The History of AMA Supercross

By the Motocross Trivia editorial team · Updated October 2026

Supercross was born in 1972, when promoter Mike Goodwin and AMA president Terry Tiernan built a motocross track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They billed it as the "Super Bowl of Motocross," and 16-year-old Marty Tripes won it. The AMA made stadium racing an official championship in 1974, and Pierre Karsmakers was its first champion. Today the AMA Supercross Championship runs 17 rounds in football and baseball stadiums across the United States. Ken Roczen is the reigning 450SX champion after winning the 2026 title.

It is hard to overstate how strange the idea seemed at the time. Motocross was an outdoor sport raced across hillsides and farmland. Goodwin's plan put the sport in front of grandstands in a city, on a man-made track of tight turns and huge jumps. Within a few years stadium racing had a national championship and its own stars, and by the 1990s it had become the sport's main event.

The 1970s: from experiment to championship

The Coliseum race worked because it brought motocross to the fans instead of asking fans to drive to the countryside. Promoters copied it in other stadiums, and in 1974 the American Motorcyclist Association created a formal supercross series. Karsmakers, a Dutch rider, won the first title.

The first great supercross star was Bob "Hurricane" Hannah, who won three straight titles from 1977 to 1979 and brought a ferocious, all-out style that set the standard for the decade. Hannah also helped prove that American riders could match the Europeans who had dominated motocross until then.

The 1980s and 1990s: stars, factories and the King

The 1980s belonged to a deep generation of American riders, including Rick Johnson, David Bailey, Mark Barnett and Jeff Ward. Factory teams poured money into the series, the tracks grew more technical, and supercross became a television product.

Then came Jeremy McGrath. He won his first premier-class title in 1993 and went on to win seven: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. No rider has won more premier-class supercross championships. McGrath earned the nickname "the King of Supercross," and his signature nac-nac, a trick where he swung a leg over the back of the bike in mid-air, helped bring freestyle into the mainstream.

The 2000s: Carmichael, Stewart and Reed

Ricky Carmichael, already the best outdoor rider in the world, became the best supercross rider too. He won five supercross titles, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. His 2005 championship, won on a Suzuki RM250, was the last premier-class supercross title won on a two-stroke. After that the four-stroke era was complete. Our guide to two-strokes vs. four-strokes explains how that change happened.

Australia's Chad Reed (2004 and 2008) and James Stewart (2007 and 2009) won the other titles of the decade and fought some of the most famous rivalries in the sport. In 2008, Feld Entertainment took over promotion of the series, and it still promotes supercross today.

The 2010s: Villopoto, Dungey and a deep field

Ryan Dungey won the 2010 title as a rookie for Suzuki, and Ryan Villopoto then took four straight from 2011 through 2014 for Kawasaki. Dungey came back to win three in a row for KTM from 2015 to 2017 before retiring as champion. After him the title changed hands constantly: Jason Anderson in 2018, Cooper Webb in 2019 and 2021, and Eli Tomac in 2020 and 2022.

Recent era: Sexton, the Lawrences and Roczen

Chase Sexton won the 2023 title for Honda. Australia's Jett Lawrence took 2024 in his first full 450SX season, and Cooper Webb won a third title in 2025, edging Sexton by two points. In 2026, Ken Roczen finally won the championship that had eluded him for more than a decade. He clinched it at the Salt Lake City finale, beating Hunter Lawrence by three points. It was Suzuki's first premier title since Dungey in 2010, and at 32 Roczen became the oldest supercross champion.

Every 450SX champion since 2010

How supercross is raced today

The modern championship runs from January into May. There are two classes: 450SX, the premier class, and 250SX, the support class for younger riders on smaller bikes. The 250 class is split into East and West regional championships so that it can run alongside the 450s at most rounds, and the two regions meet in a showdown near the end of the season.

A typical night includes practice and qualifying during the day, then heat races, a last chance qualifier and the main event. Some rounds use a Triple Crown format, with three shorter main events whose results are combined. Stadium tracks are tight and packed with rhythm sections and whoops, so starts matter enormously. Our beginner's guide to AMA Supercross walks through a race night step by step.

Since 2023 the supercross season has also counted toward the SuperMotocross World Championship, which combines supercross and outdoor motocross points and ends with a three-round playoff.

Frequently asked questions

When was the first supercross race?

The first supercross race was held in 1972 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Promoted by Mike Goodwin and AMA president Terry Tiernan as the "Super Bowl of Motocross," it was won by 16-year-old Marty Tripes. The official AMA Supercross championship began in 1974.

Who has won the most supercross championships?

Jeremy McGrath, with seven premier-class AMA Supercross titles won between 1993 and 2000. Ricky Carmichael is next with five.

Who won the 2026 Supercross championship?

Ken Roczen won the 2026 450SX championship on a Suzuki, clinching it at the Salt Lake City finale by three points over Hunter Lawrence. It was his first supercross title.

What is the difference between 450SX and 250SX?

450SX is the premier class, raced on 450cc four-stroke bikes by the sport's top riders. 250SX is the support class on 250cc four-strokes, split into East and West regions, and it is where most future 450 stars build their reputations.