British Arenacross – Format changes!
With the outdoor season drawing to a close, plans are well advanced for the highly-anticipated 2017 Arenacross Tour which kicks off on the 7th of January at the Manchester Arena and, as we all know, is virtually one hundred per cent weather-proof.
The AX Tour can never be accused of standing still and the 2017 series will be no different with some high-profile changes including a revised Head-to-Head (H2H) race format that promises to be off the wall; the UK’s biggest ever prize pot of cash, totalling £140,000; a highly-competitive Pro Lites Under-23 class; new Pro teams and a Pro Hot Lap.
The increased overall prize fund is guaranteed to be a massive incentive to all Pro riders and Pro Lites alike with a series Main Event prize purse of £80,675, Pro Team fund of £43,925 and Pro Lites cash pot of £15,400.
The newly-styled and dangerously competitive Head-to-Head races will replace the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). This means that, instead of the top eight riders going through to the one-against-one, points-scoring carnage, the Pro riders positioned ninth to 16th, after qualification, will take to the circuit, together with the top two fastest under-23yrs Pro Lites riders, in a fight to the wire. They will be set off in pairs and, whilst points won’t be allocated, there is a chance for the top four to grab some decent prize money. For the riders with nothing to lose, but all to play for, this new-style H2H is guaranteed to be explosive.
AX has always been fast-paced and punishing so, whilst the top eight Pro qualifiers won’t have to face the ultra-tense H2H or LCQ as in previous years, they won’t be let off lightly and will still be pushed to the limit with a superpole-style Hot Lap against the clock. Here they can score additional points which could be crucial when it comes to the final championship positions. In this innovative AX feature, the top eight will individually run a one-off timed lap and they can pick up three points for the fastest, two for second and one for third. Start-line positions will not be affected by the hot lap though, as those positions will have already been determined earlier in the day by qualifying and the evening’s heat races.
Also new for 2017 is a substantial overall prize fund of £140,000.00! The Pro riders can earn down to 12th place and the Pro Lites to sixth. We’re told that such earnings are unparalleled in the UK motocross scene, particularly in the winter months and in such a short time frame
There is nothing else like AX. It fills the New Year void when outdoor events are prone to the adverse weather elements and there’s no-where else you’ll see Motocross racing gladiators throw caution to the wind in such epic style. Whether it’s the gutsy seven-year-old 65cc racers; the 11+ Superminis; the amazing Pros, or the Pros themselves; each and every one of them will be hungry for the 2017 AX title in their respective classes.
Commenting on the upcoming 2017 season, AX promoter Matt Bates said; “For decades the UK motocross world was starved of a consistent and professional indoor race series. Now I’m proud to say that when we complete our fifth consecutive year, having paid almost half a million pounds in prize money and attracted almost 200,000 fans since we started, we have one of the best indoor series in the world and it can expand way beyond our imagination. We offer bucket loads of exposure to the industry and a chance for ‘professional’ riders to earn a living from racing dirt bikes.”
The 2017 Monster Energy Arenacross Tour dates are;
7th January – Manchester Arena, Manchester
14th January – The SSE Hydro Arena, Glasgow
21st January – The Genting Arena, Birmingham
27th January – The SSE Arena, Belfast
28th January – The SSE Arena, Belfast
11th February – Sheffield Arena, Sheffield
18th February – The SSE Arena, Wembley
2017 Arenacross tickets are on sale now via www.arenacrossuk.com, or by calling the Box Office on 0844 338 8000.
