Galloping motorcycles leap into the air, and the dirt of the track flies wildly. Recently, the Shanghai International Off-Road Circuit in Fengxian District has been bustling again, with the 2023 Hehui Shanghai Motocross Open attracting top riders from Japan, Australia and China, as well as the youngest rider in the junior category as young as 7 years old. The track, which hosted the 2019 MXGP (World Motocross Championship) China leg, is witnessing the take-off of motocross in China.
Together with F1, WRC and MOTOGP, MXGP is known as the world's fastest and most passionate classic motorcycle racing event. In 2019, MXGP China Station settled in Fengxian, and the only motorcycle track in China that meets FIM standards was established. The track is about 2,000 meters long and has 16 ramps, with a maximum of 4.5 meters and a maximum span of 60 meters.
Yamamoto, a driver from Japan who has competed in North America and Europe, loves the Shanghai track, "It's a test of strength, it's very challenging, and it's physically and controlling. ”
Xu Jianhao, a leader in domestic motocross and a regular at the racetrack, once won a wild card at the 2019 MXGP China Leg. "It is very happy and proud for Chinese drivers to have a world-class off-road track in Shanghai. The MXGP China leg has made more people aware of the sport and created opportunities for Chinese motocross athletes to participate in international competitions. ”
Xu Jianhao grew up in a family of motorcycles, his grandfather was the first generation of motorcycle riders in China, and his uncle was a leading motorcycle figure in Yunnan Province. Xu Jianhao began to contact motocross at the age of 8, entered the professional team of Yunnan Province at the age of 12, and won the first national championship of his career at the age of 13. For him, the greatest joy of motocross is to challenge himself, and although he has suffered many injuries, never giving up is his life credo. Under Xu Jianhao's influence, more and more young Chinese riders are joining the sport.
It is understood that motocross projects are now well carried out in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Xi'an and other places, and there are four or five motocross events in China every year. But compared with European players, the level of Chinese players is very different. Motocross events require high technical and physical requirements and require several years of skill. After MXGP entered China, it played a positive role in promoting the development of this sport.
Affected by the epidemic, MXGP China has failed to hold as scheduled for four consecutive years. The organizer of the event, Hehui Sports, took the initiative to launch local events with its own IP from 2021, creating a platform for drivers to communicate and exchange with each other. After three years of polishing, the Shanghai Motocross Open has been included in the Shanghai brand event incubation plan and has become a sports event cultivated in Shanghai.
At the beginning of the race, the relationship between "3 days" and "362 days" has become a topic in the operation of the racing track. In recent years, Shanghai International Off-road Circuit has been open to motorcycle sports enthusiasts as a training venue while hosting events, providing training, test driving and other services, undertaking various brand activities of cars and motorcycles, and also promoting leisure lifestyles such as camping and off-road go-karts, and popularizing racing culture.
It is reported that the organizers of the event are actively striving to hold the 2024 season of MXGP China. In 2024, F1 China will officially return, and if MXGP China can be held as scheduled, Shanghai will reproduce the Shanghai motorcycle racing picture of "North Highway" (Jiading F1) and "South Off-Road" (Fengxian MXGP).
Editor-in-chief: Chen Hua
Source: Author: Qin Dongying