The inaugural Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at Dodger Stadium kicks off this Saturday night as Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Josh Hansen lead the Supercross and Supercross Lites classes respectively.
The process of converting the legendary baseball stadium into a Monster Energy Supercross track is now underway for the third stop of the 2011 schedule.
"This marks a historic time not only for Monster Energy Supercross, but Dodger Stadium as well," said Todd Jendro, senior director of two-wheel operations, Feld Motor Sports. "This venue has a historic past and will now welcome 150 of the best riders on the planet. We feel that given the iconic image of Dodger Baseball and Dodger Stadium that it is the perfect fit to host an event of this caliber."
Never before in the 48-year history of Dodger Stadium has an event of such a unique nature and logistic complexity been held at Chavez Ravine. Known for being the home of one of the most prominent Major League Baseball franchises of all time, 550 truckloads of dirt will sit on the Dodger Stadium floor for the first time ever, signifying a new era for the venue.
"I'm very excited for this," said Michael Young, chief revenue officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I'm excited to expose this venue to millions of supercross fans across the world that have never had the opportunity to come to Dodger Stadium and hopefully convert them into baseball fans. This is an amazing sport and the growth of supercross is staggering, particularly in a time when many sports are shrinking."
