David Bulmer
Once Feld had checked that vurbmoto would be fully up and running by May 31st, they finally announced that the rest of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Championship would be taking place in a three-week span of intense action, located in one stadium that is known as the home of SX… Anaheim Daytona Phoenix … errr… Salt Lake City!?
In the current global climate, it is a ballsy move, but one that we certainly applaud and we can’t wait to see the conclusion of what has been an epic season of racing so far. Tomac vs Roczen vs Webb vs Barcia in seven races in 21 days. It’s going to be more intense than Fight Island, whatever that is.
And not only are the best supercross riders in the world in attendance, but Feld (thanks again for waiting for us to re-open our website) have let one of the Vurb crew (a small shoutout to Red Bull) win the golden credential and shoot the action inside the empty stadium at SLC. We’ve heard rumors of media guys selling grandmothers in order to be allowed access to the stadium floor, but all it took was one phone call and the name drop of “vurbmoto” (and perhaps the billion dollar company called Red Bull) and the gates were swung open and we were welcomed with open arms.
We’ve been in situ for the past few days just soaking in the atmosphere and getting ready for the craziest three weeks likely ever to take place in the supercross championship. While Wes is the guy actually there, he’s physically unable to write more than 32 words before storming off in a huff towards his RED camera and cradling, just to make sure it’s not feeling neglected. As such, I’ve taken it upon myself to write this piece, using information that Wes has passed on in our various conversations and while I’ve tried to stick to some facts, I’m not going to pretend that some of these instances aren’t completely embellished or just downright non-fiction.
So, without further ado, here are some quotes from people who we’ve spoken to (or mostly, not) during this week in SLC…
“Spending 3 weeks in SLC is everyone’s dream,” agreed all members of a local AA meeting.
“This will be just like the Winter Olympics, except with more fans,” said a resident snowboarder.
A local math teacher was very proud of the fact “Anaheim can only manage three races in five weeks, we’re doing seven in three weeks! Suck it, California!”
“This confirms SLC as the sports capital of the USA,” said Mayor Mendenhall. “We may not have NFL, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, Tennis, or Netball, but now we are home of SX…. for three whole weeks”
A confused Kroeger employee mentioned, “We’ve never run out of lean chicken and pasta before, but for some reason, the shelves are almost empty of those items.”
“I live just a mile from the stadium and I can’t wait to walk past Rice-Eccles, go into my front door, switch on the TV and watch it from the comfort of my living room. And if there isn’t much traffic, I can even hear some of the obnoxiously loud four-strokes in action. I can’t wait!” commented Kurt at the Duck & Hound.
Shane-O had bought flights all the way from Australia, even though it was patently clear no fans would be allowed anywhere near the stadium. “It would be just a dream to stand two metres away from my idols. I wouldn’t be able to get a selfie, or anything signed because none of the riders will touch my pen, but just being in the general vicinity of these heroes would be a dream come true.”
Well there you have it, hopefully that’s given you a good idea of the current mood in SLC and just how excited the local population is to be able to watch the racing on TV, just like 99.9% of the rest of us. FU Wes.
