When it comes to the history of dirt bike racing, it can be traced originally to the early years of motocross where everything was not that popular. Supercross was the new version of motocross which exceeded the popularity of the latter according to the extreme sports enthusiasts. However, due to the similarity of the sport, a lot of fans are left confused about the differences between motocross and Supercross that is why in this article, we will try to give everyone an enlightenment about what makes these two sports different from each other.
First off, Supercross takes place on a dirt course which is artificially made. This is the “city” version of motocross considering that it is held inside large stadiums and arenas where the organizers have to place an entire mountain of dirt which is then modified to make it look appear like an actual dirt race course. Supercross is usually held year-round with 12 to 17 legs that are open for competition and the overall champion is determined based on the accumulated points in each leg. The higher the place you finish in each leg, the bigger points you earn and the bigger the chances that you will bring home the overall title at the end of the season
Motocross meanwhile, are held about a month after the finale of a supercross race. Usually, motocross has a 12-leg series that starts in the middle of the year where the overall champion is determined through points as well, however, motocross takes place in a natural dirt race course that is usually held outside of the city where there is enough space to organize a racing event. The race course’ technicalities are usually based on the terrain’s complexity. Riders have to vie in two separate races to determine the overall winner in each leg.
When it comes to its race course, motocross races are held in a race course that has a half mile-long distance or sometimes it reaches up to two miles depending on the consumed space of the entire race course. The width of the motocross race course is somewhere between 16 to 40 feet enough to accommodate six to 10 riders, which is spacious enough to prevent them from hitting each other on the side. Usually, the race course is laid out in an irregular pattern which causes the riders to force themselves in shifting positions to enable them from turning in sharp corners and turns.
The motocross race course is designed with jumps, switch back curves, and inclines which demands the rider to change gears and adjust their throttle to prevent them from shooting off the course and have better maneuverability. Supercross’ race course, on the other hand, is far different from motocross. The width is about twenty feet, but it can be extended to fourteen feet when there are a lot of riders joining the race and the length or the total distance of the race course depends on the size of the stadium or arena where it is being held. Also, the obstacle of the race course depends on the size of the venue, sometimes the jumps, and hurdles are often limited. The winning rider or the Supercross results are based on the accumulated points of the rider after the number of legs in each season.