Gates Set to Drop on The 50th Anniversary of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship This Weekend.
The gates are set to drop this weekend in Southern California on the 50th Anniversary of Pro Motocross racing. This “Golden Season" is shaping up to be one of the best seasons yet, and one of the most far reaching global seasons to date.
The 2022 “Golden Season” of the pro motorcycle racing series will kick off and conclude during the holiday weekends that signify the proverbial beginning and end of summer, starting this weekend with Memorial Day, in May, and finishing over Labor Day, in September.
“This is arguably the most significant season in the history of American motocross,” said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. “If we’ve learned anything over the past two years it’s that nothing is given, but through so much uncertainty our sport has continued to bring joy, excitement, and compelling drama to those who share in the passion for motorsports. With our 50th Anniversary upon us, we hope to begin what feels like a new era and a fresh start of sorts for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. One that will see a return to fan-filled paddocks and the kind of up-close-and-personal atmosphere that has allowed our sport to stand alone in terms of accessibility.”
Following a historic season in which international riders captured both the 450 Class and 250 Class titles for the first time, France’s Dylan Ferrandis and Australia’s Jett Lawrence will lead the way into the 50th Anniversary campaign as defending champions. This charismatic duo are two leaders amongst an unprecedented depth of talent currently competing in American motocross, which sets the stage for what is poised to be a memorable summer befitting of such a landmark season.
“For five decades we’ve had the privilege of watching the world’s finest motocross talent do battle in the sport’s most coveted championship series right here on American soil,” added Coombs. “The record books of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship represents a who’s who of off-road motorcycle racing and tells the story of the pioneering legacy of the riders, manufacturers, and racetracks that helped make the United States the epicenter for both amateur and professional motocross. We cannot wait to see what the next 50 years have in store.”
As the season is on the eve of beginning, Action Sports Today sat down with Davey Coombs and talked all things moto in this edition of Behind The Action.AST: At 50 years old, how do you balance celebrating the history of the sport while trying to reach new viewers who may not have the relationship with the history of the sport like many do?
DC: We are fortunate in the fact that fundamentally the sport hasn’t changed much ever. Our goal is to let the riders tell their story and we as the series presenter, we can be the librarian to the book of our history rather than being the story teller. Allowing the race and the riders to tell their own story allows for the fan to engage in different ways because the story is being told in different ways and even different languages all over the world. We are the platform in which the story is written and told by others.AST: Every rider wants to win the season title, that is the nature of competitive racing. But, in your discussions with the riders ahead of this season, have any mentioned that they are even more focused to win the 50th season title?DC: Having been around the riders a few times throughout the Supercross season, I can say that they are solely focused on the title itself not the anniversary. Someone like Jett Lawrence is not racing extra hard because it’s a golden year title, he is racing hard because he just wants to race his dirt bike and win. The significance of 50 means more to a student of the sport that studies and relishes in the history. For a rider like Eli Tomac, he would understand the gravity of it more given his own personal place in the history books of the sports. That all being said, no rider has specifically come to me and said “This is the big one, I have to win it."
Jett Lawrence | Credit: Align Media
Dylan Ferrandis | Credit: Align Media
DC: That is something special isn’t it? It sure says a lot about where the sport is as a whole when it comes to racing in America. Outdoor racing is inherently European so to have the titles being held by international riders speaks volumes to the appeal of racing and competing on the highest level of sport here in the US.AST: How do you take the five decades of history and expand it?
DC: There is more Factory support than ever before. Having the brands really commit to growing their teams and their riders with the full support of the OEM is the best way to continue this momentum we have built forward. Even with the new broadcast agreement with MAVTV, social media is front and center to our future success of growing the sport. Each athlete has their own voice and their own platform to share what they love and tell the story of how the sport impacts their lives. They are producing content alongside with us as the broadcast host. If you think about it, you can immerse yourself into the life of moto daily by following along with the riders. It is a great opportunity for us to utilize, but at the same time we also want to share a unified message of growth. We also have to be cognizant of our viewership and the younger viewer rarely watches content live. They consume it on their own time. We have to make sure that we afford these viewers that ability to see the racing and see the rider stories in a way that they can participate with us as an industry on their time and schedule.
AST: Anything special happening throughout the season to celebrate the 50 years?
DC: One of the things that will happen will be adding past champions to be additional color analysts throughout the season. We have spoken to Jeremy McGrath, Chad Reed and James Stewart and all have committed to joining us and help to call the race. We think this will be a lot of fun because of the stories that will be shared by these riders. For those in attendance at the race, the promoters will be bringing out pieces of motocross history that you can stop by and see.
MAVTV Motorsports Network Expands Broadcast Partnership of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Ahead of 50th Anniversary Season
MX Sports Pro Racing, in conjunction with longtime series title sponsor Lucas Oil, has announced that MAVTV Motorsports Networkwill become the primary broadcast partner of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. As part of the series’ milestone 50th anniversary, the “Home of American Motorsports” will provide the most extensive live broadcast schedule in American motocross history for the 2022 season. The championship will be showcased on MAVTV’s over-the-air network in addition to introducing Pro Motocross to the subscription-based MAVTV Plus global streaming service for the first time, where both monthly and yearly subscribers will have on-the-go access to watch the season unfold from their mobile and streaming devices. New subscribers to MAVTV Plus can take advantage of a limited time offer of $6.99 on a monthly plan.
Jett Lawrence | Credit: Align Media
Eli Tomac | Credit: Align Media
