Start your engine: High Point National returns after 1-year hiatus
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship returns Saturday to High Point Raceway on Saturday for the 44th running of the High Point National.
Observer-Reporter
High Point Raceway is nestled in between tree-covered hillsides in Mt. Morris. The 1.12-mile motorcross track hosts the High Point National.
Following a one-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the top motocross riders return to High Point Raceway in Mount Morris for the 44th High Point National.
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, the most prestigious off-road motorcycle racing series, will make its return to Greene County’s legendary High Point Raceway on Saturday for the 44th running of the GEICO Motorcycle High Point National.
With a legacy spanning 43 consecutive years dating back to 1977, the event was a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic last season and failed to run for the first time in more than four decades. As a result, the third stop on the 2021 championship calendar has fans brimming with excitement as the return to High Point will also signify the return of full spectator capacity.
The inaugural High Point National in 1977 came just six years after the inception of the Pro Motocross Championship in 1972, after pioneering motocross organizer Dave Coombs Sr. partnered with the Holbert brothers, Jack and Carroll, to build a world class motocross venue to showcase the finest racing talent from America and abroad. With its European-inspired design, High Point takes full advantage of its valley setting, with undulating hills, dramatic elevation changes, and an amphitheater-like spectating area that have combined to establish one of the most iconic events in American motocross. Now, after a year away from this storied track, it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge triumphant when the roar of 40 motorcycles again echoes throughout the Greene County landscape.
Despite its hiatus, the High Point legacy is poised to begin its new, post-pandemic era in memorable fashion. As one of just a few events with a history that spans all the way back to the championship’s original decade, the High Point National is one of the pillars of American motocross. It’s this longstanding tradition that makes this year’s return so significant to the competitors, fans, and motocross industry.
As the country continues to progress to a return to normalcy, the racing in 2021 has already been some of the most exciting in recent memory, as competitors are more eager than ever to put on a good show for the return of motocross’ exceptionally passionate fanbase.
The Pro Motocross Championship has been the proving ground for the most talented riders from across the globe to showcase their abilities on the sport’s biggest stage. This is arguably the most physically and mentally demanding discipline in all of motorsports, and fans are consistently rewarded by witnessing these athletes soar through the air and navigate the roughest terrain imaginable aboard two wheels at jaw dropping speeds.
The 2021 GEICO Motorcycle High Point National will consist of a full day of action, featuring racing across two classes of competition – the youth-driven 250 Class, spearheaded by the sport’s most promising young talent, and the premier 450 Class, led by motocross’ most high-profile stars.