ELLENTON, Fla. – As Monster Energy Supercross continues to celebrate major milestones, changes are ahead for AMSOIL Arenacross, the sport’s top feeder series.
AMSOIL Arenacross will officially transition into a new amateur events program next year, becoming Supercross Futures, an AMA Amateur National Championship.
The move comes with the goals of improving the overall quality of Supercross racing and providing greater access to the sport’s largest stage for amateur riders.
Supercross Futures will give amateur riders a platform to further hone their skills on full-size Supercross tracks, while also allowing top amateur athletes to earn Road to Supercross points toward their professional AMA Supercross license.
Dave Prater, the senior director of Two-Wheel Operations for Supercross parent company Feld Entertainment, said that it has been a top priority from the earliest stages of planning the transition for Feld to maintain a strong and successful program for amateur riders.
“It is extremely important to Feld and Supercross to support amateur riders on every level,” said Prater. “Amateur riders are current fans and ultimately the future superstars of the sport. It is our number one goal with Supercross Futures to provide a fun and exciting platform that helps develop athletes, as they chase their dreams of becoming professional Supercross stars of tomorrow.”
Building upon the success of this season’s four Supercross Amateur racing events, which averaged more than 700 entries, Supercross Futures will feature an eight-race schedule of amateur events in 2019.
The specific race locations will be revealed in conjunction with the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross calendar announcement.
“While we have some tentative dates in mind, it is too early to know exactly where we will be racing,” Prater noted. “However, the reaction from the industry has been very positive. This is another outlet for riders to learn and improve their Supercross skills, and what better venue is there than one that is directly connected to the premier level of the sport?”
Prater pointed out that the huge support shown for this season’s amateur races led Feld Entertainment to seek out a strong path forward for the premise.
“The success of the four Amateur Supercross events we held in 2018 solidified our belief that there is a demand for amateur Supercross events throughout the country,” Prater said. “All four events averaged 700 entries from all age and skill levels, including the top amateur racers in the country. Many competitors expressed their excitement in being able to race on a Supercross track, inside the same stadiums as the best in the world.
“So far, most of the reaction we’ve received (about the coming changes) has been positive,” Feld added. “The amateur riders are looking forward to racing on full-size Supercross tracks, while continuing to chase an amateur national championship, and we’ve also heard from several professional riders who plan to take their talents to Supercross. It’s an exciting time for the sport.”
While Supercross Futures will replace Arenacross as the proving ground for the stars of the future, there won’t be a large shift in the road to the sport’s top level.
Supercross Futures will be an AMA amateur national championship, in the same way as Amateur Arenacross was structured. Riders will qualify in their specific regions and then race in the championship event at the end of the season.
Racers will be able to start honing their Supercross skills as early as four years old, being able to later earn their professional Supercross licenses through the 250A class and the Road to Supercross.
“The Supercross Futures program will give young riders an experience they cannot get anywhere else,” said Prater. “We learned a lot during the first four amateur events we produced this season. We are working to perfect an amateur track that provides a challenge to the country’s top amateurs, while also allowing younger riders to gain experience in a fun and safe environment.”
Jacob Hayes was the final AMSOIL Arenacross champion, coming out on top of a torrid battle for the crown over Chris Blose.
Other past Arenacross titlists included multi-time champions Tyler Bowers (2011-14) and Gavin Faith (2016-17), as well as Chad Johnson (2008), Jeff Gibson (2009), Josh Demuth (2010) and Kyle Regal (2015).
