercross. A new beginning. Maybe.

[motogrady]

Supercross. Its mainly an American Thing.  

Even tho the very first recorded Motocross event held inside a Stadium took place just outside Paris, France, in the late 1940s, America, if you're into Supercross, is where it's at.

Unlike GP Motocross, which flourished in Europe and eventually expanded to the USA,
for all intents it died off in the old country.

America, on the other hand, was a different story.

It was Bill France, yes, the NASCAR guy, that noticed the growing popularity of  Motocross
here in the USA.  And it was him that, in 1970 or 71, held the first Motocross/Supercross style event, during Bike Week, on the infield of the Daytona race track.  
Before Bill, all Motocross was held in fields and on natural terrain locations.

In 1972 a guy named Mike Goodwin, organized an event at the LA Coliseum, along the same lines as Bill Frances event.  A born promoter, it was Goodwin that coined the term "Supercross" at that race.

By 1974, there were quite a few guys jumping on the bandwagon, running SX.  
So much so, the AMA recognized it as a National Championship that year.
Ironically, the first AMA Supercross Champion was a guy from Holland, by the name of Pierre
Karsmakers.

Even tho the AMA recognized the sport, it was promoted, or ran, but a litany of organizations from the start.  Only DMG, Daytona Motorsport Group, has remained as the owner of their even, or round.  

Mike Goodwin ran the West Coast rounds, PACE the Midwest , and DMG kinda ran most of the eastern rounds.   Micky Thompson would get into the fray with his MTEG organization,
only to become the victim of a murder for hire hit by Mike Goodwin.  Goodwin is to this day still in prison for it.  

SXF Entertainment then bought everyone out, along with the Stadium Leases.
Everyone that is but France and DMG.
France told them to bug off.

Clear Channel then bought out SXF.

Who was then bought out by, believe it or not, the people that ran Barnum and Bailey.
Yeah.  The Circus guy's.  FELD Entertainment.  Faced with constant pressure from the likes of PETA, and a shrinking of their core audiences, they shut down the Circus and went full bore into American Motocross.

All the while, the FIM was trying to get Supercross going, well, over there.  
And they failed.  The Euros just didn't buy it en mass.

So, The FIM leaned on The AMA, and kind of made them, and FELD, accept the FIM
as an additional sanctioning body.  Along with their fees and rules.
Which was kinda good, for awhile.
The FIM got theirs, and FELD got a World Championship Series.

Until this year.

FELD advised everyone, that they would not renew their agreement with the FIM.

Some say it was the fees the FIM charges, some say it was their meddling in FELDS business.  Who knows.

Which brings us to the present, and this "Expression of Interest of Tenders", by the FIM.

In other words, The FIM is wanting to go head to head with FELD, and American Supercross, as we know it.

Gonna be interesting.  

[motogrady]

Wanna buy a World Championship Series?

This is the stuff you will be looking at.

https://www.fim-moto.com/fileadmin/user_upload/News/2021/2021.09.14_Call_for_Expressions_of_Interest_FIM_Supercross_World_Championship.pdf

[oldironnow]

...

"The FIM is an independent association formed by more than 100 National Federations throughout the world and is recognised as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC);"


And at what level, or with what body, does one challenge this fiat?

"We are recognized!"

"Yeah. Well. Have a nice day..."

[motogrady]

oldironnow wrote

...

"The FIM is an independent association formed by more than 100 National Federations throughout the world and is recognised as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC);"


And at what level, or with what body, does one challenge this fiat?

"We are recognized!"

"Yeah. Well. Have a nice day..."

Lol!  Ya, I'm with you on that Oldiron.

But it cannot be denied, their reputation, like the IOC, carries a certain weight with certain people.  They have the history.  It is their riders, in their events that are mostly remembered.  And they know it.  And they milk it.

It's kind of funny, they are looking for someone to take all the risk, invest all the money,
and time, whilst offering little more than their rubber stamp.

It's gonna be interesting to see, who, if anyone, steps up to the plate.  

France and DMG?   I kinda doubt it.  

Youthstream, or whatever they are calling themselves this week, the guys that run GP Motocross in Europe?  They are the ones that almost won the bid when the AMA sold the racing business here in the USA.  They already tried expanding MX here, had 2 offices and all, and didn't last 2 seasons.  

How about MX Sports?  The guys that have the rights to run AMA Motocross here in America?  They don't do much all winter.

How about DORNA?   The Motogp guy's, believe it or not, did at one time run the GP Motocross series in Europe.  They take the winter off also.

What about Wayne Rainy?  Sure, MotoAmerica has struggled a bit, but at least he has the factories kinda participating in USA roadracing again.  

There's got to be a ton of 'em thinking about it.

But, it's gonna take some deep pockets, swimming against some strong currents, to pull this one off.  FELD from what I understand has a lock on most of the good venues, lease wise.  They also have a history.  They have a strong list of past champions that any racer
would be proud to be mentioned in the same breath.

They are American Supercross.  

Ya, gonna be interesting...  

[oldironnow]

I like the Rainey/KRAVE angle.

Huge risk. But if they pull it off, they may be able to make money all year long? It could make their corporation tasty for a buy-out in the future.

[motogrady]

Risky for sure.  

But, maybe not so much if you start off small.  Like run 6 rounds just in Europe and the UK. I was kind of blinded thinking how hard it would be to set up venues in the US, Canada, Asia and South America.  And transport all the teams there.

But, you really don't have to do all that.  
As long as The FIM calls it a World Championship, it is.  

France. Italy. The UK. Estonia. Portugal. Spain.

Why not?