AMA Motocross Racing: Championship, 2007 Motocross Schedule And Race Results

AMA motocross racing today looks like knobby tires throwing streams of clay into a cheering crowd while brightly clad riders fly a light, torquey machine sixty feet off a jump. Motocross has come a long way from its origins in England in the 1920's when it was called Scrambling  and performed on heavy underpowered motorcycles. Motocross, short for motorcycle and cross country, was made an official sport in 1947 by a European organization, Federation Internationale Motocyclisme (FIM). Ten years later the FIM organized the first individual championship.

European technology dominated the early days of the sport, with powerful four stroke engines. But soon the light and powerful two stroke engine entered the scene. Japanese technology began its domination in 1970 when a Suzuki team won the 250cc motocross championship for the first time. About the same time Americans caught motocross fever and in 1972 AMA Motocross racing was organized under the very first U.S. National AMA Motocross Racing Championship Series. AMA motocross racing established the Supercross concept by building temporary tracks in large stadiums to bring motocross to large audiences. The term Supercross comes from football's Superbowl combined with Motocross to become Supercross.

The AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) was founded in 1924 and currently has over 300 thousand  members. AMA Motocross racing operates its championship races under AMA Pro Racing and produces 75 professional races around the country each year. AMA Motocross racing includes several different types of events including AMA Supercross Series, AMA Superbike Championship, AMA Motocross Championship, AMA Flat Track Championship, and AMA Supermoto Championship.

AMA motocross racing includes two classes for Supercross and Motocross. Both have a Standard and a Lite class. Within the Standard class are 250 cc two stroke and 450 cc four stroke races, while in the Lite class there are 125cc two stroke and 250cc four stroke races. AMA motocross racing presents three national titles: AMA Supercross, AMA Motocross, and AMA Motocross Lite classes. The title for the Supercross Lite class is divided into a Western and Eastern division.

The 2007 Motocross schedule for Supercross included 16 events from January 6 to May 5 at stadium venues from the East coast to the West coast and race results are in. James Stewart returned after a couple of down years to dominate Supercross winning thirteen of sixteen events. AMA Motocross racing championship series started at Hangtown, Calif., on May 20 and the 2007 schedule includes 12 races across the country ending back in Southern California in September. Race results for Hangtown show that two of the stars of AMA Motocross racing are in for a season long shootout as James Stewart finished second overall to Ricky Carmichael to kick off the 2007 AMA Motocross racing schedule.


Sources:
AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF. Hangtown – Sacramento, CA. AMA Motocross Pro Racing. 25 May 2007. http://www.amaproracing.com/prorace/raceres/mx/epo ints.asp?cls=m2&snct=p5085&year=2007&p />2007 Ampd Mobile AMA Supercross Series. 25 May 2007.
http://www.amaproracing.com/prorace/raceres/sx/i ndpoints.asp?id=s2553278&year=2007&snct=p5 />AMA Supercross Series: AMA Motocross Championships.2007. 25 May 2007.
http://www.amaproracing.com/prorace/pdf/07_SXMX_ GdLR.pdf
Motocross. Wikipedia. 23 May 2007. 25 May 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocross