Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Despite the official PR stance being taken by the FIM and denials issued by AMA President Rob Rasor and AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth, top FIM officials have already signed off on a deal with CCE and DORNA to sanction a Supercross World Championship Series held largely in the U.S. starting in 2003. Although it still faces the normal procedural process, the Series will happen because the AMA opposition does not have enough votes or influence to derail the deal, sources close to the FIM said today.

The same sources said that FIM CMS (motocross committee) Chairman Wolfgang Srb is currently in Japan discussing the new Supercross World Championship Series with motorcycle manufacturers, along with Carmelo Ezpeleta of DORNA and Charlie Mancuso and Jeff Lewis of CCE. Japanese sources confirmed the meetings.

There is some resistance to the World Championship Series concept from U.S. distributors of the Japanese brands, who say the extra three or four races held outside the U.S. would shorten the current motocross/Supercross off-season too much, eliminating the time riders currently use for R&R and for having operations to fix various physical problems like compartment syndrome.