ESPN X Games, the premier action sports competition in the world, announced today the addition of SuperMoto X to its lineup. X Games X will take place August 5-8 in Los Angeles for the second consecutive year. For the first time ever, complete X Games daily live coverage will be featured on ESPN and ABC Sports.
SuperMoto X is a fusion of supercross, dirt track racing, freestyle motocross and road racing. It uses four-stroke motocross bikes on a purpose-built track that is approximately 60 percent asphalt for speed racing and 40 percent dirt with turns, rollers and hits. This mix of racing formats entices racers from all backgrounds. As a result, SuperMoto X is expected to include legendary athletes from different motorcycle competition disciplines such as Jeremy McGrath (Supercross), Mike Metzger (Freestyle), Travis Pastrana (Freestyle and Supercross) and Chad Reed (Supercross).
The new SuperMoto X competition joins the returning Moto X disciplines of Best Trick, which was added in 2001, Freestyle (added in 1999) and Step Up (added in 2000). The complete listing of athletes participating in X Games X, the venues and the competition schedule will be announced at a later date. SuperMoto X at X Games X will feature the 20 top racers going head-to-head in a race to the finish. A timed trial for starting positions will be held the day prior to competition. Racers will line up alongside each other in the start and the first racer to complete 20-25 laps wins the gold medal. The sport organizer for this event is SuperMoto X LLC, a collaborative effort between MXi, Inc. - X Games' current Moto X sport organizer - and MetzMoto, Inc., led by Freestyle star, Metzger.
Gavin Trippe, a former U.K. racing journalist - turned American-based motorcycle racing promoter - created the sport of Supermoto in 1979. ABC's Wide World of Sports embraced the standalone event, called "The Superbikers," and the event aired on the network annually from 1980-1985. In 2003 the sport was revived in the U.S. as "Supermoto" and an AMA Red Bull Supermoto Series. Ironically, SuperMoto X will be aired live in its entirety back on the first place to broadcast it - ABC's Wide World of Sports.
"It definitely doesn't come as a big surprise to me that they are adding the most extreme form of motorcycle racing to the X Games," said Metzger. "I'm absolutely positive that this will put SuperMoto in the international spotlight. X Games fans will be seeing some incredible handlebar-to-handlebar racing action with the top riders from many different types of motorcycle racing going for X Games Gold."
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, X Games X will be held August 5-8, 2004 in Los Angeles with live coverage on ESPN and ABC Sports. ESPN, The Worldwide Leader in Action Sports, first developed its X Games franchise in 1995. As part of the ESPN Original Entertainment division, X Games, Winter X Games, EXPN 2Day and X Games Global Championship are just some of the original action sports programming currently shown on ESPN and ESPN2. The brand has also grown to include international X Games events, EXPN.com, EXPN Radio, the large format film ESPN's Ultimate X, X Games skateparks and various X Games-branded retail products.