For the outsiders or the nonbelievers, Motocross and Supercross would appear to be the same sport. Some people understand the subtle differences between the two most popular dirt biking events of the calendar. Most people think that the two are just the same and it is just two names allotted to two championships, ala the Premier League in Great Britain and La Liga in Spain.
It is not entirely the fault of the non-followers because Motocross and Supercross have many similarities. Similar turfs, the dirt, bikes that look identical at times, the jumps, tight turns and an overdose of thrill courtesy the danger associated with the extreme sport. The primary difference between Motocross and Supercross is in the courses or tracks used for the respective extreme races.
Difference Between Motocross and Supercross
Supercross is held at a manmade arena, where the course is developed according to the needs of the tournament. The race comprises of twenty laps. The entire series has seventeen such races. The winner of every race and every finisher gets points and accordingly finds a place on the leadership table. At the end of the seventeenth race, the Supercross champion is declared based on the standing on the points table.
Motocross is held after Supercross. There is usually a gap of a month for riders to take some time off, rejuvenate and to get some practice for Motocross. The championship has twelve races. The course or arena used is natural terrain. Motocross stadiums will use manmade structures or seating capacities and other infrastructure but the course or the terrain is essentially natural. The course or the sporting arena is developed around the chosen terrain. The course is often sprinkled with some adrenalin pumping stunts by making a particular part riddled with obstacles. Each race is split into two phases, known as motos. The motos are essentially two races at the same course with the same riders.
The motos last thirty minutes each and two laps after the time is used up. The rider who has the best aggregate or position in both the races would emerge as the champion of the entire race. There are many similarities between Motocross and Supercross. For instance, riders can use 250cc and 450cc bikes. The latter is more challenging and is deemed as the highest level of dirt bike racing. Beyond the similarities of jumps, stunts, whoops, turns and curves, there is significant difference between Motocross and Supercross. The courses vary substantially and that is beyond whether they are manmade or artificial.
Motocross races are organized on dirt tracks which are between half a mile to two miles. The width of the course or the track is between sixteen and forty feet. The course or the track is irregular and the rider only makes left and right turns. There are special inclines, switch back curves and obstacles inducing jumps throughout the course. Motocross uses a larger area, is noisier and the audience is much closer to a particular section of the track.
Supercross tracks vary from one venue to another. Since they are manmade, the venues don’t have to rely on the natural terrain. They can build and develop a stadium of their choice according to the approved design. Hence, Supercross courses can be larger or smaller than Motocross tracks. Also, there is enough room to allow arenas to be larger or smaller, more challenging or with less obstacles. Thus, riders have to bear in mind which track they are riding on and must be completely accustomed with the relatively unique settings of the place. Supercross track would be typically twenty feet wide. It can be lower, at around fourteen feet. The length of the track varies substantially. The height of the arena influences the plunges and jumps. The nature of the obstacles are also determined or influenced by the type of stadium the track has.
Motocross and Supercross are both extreme sports. Spectators who want to have a larger view of the entire arena or track would perhaps prefer Supercross over Motocross because with the latter you are confined to a section of the track and get to see the riders go past, take the jumps if there is an inclined part of the terrain and if there are some obstacles nearby. With Supercross, one gets to see the entire track and thus has a more holistic experience. One can see riders chasing down their competition, doing all kinds of tricks and stunts. Motocross can offer a closer experience but it would certainly limit the scope of vision and thus experience.
Both these sporting events are extremely dangerous. They have been at the center of a lot of controversy and yet they are popular among the riders and the fans. Now that you know the difference between Motocross and Supercross, you would have a better time relishing the adventures next time.
