Time to head east! Well, kind of. This year’s Arlington SX (it will always be Dallas to me) will officially be a West Region event, but it also marks a significant shift out of the West Coast, as it were. For the past six rounds of Monster Energy Supercross, we have been bouncing up and down the western states. I for one, am ready to change it up. Arlington offers a much different feel than the outdoor style stadium events that we consistently see out west. Jerry Jones’ AT&T Stadium is one of the most impressive venues on earth and a great host for the sport we hold dear.

Everything is bigger in Texas, right? I suppose that’s generally true and when you account for the enormous Jumbotron, massive party deck, and overall size of the stadium itself, Jerry’s World delivers. There is one downside to this event, though. The dirt at Arlington is always hard and slippery. It can be better or worse depending on the year but it always presents a huge challenge for tire manufacturers and the EFI technicians. Riders will be complaining all day about wheel spin and not having enough “feel.”

This “feel” I am referring to is key for rider comfort and inspiring confidence. It encompasses many aspects including how the front tire plants when entering turns, how the tire spins up when exiting both flat turns and berms and also how the tire responds in the blue-grooved whoops. In short, Arlington is a nightmare for everyone in the tire world. No rider will be fully satisfied with his traction level because the track simply doesn’t allow it. It has been and always will be a trouble spot.

As for the track layout, this one is very straight forward. Last week’s San Diego course was very busy and tight, but this track looks to be a bit more open. Many of the rhythm sections are of the standard supercross variety. I don’t love how it looks for passing, at least on paper. There are many 90-degree turns where the rider can hold the inside and basically fend off any challenge. There are two spots where I do think passing will occur, however.

The 180 after the whoops will see plenty of block passes. The whoop lane is very long and that will allow riders to pull along side and maneuver into position. It will put immense pressure on the lead rider to outsmart the following rider and keep the door slammed shut. Keep an eye on that scenario in each and every battle.