Ending as predicted: Supercross World Championship ends 2026 season early

The ambition was high: with the World Supercross Championship, launched in 2022, promoter SX Global aimed to establish a standalone international Supercross World Championship. Four years on, the project faces an uncertain future. On 7 October, the organiser announced that the 2026 season would be brought to a close with immediate effect.

The warning signs were already clear. On 22 September, the Grand Prix in Birmingham, scheduled for 10 October, was cancelled. Even then, World Supercross had mentioned that it was seeking investors. Now comes the premature end to the season.

Big names, strong competition

With riders such as Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac, as well as guest appearances by Haiden Deegan, the WSX has been able to showcase prominent names in the past. However, the US stars only took part for a fee.

At the same time, the competition from the US remained overwhelmingly strong. Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing announced the SuperMotocross World Championship in August 2022, which was held for the first time in 2023. It combines the established US series Supercross and Pro Motocross with subsequent play-offs and a final. A prize fund of ten million US dollars was announced for the inaugural season alone.

The background

Up to and including 2021, the top class of the AMA Supercross Championship also held the FIM World Championship title. After that, the partnership came to an end. Feld did not renew the agreement with the world governing body. The official reasons given were the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a focus on events in North America.

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The FIM subsequently awarded the marketing rights to SX Global. The new WSX era began in Cardiff on 8 October 2022. The announcement of the premature end to the 2026 season thus came one day before the fourth anniversary of that debut.

A calendar with unanswered questions

Even at the time of the cancellation, there were still unanswered questions in the published calendar. Following the season opener in Calgary on 8 August, Birmingham was due to follow on 10 October, Buenos Aires on 24 October and the Gold Coast in Australia on 21 November.

Neither the venue nor the date had been specified for a further Grand Prix in South Africa. A planned sixth round also remained without a venue or date. Reliable planning looks rather different.

Investors sought

In its latest statement, World Supercross confirms that it is in advanced talks with potential investors. Whilst these talks continue, the season will not go ahead.

“This decision was not an easy one for us to make,” the statement reads. The organisers say they continue to believe in the series, its global potential and the opportunity to build on the foundations laid so far.

Those in charge hope that the investor talks will reach a positive conclusion and create a sustainable basis for the championship’s future. However, the organiser has not provided any concrete commitments or a timetable for a restart.

This does not, therefore, signify the definitive end of the WSX. The only certainty for now is that the 2026 season is over. Whether the hopes for new investors will lead to a sporting future remains to be seen.