The Popularity of Supercross Motorcycle Racing

When you think about racing, what is the first sport that comes to mind?  If you are like most other Americans, it is likely that you would respond with NASCAR.  NASCAR is, by far, the most popular racing sport in the United States, but do you know what comes in at a close second?  Honestly, there has been some debate over this, but many say that supercross motorcycle racing is highly popular and that popularity is expected to keep on rising.

Are you a supercross motorcycle racing fan?  If so, you likely already know what it is about the sport that makes it so popular and draws in fans.  However, if you are not a supercross motorcycle racing fan, you may be wondering what is great about the sport.  If this is the case, you are definitely not alone.  There are thousands, if not millions, of other Americans who are wondering the same thing.  To understand the popularity of supercross motorcycle racing, you must first understand the sport itself.

Supercross motorcycle racing is a sport that was derived off of motocross.  Motocross racing involved the outdoor racing of off-road motorcycles.  These races take place on a combinational of natural turf and man-made turf.  Many tracks added small hills, jumps, sharp turns, and other obstacles.  The goal of motocross was not only to finish the course, but finish in first place.  Unfortunately, since motocross racing takes place outdoors, there are only certain locations where these races could be held.  Many of these races took place in rural areas.  The problem with this was that it limited to the number of fans.  That was until the development of supercross racing.

Supercross racing is almost exactly like motocross racing, but it takes place indoors, in most cases.  Instead of creating a man-made track outside, a man-made track is created indoors. These events mostly take place in large football stadiums or other similar venues.  Since the track is shorter, the races are often shorter, but the excitement is still the same. In fact, some might say that the excitement created by supercross motorcycle racing is even better than the excitement created by motocross racing. One of the reasons being that you can see all of the action, since the supercross tracks are smaller and usually indoors. 

Of course being able to see the action is one of the reasons why supercross motorcycle racing is so popular, but the action is a reason all on its own.  As previously mentioned, supercross racing tracks are usually man-made.  Like motocross tracks, these tracks have a number of turns, jumps, small hills, and other exciting obstacles.  A large number of supercross races, especially those at the professional level, have not only learned how to maneuver these obstacles, but they do it in style.  In some cases, depending on the competition and their surroundings, a supercross motorcycle rider will not just go over a jump, but they will try and add in something unique. That may be a simple wave or a small trick; whatever it is, it adds to the excitement to the race.

Supercross motorcycle racing is popular because the sport is able to reach a number of different people. As previously mentioned, motocross tracks tend to only be located in rural areas.  This means that if someone from a large town or city wanted to watch a race, they would have to travel a pretty far distance. It is also important to note, that for the most part, motocross races were not and are still not always broadcasted on television. This is not the case with supercross motorcycle racing. Not only are a number of supercross motorcycle races shown on television, but they are also part of a traveling circuit.  This means that instead of racing at the same venue, supercross racing takes place at a number of different ones, all across the country.  Essentially, this means that just about anyone can have access to supercross racing; thus, increasing its popularity.   

Of course, many fans are obsessed with their favorite racers.  The same can be said when having a favorite football player or basketball player.  Fans just love to tune in and see their favorite athletes. Perhaps, the relationship that the fans develop with their favorite supercross rider is the biggest reasons why supercross motorcycle racing has become as popular as it is today.

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