DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Immediately following the 58th annual DAYTONA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 21, 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 5.
For the ninth 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 sees the starting gate return to pit road and competitors will race in a counterclockwise direction. A wide-open field of riders will compete for a coveted Daytona trophy, including Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard, Chad Reed, Ken Roczen, and Cole Seely.
Daytona International Speedway has been hosting the Daytona Supercross By Honda since 1971 and this marks the 25th year that Honda has sponsored the event. Among the Supercross greats that have captured the Daytona Supercross By Honda are 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:
290 – Truckloads of dirt
5,000 – Tons of dirt
12 – Trucks used to transport the dirt into the Speedway
2 – Days to bring all of the dirt into the track
40 – Obstacles on the Daytona Supercross By Honda course
20 – Loads of new clay for the start gate
2 – Whoop sections
450 – Honda-branded Tuff Blocks
2,915 –length in feet of the Supercross course
500 – Man-hours (approximate) to set up the Daytona Supercross By Honda course
In addition, two crawlers, two front loaders and two skid steers are used to move the dirt during construction.
The Supercross Pits will be staged in the blue garages, which are located adjacent to the Sprint FANZONE and provide easy accessibility for the fans from noon to 5:30 p.m. – access is free with your race ticket.
Also returning in 2016 will be the seventh annual Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross. Scheduled for Sunday, March 6 and Monday, March 7, 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 2nd Annual FLY Racing ATV Supercross on Tuesday, March 8.
Tickets for the event are now on sale at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Advance general admission tickets for DAYTONA Supercross by Honda start at $45 and youth tickets (ages 6-12) start at $15; kids five and under are free in general admission stadium seating.
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