Monster Energy becomes title sponsor of the SMX Riders’ Cup

TEUTSCHENTHAL (Germany), 07 May 2016 – A press conference took place here in Teutschenthal, at the MXGP of Germany, announcing that Monster Energy will be the title sponsor of our epic new project, the SMX Riders’ Cup, a new concept where the fastest motocross riders in the world will go bar-to-bar inside a stadium on a uniquely designed indoor motocross track.

Youthstream President Mr. Giuseppe Luongo was joined by Team Suzuki World MXGP’s Team Manager Mr. Stefan Everts, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Team Manager Mr. Antti Pyrhönen and DP19 Yamaha Official MX Team Owner/Manager Mr. David Philippaerts, for the announcement.

The event, Monster Energy SMX Riders’ Cup, will take place at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on the 8^th of October 2016. The VELTINS-Arena is home to the football team FC Schalke 04, and is an amazing venue. What also works in favor of the VELTINS-Arena is the fact that it has a fully retractable roof that can be closed at any time over the course of the night, even with public inside, which means the track will be prime and the fans will be comfortable.

How the racing works:

Each manufacturer, KTM, Honda, Husqvarna, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and TM, will have a team of four riders. Three main riders and one ‘Joker’. The Joker can replace any rider on the team at any time.
The riders can ride any bike they want between 245cc to 450cc, regardless of their age. It also doesn’t matter if the engine is 4-stroke or 2-stroke.
Each team will have ONE team captain, and that rider will race the ‘Superpole’.
The Superpole is a 2-Lap sprint. Only 7 riders enter, 1 from each brand.
The team whose rider is the fastest in the Superpole will have the 1/8/15 gate pick, the second one will have 2/9/16, and so on.
Three main races will be raced. There will be three riders per team. The team with the lowest score at the end of the event will win.
Prize money for the individual overall winner:

- 1^st: €50,000

- 2^nd: €30,000

- 3^rd: €20,000

The best placed MX2 rider will receive €10,000.
The riders points system is like: 1 point for 1^st, 2 points for 2^nd, 3 points for 3^rd etc.
Prize money for the winning manufacturer:

- 1^st: €50,000

- 2^nd: €30,000

- 3^rd: €20,000

The manufacturers points system is like the riders’ points system: 1 point for 1^st, 2 points for 2^nd, 3 points for 3^rd etc.
There will be 9 scores from each team on the board. The 7 best scores are counted. The worst 2 results are dropped.
In addition to the main events, there will be two junior classes in the form of the SMX125cc and a YZ125 Cup which is an invitational race for Yamaha riders, arranged by Yamaha and the national federations across Europe.

As above, Mr. Giuseppe Luongo explained how the event works and expressed how excited he is to take on this new challenge and reach a new audience. Mr. Antti Pyrhönen, on behalf of Husqvarna, followed, “Everybody is really excited for this event. I think the idea is great and for sure the event will be fantastic,” he said, “It’s in a central location in Europe, in Germany, it’s close to Belgium and Holland as well. I think this is a big step for the future of our sport. All of the infrastructure will be even better than what we already have now in the normal MXGP paddock and all the job that Youthstream is doing with the promotion and marketing, all the work that the manufacturers are doing, and all the work that the riders are putting in will make this a great show, and it’s a great opportunity to bring in more fans to see our sport and it’s and hopefully bring more partners.”

Ten-time FIM Motocross World Champion and the new team owner and manager of Team Suzuki World MXGP, Mr. Stefan Everts said, “For Suzuki this is a good opportunity for our promotion and we know that Youthstream is pushing very hard to promote our sport as good as possible. I think that is why it is so important for Suzuki to be there and to support this event.” He added: “I think it will take new interest, it’s a completely new concept, which makes people curious and it’s cool to see the manufacturers cup coming back. From Suzuki’s side, we support this event and we will do our best to bring out the best riders for the best show and to win!”

Because the riders and the manufacturers that are competing for the Monster Energy SMX Riders’ Cup have the chance to race for a massive cash prize, the racing is bound to be intense and action packed, which combined with music and other forms of mega entertainment will make for an awesome night out.

For more information click HERE and follow this link to purchase your ticket in advance: http://smxschalke.motocross-tickets.com/10981-smx-riders-cup/

Watch the Monster Energy SMX Riders' Cup 3D Track preview by clicking HERE