Motocross
Officially Motocross (MX / MXGP)
Off-road motorcycle racing on closed dirt circuits with jumps, whoops, and berms, contested in short heats over 30-40 minutes plus 2 laps.
What is Motocross?
Motocross (MX) is off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed circuits featuring jumps, whoops, berms, and rutted turns. Racers use lightweight (~100 kg) two-stroke or four-stroke dirt bikes typically in the 250 cc or 450 cc class. Competitions are held as motos: a mass start (gate drop) followed by 30-40 minutes + 2 laps. The FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) is the top international series, contested since 1957. In the USA, the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and AMA Supercross (indoor arena variant) are highly popular. Supercross features stadium-built tracks with tighter, more technical jumps and rhythm sections. Freestyle Motocross (FMX) is a separate discipline judged on aerial tricks. Motocross demands extreme fitness — riders' heart rates average 175+ bpm across a moto and they lift and manipulate a 100 kg bike through jumps and ruts continuously.
Quick facts
Category
Motor Sports
Type
Individual
Players
20–40
Duration
~35 min
Where played
both
Field / court
motocross track
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
First 'scrambles' race Camberley 1924; FIM World MX Championship 1957; Supercross USA 1972
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Win the moto by crossing the finish line first after the required time or lap count. Combine 2 moto positions for overall event finish; accumulate season points.
Match structure
Weekend format: qualifying (timed practice + heat), then 2 motos. Riders line up at the starting gate; drop the gate = launch. Race through 20-30 laps or a time+2-laps format. Overall finish = combined position across both motos.
Rules
Basic rules
Gate drop start
All riders line up abreast at a hinged starting gate; gate drops = go. Holeshot is the first rider around Turn 1.
Moto format
MXGP: 30 min + 2 laps. Supercross Main: 20 laps.
Overall winner
Best combined finish across the weekend's two motos; ties broken by 2nd moto.
Flag rules
Yellow (no jumping), Red (stop race), Chequered (finish).
Passing rules
Contact is part of racing; deliberate takeouts penalised.
Pit stops rare
Motos are short enough that pit stops don't happen; refuel between motos only.
Advanced rules
MXGP vs MX2 classes
MX2 (250 cc, riders under 23) vs MXGP (450 cc, open age). Riders promoted at 23.
Holeshot
First rider around Turn 1 gets 'Holeshot Award' (small prize) plus statistical honour.
SuperFinale
Some series use combined qualifier + LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier) + Main event structure.
MXoN
Motocross of Nations — annual team event (3 riders per country, 1 MXGP + 1 MX2 + 1 Open class).
Freestyle scoring (FMX)
Judged 0-100 on trick difficulty, style, execution, and variety.
Scoring
Points awarded per moto: 25-22-20-18-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for top-20 finishers.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st place moto | 25 |
| 10th place moto | 11 |
| 20th place moto | 1 |
| Weekend total | Sum of both motos (max 50) |
| Championship | Sum across all rounds |
Win condition · MXGP champion = highest cumulative season points across all rounds.
Playing area
Called
motocross track
Dimensions
1500-3000 m outdoor loop; 500-800 m Supercross stadium track. Includes tabletops, doubles, triples, whoops, berms.
Purpose-built dirt track with jumps 15-30 m long, whoops sections (rapid consecutive bumps), and banked turns (berms).
Equipment
Motocross bike
MX2 = 250 cc 4-stroke or 125 cc 2-stroke; MXGP/450 = 450 cc 4-stroke or 500 cc 2-stroke; ~100 kg; long-travel suspension.
Helmet, goggles, boots, gloves, chest protector, knee braces
Full off-road safety gear.
Jersey and pants
Vented racing gear with padding.
Neck brace
Optional but common (Alpinestars BNS, EVS).
Officiating
FIM appoints race director for MXGP; AMA for US series. Marshals manage safety and flags at every corner.
- Race Director
- Clerk of the Course
- Track Marshals
- Scrutineers
Strategies
Holeshot importance
Track position after Turn 1 is critical — passing is difficult when tracks get rough.
Rhythm sections
Choose optimal line through whoops and jump combos — some faster than others by 1-2 sec/lap.
Race craft
Save energy in early laps; push in mid-race; conserve final laps if leading.
Bike setup
Suspension and gearing adjusted for each track's dirt type (hard, loamy, sandy).
Terminology
- Holeshot
- First rider around the first corner after the gate drop.
- Berm
- Banked corner formed by dirt buildup.
- Whoops
- Consecutive small bumps ridden at speed by 'skimming'.
- Tabletop
- Flat-topped jump — safer than a double.
- Double / Triple
- Jumps with a gap between takeoff and landing.
- Case
- Landing short on the face of a jump — hard hit.
- Scrub
- Body-shifting technique to lower jump height and preserve speed.
- Moto
- One race of the day; MXGP weekend has 2 motos per class.
- Rutted
- Track surface with deep grooves from previous riders.
- Roost
- Dirt kicked backward by the rear tyre.
- Gate
- Starting gate that drops to begin the race.
- Practice, Q1, Q2, Moto 1, Moto 2
- Weekend sequence.
Major competitions
FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP)
annual (18-20 rounds) · worldwide (Europe, Americas, Asia) · since 1957
AMA Pro Motocross Championship
annual (May-Aug, 12 rounds) · USA · since 1972
AMA Supercross Championship
annual (Jan-May, 17 rounds) · USA · since 1974
Motocross of Nations (MXoN)
annual · worldwide · since 1947
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM)
Founded 1904 · Mies, Switzerland
Official site ↗AMA Pro Racing
Founded 1994 · Pickerington, USA
Official site ↗Youthstream / Infront Moto Racing (MXGP promoter)
Founded 2004 · Aigle, Switzerland
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Stefan Everts (Belgium) — 10× World Champion, most all-time
- Antonio Cairoli (Italy) — 9× MXGP/MX1 Champion
- Ricky Carmichael (USA) — 'The GOAT' — 15 AMA titles, undefeated 2004 & 2007 outdoor seasons
- James Stewart (USA) — 3× Supercross Champion
- Ryan Villopoto (USA) — 4× Supercross Champion
- Jeremy McGrath (USA) — 7× Supercross Champion, pioneered nac-nacs
- Roger De Coster (Belgium) — 5× 500 cc World Champion
- Jeffrey Herlings (Netherlands) — 5× World Champion (4× MX2, 1× MXGP)
- Tim Gajser (Slovenia) — 5× MXGP Champion (2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023)
- Jett Lawrence (Australia) — 2× AMA Supercross champion, undefeated 2023 outdoor 250MX
Records
Most world titles (all classes)
Stefan Everts (Belgium) — 10 (1991-2006) (2006)
Most AMA titles
Ricky Carmichael — 15 (Outdoor + SX) (2007)
Longest FMX backflip
Various stunt riders — 125+ ft (Robbie Maddison) (2008)
Most consecutive AMA SX wins
Ricky Carmichael — 9 in a row 2005 (2005)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Start on a 50 cc or 65 cc for kids / 125-250 cc adult
Learn basic bike control on flat track before jumps.
- 2
Standing riding position
Feet on pegs, elbows up, knees squeezing bike.
- 3
First jumps
Approach at consistent speed; body over bars; land wheels together.
- 4
Fitness
Cardio + core work; motocross elite riders have marathon-runner-level VO2 max.
intermediate
- 1
Race amateur nationals
AMA amateur nationals, EMX (European MX) for under-15/17.
- 2
Loretta Lynn's / Loretta Lynn's Amateur Nationals
Premier amateur motocross championship (USA).
- 3
Coach training
Ride with pros or attend academies (Baker's Factory, Club MX).
advanced
- 1
Pro debut
Transition to Supercross Futures / MX2 championship at 16-18.
- 2
Factory team support
Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas run factory teams with contracts.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between Motocross and Supercross?+
Motocross is outdoor on natural terrain with long tracks. Supercross is indoors in stadiums with man-made tighter, more technical tracks.
Who is the greatest motocrosser?+
Stefan Everts (10 world titles) statistically; Ricky Carmichael widely called GOAT for combined outdoor + SX dominance.
How dangerous is motocross?+
Very — statistically among the most injurious professional sports. Elite riders regularly suffer broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions.
What's the Motocross of Nations?+
Annual team event — 3 riders per country (1 MXGP + 1 MX2 + 1 Open) compete for country honour. USA has won most (22 times); Belgium and Great Britain also historically strong.
What's a 'holeshot'?+
The first rider around Turn 1 after the gate drop — usually determines the winner as passing is difficult on rough tracks.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Motocross— Wikipedia
- MXGP Official— Infront Moto Racing
- AMA Pro Racing— American Motorcyclist Association