PRO MOTOCROSS SERIES TO USE METAL START GRATE FOR THE FIRST TIME

Entering its 51st year of racing, the Pro Motocross series is now implementing the use of metal starting grates at all eleven rounds of the 2023 season. We first saw metal grates used at the Monster Energy Cup in 2013. The Monster Cup was a great event for FELD to try new things because it wasn’t directly tied to the points-paying Monster Energy Supercross Championship—as its own standalone race, the Monster Cup could implement the unique Triple Crown format (now used in Supercross at three events a year) and even the joker lane (which thankfully hasn’t been used in regular races). Yes, the Monster Cup is no longer, but the metal starting grates remain. They are now standard procedure at every Supercross and MXGP race, but the AMA Outdoor National series was the last Championship sticking with the grassroots style of starting in the dirt.

As laid out in the latest Mx Sports Competition Bulletin 2023-1: Pro Motocross Rules Finalized, starting grates will now be used at all eleven of the Pro Motocross races.

BIGGEST QUESTIONS ANSWERED: METAL GRATES

Who has to pay for the gates? Mx Sports does. Just like in Supercross, the promotor of the series will transport the same 40 metal grates to each round and install them. So don’t worry, if Hangtown, Thunder Valley, Red Bud, or Unadilla is your local track, they aren’t getting rid of their dirt start full time (at least they don’t have to), this is only for the National.

Who’s idea was to bring metal gates to the outdoors? The factory teams. After racing on metal gates for the entire Supercross season, spending countless hours practicing starts in the preseason and in between races, as well as spending hours and money into developing ECU maps and engine packages for the metal start grates, the factory teams don’t want to put it all aside to go back to dirt for the summer. It’s much easier for them to stick with what they’ve been doing all year so far.

Instead of the mechanics having to wear heavy-duty boots to pack the gate, they only have to bring brushes down to the line to clean the gate off after their rider goes out for the sighting lap.

 The Washougal National start last year.  

The riders must stay centered on the gate, they can’t move their wheels to the left or right to miss the rut coming out of the gate. 

The starting grates level the playing field a little bit, making it more even for riders coming off the line and making it slightly less important to have a good gate pick.