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Riders will compete Sept. 14 in the second round of the SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff at Texas Motor Speedway. (Courtesy photo | Texas Motor Speedway)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SuperMotocross.jpeg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SuperMotocross.jpeg?fit=780%2C439&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>Top-ranked riders — including two North Texas natives — will be in Fort Worth this weekend to compete for cash prizes during the second playoff round of the SuperMotocross World Championship Finals.Along the way, there will be lots of jumps and turns as dirt flies through the air during the off-road motorcycle event.The Sept. 14 event will be held at the infield of Texas Motor Speedway at 3545 Lone Star Circle in far north Fort Worth. The playoff includes fan activities planned for Sept. 13.The second round of the playoffs features a two-moto format for 450cc and the 250cc class motorcycles. The race format consists of two 30-minute-plus-two-laps races called “motos,” with the points earned from the results of each moto combined to determine an overall winner and finishing order. Points and rankings are accumulated throughout 17 rounds of Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of Pro Motocross Championship.The world championship playoffs started earlier this month at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. After Fort Worth, the playoff will move to Nevada, where the third and final event will be held at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sept. 21.The off-road motorcycle racing series began in 2023 with combined indoor stadium racing (Supercross) and outdoor motocross racing (Pro Motocross) that athletes, teams and fans embraced, Dave Prater, vice president of Supercross, Feld Motor Sports Inc., said in a statement. “Collectively, more than 110,000 fans from all over the world made their way here to attend the inaugural three-round SMX World Championship Playoffs and Final and for the first time in the sport’s history witnessed the crowning of a true world champion,” Prater said. “The SuperMotocross World Championship is where the world comes to race.”SuperMotocross information

For a schedule of events, visit supermotocross.com. For tickets, click here.Riders include Grant Harlan, a native of the Denton County city of Justin, who is a rider for the No. 78 Gizmo Mods Rock River Yamaha Team and is ranked 20th in the 450cc class.Ty Masterpool, a native of the Wise County town of Paradise, is also among the competitors. Both Harlan and Masterpool grew up within minutes of the Denton County speedway and are expecting family and friends to show up for the race.Mark Faber, Texas Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager, said he was excited to bring the SuperMotocross World Championship Finals Playoff 2 event to the Fort Worth area.The event, Faber said during a news conference Aug. 30, will draw “a new group of race fans, many for the first time” to the Fort Worth racing venue.The speedway is also seeking other new events to attract new visitors, Faber said.Masterpool, a rider of the No. 29 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki Team, is ranked 11th in the 250cc class. He said he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed during the Fort Worth race.Growing up nearby, however, “brings a lot of pressure” to win, he said.“There’s nothing like riding a bike,” Masterpool said. “It’s what I love doing.”Ninth-ranked 450cc class rider Justin Barcia of the No. 51 Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team said he expects many competitive racers in Fort Worth.“There are lots of good race tracks in Texas, good memories,” he said during a media briefing. “We’ll have to be on our toes for sure.”Barcia said he is aiming to take his competitiveness to the global motocross stage.“For me, Europe would be a huge step,” he said. Ryder DiFrancesco, ranked ninth in the 250cc class, said Texans may have some home field advantage.“Anywhere close to home is where you want to race,” said DiFrancesco, a rider with the No. 34 Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team.The World Championship Playoffs “will feature the best of the best racers, so that’s exciting,” Barcia said.“There’s a big prize on the line,” he said.Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.