£96,000 cash pot for Maxxis British championship
THE 2010 Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship will be the best ever with a host of radical new changes designed to make the racing even more spectacular backed by a £96,000 prize fund.
The series has been taken by the scruff of the neck and given a major over-haul for 2010 with plenty of new initiatives being put in place that provide mouth-watering prospects.
For starters there is a new maximum-entertainment three race format. Gone are the old two-races per day format for MX1 and MX2, now the stars will take to the track for three 20-minute races at each round. Series Manager Brian Higgins said: “This will allow short, sharp, competitive racing and maximise entertainment for the crowd. The GP regulars are used to 20-minute races on Saturday afternoons, so this is nothing new; but for race day we are going our own way in pursuit of increasing the entertainment value.”
Qualifying is all change as well – Superpole is coming to motocross. It will now take the format of 15 minutes free practice, followed by 15-minutes of timed practice, then followed closely by 10-minutes of qualifying where only the top 12 will be allowed on track. Higgins enlarged: “This is to allow the commentator to build up the final qualifying Superpole style and improve the entertainment for the crowd. On top of that the very short time between sessions will ensure the riders go out on the same bike each time without changing tyres or power-washing.
“It will be dramatic and the top 12 will get clear laps without any baulking by slower riders; we think this will be much better for spectators who previously didn’t really know what was happening in the 45-minute qualifying session.”
A new privateer’s award will add spice for the non-Factory backed racers. It will be strictly for privateers to recognise the best rider across the course of the season.
Each round will boast a support class of either MXY2 (Youth) Ladies or Veterans, each with two races and series title sponsor Maxxis remains, as does insurance partner Express Insurance. Other sponsors are being finalised now and the series website will be redeveloped in time for the season start as well. New contracts with clubs means new service levels will be reached in 2010. Higgins said: “The whole series will benefit from being at a higher level and higher service levels have been written into organiser contracts.”
So what is the outlook for the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship – the last words from Higgins: “I am pleased with the way it’s going. There were more organisers than rounds and while it is not nice to eliminate clubs who want to have a round, it proves the Championship is on the way up. Having a £96,000 prize fund is good as well; the riders will be rewarded for their efforts.”
This news is on top of three exciting new circuits on the calendar for 2010 – the return of Farleigh Castle, the inclusion of the superb Mallory Park purpose-made circuit and the season opening at the much lauded Little Silver.
Related posts: