Supercross Restarting At Rice-Eccles Stadium As Utah Gave The Sport ‘Green Light First’
May 15, 2020, 3:17 PM
Riders race at dusk at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross race at Rice-Eccles Stadium on April 28, 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Kardas/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeff Kardas/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Supercross chose to restart its season at Rice-Eccles Stadium after the state of Utah and the city of Salt Lake City were the first ones to the “green light.”
The Utah Sports Commission and Feld Entertainment, Inc. first announced on Thursday, May 14, that the Monster Energy AMA Supercross will resume its racing season at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on May 31.
Senior director of operations at Two Wheel, Feld Entertainment, Dave Prater, spoke about the event, Supercross’ adaptation for health guidelines, and receiving the “green light” during a conference call with reporters on Friday, May 15.
“Quite a lot,” said Prater of the factors in choosing to restart in Salt Lake City. “Honestly, it came down to the green light and who would give us the green light first.”
After working alongside the Utah Sports Commission and Governor Gary Herbert’s office, Supercross received the “green light” to complete its championship run with seven made-for-TV races that will run through June 21.
🚨Special Announcement🚨@MonsterEnergy Supercross returns on Sunday, May 31 at 3PM EST on @NBCSports and @NBC | Rounds 11-17 will be raced at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah❗️ #SupercrossLIVE #SXisBack pic.twitter.com/JuJj3AXxWq
— Supercross LIVE! (@SupercrossLIVE) May 14, 2020
“Obviously, it helps that we’ve had a long-standing relationship with the Utah Sports Commission and the Governor and those guys just working their tails off to come up with a plan to keep everyone safe,” Prater continued. “Not only keep everyone that participates within the event but keep the city of Salt Lake City, the residents, as well as Utah residents safe. That was really it. That’s what tipped the scale. The other states we were working with were working just as hard but it just ended up that Salt Lake was the one that gave us the green light first. ”
As Supercross arrives at Rice-Eccles Stadium, fans won’t be allowed to attend the races.
According to Prater, personnel will be limited to 400 and 900 people based on event perimeters.
Health-Related Efforts Implemented By Supercross Includes:
- Mandated prescreening
- Testing
- Temperature checks
- Face masks
- Increased sanitation efforts
- Social distancing
Supercross Race Format For Final Seven Rounds:
- 450SX Class
- 250SX Class
- Two qualifying sessions for gate pick
- 250SX Class
- 450SX Class
- 250SX Class Main Event
- 450SX Class Main Event
KSL TV will broadcast a portion of the made-for-TV races. The television schedule for the Supercross events will go as follows:
Supercross Television Schedule
Round 11 – Sunday, May 31 | 1:00-3:00 PM (MDT) on NBCSN and 2:00-4:00 p.m. (MDT) on KSL TV
Round 12 – Wednesday, June 3 | 8:00-11:00 p.m. (MDT) on NBCSN
Round 13 – Sunday, June 7 | 3:00-6 p.m. (MDT) on NBCSN
Round 14 – Wednesday, June 10 | 5:00-8:00 p.m. (MDT) on NBCSN
Round 15 – Sunday, June 14 | 5:00-8:00 p.m. (MDT) on NBCSN
Round 16 – Wednesday, June 17 | 5:00-8:00 p.m. (MDT) on NBCSN
Round 17 – Sunday, June 21 | 1:00-3:00 PM (MDT) on NBCSN and 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. (MDT) on KSL TV
*TV schedule subject to change.
Supercross along the rest of the sporting world came to a halt in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The last race was held on March 7 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Coronavirus Resources
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- What is COVID-19? Here’s What You Need To Know To Stay Healthy
- What We Know And Don’t Know About The Coronavirus
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- Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
- Avoid touching your face
- Stay home when you are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
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Additional Resources
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