50 Years of Motocross in America

Just two weeks remain until the gate drops on the 2016 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, as the legendary GoPro Hangtown Motocross Classic will serve as the setting for the opening round of the 12-race season on Saturday, May 21. This highly anticipated season, in which Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey and Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin look to defend their respective 450 Class and 250 Class titles, will be commemorated by the celebration of 50 years of American motocross.

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship’s celebration of 50 years of American motocross will be symbolised by a traveling “50” sculpture. This one-of-a-kind monument is filled with artwork from the numerous championship programs of the Nationals, ticket stubs, Hi-Flyer trading cards and other mementos that pay homage to the sport’s illustrious history. Fans attending any round of the championship this summer will have an opportunity to check out the sculpture in person at the sponsor village of the paddock.

History

Back in 1966, a visionary promoter by the name of Edison Dye recognised the growing popularity of motocross overseas and subsequently helped facilitate a bold move that would go on to change the course of history for the sport in America. Dye helped bring Husqvarna rider, Torsten Hallman, to the United States, making him the first professional European rider to compete in America. The Swedish rider’s influence was felt almost immediately and soon enough more and more Europeans followed Hallman’s footsteps overseas, with many of them ultimately becoming incredibly influential legends of the sport’s early era. AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame members like Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster propelled the sport’s popularity and professionalism in America thanks to their exceptional talent and captivating personalities.

In the 50 years since Dye’s groundbreaking initiative and Hallman’s pioneering journey to the US, the sport of motocross has evolved into the spectacle that it is today, as one of the most compelling and physically demanding athletic competitions on the planet. The United States is now the premier destination for motocross, with its most celebrated championships. The various disciplines and racing series that encompass the world of motocross can now be seen live on televisions, tablets and cell phones across the globe, with hundreds of thousands of fans all over the world captivated by the action unfolding on the racetrack. Motocross has ultimately always held on to its renegade, rule-bending roots, and as a result it maintains a thrilling and daring perception that keeps fans yearning for more while continuing to elevate on a global level, with world-class athletes from all over the world coming to America for a chance at chasing their dreams.

In 1971, Bruce Brown’s iconic documentary On Any Sunday helped put a spotlight on America’s best kept secret in sports, and just one year later the Ohio-based American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) introduced a stand-alone national championship series, now known today at the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Now in its 44th season, the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is the world’s most prestigious motocross racing series, featuring the most iconic racetracks and events on the planet. In fact, both the Hangtown Motocross Classic and the Unadilla National were a part of the inaugural season of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship in 1972 and remain foundational stops of the summer schedule more than four decades later, continuing to build on the legacy that first began in 1966.

In 2009, MX Sports Pro Racing secured the promotional and operational rights of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and that same season they introduced perennial championship trophies for both the 450 Class and 250 Class – the Edison Dye Cup (450 Class) and Gary Jones Cup (250 Class) – which were created to honour the entrepreneurial vision of Edison Dye that brought the sport to America as well as the first ever national champion crowned in a formal US motocross championship.

For more information on the 2016 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, visit: www.promotocross.com

Schedule