Motocross racing will return to Chenango County on Saturday.
Unadilla MX, on state Route 8 in New Berlin, will host the 39th running of the ELF Lubricants Unadilla National, where hundreds of racers from around the world and tens of thousands of fans from across the east coast are expected to “bring the quiet, rolling hills of Chenango County to life for an action-packed weekend of the most elite and high profile motocross competition on the planet,” according to a news release from promoters of the event.
“Unadilla MX is a cornerstone of American motocross. It opened in 1969 and served as a gateway for the sport’s European origins to become established on U.S. soil,” the release stated. Thanks to owners and promoters Ward and Peg Robinson, Unadilla hosted some of the first major events in which American racers could go head-to-head against their European counterparts. From that foundation, the Pro Motocross Championship was born, formalizing a dedicated U.S. racing series “that is now the global standard for the highest level of the sport,” the release stated. For the past five decades, Unadilla MX “has remained a fixture as a crown jewel of the championship, with Ward and Peg’s celebrated legacy continuing through their children, Greg and Jill Robinson,” according to the release.
“While Unadilla’s storied history is enough to make the venue the most hallowed ground in American motocross, it’s the natural terrain layout that continues to hold its own as one of the best racetracks on the planet,” the release stated. Natural elevation changes have created “several of the most infamous obstacles in all of motocross” such as Gravity Cavity, Sky Shot and The Wall. The track remains one of the most formidable challenges in the sport, according to the release.
The Pro Motocross Championship comprises 11 rounds of competition amongst the most high-profile stars of motorcycle racing, like American-born champions Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton, as well as championship-winning Australian Jett Lawrence, Spaniard world champion Jorge Prado, and many more the release stated. The series visits 10 states from late May to late August. In the end, a pair of athletes will emerge with the sport’s most distinguished title, celebrated as an AMA National Champion, according to the release.
Practice and qualifying will begin at 8 a.m. with opening ceremonies scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
First motos (250 class and 450 class) will begin racing at 1 p.m. and second motos (250 class and 450 class) will begin at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday general admission is $75.55 for adults and $36.82 for children ages 6 to 11. Pit passes are $36.82 for all ages.