GETTING STARTED Go as fast as you can go during practice and during every race that’s the goal of the motocross rider You’ve trained hard Your bike is tuned up The engine hums That’s a good start What about your mind Is that tuned up too A fast bike is important To win however you have to be mentally tough and confident Are you Motocross demands a lot Racers have to be physically fit and cannot doubt their skills or abilities They need to focus on what’s in front of them what’s alongside and what’s behind them At the end of the race though all racers want to be alone at the Off-road motocross riding can include jumps over obstacles 6
finish line a checkered flag waving in their face Motocross is not just a hobby Whether it’s SuperMoto Supercross or other variations motocross is a way of life It’s one of the most exciting forms of motor sports Motocross riders never let a little mud puddle or a big one get in their way 7
HISTORY Motocross began in the 1920s on the hilly fields of Europe The first motocross race was held in England in 1924 On a March day just outside of London 80 riders gathered for the Southern Scott Scramble The event did not resemble anything like today’s races Riders plodded 50 miles 80 kilometers on a rugged 2 5 mile 4 kilometer course The course was so This 1924 magazine ad features a motorcycle used in the Scott Scramble tough that it humbled the best of them A local rider Arthur Sparks won the race He needed two hours to complete the circuit The average speed that day was 24 miles 38 6 kilometers per hour 8
Despite the turtle-like pace of the sport motocross it was called the scramble back then was born It spread quickly to Belgium and France At the same time a few Americans were racing in the United States not on rocky hills but on dirt tracks 9 No Brakes The name motocross comes from combining motorcycle and cross country Early racing bikes did not have brakes Bikers raced with their throttles wide open
