The theme of the upcoming Monster Energy AMA Supercross season is a return to normalcy.
The 17-race calendar features a traditional schedule as the series visits 15 cities spread across 13 states. Additionally, host stadiums are expected to welcome back race fans at full capacity.
Another major story for the Supercross season is a shuffling among a few of the key championship contenders, most notably a pair of former Supercross champions.
Eli Tomac, the 2020 series titlist, is moving from Kawasaki to Yamaha, while another former series champion, Jason Anderson, is leaving Husqvarna and moving onto the seat Tomac occupied at Kawasaki.
While two of the biggest stars are moving to new teams, two-time and defending SX champ Cooper Webb will attempt to win his third title with the Red Bull KTM squad.
The season kicks off Jan. 8 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., which has long been the customary opening round of the series. Angel Stadium will also host the Anaheim II and Anaheim III rounds on Jan. 29 (round four) and Feb. 12 (round six).
Additional West Coast events include rounds two and three on Jan. 15 at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland and Jan. 22 at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif. Round five sees the series visit State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 5.
The series then travels east for the first time for round seven Feb. 19 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., before heading south to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 26. The annual Bike Week visit to Florida’s Daytona Int’l Speedway will be round nine on March 5.
Detroit’s Ford Field returns to the schedule March 12, followed by the annual stop at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis the next Saturday. Seattle’s Lumen Field will host the series for the first time since 2019 on March 26.
After a weekend off, the final five rounds will crisscross the country beginning in St. Louis, Mo., at The Dome at America’s Center on April 9. Events at Atlanta Motor Speedway (April 16), Gillette Stadium (April 23) in Foxboro, Mass., Denver’s Enpower Field at Mile High (April 30) and the season finale at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City conclude the campaign.
Storylines abound for the Supercross season as the premier 450SX class continues to feature what has become an ever-expanding, deep array of talent. Three Supercross champions will be competing for another title — two-time champion Webb, Tomac and Anderson. A domestic and international “who’s who” list of competitors vie for their first title, including Ken Roczen (Germany), Marvin Musquin (France), Dylan Ferrandis (France), Adam Cianciarulo, Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, Malcolm Stewart and Chase Sexton, all from the U.S.
The 250SX class will see a return of both reigning champions — Justin Cooper (Western Regional) and Colt Nichols (Eastern Regional), while Australian superstar brothers, Jett and Hunter Lawrence, and Japan’s Jo Shimoda seek their first title.
By far the biggest story of the offseason was Tomac’s move to Yamaha. In six seasons at Kawasaki, Tomac compiled 62 wins and four championships, including the 2020 AMA Supercross title. Tomac almost became synonymous with Team Green, so seeing the 28-year-old racing veteran wearing Yamaha blue will take some getting used to.
“I still have the itch for chasing green flags and checkered flags and being on the start line,” Tomac said. “I still like to do it, so that’s it: I still like to do it. I still enjoy trying to win races and trying to be the best guy. So, that’s why I’m still around.
“Change definitely makes it easier to get up in the morning and to get to work,” Tomac added. “It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to. I think they can give me, as a racer, a really competitive package in both Supercross and motocross. Dylan Ferrandis had really good success in motocross this year, so I look at that and it gives me confidence for what we have coming in the future.”
With the addition of Tomac, the Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing team will be loaded, with reigning AMA Motocross champion Ferrandis lining up alongside Tomac.
After losing Tomac, Monster Energy Kawasaki kept its rider roster strong with the addition of 2018 Supercross champ Anderson, joining Cianciarulo, who is returning to the team. Both Anderson and Cianciarulo have battled frequent injuries throughout their careers, but if one or both can stay healthy throughout the grueling Supercross campaign, they both have the potential to ease Kawasaki’s pain of losing one of the all-time elite riders in series history.
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