At the MXGP of Germany last weekend the organisers of the world motocross series, Youthstream, held a press conference to officially announce that Monster Energy will be the title sponsor of the new, and what looks to be epic, SMX Riders’ Cup – an all-new concept where the fastest motocross riders in the world go bar-to-bar inside a stadium on a uniquely designed indoor motocross track.
Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo was joined by Team Suzuki World MXGP’s Team Manager Stefan Everts, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Team Manager Antti Pyrhönen and DP19 Yamaha Official MX Team Owner/Manager David Philippaerts, for the announcement.
“I think it will take new interest, it’s a completely new concept, which makes people curious and it’s cool to see the manufacturers cup coming back,” said Everts.
Antti Pyrhönen, on behalf of Husqvarna, commented: “Everybody is really excited for this event. I think the idea is great and for sure the event will be fantastic.”
He added: “It’s a great opportunity to bring in more fans to see our sport and hopefully bring more partners.”
The Monster Energy SMX Riders’ Cup, will take place at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on October 8 2016.
The arena is home to the football team FC Schalke 04 and is an impressive venue, featuring a fully retractable roof that can be closed at any time over the course of the night, even with public inside. This means the organisers can keep the track prime and the fans will be guaranteed the best racing spectacle in comfort.
How the racing works
Each manufacturer, KTM, Honda, Husqvarna, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and TM, will have a team of four riders. Three main riders and one ‘Joker’. The Joker can replace any rider on the team at any time.
The riders can ride any bike they want between 245cc to 450cc, regardless of their age. It also doesn’t matter if the engine is four-stroke or two-stroke.
Each team will have one team captain, and that rider will race the ‘Superpole – a two-lap sprint. Only seven riders enter, one from each brand.
The team whose rider is the fastest in the Superpole will have the 1/8/15 gate pick, the second one will have 2/9/16, and so on.
Three main races will be raced. There will be three riders per team. The team with the lowest score at the end of the event will win.
Prize money for the individual overall winner
- 1st: €50,000
- 2nd: €30,000
- 3rd: €20,000
- The best placed MX2 rider will receive €10,000
The riders points system is as follows: one point for first, two points for second, three points for third and etc.
Prize money for the winning manufacturer
- 1st: €50,000
- 2nd: €30,000
- 3rd: €20,000
The manufacturers points system works in the same way as the riders’ points system: one point for first, two points for second, three points for third and etc.
There will be nine scores from each team on the board. The seven best scores are counted. The worst two results are dropped.
In addition to the main events, there will be two junior classes in the form of the SMX125cc and a YZ125 Cup which is an invitational race for Yamaha riders, arranged by Yamaha and the national federations across Europe.
Pyrhönen said: “It’s in a central location in Europe, in Germany, it’s close to Belgium and Holland as well. I think this is a big step for the future of our sport. All of the infrastructure will be even better than what we already have now in the normal MXGP paddock and the work that Youthstream is doing with the promotion and marketing, all the work that the manufacturers are doing, and all the work that the riders are putting in will make this a great show.”
10-time FIM Motocross World Champion Everts is fully on board with this event and like he always is, he’s out for victory. “From Suzuki’s side, we support this event and we will do our best to bring out the best riders for the best show and to win,” he exclaimed.
Because the riders and the manufacturers that are competing for the Monster Energy SMX Riders’ Cup have the chance to race for a massive cash prize, the racing is bound to be intense and action packed – it’ll be an awesome night out.
To purchase your ticket in advance visit: http://smxschalke.motocross-tickets.com/10981-smx-riders-cup/
