World Supercross Championship comes to Calgary for first time on August 8

The World Supercross Championship will come to Calgary for the first time on August 8 at McMahon Stadium. The event marks both the season opener and the only Canadian stop on the World Supercross tour.

Cole Thompson, a rider in the SX2 class and the only Canadian on tour, called the Calgary race an exciting opportunity. "I've spent quite a bit of time throughout my professional career racing in Calgary at the Wild Rose MX Park, and now having a World Supercross event come to Calgary is massive," he said. "Not only just because I'm Canadian, but just to have that series and the global scale of it be now in Canada as well."

In supercross, no two tracks are the same. On race day, both SX1 and SX2 riders will get a 10-minute practice session to learn the track before qualifying, heat races, superpole and main events begin. Across six rounds and two classes, the main events will consist of 50 total race laps.

Thompson said spectators will have plenty to do beyond the racing, including a fan zone where kids and parents can meet riders, collect posters, and get behind-the-scenes access. "For the racing portion, it's short, very high intensity, very competitive, not much time in between races, so it allows the riders just enough time to recover and then straight back into it."

As the Canadian on the grid, Thompson said landing on the podium, ideally with a win, is a major priority. Growing up, Thompson and his four older brothers all rode dirt bikes, and at around 17 he committed to supercross. This will be his 15th year as a professional athlete. He acknowledged that supercross is not for everyone, describing himself as an adrenaline junkie, and advised young racers and their parents to enjoy the moments and not dwell on individual results.