The future of Motocross...

The FIM has today announced the future of world championship Motocross as shaped by the newly formed Motocross and SuperMoto Grand Prix Commission - composed of FIM/CMS representative Mr Wolfgang Srb., Youthstream representative Mr Giuseppe Luongo and MSMA representative Mr Takanao Tsubouchi.

The future of Motocross...

The FIM has today announced the future of world championship Motocross as shaped by the newly formed Motocross and SuperMoto Grand Prix Commission - composed of FIM/CMS representative Mr Wolfgang Srb., Youthstream representative Mr Giuseppe Luongo and MSMA representative Mr Takanao Tsubouchi.

The commission's first meeting was held in Salzburg on November 17, and was also attended by Messrs Stefan Pierer, Kurt Nicoll and Yasuyuki Tsurumi. The following decisions - regarding such issues as class technical regulations, the new GP and MXdN race format and prize money - were taken unanimously.

Of note is the intention to set different weight limits for two and four-stroke machinery from 2006, to keep both competitive (indicating that they don't want four-stroke only racing), while "a proposal was made to allow only single cylinder in all classes as of 2006, and to accept the twin-cylinder for 2004 and 2005 to race in the 250/450 class."

Such a proposal would mean that new machines such as Aprilia's SXV (powered by a v-twin engine) would be banned from 2006...

FIM Motocross World Championship 2004 - MX1, MX2:

MX 1:
250cc 2-stroke and 450cc 4-stroke, will be run in two heats of 35 min + 2 laps, with 30 riders starting in each race.

Entries: 24 riders via teams and/or manufacturers (on the basis of contracts with Youthstream), 4 riders via Youthstream, 2 riders via FMNR: total: 30 riders, + 2 reserve riders via FMNR. Following the request of MSMA, the prize money is paid to the teams. There will also be a new system for the distribution of the prize money as well as for the financial support for overseas travel:

Prize money (per heat):
1st position: EUR 4.000, 6th position: EUR 1.300,
2nd position: EUR 3.000, 7th position: EUR 1.200,
3rd position: EUR 2.000, 8th position: EUR 1.100,
4th position: EUR 1.500, 9th position: EUR 1.000,
5th position: EUR 1.400, 10th position: EUR 1.000,
Total prize money per MX 1 heat: EUR 17.500,--
Total prize money per GP (2 heats): EUR 35.000,--

Overseas team travel indemnity (per GP and rider, based on the current position of the rider in the overall standings):
Position 1 - 5: EUR 5.000,--
Position 6 - 10: EUR 3.000,--
Position 11 - 15: EUR 2.000,--
Total overseas team travel indemnity per GP (MX 1): EUR 50.000.

MX 2:
125cc 2-stroke and 250cc 4-stroke, will be run in two heats of 35 min + 2 laps, with 30 riders starting in each race. Entries: 50 riders (as in 2003). Following the request of MSMA, the prize money is paid to the teams. There will also be a new system for the distribution of the prize money as well as for the financial support for overseas travel:

Prize money (per heat):
1st position: EUR 1.500, 6th position: EUR 600,
2nd position: EUR 1.200, 7th position: EUR 550,
3rd position: EUR 800, 8th position: EUR 550,
4th position: EUR 700, 9th position: EUR 500,
5th position: EUR 600, 10th position: EUR 500,
Total prize money per MX 2 heat: EUR 7.500,--
Total prize money per GP (2 heats): EUR 15.000,--

Overseas team travel indemnity (per GP and rider, based on the current position of the rider in the overall standings):
Position 1 - 5: EUR 3.000,--
Position 6 - 10: EUR 2.000,--
Position 11 - 15: EUR 1.000,--
Total overseas team travel indemnity per GP (MX 2): EUR 30.000,--

Timetable:Saturday:
MX2 Free Practice
(maximum 50 riders) 10:00 - 10:40
MX1 Free Practice 1:
(maximum 30 riders + 2 FMNR reserve riders) 11:00 - 11:40
MX2 Time Practice/Start Practice:
(max. 50 riders for the starting grid position in the Qualifying Races) 12:00 - 12:40
MX1 Free Practice 2:
(maximum 30 riders + 2 FMNR reserve riders) 14:00 - 14:40
MX2 Qualifying Race 1:
(maximum 25 riders / 20 minutes + 2 laps) 15:00
MX2 Qualifying Race 2:
(maximum 25 riders / 20 minutes + 2 laps) 15:45
MX1 Time Practice/Start Practice:
(maximum 30 riders, no reserve FMNR riders) 16:30 - 17:00
MX2 Last Chance Qualifying Practice:
(maximum 26 riders / 30 minutes) 17:15 - 17:45

Sunday:
MX2 Warm-Up:
(maximum 30 qualified riders + 2 reserve riders) 09:30 - 10:00
MX1 Warm-Up:
(maximum 30 riders + 2 FMNR reserve riders) 10:30 - 11:00
MX2 Grand Prix, Race 1:
(maximum 30 riders / 35 minutes + 2 laps) 12:05

MX1 Grand Prix, Race 1:
(maximum 30 riders / 35 minutes + 2 laps) 13:05

MX2 Grand Prix, Race 2:
(maximum 30 riders / 35 minutes + 2 laps) 15:05

MX1 Grand Prix, Race 2:
(maximum 30 riders / 35 minutes + 2 laps) 16:05

FIM Motocross World Championship 2004 - MX3:
500cc 2-stroke and 650cc 4-stroke (formerly known as the "650" class), will be held within the events of the European Motocross Championship (125cc and 85cc) and will be run in two heats of 30 min + 2 laps, with 40 riders starting in each race.
Entries: 8 per FMN, 10 per FMNR.

Prize money (per heat):
1st position: EUR 300, 6th position: EUR 120, 11th position: EUR 90, 16th position: EUR 65,
2nd position: EUR 250, 7th position: EUR 115, 12th position: EUR 85, 17th position: EUR 60
3rd position: EUR 200, 8th position: EUR 110, 13th position: EUR 80, 18th position: EUR 55,
4th position: EUR 150, 9th position: EUR 100, 14th position: EUR 75, 19th position: EUR 50,
5th position: EUR 125, 10th position: EUR 95, 15th position: EUR 70, 20th position: EUR 45,
Total prize money per MX 3 heat: EUR 2.240,--
Total prize money per event (2 heats): EUR 4.480,--
Travel indemnity (per event for each of the 40 qualified riders + 2 reserves): EUR 200,Timetable according to the meeting:
MX 3 and Euro 125cc: race 1 at 13h00, race 2 at 16h30
MX 3 and Euro 85cc: race 1 at 13h30, race 2 at 16h40

FIM Motocross of Nations:
The Motocross of Nations will be run according to the system which was in use until 2001. Each National team will have three riders, with one motorcycle of the MX 1 class, one of the MX 2 class, and one Open (MX 1, MX 2 or MX 3 motorcycle). There will be three heats of 30 min + 2 laps: MX 1 and MX 2, MX 2 and Open, MX1 and Open.
- Prize money: as in 2003.

MSMA (Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers' Association) Technical Proposals

The following proposals (points 1 to 5) were accepted:

1. Mudguards and wheel protection (to adapt the current rule for front and rear mudguards to the current design). As of 2004.

2. Number plates (with a few amendments): reflecting numbers are forbidden; team publicity is allowed on the front number plate within a space 50mm from the top or the bottom section of the number plate. As of 2004.

3. New lower limit of 290cc in the 500cc 2-stroke class: as of 2004.
The lower limit of the engine capacity in the 500cc class is 350cc and is limiting the smaller 2-stroke bikes with an engine capacity between 250cc and 350cc on the market to race this class. This proposal intends to give a chance for the bikes over 290cc on the market to have a class to race in.

4. Different weight limit for 2-stroke and 4-stroke: as of 2006.
There is a need to set a different minimum weight limit for 2-stroke and 4-stroke Motocross bikes. It is important to keep the performance balance between 2-stroke and 4-stroke to maintain the current competition.
80cc 2-stroke: 65 kg - 150cc 4-stroke: 65 kg - 125cc 2-stroke: 85 kg - 125cc 4-stroke: 88 kg - 250cc 2-stroke: 95 kg - 250cc 4-stroke: 98 kg - 500cc 2-stroke: 102 kg. A 1% tolerance in the weight of the machine after the race is accepted.

5. New 4-stroke class 150cc, separate 2-stroke and 4-stroke in the 80cc class: as of 2006.
The competition of 2-stroke and 4-stroke is likely to grow in the future. With the current rule, 4-stroke 125cc engine has not enough performance to compete against 2-stroke 85cc.

- Furthermore, in order to keep fair racing conditions and low costs in Motocross, a proposal was made to allow only single cylinder in all classes as of 2006, and to accept the twin-cylinder for 2004 and 2005 to race in the 250/450 class. This proposal needs further discussions amongst the partners.

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