MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The new year has already brought an exciting announcement for race fans around the world. Coming later this year will be the inaugural season of the World Supercross Championship.
The folks at Feld Motorsports did not renew their agreement with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the world governing body for motorcycle racing, to license the world championship title to go along with the Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship currently underway here in the U.S.
With the world championship title sitting idle, a new group, with years of experience in promoting international motorsports, has stepped up and is planning a true World championship such as MotoGP and Formula 1, only for Supercross.
This championship will begin in the fall of this year, with five to six races anticipated for the inaugural season. The schedule is expected to double for the 2023 campaign, with more expansion during the following seasons.
The plan calls for these events to be contested in some of the most spectacular sport stadiums around the world. At least one round will be contested here in the U.S. each season. Many more announcements regarding this exciting new world championship will be coming over the next few weeks.
– As much of a challenge as 2021 was, it ended on a very high note, with my induction into the Hot Shoe Hall of Fame. This particular Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring racers, media and other notable individuals in the motorcycle racing industry.
I’m honored and humbled to be enshrined alongside such outstanding motorcycle industry icons as Dan Gurney, Roger DeCoster, Kenny Roberts, Larry Huffman and Evel Knievel. A huge thank you to Gene Woods and his staff for the honor.
The Hot Shoe Hall of Fame is located on Fremont Street in Las Vegas. It is open to the public and free to visit.
– Another incredible honor at the end of the year was being named president of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame. I’ve been on the Hall’s board of directors for the last 10 years. I’m thrilled to now have the opportunity to work alongside our chairman and my longtime mentor, Ken Clapp, as we continue to grow the Hall of Fame.
The West Coast Hall of Fame is one of the most prestigious motorsports Halls of Fame in the country. The annual induction dinner is one of the highlights of the NASCAR Cup Series weekend in Sonoma, Calif., and has become a must-attend event. The 2022 Induction Dinner will take place Thursday, June 9.
– By the time you read this, we will have completed our first on-the-road racing assignment of the new year with a late January visit to the King of the Hammers. It’s an event we’ve wanted to attend for many years but never had the opportunity.
This one-of-a-kind, off-road motorsports event, hosted by Ultra 4, takes place in the middle of nowhere in Johnson Valley, Calif. It’s run in the desert approximately two hours from Palm Springs.
More than 20,000 racers and spectators will move into a temporary city known as Hammer Town that is built in the desert annually to host this weeklong event. We’ll provide more insight to this unique motorsports gathering in next month’s column.
– Congratulations to our longtime SPEED SPORT and Sprint Car & Midget writer and colleague Pat Sullivan on being named Media Member of the Year by the Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll.
In addition, we offer a big congratulations to Jack Kromer, longtime photographer for Sprint Car & Midget, on being selected for induction into the prestigious National Sprint Car Hall of Fame!
Greatly deserved honors for both men. Keep up the good work gentlemen.