Details on the much-ballyhooed but still somewhat mysterious 2022 FIM World Supercross Championship are beginning to be revealed. Although we don’t have a schedule yet, the first four teams in the 10-team lineup promised by promoter SX Global have been announced.If you were expecting to see factory teams involved, you’re going to be disappointed. The four announced teams are not new or unknown, and they represent two countries—the United States and France. However, they are not the premier teams you’d expect if you’re talking about an FIM World Supercross Championship Series.Justin Brayton (#10)
MotoConcepts Honda. Manager Mike Genova. MotoConcepts has been a solid history in the AMA Supercross Championship Series. In 2022, the team’s riders are Justin Brayton and Vince Friese. Brayton is a Supercross Main Event winner, while Friese scored a podium finish in the 250SX West Regional class this year.Pipes Motorsports Group. Manager Dustin Pipes. Pipes, a former Supercross racer, is the team manager for Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports, which represented Suzuki in the 2022 AMA Supercross Championship Series. The team fielded three riders—Brandon Hartranft (8th overall in the 2022 450SX series), Justin Bogle (13th on the year), and Adam Enticknap (three Main Events in 2022).Brandon HartranftBud Racing Kawasaki. Manager Stéphane Dassé. Bud Racing Kawasaki has been involved in the FIM motocross competition since 2007. The team has two riders: Quentin Prugnières and Eddie Wade. Both compete in the European 250 Championship Series.Team GSM Dafy Michelin Yamaha. Manager Serge Guidetty. With support from Yamaha France, this team brings Maxime Desprey and Anthony Bourdon to the track. Both are competing in the French MX1 Championship. Desprey is a six-time French national champion, and campaigned in the MXGP circuit for most of 2017 and 2018. Bourdon won the 2020 French Élite MX2 Championship.“All four of these teams bring a level of experience, credibility, and operational and competitive excellence necessary to delivering the highest levels of competition to fans around the world, and we could not be more excited to award them licenses,” Managing Director – Motorsport of SX Global Adam Bailey said. “As we embark on our inaugural pilot season, it’s critical that each of our teams bring a spirit of collaboration in the broader effort to drive our sport forward and expand its relevance across the globe, and that’s exactly the case for each of these teams and owners.”SX Global President Tony Cochrane added, “In order for any sport, or any business to grow successfully, financial structures have to establish wider-ranging revenue potential and overall returns for owners and investors. It’s a model that has proven successful for decades at the highest levels of professional sports, and yet it has not existed in supercross, and we are changing that. For the first time, supercross team owners have a true investment platform, with the ability to increase the financial value and equity of their teams over time.”SX Global is promising an investment of $50 million over five years to support the competing teams. There will also be a $250,000 purse at each round.The 2022 FIM World Championship Series is expected to run from September through November, with as many as four races planned. SX Global hopes to run as many as 12 WSX (World Supercross) races in the 2023 series, which will be held after the AMA Supercross season. None of the 2023 dates or venues have been announced.
This Podcast is also brought to you by the new modular helmet from Schuberth, the C5. The C5 blends safety with light weight and amazing quietness. Visit Schuberth.com for more information.
This week, in the first segment Editor Don Williams talks to us about the new Kawasaki Versys 650 LT. It’s the middleweight ADV style machine that uses the same 650 parallel twin motor as the Ninja 650, so it’s an excellent performer in a user-friendly, good looking package.
In the second segment, I chat with one of my dearest industry friends—now retired Honda PR executive, Jon Seidel. Jon’s fascinating career spans some 30 years with Big Red, and gave him some great experiences with some incredible machines. I was fortunate enough to be invited on many of the press launches that he organized. His new project is documenting and saving many of the old archives from years gone by—and incidentally, if you have anything that may be of value to the project, please contact us by email at producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com and we’ll pass it all on to Jon.
So on that note, from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
SX Global President Tony Cochrane added, “In order for any sport, or any business to grow successfully, financial structures have to establish wider-ranging revenue potential and overall returns for owners and investors. It’s a model that has proven successful for decades at the highest levels of professional sports, and yet it has not existed in supercross, and we are changing that. For the first time, supercross team owners have a true investment platform, with the ability to increase the financial value and equity of their teams over time.”SX Global is promising an investment of $50 million over five years to support the competing teams. There will also be a $250,000 purse at each round.The 2022 FIM World Championship Series is expected to run from September through November, with as many as four races planned. SX Global hopes to run as many as 12 WSX (World Supercross) races in the 2023 series, which will be held after the AMA Supercross season. None of the 2023 dates or venues have been announced.
