A Success Story remains on Course
What exactly is the ADAC MX Masters?
The ADAC MX Masters offers ambitious motocross riders a professional arena and was introduced by Europe's largest automobile club. Its declared aim is to boost this top-class sport at a national level and promote young motocross riders. And success has proved the organisers right, since the series has become an integral part of the motocross scene and enjoys an extremely high profile. This has been achieved through professional organisation, solid planning, a good working relationship with the motorcycle industry and the dedication of race meeting organisers. The motorcycle industry is represented by manufacturers such as KTM, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Husqvarna.
The ADAC MX Junior Cup and ADAC MX Youngster Cup series for young riders are now considered to be talent factories and enjoy an excellent reputation. The Belgian Harry Everts, a four-time motocross world champion and father of ten-time Motocross World Champion Stefan Everts, is full of praise for the ADAC MX Masters. "This series is the best thing that can happen to an ambitious motocross rider," he said. As regards its professional structure and organisation, the ADAC MX Masters gives the best preparation possible for the world championship and is the best series in Europe. "Here, young riders quickly learn what's what," commented Everts. He continually hears on his courses how much the young trainees think of the series: "The youngsters are really keen to line up in the junior classes of the ADAC MX Masters."
On the Way to a brilliant Career with the ADAC
The ADAC MX Masters consists of four classes, the premier class ADAC MX Masters and the junior classes ADAC MX Youngster Cup, ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 and ADAC MX Junior Cup 85. The three junior classes give juniors the chance to go up against stiff, foreign competition and prove themselves at an early age.
After just a few races, every entrant knows exactly where he stands internationally. The professionals of the ADAC MX Masters class (Class 1) and the 14 to 21-year-olds of the ADAC MX Youngster Cup (Class 2) had to prove themselves at eight events in 2023. The MX talents aged 13 to 18 in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 (Class 3) and the budding riders aged ten to 15 in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85 (Class 4) competed against each other in a total of six events in Germany.
Prize Money and Special Awards
At each race weekend, three heats are contested in the Masters class and the ADAC MX Youngster Cup. The pilots in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 and ADAC MX Junior Cup 85 must each compete in two heats. In the premier class and among the young riders, there is an additional Last Chance Race for those who do not qualify directly for the final races.
On each race weekend, riders receive daily prize money for finishing in the top 20 in a heat. At the end of the season, another prize money payout is made based on the year-end rankings, with the top 20 in the ADAC MX Masters class and the top 15 in all other classes being rewarded. Team performance is also acknowledged in the ADAC MX Masters: The top five teams are honoured in a cross-class team ranking.
In addition, there are many lucrative cash and in-kind prizes to be won. GoldFren sponsors a new set of brakes for the fastest ADAC MX Masters and ADAC MX Youngster Cup pilot of the Last Chance Race each weekend. Red Bull awards the Holeshot Award to the fastest starter in each class at the end of the season. The daily winners in the junior classes also benefit from value vouchers and prizes from 24MX, tank mats from Öhlins, and lubricant packages from Motul. Moreover, there are additional high-quality in-kind prizes from Ortema and Weberwerke for Classes 3 and 4, and helmet manufacturer LS2 awards a surprise package for the Best Qualifier."
Race Weekend and Points Scoring
An ADAC MX Masters event takes place over two days. Saturday morning is devoted mainly on practice and qualifying, while in the afternoon, the first heats of all classes are already contested.
On Sunday, the excitement continues. After a warm-up session, riders from different classes take turns at the starting gate to determine the daily winners in multiple heats. The highlight of each racing Sunday is the third heat of the ADAC MX Masters pilots.
Points are awarded per race for positions one to twenty (25, 22, 20, 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). More detailed information is set out in the Rules and Regulations.
Statistics on the Internet
Comprehensive statistics regarding the history of the series can be found on the website. Data on participants in all three classes has been kept since the beginning of the series. Some of the top riders from the MX1 World Championship have already competed several times in the ADAC MX Masters. Ken de Dycker earned his spurs in the ADAC MX Junior Cup back in 1998, and 2008 MX1 World Champion David Philippaerts took part in the 2006 ADAC MX Masters, just like former multiple world champions, Joel Smets and Mickael Pichon. Former MX1 World and World Championship runner-up Steve Ramon lined up several times in the ADAC MX Masters in 2008 and 2009 and was a regular at the track in 2010. But that's by no means all of the famous participants! Freestyle champ Matt Rebeaud also lined up in the ADAC MX Junior Cup in 1997, while Belgian MX pro Kevin Strijbos took part the following year.
Regular guest riders moreover have included Russian Evgeny Bobryshev, New Zealander Ben Townley, the South African Tyla Rattray, the Spaniard Jonathan Barragan and the 2008 ADAC MX Junior Cup winner and 2012 MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings from the Netherlands. Motorcycle racers like Michael Ranseder - he lined up for four years on the trot in the ADAC MX Junior Cup - and Dario Giuseppetti, who was a competitor in that class from 1997-1999, also laid the foundations for their successful careers in the ADAC MX Masters.