ABU DHABI: The FIM World Supercross Championship Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the penultimate race in the championship, concluded its Middle East debut on Sunday at Etihad Arena, which was transformed into a dirt track for the occasion.
This is also the first time a supercross track has run indoors and outdoors. Forty of the world’s best riders took part in two categories, with Joey Savatgy emerging as champion in the WSX (450cc) division, and Max Anstie placing first in the SX2 (250cc) race.
Savatgy, the current championship leader, said: “It’s always really exciting to ride a new track, and today surpassed our expectations. The team in Abu Dhabi has done an amazing job transforming this indoor arena into a suitable dirt track for us. Having a two-row start gate is a really unique concept and I luckily got out of the gate pretty well in the first two races, which put me in a good spot going into the third. The competition was really tough this weekend, and I’m glad to have come away with the overall win.”
Anstie commented: “We have had a great day in Abu Dhabi, and I’m really happy to have come out with a win, especially for the first-ever World Supercross Championship event in Abu Dhabi. The atmosphere was electric today in Etihad Arena, thanks to all the fans. We have been blown away by the size of the fan base that our sport already has here, and are excited to see it grow even more.”
Following in the footsteps of their senior counterparts, the junior category showcased the talents of 20 riders, aged between 7 and 13.
“We aimed to bring the world’s most thrilling supercross action to the heart of Abu Dhabi, and the overwhelming response from fans and the exceptional performances we witnessed have exceeded our expectations,” said Saif Rashid Al-Noaimi, CEO of organizers Ethara. “We are also happy to have provided young talent from the UAE a platform to showcase their skills to an international audience.”
“At Ethara, we are committed to continually adding more variety and diversity for the Abu Dhabi entertainment and sporting calendar, and the addition of the FIM World Supercross Championship to our portfolio is testament to our dedication to setting new standards of excellence for events.”
Adam Bailey, SX Global CEO, said: “The success of the first-ever World Supercross event in Abu Dhabi marks a significant milestone in the championship’s history and demonstrates our commitment at SX Global to delivering top-tier sporting entertainment for our fans. We’ve been blown away by the positive response we’ve received from Abu Dhabi and the crowd tonight was sensational — so much energy and enthusiasm.”
At the end of the month, the riders will head to the home of the WSX in Australia for the Melbourne Grand Prix — the final event of the championship.
