At the AMA Supermoto Season-Opener in Bakersfield

It all started with the Superbikers. As a young man growing up in the late 70s, there were only three network TV stations for me to watch, and unlike today, motorsports programs were few and far between.

Other than the Indy 500 and the occasional airing of stock car racing, motorsports just weren’t on the air very often. During one serendipitous Saturday, I happened upon ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

And on that particular day, they were airing the Superbikers. Looking back, the influence that program had on the rest of my motorcycling life is immeasurable.

An unusual combination of road racing, dirt track, and motocross, the Superbikers showcased racers I had only read about in the motorcycle magazines.

Kenny Roberts Sr., Jeff Ward, and many others battled on the track to show who was the best all-around motorcycle racer on the planet. Of course, this multi-disciplined form of racing was the precursor to modern supermoto racing.

For six short years from 1979 to 1985, supermoto was popular in this country, and then almost overnight, it was gone. While the sport fell into obscurity here in the U.S., supermoto found a huge following in France, where it is still incredibly popular to this day.

Rather than dying out completely, thankfully, supermoto has maintained a cult following here in the U.S. and there have been multiple attempts over the years to bring professional supermoto racing back to America, with varying degrees of success.

The heyday was from 2003-2009 with the AMA Supermoto Championship Series. Riders such as Ben Bostrom, Jeff Ward, Doug Henry, and French Champion Sylvain Bidart showcased their skills around the country, but then the big recession hit and supermoto was once again off the map.

Fast forward to 2013 and the series started to come back, but at the end of last year, the status of the promoter for the series was uncertain and Pro Supermoto was once again in jeopardy.

Enter Alex Mock. Mock is the President of AMA Supermoto, but more importantly, he is a rider and racer with a true passion for the sport.

Mock just picked up control of the series at the end of February and has been investing a lot of time and energy to make this series happen. He’s a tireless networker and has been signing up sponsors and advertisers for the budding program.

The first round of the five-race season happened last weekend in Bakersfield at Kern County Raceway Park (KCRP), and I had a chance to watch the racing and take in the action.

Though KCRP is not designed specifically for supermoto, Mock and his team designed a track layout that took advantage of the track’s banked surface while integrating two interesting dirt sections.

The layout led the riders through a number of pavement sections, which then led to a diamond plate ramp that went straight up the banking, over the track’s retaining wall, and onto the dirt perimeter that surrounds the top of the raceway.

The dirt section then went downhill into the parking lot, where riders were met with a series of whoops and a double jump. The riders then headed into the long, fast, paved tunnel that brought them back into the infield.

The transition from dirt to asphalt, along with the switch from low to high-speed, and the visual change coming out of the tunnel from dark to light made this a challenging course.

One of the great things about this series is the intimate nature of the paddock and the opportunity for fans to interact with the racers and their teams. The atmosphere in the pits was relaxed and friendly. This is a small community, and all of the racers know each other. There were lots of friends helping other friends, which was great to see.

Because this was the first race of the season and the opportunities to advertise ahead of time were limited, the crowd was small. On the other hand, the fans were knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. As the series matures, and word gets around, I expect that crowds will increase.

The level of competition at the opening round was excellent. There were three classes of racing that included two pro classes and a large amateur class. Some great battles occurred throughout the field and there were some obvious standout performers.

Even pro road racer and Daytona 200 Champion Danny Eslick showed up to race on the #64. It was a good opportunity to get a little track time before the MotoAmerica season kicks off next week in Austin.

In the Pro Open class, three-time supermoto champion Gage McAllister started off the season with a bang, winning both main events on his KTM. McAllister’s style is very fluid and he lapped the track at a red-hot pace. He was followed by Shane Narbonne in second overall, with Dustin Hoffman coming in third.

Interestingly, the podium celebration after the second Pro Open race was interrupted by a sudden dust storm that dropped the temperature by 15 degrees in about 30 seconds and reduced visibility to less than 50 feet. It’s a good thing the storm didn’t happen during the race!

In the Pro Lites class, 2016 Champion, Josh Jackson continued his winning ways with a strong first-round victory on his 250cc Yamaha. Jackson was followed by Christian Payne in second and Malcom Barker in third.

The Amateur class was the largest of the three classes by far, with over 30 riders on the track. The large class roared like a thundering herd into the first turn, but as the race progressed and the field spread out, John Lyles came out on top, with Brandon Van Rooyan in second, and Randy Griffith in third.

Griffith was an especially interesting story, as he is over 60-years old and is still kicking ass. Very cool!

Overall, the opener for the new series was a success. The racing was good, the program ran relatively smoothly, and everyone had a good time.

There are four more rounds left this season with stops in Tucson, Quebec, Sturgis, and Pensacola. For next season, Mock hopes to “bring the series back to seven or eight races” adding that they’re always looking for opportunities to partner with other motorsports events.

Supermoto has had a tumultuous history in the U.S. We invented the sport with the creation of the Superbikers, yet for whatever reason, it hasn’t been as popular as one would expect.

The action is great, the racing is close, and the venue required is fairly small, making this a motorsport that can be set up in relatively small areas. If you haven’t been to a supermoto race, go check it out. It’s well worth your time.