The AMA Supercross Championship, commercially branded as Monster Energy AMA Supercross, constitutes the preeminent professional stadium-based motocross series in the United States. Sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since inception in 1974 and promoted by Feld Motor Sports, the championship features high-performance off-road motorcycles navigating purpose-built dirt tracks within major sports stadiums from early January through early May across 17 annual rounds.
The 2025 season culminated with Cooper Webb securing his third 450 class championship aboard Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machinery, alongside Haiden Deegan (250 West, Yamaha) and Tom Vialle (250 East, KTM).
Pioneering Stadium Events (1971-1973)
Supercross originated from late-1960s motocross popularity surge, with Bill France Sr. integrating professional motocross into 1971 Daytona Bike Week programming. The 1972 Daytona International Speedway event utilized grass infield configuration between grandstand and pit lane, yielding Jimmy Weinert (250cc) and Mark Blackwell (500cc) victories.
The paradigm-defining 1972 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum event, promoted by Mike Goodwin and AMA President Terry Tiernan, introduced constructed stadium motocross—billed as the “Super Bowl of Motocross” and won by 16-year-old Marty Tripes. The 1973 Super Bowl of Motocross II amplified success metrics, establishing stadium accessibility surpassing traditional outdoor motocross spectator appeal by late 1970s.
Championship Formalization (1974-1980s)
Formalized as AMA Supercross Championship in 1974, early administration fragmented across regional promoters: Mike Goodwin (West), Pace Motorsports (Midwest/Southwest), Super Sports (East), Daytona International Speedway. Pierre Karsmakers (Yamaha) claimed inaugural 250cc title; Gary Semics (Suzuki) dominated 500cc.
1980s consolidation featured Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) Western acquisition. Yamaha’s Bob Hannah secured three consecutive 250cc titles (1977-1979). Progressive schedule compression—from February-November dual indoor/outdoor overlap to January-June by 1986, early January-early May standardization by 1998—optimized commercial viability.
Promoter Consolidation & Class Evolution (1990s-2000s)
1990s MTEG bankruptcy prompted Super Sports acquisition by Pace Motorsports (primary promoter, Daytona independent). Pace’s 1998 SFX Entertainment acquisition, subsequent Clear Channel (2000), Live Nation (2005), and Feld Motor Sports (2008) transitions centralized operations. Jeremy McGrath dominated 1990s 250cc class with seven titles (1993-1999).
Two-stroke displacement classes transitioned to four-stroke equivalents post-2006 emissions regulations: 250cc two-stroke/450cc four-stroke (Supercross), 125cc two-stroke/250cc four-stroke (Supercross Lites). 2007-2012 formula nomenclature (Supercross/MX1, Lites/MX2) reverted to displacement-based designations 2013 onward. Monster Energy Cup (2011-2019, Sam Boyd Stadium) offered $1 million perfect sweep incentive.
SuperMotocross Integration (2023-Present)
FIM World Championship status (2002-2021) transitioned to SuperMotocross World Championship unification with AMA Motocross Championship from 2023, incorporating playoffs and unified standings. 2025 schedule expansion introduced three East-West 250cc Shootouts.
Technical Classifications & Progression
Three annual championships: 450cc premier class (historical prestige pinnacle), 250cc West/East regional divisions (unified champions via Shootouts). Four-stroke dominance standardized engine sizing post-2006.
| Class | Displacement | Format | Championship Determination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 450cc | 250cc 2S / 450cc 4S | National | Single points leader |
| 250cc West | 125cc 2S / 250cc 4S | Regional | Western schedule leader |
| 250cc East | 125cc 2S / 250cc 4S | Regional | Eastern schedule leader |
Championship Results: Complete Historical Record (1974-2025)
| Year | 450cc Class (formerly 250cc 2‑stroke) | 250cc West (formerly 125cc 2‑stroke West) | 250cc East (formerly 125cc 2‑stroke East) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Cooper Webb (Yamaha) | Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) | Tom Vialle (KTM) |
| 2024 | Jett Lawrence (Honda) | RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) | Tom Vialle (KTM) |
| 2023 | Chase Sexton (Honda) | Jett Lawrence (Honda) | Hunter Lawrence (Honda) |
| 2022 | Eli Tomac (Yamaha) | Christian Craig (Yamaha) | Jett Lawrence (Honda) |
| 2021 | Cooper Webb (KTM) | Justin Cooper (Yamaha) | Colt Nichols (Yamaha) |
| 2020 | Eli Tomac (Kawasaki) | Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha) | Chase Sexton (Honda) |
| 2019 | Cooper Webb (KTM) | Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha) | Chase Sexton (Honda) |
| 2018 | Jason Anderson (Husqvarna) | Aaron Plessinger (Yamaha) | Zach Osborne (Husqvarna) |
| 2017 | Ryan Dungey (KTM) | Justin Hill (Kawasaki) | Zach Osborne (Husqvarna) |
| 2016 | Ryan Dungey (KTM) | Cooper Webb (Yamaha) | Malcolm Stewart (Honda) |
| 2015 | Ryan Dungey (KTM) | Cooper Webb (Yamaha) | Marvin Musquin (KTM) |
| 2014 | Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) | Jason Anderson (KTM) | Justin Bogle (Honda) |
| 2013 | Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) | Ken Roczen (KTM) | Wil Hahn (Honda) |
| 2012 | Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) | Eli Tomac (Honda) | Justin Barcia (Honda) |
| 2011 | Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) | Broc Tickle (Kawasaki) | Justin Barcia (Honda) |
| 2010 | Ryan Dungey (Suzuki) | Jake Weimer (Kawasaki) | Christophe Pourcel (Kawasaki) |
| 2009 | James Stewart Jr. (Yamaha) | Ryan Dungey (Suzuki) | Christophe Pourcel (Kawasaki) |
| 2008 | Chad Reed (Yamaha) | Jason Lawrence (Yamaha) | Trey Canard (Honda) |
| 2007 | James Stewart Jr. (Kawasaki) | Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki) | Ben Townley (Kawasaki) |
| 2006 | Ricky Carmichael (Suzuki) | Grant Langston (Kawasaki) | Davi Millsaps (Honda) |
| 2005 | Ricky Carmichael (Suzuki) | Ivan Tedesco (Kawasaki) | Grant Langston (Kawasaki) |
| 2004 | Chad Reed (Yamaha) | Ivan Tedesco (Kawasaki) | James Stewart Jr. (Kawasaki) |
| 2003 | Ricky Carmichael (Honda) | James Stewart Jr. (Kawasaki) | Branden Jesseman (Suzuki) |
| 2002 | Ricky Carmichael (Honda) | Travis Preston (Honda) | Chad Reed (Yamaha) |
| 2001 | Ricky Carmichael (Kawasaki) | Ernesto Fonseca (Yamaha) | Travis Pastrana (Suzuki) |
| 2000 | Jeremy McGrath (Yamaha) | Shae Bentley (Kawasaki) | Stéphane Roncada (Yamaha) |
| 1999 | Jeremy McGrath (Yamaha) | Nathan Ramsey (Kawasaki) | Ernesto Fonseca (Yamaha) |
| 1998 | Jeremy McGrath (Yamaha) | John Dowd (Yamaha) | Ricky Carmichael (Kawasaki) |
| 1997 | Jeff Emig (Kawasaki) | Kevin Windham (Yamaha) | Tim Ferry (Suzuki) |
| 1996 | Jeremy McGrath (Honda) | Kevin Windham (Yamaha) | Mickaël Pichon (Kawasaki) |
| 1995 | Jeremy McGrath (Honda) | Damon Huffman (Suzuki) | Mickaël Pichon (Kawasaki) |
| 1994 | Jeremy McGrath (Honda) | Damon Huffman (Suzuki) | Ezra Lusk (Suzuki) |
| 1993 | Jeremy McGrath (Honda) | Jimmy Gaddis (Kawasaki) | Doug Henry (Honda) |
| 1992 | Jeff Stanton (Honda) | Jeremy McGrath (Honda) | Brian Swink (Suzuki) |
| 1991 | Jean-Michel Bayle (Honda) | Jeremy McGrath (Honda) | Brian Swink (Honda) |
| 1990 | Jeff Stanton (Honda) | Ty Davis (Honda) | Denny Stephenson (Suzuki) |
| 1989 | Jeff Stanton (Honda) | Jeff Matiasevich (Kawasaki) | Damon Bradshaw (Yamaha) |
| 1988 | Rick Johnson (Honda) | Jeff Matiasevich (Kawasaki) | Todd DeHoop (Suzuki) |
| 1987 | Jeff Ward (Kawasaki) | Willie Surratt (Suzuki) | Ron Tichenor (Suzuki) |
| 1986 | Rick Johnson (Honda) | Donny Schmit (Kawasaki) | Keith Turpin (Suzuki) |
| 1985 | Jeff Ward (Kawasaki) | Bobby Moore (Suzuki) | Eddie Warren (Kawasaki) |
| 1984 | Johnny O’Mara (Honda) | N/A | N/A |
| 1983 | David Bailey (Honda) | N/A | N/A |
| 1982 | Donnie Hansen (Honda) | N/A | N/A |
| 1981 | Mark Barnett (Suzuki) | N/A | N/A |
| 1980 | Mike Bell (Yamaha) | N/A | N/A |
| 1979 | Bob Hannah (Yamaha) | N/A | N/A |
| 1978 | Bob Hannah (Yamaha) | N/A | N/A |
| 1977 | Bob Hannah (Yamaha) | N/A | N/A |
| 1976 | Jimmy Weinert (Kawasaki) | 500cc class | 500cc class |
| 1975 | Jimmy Ellis (Can-Am) | Steve Stackable (Maico) | Steve Stackable (Maico) |
| 1974 | Pierre Karsmakers (Yamaha) | Gary Semics (Suzuki) | Gary Semics (Suzuki) |
Manufacturer Titles Summary
| Manufacturer | 450cc Titles | 250cc West Titles | 250cc East Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda | 17 | 6 | 11 |
| Yamaha | 13 | 13 | 7 |
| Kawasaki | 11 | 14 | 9 |
| KTM | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Suzuki | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| Husqvarna | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Rank | 450/250 Class Rider | Wins | 250/125 Class Rider | Wins | Combined Leader | Total Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremy McGrath | 72 | James Stewart Jr. | 18 | Jeremy McGrath | 85 |
| 2 | Eli Tomac | 53 | Nathan Ramsey | 15 | James Stewart Jr. | 68 |
| 3 | James Stewart Jr. | 50 | Jeremy McGrath | 13 | Eli Tomac | 65 |
| 4 | Ricky Carmichael | 48 | Jett Lawrence | 13 | Ricky Carmichael | 60 |
| 5 | Chad Reed | 44 | Austin Forkner | 13 | Ryan Villopoto | 52 |
Seventeen-round championship employs heat race qualification protocol:
-
Heat Races: 6 minutes + 1 lap (20 riders; top 9 advance)
-
Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ): 5 minutes + 1 lap (top 4 advance)
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450cc Main Event: 20 minutes + 1 lap
-
250cc Main Event: 15 minutes + 1 lap
450cc points leader receives provisional main event qualification (top 10 national standings prerequisite). Red flag protocols: <3 laps completed mandates complete restart; >3 laps triggers 10-minute staggered restart.
Triple-main formats (select rounds) aggregate individual scoring.
Points Allocation
| Position | Points | Position | Points | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 25 | 6th | 10 | 11th | 5 |
| 2nd | 22 | 7th | 9 | 12th | 4 |
| 3rd | 20 | 8th | 8 | 13th | 3 |
| 4th | 18 | 9th | 7 | 14th | 2 |
| 5th | 16 | 10th | 6 | 15th | 1 |
Track Design & Construction
Stadium configurations (500 truckloads dirt/track) incorporate whoops, rhythm sections, triples (70+ ft spans), banked berms, variable soil compositions (hardpack, loam, rutted).
Broadcast Partnerships (2025)
| Network | Coverage Scope |
|---|---|
| NBC | 3 live races, season opener + delay |
| USA Network | Opener/finale live |
| Peacock | Comprehensive live streaming |
| Venue | Location | Type | Active Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Stadium | Anaheim, CA | Baseball | 1976-present |
| Daytona Int’l Speedway | Daytona Beach, FL | Racetrack | 1971-present |
| The Dome at America’s Center | St. Louis, MO | Football | 1996-present |
| Rice-Eccles Stadium | Salt Lake City, UT | Football | 2001-present |
| NRG Stadium | Houston, TX | Football | 2003-present |
| Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | Football | 2005-present |
Anaheim 1 (Jan 10), San Diego (Jan 17), Daytona (Feb 28), Salt Lake City finale (May 9).
Comparative Analysis: Supercross vs. Complementary Disciplines
| Discipline | Venue Type | Configuration | Duration | Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMA Supercross | Stadium dirt | Man-made obstacles | 15-20 min +1 lap | Jan-May |
| AMA Motocross | Natural terrain | Outdoor nationals | 30 min +2 laps (2 motos) | May-Aug |
| SuperMotocross | Unified | Playoff integration | Variable | Post-Aug playoffs |