In just a few days the gate will drop for the first time in 2013 when the new season of Monster Energy AMA Supercross gets going. Some competitors will walk away with the sweet taste of victory, others will look to build on solid finishes while an unfortunate few will see their season take a vicious dive at the opening round. No, we’re not talking about the riders, we’re talking about the fans who compete in supercross fantasy leagues. We got in touch with Jeff Hopkins of ProMotoFan.com for a rundown on how these popular forms of bench racing work.
Racer X: For those new to fantasy leagues, tell us how they work.
Hopkins: Traditionally, Fantasy SX/MX Leagues follow a team format where a player picks a certain number of riders as their team for each round. Depending on how the riders actually finish will determine their points earned based on a particular points system. You can change your riders or team before each round, but often times you can’t pick the same rider for two consecutive weeks. Additionally, most leagues use a handicap or budget system making the game more involved. Double points for example, for riders that have been assigned a handicap, etc. Round points are then accumulated over the series just like with the riders, and ultimately an overall winner is determined for the series.
How is your league different from any of the others?
What really makes ProMotoFan.com different is our style of game play. We are a simple pick ‘em fantasy league. When we started this idea, literally on a napkin at the first Thunder Valley National in Colorado, it was all about true bench racing. Who’s going to win? Who will get second, third, and so on? Nobody sits around and talks about handicaps, or hopes Chad Reed gets second because it helps their fantasy league. As a fan, true bench racing will always be about who we think is better and faster, and ultimately who will win the race. ProMotoFan.com allows fans to simply pick who they think will finish in the top ten for each class. No budgets and no handicaps. We pride ourselves on having the easiest to play league available. At the end of the day, ProMotoFan gives every fan a chance to test their SX and MX skills as to who they think is the best racer each and every round and let the results speak for themselves.
Do you have any stories of crazy fans getting extremely wrapped up in the league?
I can’t honestly say I have any stories of crazy fans, but yes, fans can take it seriously, and we hope they do! It’s a competition any way you look at it, so like most people, you want to win. We’ve been doing this since 2009 and one of the coolest things we award is our championship #1 plates for each class champion. Not to mention that we have The Perfect Card by DeCal Works where a player could win $100,000 cash just for correctly picking the top ten. That’s crazy! The best stories we receive are simply from the fans who are having fun competing against their friends, family and the rest of the world as they enjoy the best sport on earth.
Do riders ever get heckled for having a bad night and ruining someone’s fantasy results?
Not yet, but with $100,000 cash on the line, you never know!
Do any of the riders play that you know of?
We have a few for sure. We really have a great industry following that we are very appreciative of. In fact, DMXS Radio will be defending the SX-250 West Championship this year. Every fan dreams of being as fast as Ryan Dungey or Reed and being a champion, but it’s just not a reality. We like to think we provide the next best thing, and that is to have fun, compete and ultimately be a ProMotoFan.com Champion.
What’d we miss?
The sponsors and fans! Without our sponsors and fans, none of this would be possible. At the end of the day, fans are the ones who fill the stadiums and hillsides and drive the racers to be the best that they can. Our sponsors appreciate the fans and continually show their support by offering amazing prizes every year. A special thank you to DeCal Works, Fly Racing, Motorex Oil, Rockwell Time, Pit Posse Motorsports, Leatt, Scott USA, Dunlop Tires, and Vortex Racing. Thank you to all of the fans who play as well. This year, we will be supporting the Privateer Journey as the Team’s well deserving athletes pursue their dream of one day becoming a champion while making the sport more competitive and entertaining today.
