New Supercross World Championship With FIM Support Announced

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The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme has entered a new partnership with Australian promotion group SX Global, a decade-long deal that will produce a new international racing series, the FIM Supercross World Championship. Plans to begin in 2022 are made clear in the announcement videos, which include footage from past AUS-X Open races, potential venues, and flags from nearly a dozen countries around the world, but there was no mention of a provisional schedule.

The FIM has gotten assertive with its involvement in Supercross over the past six months. This effort started when US promoters Feld Entertainment did not renew their agreement with the FIM to recognize the 450 Class of Monster Energy Supercross as a “World Championship” (a cost-cutting decision made after travel restrictions of the ongoing pandemic paused Feld’s plan for global expansion). The global governing body of motorcycle racing invited potential promotion companies to submit proposals soon after, but little has been said since the October submission period ended.

Although SX Global is a five-month-old endeavor by Adam Bailey, Ryan Sanderson, and Tony Cochrane, members of the group have a history of putting on Supercross races in stadium settings, have been involved with the FIM for a few years, and are experienced in motorsports. Bailey and Sanderson were behind the launch of the AUS-X Open in Australia and the S-X Open in New Zealand, events that helped boost Supercross in the Southern Hemisphere and served as part of the FIM Oceania International Supercross Championship. Cochrane, meanwhile, was the founding chairman of the V8 Supercars Championship, which is the premier motorsport series in Australia. 

The series website makes mention of additional funding that will come through “one of the world’s leading financial powerhouses,” a yet-to-be-announced group with an “established track record of investment in Global Sports Properties.”

“In order to support the growth and commercial viability of the series, the FIM believes that SX Global has the expertise and the ability to deliver a first class FIM Supercross World Championship,” said FIM President Jorge Viegas in the statement. “The new series will offer exciting races thanks to the passion and extended experience of the SX Global team, with a plan that will gradually expand the Championship to new countries and territories across the world.”

Below is the full press release from SX Global and the FIM.

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the global governing body of motorcycle racing – today announced that SX Global has been selected, a highly credentialed Australian company, to manage and promote the FIM Supercross World Championship over the coming decade.

SX Global will develop and manage a new international series commencing in 2022.  This is the first time an FIM World Championship has been conducted by an Australian based company. It is a fitting confirmation for a country with a deep history of success and extraordinary moments in professional motorsports, on two wheels.

Jorge Viegas – FIM President said: “After a strong and fruitful relationship over the last two decades between FIM, Feld Entertainment and AMA, it is now time to start a new journey to ensure a bright future for Supercross. In order to support the growth and commercial viability of the series, the FIM believes that SX Global has the expertise and the ability to deliver a first class FIM Supercross World Championship. The new series will offer exciting races thanks to the passion and extended experience of the SX Global team, with a plan that will gradually expand the Championship to new countries and territories across the world.”

SX Global brings together the creators of the AUS-X Open Supercross Adam Bailey and Ryan Sanderson, alongside Tony Cochrane, the founding chairman and driving force behind the creation, development and growth of the V8 Supercars Championship in Australia.  Adam and Ryan share deep experience in Supercross, having created and hosted a number of highly successful FIM Oceania Championship events since 2015.

Complementing this highly experienced team will be one of the world’s leading financial powerhouses with an established track record of investment in global sport properties, to be announced when SX Global officially unveils its plans for the 2022 FIM Supercross World Championship along with confirmation of new partnerships early in the new year.

With a wealth of global motorsports experience, SX Global is an exciting organization to truly take world Supercross to new heights on behalf of the FIM.  Utilizing this experience, the new entity SX Global is now preparing to bring Supercross to a world class global level as the promoter of the FIM Supercross World Championship and reach out to the millions of supercross fans around the globe.

Tony Cochrane – President SX Global added “It’s been a tremendous journey over the past five months to bring our team together with some of the most experienced people in all facets of motorsports now coordinating a sharp focus on Supercross and its global expansion. We would very much like to thank the FIM for their strong support of our vision and plan and in particular its President, Jorge Viegas, who has shown great leadership in working to bring this together in such a short timeframe. Fans have been demanding world class Supercross in so many countries – it’s a special day for all of those fans and at the end of the day, fans are our No. 1 consideration.”

Further details on both the FIM World Championship and SX Global will be announced in January 2022.