Understanding Motocross Track Layouts

Know what the obstacles are called before giving them a try

By Dirt Rider Staff
October 18, 2018
Identify Motocross and Supercross ObstaclesDirt Rider

Each track has its own type of dirt, which greatly affects the track and how it develops throughout the day. Whether you're tackling a local course or building your own dirt bike track in your backyard, it's important that you understand the basics. Here’s a short list of the obstacles that make up a motocross or supercross track:

  1. Start (the staring gate and start straight up to the first corner)
  2. Berm Turn
RollersDirt Rider
  1. Rollers (bumps larger than whoops, but rounded and difficult to get lift from)
  2. Rhythm Section (continuous jumps that riders double or triple or quad through)
  3. Over-Under (a bridge/tunnel where a track crosses over itself)
  4. Step-Down (reverse of a Step-Up)
  5. Double Jump (two jumps taken as one—like a ramp-to-ramp jump)
  6. Single Jump
  7. Whoops (continuous bumps small enough for racers to skim over)
  8. Off-Camber Corner (track drops away to the outside of the corner
  1. Triple Jump (three jumps taken as one)
  2. Drop Off (a straight drop)
  3. Quad (four jumps taken as one)
  4. Step-On-Step-Off (jumping onto a tabletop, then jumping off to another jump)
  5. Ruts
  6. Step-Up (jumping up to a higher landing)
  7. Acceleration Chop (bumps at the exit of corners)
  8. Tabletop Jump (like a double jump that is 'filled in' between the jumps)
  9. Braking Bumps (bumps at the entrance of corners)
  10. Dragon's Back (a jump or landing with whoops on it)

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