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• November 08 2005
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America’s First Quad Supermoto Race

Words: Cassandra Clawson

When quads hit pavement, doom and injury usually follow. But if there’s a supermoto track equipped with hay bales, fire extinguishers, and flaggers, it’s not only OK to slide four wheels (or three, or two) across the asphalt, it’s downright ideal.

Supermoto is a racing hybrid: half of the track is a motocross-meets-TT dirt course, and half is smooth, black pavement. The Southern Nevada Supermoto in Primm, Nevada, was the country’s first supermoto race to feature quads. The event attracted more than 30 racers for the Saturday ATV event, and over 300 racers for Sunday’s dirt bike event, making it the largest supermoto race in North America, according to the promoter.

“All it would take is for anyone to try this once and they would be hooked,” racer August Goebel said. Racer B.C. Vaught agreed, “Supermoto is the wave of the future for quad enthusiasts, because it doesn’t limit you to one thing: You get to experience the best of the asphalt and the best of the dirt in one race.”

For ATV manufacturers, however, supermoto is a tricky subject. “On one hand, anything that showcases the YFZ450 is a good thing,” Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s Marketing Manager, said. “But supermoto’s problem is the pavement. We (Yamaha) have a blanket policy against riding on pavement. There’s no doubt from a rider’s point of view it’s a cool thing. But-and that’s a big ‘but’-the fact that there’s pavement involved makes it a bit sketchy. It’s a sensitive subject for manufacturers.”

Safety will always be a concern when quads meet asphalt. But if the first quad supermoto is an indicator, this racing discipline can be safe as well as thrilling. “I was excited about how safe the quads were, because it was my name on the insurance policy,” Marche Karger, promoter of the Primm supermoto, said. “Lots of people said, ‘You’re going to have to add a second ambulance for those guys.’ But I knew if I designed a fun, safe facility to race, we’d be OK.”