DAYTONA BEACH, Florida—If Eli Tomac wants to stand alone as the all-time winner in Daytona Supercross, he will have to conquer the grueling and demanding course designed by the man he currently shares the Daytona record with – the “greatest of all time” Ricky Carmichael.
Daytona International Speedway today unveiled the course design for the 52nd annual Daytona Supercross on March 5, and for the 15th consecutive year, the unique and difficult course layout was created by Carmichael, the five-time Daytona Supercross champion. It will be the toughest of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship season and the only AMA Supercross event in the state of Florida in 2022.
The Daytona Supercross at the World Center of Racing is the longest continuous Supercross race in America dating back to 1971 and will feature the best riders in the world. Tomac, who has won the last three (2019, ‘20, ‘21) and five out of the last six (2016, ‘17) Daytona Supercross events, will go for a record sixth victory that would take him out of a tie with Carmichael.
![Eli Tomac winning the 2021 Daytona Supercross 450SX main event.]()
Eli Tomac winning the 2021 Daytona Supercross 450SX main event. Align Media ![Tomac celebrating his fifth Daytona Supercross 450SX main event in front of the fans.]()
Tomac celebrating his fifth Daytona Supercross 450SX main event in front of the fans. Align Media
Carmichael’s signature design will sport tremendous obstacles – 57 in fact – on a 3,300-foot (.625 miles) layout that features a multitude of turns and vaulted jumps. The start gate will originate from pit road with the riders launching full throttle towards fans across from the NASCAR start/finish line to kick off the action before taking a hard left in a counter-clockwise direction. After that sweeping first turn, riders will have 400 feet and 13 obstacles to sort things out before entering the first, tight 180-degree turn.
Returning is the exciting “over-under bridge” with riders racing across the bridge while other riders battle for position beneath them. One item of change, however, is that it will be located closer to the tri-oval and fans in the stands. The beach sand section will be back and will cause havoc for the riders with two 150-foot-long legs attached to a 180-degree turn. And, of course, the high-rising finish line will be parallel with the NASCAR finish line.
"I can't believe it's been 15 years that I have been designing the Daytona Supercross track,” said Carmichael. “Every year we try to make it better for both the fans and riders, and for 2022, I believe we did just that with some new twists. First off, I'm glad we were able to get the over-under bridge back because it opens up the options on the course. That and the split lane are what I am looking most forward to seeing along with the famous sand section that the fans always love to see! The Daytona Supercross in March is going to be the only one in my home State of Florida so I am very excited about that as well. It's going to be a great track and I can't wait to watch and see how it all unfolds this year!"
The high-flying, crowd-pleasing Daytona Supercross is fun for the entire family. Tickets for the 52nd annual Daytona Supercross, a Monster Energy AMA Supercross event, start at just $40. Kids 6-12 are $15 and ages 5 and under are free in general admission areas.
“Ricky has done it yet again with his incredible, never-seen-before course that will amaze fans in attendance for Daytona Supercross in 2022,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “Couple its challenging design along with the historical ramifications will make the iconic event under the lights one for the ages.”
Also returning in 2022 will be the 12th annual Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross on Sunday, March 6 and Monday, March 7. Amateur supercross racers have an opportunity to test their skills on a slightly modified version of the same course used in the Daytona Supercross. Following the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross will be the Daytona Vintage Supercross (DVSX) and ATV Supercross, both of which take place on Tuesday, March 8. For more information, visit https://racedaytona.com.
Daytona Supercross 2022 will be a part of 81st annual Bike Week, which will culminate with the March 12 Daytona 200 hosted by MotoAmerica.
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news. For information on all events, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.
