2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series Schedule

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Feld Entertainment has released the complete calendar for the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series, and there is plenty to note in the seventeen-race schedule. The season will begin with the iconic Anaheim One Supercross in Southern California, but a number of new venues and dates are mixed in until early May, with the finale set to run in Salt Lake City. Compared to the 2019 schedule there are more back and forth cross-country trips between rounds, plus a rotation of cities on and off the roster. The designation of events with the Triple Crown format or East/West region status was not outlined in the press release. Let’s go through the full schedule and explain each round’s place on the list…

2020 ANAHEIM ONE SUPERCROSS | JANUARY 4TH

It would be strange to start the season anywhere but Southern California and things kick off on the first weekend in January at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The excitement of Anaheim One is second to none, with new bikes, numbers, and gear helping to build the anticipation of the first gate drop.

2020 ST. LOUIS SUPERCROSS | JANUARY 11TH

Left off the list in 2019, St. Louis is back on in 2020 and earlier in the schedule than ever before. The Midwest round is praised for the dirt used and the covered pit area in the attached convention center. We know that fans will wonder why a nearly 4000-mile round trip is going to happen so early, but our theory is tied to a large dirt track car race that will take place in the venue in late December and a low cost of rent for the venue (with the departure of the NFL’s Rams, the building has no full-time tenant). We’d also expect this to be a West Coast round just for the simple fact that it would be strange to start the East Coast in week two and put them on pause for more than a month, considering its often a backup plan for teams and riders should they have an injury in the offseason.

2020 ANAHEIM TWO SUPERCROSS | JANUARY 18TH

Back to Anaheim for the customary second stop in the building and the third round of the season. Although it’s not outlined in the announcement, the past two years make us think this will be the first event of the year to run the Triple Crown format.

2020 GLENDALE SUPERCROSS | JANUARY 25TH

The massive floor space of the football stadium in suburban Glendale has been a welcome replacement to the tighter confines of the baseball diamond in downtown. It would be strange not to have a stop in Arizona, considering the history of Phoenix Supercross races in the past, the close proximity to California, and the fact that fans travel from Colorado/New Mexico/Utah/Nevada/Texas to watch the race in a warm climate during a cold time of year.

2020 OAKLAND SUPERCROSS | FEBRUARY 1ST

Oakland is a venue that the series will visit as long as the Coliseum is there. Sure, it’s not the nicest facility, but the cost to rent is reportedly very low (probably even less now that the NFL Raiders are on their way out) and it brings the passionate Northern California fanbase together. This has become a day/afternoon race in recent years and we wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case again in 2020.

2020 SAN DIEGO SUPERCROSS | FEBRUARY 8TH

The California swing wraps up with the San Diego Supercross, another one of those long-running rounds that is a fan-favorite for the area. Since the city is home to a number of branches of the armed forces, it’s become customary for teams and riders to run patriotic gear and graphics that show support for the troops. Here’s hoping it’s a dry race this time around.

2020 TAMPA SUPERCROSS | FEBRUARY 15TH

The second long haul in the schedule will take teams from California to Florida. Tampa was added to the tour in 2018, dropped in 2019, and is back in 2020. Because the city is the home to Feld’s corporate office and the company has established a good relationship with the venue (it hosted the Monster Jam World Finals in 2019), we expect this city to be a part of the series for years to come. Considering the motocross boom in Florida, it should become another “home round” for riders. Obviously, this will be an East Coast region round.

2020 ARLINGTON SUPERCROSS | FEBRUARY 22ND

Like you, we’re surprised that Tampa and Arlington aren’t flipped in the order; it would just make sense to stop in Texas on the way to Florida instead of back-tracking back to the Dallas area a week later. Whatever, we don’t call the shots. The Arlington round is the only stop in Texas for the series in 2020 and it should be one of the better-attended stops just for that fact. Also, this will likely be an East Coast region round.

2020 ATLANTA SUPERCROSS | FEBRUARY 29TH

We heard those rumors that the series was going to skip Atlanta after 2019, due in part to the rise in rent at the state of the art Mercedes-Benz Stadium and nearby convention center, but are glad to see it’s on the list for 2020. For years Atlanta has been the race that fans on the East Coast travel great distances to see and it’s one of those nights where anything can happen. Will it be a Triple Crown or a 250 East-West Showdown?

2020 DAYTONA SUPERCROSS | MARCH 7TH

No schedule would be complete without a visit to Daytona. One of the longest-running pro motocross races in the US, the Florida round serves as the start of Bike Week and challenges riders with a long layout, brutally rough terrain, and an air of history that few venues come close to matching. Victory circle at Daytona is reserved for only the elite.

2020 INDIANAPOLIS SUPERCROSS | MARCH 14TH

Indianapolis is another one of those cities that will host a Supercross as long as they have the building for it. Doesn’t matter if you’re talking about the RCA Dome or Lucas Oil Stadium, fans from the Rust Belt will pack a stadium in late winter-early spring to see riders tough it out on a rutted, soft Supercross track. Like Atlanta, this could be announced as a Triple Crown or a 250 East-West Showdown later in the year.

2020 DETROIT SUPERCROSS | MARCH 21ST

The demise of the Silverdome meant that Supercross had to move downtown to Detroit’s Ford Field a few years ago and Feld has tried everything to evoke the spirit of Pontiac with unique event formats and even track designs that went into the stands. This is as far north as the series goes, so if you’re a fan that would go to the Toronto Supercross, this is about as close as you’re going to get.

2020 SEATTLE SUPERCROSS | MARCH 28TH

Another long haul to the other side of the country. This is one of the dates that have us scratching our head because we don’t know how much rain Washington state gets in late March. Will it be dry like 2019 or epic mud race like 2018? Either way, Supercross always pulls a good crowd in the Pacific Northwest and fans will come out with the proper rain gear and warm clothing no matter what the weather is. And yeah, this will break the long hiatus of the West Coast region after San Diego.

2020 DENVER SUPERCROSS | APRIL 4TH

A welcome addition to the list in 2019, Denver is back for another go-around in 2020. We learned that a spring day in Colorado can bring a mix of weather conditions, so snow one minute could easily turn to clear skies the next. Things should be really interesting around this time of year because we’ll know which riders have a chance at the championship before the final part of the season. Denver will be the 14th consecutive race and after it comes the single weekend off in the schedule.

2020 FOXBOROUGH SUPERCROSS | APRIL 18TH

Feld keeps the New York-New England yearly rotation going and it’s back to Boston in 2020. It’s a short drive between the two booming metropolitan regions of the northeast, but a very different crowd comes out at Boston compared to New York. Like Oakland, this has historically been a day race and we expect the same schedule to be implemented this year.

2020 LAS VEGAS SUPERCROSS | APRIL 25TH

This is one of the more perplexing dates of the seventeen. Las Vegas has long been the finale for the series and the afterparties and post-season celebrations work well in a city that never sleeps. So why is it not the last round this year? It’s strange all around, especially when you factor in how elaborate the track design gets with runs in and out of the stadium…

2020 SALT LAKE CITY SUPERCROSS | MAY 2ND

Yeah, the exact opposite of what we said above applies in Salt Lake City. Rice-Eccles Stadium is one of the smaller floorspaces of any venue on the list, so there won’t be a big, creative track to end the year with. Then there’s the less than ideal party vibe of the historically religious region. Honestly, it comes down to the state of Utah pushing to have a big event in their area; holding a championship-deciding race in a building that hosted the Olympics bodes well with the state’s stance as a sporting destination. All of that is outlined in the press release from Feld.

MISSING FROM THE LIST

Like you, we’re surprised to see Nashville, Houston, and Minneapolis left off in 2020. We’ve heard from people at Feld that their original plan was to alternate St. Louis and Nashville each year, but we figured that was scrapped after the overwhelming popularity of the Tennessee round in 2019 compared to STL’s less than solid turnout in recent years. Hopefully St. Louis happening in the winter months, away from baseball season and Mardi Gras/St. Patrick’s Day, brings more people to the race.

As for Houston, it’s safe to say that the Texas turnout hasn’t been great and even after fans called for it to return following a few years off the list, there weren’t massive crowds inside the stadium on race day. It was surprising, considering the long history of motorcycle racing in the Astrodome. Minneapolis, meanwhile, might be due to stadium availability at certain times of the year. Last year’s cold snap in the upper midwest wreaked havoc on team trucks (we heard some teams are still working out issues on their trailers from days in the deep freeze) and that race would be better suited in March or April when the temperatures rise and the ground thaws. But it could be difficult to lock US Bank Stadium in at that time of year.

Whatever your thoughts on the schedule are, you should share them below. The moment more information is released, like the official East-West designation or the track maps, we’ll have it online for you…

Ellenton, Fla., (July 9, 2019) – The 17-round schedule for the 2020 season of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, will return to some of the sport’s most iconic stadiums while also rotating fan-favorite markets like St. Louis, Mo., Tampa, Fla. and Foxborough, Mass. back into the routing.

The season finale moves to the sports-friendly state of Utah on Saturday, May 2 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

Saturday nights belong to Supercross and the stars of the sport will take to the track beginning on January 4, 2020 at the iconic Angel Stadium of Anaheim which has hosted Supercross more than any other venue in the sport’s 46-year history. The Anaheim Opener sets the stage for the season and typically offers a few surprises by revealing off-season preparation for the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship in the world. Last year, Justin Barcia became the 20th different winner in a memorable, rain-soaked finish in front of a capacity crowd.

Returning in 2020 are races in St. Louis, Mo. at the Dome at America’s Center on January 11, Tampa, Fla. at Raymond James Stadium on February 15 and Foxborough, Mass. at Gillette Stadium on April 18.

Additional highlights include heritage markets like Arlington, Texas on February 22 at AT&T Stadium where 57,000 plus fans witnessed the closest race in history last season between Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen, plus Atlanta, Ga. at the Mercedes Benz Stadium on February 29, Detroit, Mich. at Ford Field on March 21 and Seattle, Wash. at CenturyLink Field on March 28.

The series then returns to Denver, Co. at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on April 4 for the second consecutive year where more than 59,000 raucous fans cheered on hometown favorite Eli Tomac in what was one of the loudest races in recent memory.

Las Vegas has hosted the final race for the past 23 seasons and remains on the schedule as the penultimate round in the series which will then head to Salt Lake City for the finale and title crowning.

“Our goal is the continued growth of the sport and rotating markets every couple of years, expanding Supercross Futures events and moving the finale to a new location helps keep the series fresh and exciting for the fans, as well as for the race teams and athletes,” said Todd Jendro, Vice President of Operations – Motorsports, Feld Entertainment. “Utah has become synonymous with elite, world class sporting events and we thought hosting the finale in Salt Lake City would be a fitting choice.”

Supercross embodies the State of Sport lifestyle with a majority of the fanbase spectating or participating in outdoor sports and leisure activities.

“Utah has a long history of hosting Supercross events and other major international sporting events, including the Olympic Winter Games,” said Utah Sports Commission President and CEO Jeff Robbins. “The season finale will be one of the biggest sporting events ever held in Utah, driving tremendous economic impact and media value to our great state. We are excited to welcome back the top riders in the world and their terrific fans to Utah.”

Additional details on special travel packages will be made available later in the year as Utah opens its doors and its treasures to the Supercross community.

“The 2020 schedule gives fans across the country an opportunity to witness one of the greatest shows in motorsports,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “The AMA is proud to work with championship series promoter Feld Entertainment, Inc. and the FIM to ensure the sport continues to achieve the highest standards for fairness and competition while thrilling, exciting and inspiring fans of all ages.”

Supercross features the world’s most elite athletes chasing their dreams onto U.S. soil inside America’s most well-known stadiums. Three first-time champions, Cooper Webb (450SX Class), Dylan Ferrandis (Western Regional 250SX Class) and Chase Sexton (Eastern Regional 250SX Class) will be eager to defend their titles against the rich field of Jason Anderson, Marvin Musquin, Eli Tomac, Chad Reed, Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia, Adam Cianciarulo (250SX Class), Justin Cooper (250SX Class) and Austin Forkner (250SX Class).

“Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship is where the best riders in the world battle for the ‘number one’ plate. It is a demanding and intense series of 17 events in just 18 weeks,” said Jorge Viegas, FIM President. “Demanding for the riders and teams, yet exciting for the fans worldwide who cannot wait to see their heroes enter the stadium and challenge the track. Last season we saw the ‘outsider’ Cooper Webb win the Championship in style beating the likes of Tomac, Musquin, Roczen and Anderson. Only time will tell if he can do it again in 2020.”

Lastly, in its second full season, Supercross Futures, an AMA Amateur National Championship, will take place in ten select markets while continuing to establish itself as the world’s premier developmental platform for amateur Supercross racing. The 2020 national championship will take place in October following the Monster Energy Cup. Dates and location will be announced later in the year.