NEWS \ News & Features

by Chris Martin

AMA Supermoto has brought together very different riders to the same grid: Freestyler Mike Metzger joins flat tracker Chris Carr (94) on the Laguna grid. So far though, it's been the motocrossers who have ruled.

Entering the inaugural AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship, one of the prime areas of debate was how riders from various disciplines, ranging from road racing, motocross, dirt track, and beyond, would stack up against one another. After all, the sport's origins lie in ABC's Wide World of Sports Superbikers, a made-for-television event contested some 20 years in the past that set out to determine the globe's top motorcycling ace, regardless of area of expertise.

Those who expected motocross and supercross stars to dominate pointed to the fact that the machinery of choice was in fact motocross bikes -- albeit modified in terms of brakes, suspension, and tire selection -- lending an immediate advantage in feel and familiarity.

As Yamaha's Doug Henry explained, "I'm used to a motocross bike and I know how it reacts and how it handles to certain obstacles and certain situations, so I feel like I have a little bit of a jump on maybe a road racer or a flat tracker who is coming off of a different type of a machine."

Besides their obvious advantage in the dirt sections, motocross-derived cornering techniques also come heavily into play in the tighter pavement sections.

Meanwhile, the road race advocates pointed out that road racers have been extremely successful on the European scene, where supermoto racing has been thriving for years. As a matter of fact, '99 World Supersport champ (and Boris' older brother) Stephane Chambon is considered by many to be the greatest supermoto rider of all time.

And while relatively few motocross riders are accustomed to dragging their knees around a high-speed sweeper or backing into a corner on pavement, most road racers have some motocross experience, be it during their formative years, for training, or both.

Of course, a strong argument was also offered for the dirt track contingent. Very familiar with riding on dirt, at high speed, and with their bikes sliding underneath them, dirt trackers could be viewed as the happy medium between the extremes presented by road racers and motorcrossers. In addition, they're typically versatile riders who often make fantastic road race prospects. It's also worth noting that supermoto-style racing is not far removed from dirt track TTs.

Well, here we are, more than halfway through the debut season. Who was right?

Unquestionably, the motocrossers hold the advantage four races into the series' history. They have taken three-quarters of the available podiums and three of four race victories. Jeff Ward has clearly led the charge, with Jeremy McGrath and Henry consistently running at the front as well.

Doug Chandler gave the road racers (and dirt trackers) their brightest moment yet when he dominated at South Boston. Kevin Schwantz was also mighty impressive that day, charging back from a first corner crash to finish fourth. Of course, the motorcross supporters might want an asterisk included next to the South Boston results as a number of top riders, including Ward and McGrath, chose to withdraw after weather pushed back the race until Monday (Chandler did beat Ward in their heat race, however).

So, why have the motocrossers taken the early lead? Beyond the reasons listed for their expected success above, it's been theorized that the AMA Supermoto circuits on the whole (and particularly Laguna Seca and Columbus) have been tighter than their European counterparts the road racers take to so well, playing to the motocrossers' talents.

But perhaps the biggest single reason has simply been an abundance of talent.

Ward, Henry and McGrath are legendary riders with amazing track records. It's not as if they're just average motocrossers that have taken to supermoto thanks to their racing upbringings; they're supremely gifted racers, period, regardless of their backgrounds. Ward is a supermoto natural, gracefully blending motocross and road racing techniques, but his success hasn't led anyone to automatically assume that Indy Car racers make the best supermoto racers!

Their other-discipline rivals with similarly stellar resumes, Chandler and Schwantz, have unfortunately suffered from injuries, outside commitments, and weather interference, which have prevented them from fully flexing their supermoto muscles. Both were robbed of an opportunity to showcase their skills against the top motocrossers at the high-speed South Boston circuit when the competition headed home. And more recently, both were unable to compete at the wide-open, road racer-friendly Dallas track.

Throw in a healthy Chandler and/or Schwantz for all four races, or an Aaron Yates or Ben Bostrom (who will be racing at Irwindale this weekend), to bring the talent levels more in line, and maybe the motocross dominance of supermoto wouldn't seem quite so obvious.

While the comparisons are interesting to watch develop, expect them to become moot in the near future as a fourth group steps to the forefront.

Supermoto specialists, riders who have cut their teeth supermoto racing in regional series and in Europe, such as Ben Carlson and Boris Chambon, are already making their presence felt. And they will almost certainly come to dominate the championship as more and more riders focus on the growing discipline. It will become increasingly difficult for part-timers to jump in and run at the front when confronted with a healthy group of racers who focus full-time on riding 450s with cut slicks through the dirt and sliding into pavement hairpins.

It's likely that tomorrow's supermoto stars aren't currently winning AMA Supercross or AMA Superbike titles. Instead, they're ripping around go-cart tracks and winning Jr. Supermoto Challenge races.