Motocross And Supercross As Extreme Sports

The history of dirt track racing can be traced back to motocross races.  There is a new type of motocross that has become very popular with extreme sports enthusiasts.  This is supercross.  What is the difference between motocross and supercross?  Motocross races are on dirt tracks that can only be between a half mile long and two miles long.  The width of the track needs to be between 16 and 40 feet.  The track is laid out in an irregular pattern that causes the rider to shift between having to make left hand turns and right hand turns.

The track is designed with inclines, jumps, and switch back curves that demand the rider to change gears and alternate their throttle method.  A motocross track takes over a large piece of land and they are very noisy.  Most motocross tracks are placed in a rural area for this reason and rarely do you find one that does not use the natural terrain of the area for the track.

When supercross came on board the ideal of extreme sports was labeled to it.  The course is different in supercross.  The track is not outside but is constructed in a stadium or coliseum style building.  The width of the supercross track is about twenty feet wide, but it can go as low as fourteen feet when the traffic flow will be heavy.  Unlike motocross the length of the track varies with the size of the facility that is hosting.  The size of the arena would also limit that type of jumps and other feats due to the height of the building.  In a smaller venue the cut back turns would be sharper with smaller room to maneuver. The supercross venue will be very loud because the noise of the motorcycles will resound of the walls or stadium seats.

Both are now considered extreme sports because of the speed and danger involved in both.  Not only does the sport become extreme because of the speed, but sometimes the riders are bolted twenty five feet or more above the audience.  Some people claim that supercross is superior because it is more technical and more rules.  The entire track can be seen from the stand versus having to stand a just at a portion of the track to watch the riders go by.  This is a plus for many viewers because a motocross track is dusty but a supercross track has you above the dust in a more comfortable place to seat.

Though supercross and motocross are similar extreme sports, there is enough difference between the two to call them two different sports.  The speed and danger is present in both sports and it is the spectator's choice to which one they prefer to watch or participate in.  Both sports are recognized by extreme sports enthusiasts and are followed on extreme sports websites and television shows.  The difference is apparent and to some they are the same thing only different. Track size and venue would be the biggest difference.