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Supermoto was featured at Summer X Games 12, marking its third appearance at the annual extreme-sports event held this past August at Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Live network TV coverage, a generous purse paying $50,000 to the winner and the cred of earning an X Games gold medal saw marquee riders from various racing backgrounds filling the 20-rider gate.
I joined in the action, burning a week's vacation from my regular job here at Cycle World to serve as Race Director for this year's event. Aside from officiating and such, my duties also included design and construction of the track's road course portion that utilized parking lots and access roads around the facility. Contained within the sports arena was a dirt section laid out by Randy Manenga, builder of off-road sections at a number of AMA Supermoto events.
When it comes to X Games, the limits of convention are pushed, resulting in the most challenging supercross-style elements to ever be incorporated into a supermoto track. Cycle World staff photographer Jeff Allen was on hand shooting trackside; the following are some of our favorite images.
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