Infront Moto Racing

The story of Infront Moto Racing

Infront Moto Racing President Mr Giuseppe Luongo first dabbled in motocross promotion back in 1983. The then youngster with a heart full of passion and a head filled with dreams opened his eyes to a world of limitless possibility when he gathered all the best motocross riders of that era to race at the circuit of Ponte Egola, Italy, attracting an estimated crowd of 20,000 people which was nothing short of astonishing in that period.

Thereafter, Mr Luongo formed his own company GLO (Giuseppe Luongo Organization) and organized two of the most popular races of that era, the ‘Masters of Motocross’ and ‘SuperMotocross’ in Italy. After taking charge of all Italian International Motocross events, Mr Luongo reached a turning point in his career when he promoted the successful 1986 Motocross of Nations, which took place in Maggiora, Italy.

In 1987, Mr Luongo in conjunction with FMI (Italian Motorcycling Federation) created the Internazionali d’Italia (The International Italian Motocross Championship), which later progressed to the ‘Supercup’ in 1989. In 1987 Mr Luongo also formed one of the best and most memorable races of the year, the ‘El Charro StadiumCross de Paris’ bringing for the first time to Europe the American legend Bob Hannah, which was followed by the success of 1988 when the Masters of Motocross series went from four rounds to six and began receiving an extensive amount of TV coverage with participation of all the World Champions and the top American stars.

Fast-forwarding half a decade, Mr Luongo organized the FIM Motocross of Nations in Slovakia, which caught the attention of the FIM later resulting in a contract between the two for Action Group (Giuseppe Luongo’s company) to manage the television rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship. As a result of the collaboration between Action Group and the FIM, the FIM Motocross World Championship made a dent in the history books when the series received, for the first time ever, complete worldwide TV coverage during the entire season.

In the years that followed, Action Group signed a contract with the FIM to manage both the Supercross and Motocross World Championships. In 1999 he organized a successful FIM Awards, which took place at Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. In 2002 Youthstream was created with the goal to promote the FIM SuperMoto World Championship and by the end 2003 Youthstream had signed a contract with the FIM to become the new promotion team behind the FIM Motocross World Championship.

In the first few years Youthstream had already made visible improvements to the FIM Motocross World Championship, more television coverage, more fans, and more exposure are just a few of the enhancements Youthstream brought forth. In 2005 progression was evident when the FIM Motocross of Nations, an event which had been in a slump over the years prior, burst back into life in Ernée, France.

In 2011 Youthstream took the next natural step in the evolution of the FIM Motocross World Championship with the formation of MX-Life.tv. MX-Life.tv (which has been renamed MXGP-tv.com since 2014) offers live, High Definition (HD) and on-demand coverage of the entire FIM Motocross World Championship, and is readily available for the entire world to enjoy.

Youthstream also works hard to promote the future generation of MXGP, exposing young talent to the tracks and pressures of being a professional motocross rider through incorporating the European Championships with the FIM Motocross World Championship. The MXGP Academy was also created by Youthstream to help young talented riders develop their skills and enter into the international world of competition.

In 2012 Youthstream reached out to everyone with a passion for riding motocross by organizing the MXGP Festival, which was a weeklong event held in Matterley Basin, United Kingdom. The MXGP Festival offered an experience of a lifetime to riders of all levels, with more than ten different classes from 65cc right through to 450cc, boys, girls, young and old, were all offered the opportunity to race under the spotlight of MXGP. One of the most memorable moments of the event was the parade lap where more than 300 riders were led around the track at one time by British motocross legend and FIM Motocross World Champion David Thorpe.

2012 also saw Youthstream take a giant leap forward with the FIM Motocross of Nations in Lommel, Belgium, as the event received complete international television coverage live and in HD, using all the latest technology and equipment such as Super Slo-Mo, GoPro Point of View cameras, Cable Cams, and Drone cameras. After such success, major television broadcasters Aljazeera and FOX also jumped on board to broadcast the complete 2013 FIM Motocross World Championship season.

In 2013 the FIM Motocross World Championship branched out into more areas of the world generating a greater span of international exposure. At the beginning of the season, two fantastic new locations graced the start of the calendar. The first was Qatar, which also made history being a night race. The second was in Si Racha, Thailand, another all time first for the FIM Motocross World Championship.

In 2014 Youthstream gave the FIM Motocross World Championship a whole new look, which has already proved popular globally. The championship expanded well outside of Europe, hosting five overseas rounds and welcomed on board one of the USA’s premier sports broadcasters, CBS Sports Network, who joined our loyal European broadcasting networks, Mediaset, Eurosport and MotorsTV. Important Italian provider Mediaset screened every MXGP race LIVE in 2014 on popular sports channels Italia 1 and Italia 2, while MotorsTV and Eurosport provided coverage for the UK and Europe throughout the season. Eurosport also screened MXGP-TV’s ‘26mn Magazine’, a behind the scenes highlights show that covers all the racing highlights, provides a GoPro lap of the track, and features a lot of fantastic never before seen footage from inside the paddock.

The 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship was one of the most diverse motocross series the world had ever seen, utilizing seventeen different nations with multiple different types of terrain and style of tracks. In 2015 the FIM Motocross World Championship travelled to Patagonia Argentina for the first time where the circuit that was built there, specifically for MXGP, quickly became a favorite amongst the riders, fans and viewers as it was wide and contained an array of obstacles made out of great soil which made for excellent racing.

Another great success in 2015 was the MXGP of The Netherlands, which took place at the extraordinary Dutch TT circuit in Assen. The response to this event was unknown prior, but it turned out to be an exceptional round of racing which attracted an energetic crowd with great sporting spirit. The crowd also seemed to enjoy the professional facilities such as sheltered grandstands with a birds-eye view of most of the circuit meaning they could enjoy the racing to its fullest.

Last but not least, the summit of every season, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, reached another level of epicness in 2016 at Maggiora, Italy. The venue was packed with a crowd unafraid of showing their enthusiasm and love for motocross. Team France: Romain Febvre, Gautier Paulin and Benoit Paturel made history, being lined up as the defending champions they continued their domination of the Chamberlain Trophy for the third year in a row.

In 2016 Youthstream took the best from both motocross and supercross specialities creating the Monster Energy SMX Riders' Cup, a unique event with a concentration of pure adrenaline and show featuring the greatest rivals of all time.

All of the fastest motocross riders in the world and the MXGP manufacturers took part, KTM, Husqvarna, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki. Each brand lined up 3 riders to compete, ending with KTM and their riders of Musquin, Dungey, and Herlings topping the competition.

In 2017 Youthstream upped the level of the MXGP and MX2 Championships with four rounds new to the series, one visiting Indonesia for the first time in over 20 years, one taking place in Russia at the Orlyonok Circuit bordering the Black Sea, the third in Ottobiano, Italy for the MXGP of Lombardia, and the fourth in Jacksonville, Florida for the Monster Energy MXGP of USA, all of which were a massive success with thousands of dedicated fans getting the chance to watch amazing racing.

To end with the largest single race of any season is the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations Presented by FIAT Professional which reached another level in 2017 at the famous Matterley Basin Circuit. The historic venue was packed with an amazing crowd gloriously showing their enthusiasm and love for motocross. Team France’s Gautier Paulin, Romain Febvre, and Christophe Charlier made history once again being lined up as the defending champions, where they continued the French domination of the Chamberlain Trophy for the 4th year in succession.

2018 again rose to the occasion in the FIM World Championship by holding an astonishing 20 Rounds with back to back weekends in Indonesia, one of which at the new and impressive venue of Semarang, for the MXGP of Asia. The series also returned to the country of Turkey for the first time in several years while the season’s grand finale, the MXGP of Italy, took place on the purpose built MXGP track at the famous Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari in Imola Italy. 2018 MXGP Champion Jeffrey Herlings took his first MXGP Title in Assen, The Netherlands at the penultimate stop of the season, while the Spanish Jorge Prado took his first MX2 Championship victory in Imola. 

Last but not least, the largest race of the season was the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which returned to America at the Red Bud circuit in Buchanan, Michigan. The American venue was packed with one of the largest MXoN crowds ever seen gloriously showing their enthusiasm and love for motocross. The home team USA was led by the countries best riders Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia, and Aaron Plessinger and cheared on by the patriotic American fans. Team France’s Gautier Paulin, Jordi Tixier, and Dylan Ferrandis made history once again however, being lined up as the defending champions they continued the French domination of the Chamberlain Trophy for the 5th year in succession.

The 2019 season started with the acquisition of Youthstream by Infront, a leading sports marketing company managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. The agreement covered all the events whose Infront Moto Racing has the exclusive television, marketing and global promotional rights. The management of the Monaco-based company will remain unchanged under the direction of President Giuseppe Luongo together with David Luongo as CEO, Daniele Rizzi as COO, Nikos Gounaris as Director of Organization, Didier Henriod as Chief Marketing & TV Officer and with all other line managers and staff running the same departments.

And then it was onto 2019 as the FIM Motocross World Championship reached new heights, as it continued to write history in the world of motocross. The series once again returned to Beautiful Argentina where the 2019 season began. The MXGP calendar was packed with some of the best venues in the world, events taking place in South America, Europe and three events in Asia, which included two in Indonesia and the last being the China as the Motocross World Championship made his debut to Shanghai for the final round of the season.

Then it was onto the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations as Team Netherlands, completed by Glenn Coldenhoff, Jeffrey Herlings and Calvin Vlaanderen made history, securing their very first win, made special by the home support at the famous Assen TT circuit where the event was held.  

The 2020 season officially introduced Infront Moto Racing to the world, as the FIM Motocross World Championship kicked-off in Matterley Basin, Great Britain, which was just the beginning of a very intense and difficult season. 

Early on in the year, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, which put a stop to all travel and sporting events, which meant that the FIM Motocross World Championship was also put-on hold. Infront Moto Racing along with the FIM and the local organisers worked tirelessly to provide a viable Championship calendar for the remainder of the season – which they were able to achieve and welcomed back racing in August for the first time in 5 months. 

The new schedule featured a one-day format, along with triple-header Grand Prix’s, that introduced some mid-week races, the first of its kind in motocross. The season finished later than previously, though it allowed for 18 rounds to take place, which made for an extremely competitive title chase that saw Tim Gajser and Tom Vialle crowned as the 2020 World Champions in MXGP and MX2.  

Infront Moto Racing also unveiled the special MXGP Championship Trophy, which signified a new tradition in the world championship, paying homage to all the past, present and future world champions of the premier MXGP class. Tim Gajser added his name onto the stainless-steel plaque, featured on the base of the aluminium and carbon fibre trophy, for the third time, as he claimed his 3rd title in MXGP. 

Unfortunately, with many travel restrictions still in place, the 2020 edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations did not take place in Ernée, France but was re-scheduled for the following season. 

The 2021 season of the FIM Motocross World Championship will no doubt go down in the history of the sport as one of the most exciting and disputed title chases to date. Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre and Jeffrey Herlings fought until the very last race in Mantova, which ultimately saw Herlings crowned World Champion for the fifth time in his career, but his second in MXGP. He also added his name to the coveted MXGP Trophy to solidify his World Champion status!   

Meanwhile in MX2, we saw Maxime Renaux crowned as the MX2 World Champion after what was a very consistent season from the Frenchman. 

But of course, the 2021 season has been a memorable for more than just the racing as we witnessed the end of an era with the retirement of the 9-time World Champion Antonio Cairoli. It was a glorious moment with incredible fan support around the Mantova circuit, giving Cairoli the send-off, he deserved! 

And to top of what already was an incredible year, we also saw the return of the much-anticipated Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Mantova. The 74th edition saw Cairoli and Team Italy’s Mattia Guadagnini and Alessandro Lupino for the third time!

Overall, the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship has been for the history books with spectacular racing and unbelievable fan support to match, as MXGP was able to welcome back the public to the races.

Following a historic previous season, the 2022 campaign had big shoes to fill and it did not disappoint! It was the first year since the COVID-19 pandemic that we saw the FIM Motocross World Championship return to normality with a usual weekend format which included the Saturday’s Qualifying races, the comeback of thousands of passionate spectators onsite and fly-away races in Argentina and Indonesia that received huge support by the local fans! 

With the main contenders, Romain Febvre and Jeffrey Herlings out with injuries during the 2022 season, Tim Gajser was in control from the get-go with some challenges from the likes of Jeremy Seewer and Jorge Prado who ended the year with silver and bronze medals. Other stand-out results come from Maxime Renaux who impressed during his rookie season in the premiere class, meanwhile Brian Bogers and Calvin Vlaanderen made their own mark with their very first Grand Prix victories in Lommel and Riola Sardo. 

While Gajser controlled the standings and clinched his title in Finland with a comfortable points’ lead, the same could not be said for the MX2 title that went down to the final race of the season in Turkiye. Throughout the entire 2022 season, we witnessed a close battle between Tom Vialle and Jago Geerts as the pair exchanged the red plate several times. But the real showdown took place at the final round with the duo entering the final race separated by just a few points, with Geerts in the driving seat. After an intense final heat, Vialle was the one to come out on top to clinch the title from Geerts by just four points. 

Another incredible season was concluded with the 75th edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which returned to the iconic RedBud for the first time since 2018! It was a weekend of redemption for Team USA as Eli Tomac, Justin Cooper and Chase Sexton ended America’s 11-year winless streak by putting the American flag on the top step on home soil! 

Now with the very memorable 2022 season done and dusted, the focus shifts onto the 2023 season with 21 events set to take place, including the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which will come back to Ernée, France in October the 22nd. 

The 2023 season marked a year of changes with many novelties put in place to further develop the sport while the FIM Motocross World Championship completely came back to normalcy with no more restrictions for the public in Europe and in overseas Grand Prix. On the points system side, the significant development was the implementation of points awarded to the top 10 riders during the RAM Qualifying Races on the Saturday. The rider who takes the 1st position receives 10 points, the 2nd will receive 9 points and so on, in a sliding scale down to 1 point for the 10th position. Points attributed during the RAM Qualifying Races counted only for the Championship Standings. It certainly added more stakes for the riders on the Saturday and gave fans, added actions during the race weekends. 

That new system was taken with both hand by Jorge Prado who performed excellently from the get-go to grab the Red Plate by winning on the Saturday RAM Qualifying Race at the first Grand Prix in Patagonia-Argentina. With the absence of Tim Gajser injured in pre-season. It was not an easy season with Romain Febvre, Jeffrey Herlings and Jeremy Seewer fighting for the final win.  The season proved to be a fiercely contested battle, with Romain Febvre, Jeffrey Herlings, and Jeremy Seewer vying for the ultimate triumph. In the end, Jorge Prado emerged as the victor, clinching his first MXGP Championship and becoming the first Spanish rider to do so. Romain Febvre and Jeremy Seewer secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Notable achievements also included Jeffrey Herlings breaking Stefan Everts' record for the most single Grand Prix wins, totalling so far, an impressive 103 Grand Prix victories. Additionally, Romain Febvre's remarkable five consecutive Grand Prix wins and Ruben Fernandez's first GP win in Argentina-Patagonia were standout moments.

As a new MXGP World Champion in the form of Jorge Prado emerged, the MX2 Championship also crowned a fresh champion in Andrea Adamo. This Italian rider faced stiff competition, particularly from Jago Geerts, who led the standings from the outset but got injured in France and then in Finland which hindered his chances of becoming MX2 World Champion. This development allowed Kay de Wolf and Adamo to exchange the Red Plate several times before Adamo took a firm hold of it midway through the season. Despite a late push from Adamo's teammate Liam Everts, the Italian secured the MX2 Title on home turf in Maggiora. Jago Geerts and Simon Laengenfelder secured the silver and bronze medal thanks to their strong finish 

On the broadcasting front, the Behind The Gate series underwent a complete revamp, solidifying its position as a must-see program for every motocross enthusiasts, offering an immersive look into the world of MXGP. Another engaging addition this season was the Paddock Show, which replaced the Saturday press conference and invited RAM Qualifying Race winners and special guests to interact with the public on stage. This event brought fans closer to their heroes, fostering a unique connection between riders, teams, and fans that improved the attractiveness of motocross.

The season concluded on a high note with the 76th edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France. This extraordinary event boasted the largest-ever crowd attendance, with 102,000 fans. The atmosphere, both on and off the track, was exceptional and etched this event into history. The icing on the cake was the home team, Team France, comprising Romain Febvre, Tom Vialle, and Maxime Renaux, dominating from start to finish and securing their 7th MXoN victory.

Around this event, a new program called Inside the Paddock emerged, designed to immerse fans in the MXoN Paddock experience. It featured live streaming from the Paddock, available on MXGP-TV, Facebookand YouTube pages, where Lorenzo Resta guided viewers through the paddock, showcased the atmosphere, conducted interviews, and provided an exclusive look at the event. This program was very well received by fans who relished the opportunity to stay connected with the MXoN spirit between races.

Now, the focus shifts to the 2024 season, which promises 21 exciting events, including the highly anticipated Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin, UK, on October 6th.

You can enjoy BOTH days of the FIM Motocross World Championship race weekend LIVE on www.MXGP-TV.com. Meaning you can watch all the best action from MXGP and MX2 including the European Championship races, the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, all qualifying races, a LIVE Studio Show with former motocross grand prix star Paul Malin and MXGP TV Presenter Lisa Leyland, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, and so much more.

Infront Moto Racing, with a new season ahead, continues the exciting adventure of their mission to revolutionise motocross and increase its worldwide awareness.

Join the evolution with Infront Moto Racing!