Motocross
...new concept. For some years, however, it seemed the idea was to be nothing more. Then, in 1895, the French firm DeDion-Buton built an engine that was to make the mass production and common use of motorcycles a reality. With a displacement of 138 cubic centimeters, the engine was a small, lightweight, high-revving four-stroke single cylinder that utilized battery and coil ignition. With the introduction of this new ignition technique, DeDion-Buton was able to do away with Otto’s original, dangerous hot tube design. With the arrival of production motorcycles, enthusiasts began to compete in the form of racing. In 1924, the first motorcycle race, then called a scramble, was held on a trail system in New England. After the sport gained international attention, the French would later name it motocross. As the capabilities of the bikes grew, so did the racing styles they were used for. By 1947, competitors were racing around man-made motocross tracks with high-flying jumps and extremely fast straight-aways. When 1956 came about, the races were tried indoors as the first ever supercross was held a Strahov Stadium in Prague, Czechoslovakia. At the present, motorcycle racing has evolved into a highly competitive, very involved sport. With many different teams such as factory and third party sponsorships, plus the mechanics and truck drivers for each of the teams, many people are involved. The sport has obtained a regular seasons schedule for both indoor and outdoor events. When motorcycle races are held indoors at stadiums and ballparks, it is termed supercross. This type of racing, characterized by sharp turns, massive jumps, and long, deep whoop sections, is potentially the way. With a total of 22 bikes off of the starting line, and room for only 10 in the first corner, the suspense is what attracts most fans. Inside the stadium, many hours of hard labor produces big triple jumps that launch riders 40 feet into the air. Along with monstrous jumps, long whoop sections are a vital part to the supercross feel. Constructed by placing 20 to 30 small dirt jumps, which are no taller than 5 feet, close enough together as to let the riders bounce over the top of the whoops. This adds a high difficulty to the track and proves its worth in many instances. Depending on the rider’s skill, the whoop section can both gain time and positions, or exactly the opposite and ruin the race for the competitor. Arguably the most dominant figure in supercross history is none other than Jeremy McGrath. Known world over as the king of supercross, McGrath has won more supercross championship titles than any other rider on the circuit. Coming from a BMX racing background, Jeremy honed his skills in supercross and throughout his career became the most dominant figure to ever participate in the sport. McGrath even extended his talent to the freestyle motocross movement by inventing his own trick deemed the Nac-Nac. To perform this trick, the rider throws one leg over the rear fender and extends it as far as possible. Many early motocross racers were not as interested in the face to face competition, but rather the adrenaline rush of getting big air. These “vigilantes” quickly turned from the racing scene and invented yet another use for the motorcycle. Known as freestyle motocross, this new and rapidly growing sport involves nothing more than jumping gigantic gaps on motorcycles and pulling off the most intense tricks...