EnduroCross Is Basically Dirt Bikes Racing Through Boot Camp

By  Andrew P. Collins

You know how every army movie has a montage where dudes crawl, claw and climb their way through what looks like the most miserable gym class ever? EnduroCross is pretty much that, on dirt bikes. Racing. The new season kicks off August 19 in Las Vegas. Watch it there, or online right here.

In MotoCross, bikers race around a course over big jumps and banked turns. (SuperCross is like that with tighter turns in an arena). In Enduro racing, bikers fight their way across strange pseudo-organic obstacles out in the wild. Simply put, EnduroCross is a combination of the two.

If that course map above didn't give you enough of an idea of what's happening here, the series' official website has nice little explainers what's in store for the lunatics who signed up for this.

Like the Tire Turn:

Or the Rock Garden:

And who could forget the Firewood Pit:

God, I am so glad my weekend will involve quietly reupholstering my truck and not suffering through this gauntlet of grease and pain. But it sure looks like it'll be fun to watch.

EnduroCross races are run with competitors grouped, roughly, by experience and skill level. There's also a women-specific class, but otherwise riders are allowed to run in multiple classes.

The bikes they're on fall into one of three categories:

TrailsCross: Tiny bikes with a wheelbase under 55 inches or less.

Amateur Open and Women's Class: Any displacement 2 or 4-stroke bike with a wheelbase over 55 inches.

"Vet" Over 35-Year-Old Riders: Any production motorcycle with a wheelbase over 55 inches.

The length of the bike matters more than the power here, because there isn't much room to build big speed. There isn't much room to do much of anything, which is why a short wheelbase is advantageous.

The 2017 EnduroCross Championship will consist of seven races this year, starting with Saturday's showdown in Vegas. After that, you can catch EnduroCross in:

  • Reno, Nevada – September 23

  • Denver, CO – September 30

  • Everett, WA – October 14

  • Phoenix, AZ – October 28

  • Boise, ID – November 4

  • Ontario, CA (California, not Canada) – November 18

    Now since most of you reading this are probably too far from Las Vegas to make the trek on such short notice, you can also catch the race on the night of August 19 online with this livestream right here:

    And if you just can't wait to see what this is all about, take a peek at the Men's Enduro X Final from ESPN's coverage of the X Games a couple years ago. It's... it's pretty wild racing, guys.

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