Charlotte Motor Speedway is known for firsts, and Labor Day weekend will launch another first with the running of the inaugural Monster Energy MXGP of the Americas at zMAX Dragway.  The best Motocross riders from 16 countries will compete on the one-mile dirt course installed at the world-famous four-lane dragway in what is known as the "F1" of motocross.

The MXGP World Championship is the premiere Motocross Championship in the world where the series is run on 18 top race tracks in Europe, USA, Qatar, Thailand, Argentina and Mexico from February through September with the famous Motocross Energy Motorcross of Nations closing the eight-month season.  The MXGP World Championship has its roots in Europe where it was established 59 years ago in 1957 by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme).  It is the leading off-road motorsports series in the world and the fastest growing motorsports series in the U.S. ahead all other motorcycle specialties.

"At Speedway Motorsports, Inc., we are always committed to bringing world-class events to our facilities, and there is no bigger motocross event in the world than the Monster Energy MXGP of the Americas," said Marcus Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc.  "YouthStream, the owner of MXGP, is an excellent partner with a grand vision.  Not only will we have an opportunity to host competitors and fans from three continents and 16 countries, we'll be able to showcase our facility and Charlotte on the world stage with the Monster Energy MXGP of the Americas."

The Monster Energy MXGP series enjoys a global fan base, including:

  • Some 1.42 billion television spectators in 2015
  • More than 4,000 hours of TV coverage in 2015
  • 64 countries received live Motocross coverage during the 2015 MXGP season and 180 countries in total were reached by Motocross television coverage in 2015
  • There were 4,048,409 views (1,639,653 unique visitors) and more than 7 million page views from 210 countries worldwide on mxgp-tv.com and 6,887,346 views (2,440,215 unique visitors) on www.mxgp.com with more than 20 million page views

Giuseppe Luongo, President of Youthstream: 'It's a pleasure and honor to work together with Speedway Motorsports, Inc. to bring MXGP to this outstanding venue. The area of the zMAX Dragway is perfect to build a spectacular race track in front of tens of thousands of spectators seated comfortably in the grandstands.  The event will be followed live worldwide by a massive TV audience.  We want to thank Monster Energy for their support. The cooperation with SMI is fantastic, so I am sure that all together we will organize an event which will remain in the memory of all the fans."

The Monster Energy MXGP of the Americas at zMAX Dragway is expected to deliver a significant economic impact, including:

  • Approximately 1,500 riders, teams, industry members, Youthstream employees and media members will visit Charlotte, driving airplane travel, rental cars, ground transportation, hotels and dining
  • Some 15,000 international spectators are expected to travel to the event
  • On-site merchandising / souvenirs, food and beverages and camping
  • Estimated average turnover of an MXGP event is around $3.8 million
  • Estimated global benefit for the state and local government: More than $1.3 million coming from direct and indirect income sources*

The unique race course will be built across the four lanes of zMAX Dragway, giving spectators an up-close view of the daredevil action.  It will take several tons of dirt and gravel to build the foundation of the course, which will begin following the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 22-24, 2016.  The one-mile course, built by Youthstream's best know-how, features 15 jumps that will send riders soaring 25 to 30 feet in the air, 12 tight turns and seven switchbacks that can deliver spills and lead changes, and straightaways where speeds will top 55 MPH.

"It's going to be an amazing race course and an amazing weekend," said motorcross legend Jeremy McGrath.  "The course is going to be tough and tight.  Fans are going to see crazy jumps out there.  If they've never been to a motorcross event, this is one to see!  And, it will be cool to show off Charlotte to the world circuit."

Tickets for the Monster Energy MXGP of the Americas begin at $59 for weekend tickets and two-day paddock passes.  Special hotel offers for the Monster Energy MXGP of the Americas are available and camping is available in adjacent lots with ticket purchase.  Visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets/mxgp/ for weekend details, hours and to purchase tickets.