Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Historical Notes
450SX Class: Salt Lake City Facts The first 450SX Class race held in Salt Lake City was on April 28, 2001 in Rice-Eccles Stadium. Ricky Carmichael won the race on a Kawasaki, his 14th career 450SX Class victory at the time. He would also win the 2002 Salt Lake City Supercross before Chad Reed and Kevin Windham won in 2003-2004.
After a four-season hiatus the series returned to Salt Lake City as the penultimate 450SX Class race from 2009-2013 and then again in 2017-2018. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, 2020 Salt Lake City was set to host their 12th Supercross event and become the eighth different venue to host a 450SX Class finale. It was then announced Salt Lake City would not only host the final round, but the last seven rounds in conjunction with national, state and local ordinances to keep riders in the same city for the duration of the championship. One single market, city, or venue has never hosted more than three rounds of Supercross in a single season.
From March 12th-March 27th, 1976 there were 12 motos of Supercross ran that individually counted for the title. For the three weekends in-a-row, two motos were ran on Friday and Saturday spread across Houston, TX, Irving, TX, and Pontiac, MI. Supercross legends Jimmy Weinert, Jimmy Ellis, and the late-great Marty Smith took home the overall victories during those three weekends. Tony DiStefano, Pierre Karsmakers, and Kent Howerton, along with the three previously mentioned, were riders to win motos during those events.
This will be the eighth longest mid-season break in Supercross history at 85 days long. In 1979 and 1981 there were 127-day breaks between races. In 1982 there was a 111-day break, in 1976 it was 100 days, 1985 had 98, and 1976 had 86. In all of the aforementioned seasons, the competitors were racing the outdoor nationals during those breaks. This is the first time since the Supercross series started where there have been no races, Motocross or Supercross, for this long mid-Supercross Season.
Manufacturer Wins in Salt Lake City:
Kawasaki 5 (2017)
Honda 3 (2010)
KTM 2 (2018)
Yamaha: 1 (2003)
Top Winners in Salt Lake City:
- Ryan Villopoto: 3 (’09, ’11, ’13)
- 2) Ricky Carmichael: 2 (’01-’02)
- 2) Kevin Windham: 2 (’04 & ’10)
- 4) Musquin/Dungey/Reed/Tomac: 1
450SX Class: First Time Winners in Salt Lake City: None
250SX Class: Salt Lake City Facts: The first 250SX Class race held in Salt Lake City was on April 28, 2001 and Ernesto Fonseca won on a Yamaha.
The 250SX Class has the same venue history in Salt Lake City as the 450SX Class up to this point.
The eventual 250SX Class Champion has only won 3/11 races in Salt Lake City: James Stewart (2003), Ivan Tedesco (2004), and Eli Tomac (2012).
After exclusively being a Western Regional Round in the 11 seasons Salt Lake City has hosted a 250SX Class race the venue will become an Eastern Regional round for Rounds 1-3. Then the West will race in Rounds 4-5. The East will race again at Round 6 before the East/West Showdown takes place for Round 7.
Manufacturer Wins in Salt Lake City:
Kawasaki: 4 (2010)
Honda: 3 (2012)
KTM: 2 (2018)
Yamaha: 1 (2001)
Suzuki: 1 (2013)
Husqvarna: 0
Top Winners in Salt Lake City:
- James Stewart: 2 (’02-’03) 1)
- Eli Tomac: 2 (’11-’12)
250SX Class: First Time Winners in Salt Lake City:
Jason Anderson: 2013
450SX Class Past Winners in Salt Lake City:
2001: Ricky Carmichael, Kawasaki
2002: Ricky Carmichael, Honda
2003: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2004: Kevin Windham, Honda
2009: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2010: Kevin Windham, Honda
2011: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2012: Ryan Dungey, KTM
2013: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2017: Eli Tomac, Kawasaki
2018: Marvin Musquin, KTM
250SX Class Past Winners in Salt Lake City:
2001- Stephane Roncada, Yamaha
2002- James Stewart, Kawasaki
2003- James Stewart, Kawasaki
2004- Ivan Tedesco, Kawasaki
2009- Trey Canard, Honda
2010- Josh Hansen, Kawasaki
2011- Eli Tomac, Honda
2012- Eli Tomac, Honda
2013- Jason Anderson, Suzuki
2017- Shane McElrath, KTM
2018- Shane McElrath, KTM
