This October 4 at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., 32 motocross riders will go head-to-head in the open class of Red Bull Straight Rhythm presented by Dodge Dart. The victor will be awarded a nice prize purse of $100,000.
The straight-line race on the 1/2 mile “unwound” track – part of the Red Bull Signature Series – utilizes a best-of-three bracket format.
By removing the turns, “riders must focus exclusively on reading the terrain and correctly judging their speed for precise distance and control.”
And on Wednesday, the first draft of eight riders were picked: Travis Pastrana, 2012 AMA Motocross champion Ryan Dungey, two-time Supercross Champion James Stewart, Josh Hansen, Josh Hill, Brett Metcalf, Cole Seely and Dean Wilson. The remaining riders will be chosen in the coming weeks.
“I think I can safely speak for the entire group of riders in saying how excited I am about the opportunity to compete in this man-against-man, win-or-go-home situation,” said Stewart. “Straight Rhythm is a fresh take on the traditional format, and the fact that it’s bringing out guys like Travis (Pastrana) says what a truly unique opportunity it is.”
Red Bull Straight Rhythm will also air on NBC on Saturday, December 20 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. Tickets are $20. Additional information can be found at Red Bull Straight Rhythm.