DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Immediately following the 57th annual DAYTONA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 22, construction began in the tri-oval area between pit road and the start/finish line to create the demanding and challenging course for the Daytona Supercross By Honda, scheduled for Saturday night, March 7.
For the eighth straight year, supercross legend Ricky Carmichael returns as the course designer and Bomber Built, owned by three-time AMA 125cc National Motocross Champion Mark Barnett, is building the Supercross course.
Carmichael retired from Supercross in 2007 as the most decorated rider in history with 15 AMA championships and 150 wins.
This year’s Ricky Carmichael Signature Design course will have a new look with the starting gate moved from pit road to the west end of the tri-oval grass and competitors will race in a clockwise direction. A wide-open field of riders will compete for a coveted Daytona trophy including Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard, Chad Reed, Ken Roczen, Cole Seely and Eli Tomac.
Daytona International Speedway has been hosting the Daytona Supercross By Honda since 1971 and this marks the 24th year that Honda has sponsored the event. Among the Supercross greats that have captured the Daytona Supercross By Honda include Bob Hannah, Jeff Stanton, Jeremy McGrath and Carmichael.
Here’s a look at some of the numbers behind the construction of this year’s Daytona Supercross By Honda course:
272 –Truckloads of dirt
6,800 – Tons of dirt
10 – Trucks used to transport the dirt into the Speedway
2 – Days to bring all of the dirt into the track
30 – Jumps on the Supercross course
2 – Whoop sections
1 – Mogul section
450 – Honda-branded tuff blocks for safety
3,110 – Mileage in feet of the Supercross course
500 – Man-hours (approximate) to set up the Daytona Supercross By Honda course
In addition, one crawler, one front loader and two skid steers are used to move the dirt during construction.
The paddock for Supercross teams will again be staged in the blue garages, which are located adjacent to the Sprint FANZONE and provide easy accessibility for the fans from noon to 6 p.m. and is included in the race ticket.
Also returning in 2015 will be the sixth annual Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross. Scheduled for Sunday, March 8 and Monday, March 9, amateur Supercross racers will have an opportunity to test their skills on the same course used in the Daytona Supercross By Honda. Following the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross will be the inaugural FLY Racing ATV Supercross on Tuesday, March 10.
Tickets for the event are now on sale at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Advance general admission tickets start at $35 and kids tickets (ages 6-12) start at $10.
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for the latest news all season long. Fans can also follow the latest on DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation at the “World Center of Racing” by using #DAYTONARising on Twitter or visiting www.daytonarising.com
