Feld Entertainment, the promoter of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, issued a press release today announcing major changes to the series format for the 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series.
Among the changes will be the adoption of the Monster Energy Cup-style, three main event format at three of the points-paying rounds of the series, including Anaheim II, Atlanta and Minneapolis, which will be known as Monster Energy Supercross Triple Crown events. Other format changes include the elimination of semis, amateur events at select rounds and an additional 250SX East West Showdown. The official press release is as follows:
Feld Entertainment announced today that tickets for the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross season will go on sale tomorrow, October 24. The 2018 season will be the most exciting and entertaining of all-time as a new era of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, will change the battleground forever with a revised points system, the addition of three Triple Crown Monster Energy Cup-style events, two 250SX East/West Showdowns, four Supercross Amateur racing events and the elimination of semi races in qualifying for the Main Event.
As the most competitive and highest-profile motorcycle racing championship in the world, Monster Energy Supercross has entertained millions of fans for 43 years. For the first time in over two decades, the 2018 season will debut an all-new points system to evenly allocate points over all 22 finishing positions. While the gap between 1st, 2nd and 3rd has not changed, the new points system will ensure that the race to the championship will be much more competitive throughout the season as the reward is greater for a better finish.
The elimination of semi races will add further pressure to qualify as the world’s most elite endurance athletes will have just two chances to ensure a spot in the Main Event through one of two heat races or a last chance qualifier (LCQ). This year, the Top 9 in each heat will qualify directly into the Main Event while positions 10-20 will have one last chance to make it through the LCQ. Previously, only five positions would transfer to the Main Event from the heat races and all others would be transferred to a semi race. Eliminating the semi races will make for longer heat races and last chance qualifiers, allowing for more intense battles on the track from the stars for the fans.
From a fan’s perspective, the most anticipated change in 2018 will be the introduction of the Monster Energy Supercross Triple Crown, a three-city showdown hosted at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on January 20, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on March 3 and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on April 14 where both the 250SX and 450SX Classes will compete in three Main Events. Qualifying races will deduce the field to the top 22 riders in each class, and the 250SX Class will compete in 6-, 10- and 12-minute Main Events, while the 450SX Class will compete in 8-, 12- and 15-minute Main Events. An Olympic-style scoring method will be used to determine an overall winner in each class from all three Main Events where the lowest combined score at the end will be awarded the overall win.
Additionally, two 250SX East/West Showdowns will double the excitement in Indianapolis and Las Vegas this season as fans will have the opportunity to see 20 of the fastest riders from each coast (Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship and Western Regional 250SX Class Championship) battling each other for victory. The Main Event will be the first and only time throughout the night where all of the 250SX Class stars will line up on the gate for a 15-minute plus 1 lap Main Event where winner takes all.
Another dramatic change to the 2018 season includes the addition of four Supercross Amateur racing events at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on January 20, University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on January 27, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on February 24 and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on March 3, which will give amateur athletes in 27 classes their only chance to compete in the same venue on the same weekend as all of the stars of Supercross.
Along with format changes, every track in 2018 will have a distinct personality that tells the story of each city’s Supercross history dating back over 43 years.
Without a past champion potentially on the gate in 2018, the international field is wide open for the world’s most elite athletes to become a first-time Monster Energy Supercross Champion. International fans will have the opportunity to watch the Monster Energy Supercross season unfold live by subscribing to the Supercross Video Pass, which is available to fans outside of the U.S. and Canada via the mobile-responsive portal at supercrossLIVE.tv and via the Monster Energy Supercross Roku app.
Fans living in the United States and Canada can watch all of the racing live on the FOX family of networks for the fifth consecutive year (check local listings).
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