Extreme Off Road
Riding over obstacles that most reasonable riders wouldn’t even consider walking over, the appropriately named extreme off-road racing — sometimes called “hard enduro” — is the ultimate test of both a rider’s skill and the machine’s capability.
Designed to incorporate the most challenging terrain possible — including near-vertical climbs and descents, boulder-filled rock gardens, log crossings, and a near-endless variety of ultra-challenging obstacles — extreme enduro is one of the fastest-growing segments of off-road racing and is hugely popular with spectators, too.
The extreme enduro format is purposefully left wide-open for promotors to include as many challenges as possible. Extreme off-road can feature Le Mans starts, timed sections, random course changes and more. One of the toughest and most prestigious extreme off-road events in the nation is the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship. This event features a multi-round “knockout” format where riders race against the clock in some rounds and compete head-to-head in others. The course varies in length in each round and covers extremely difficult terrain. The Tennessee Knock Out includes two amateur class competitions on Saturday, with the top 25 finishers earning the opportunity to compete in the pro class races on Sunday.
Another popular version of extreme off-road competition is the fan-friendly AMA EnduroCross series that combines the racing format of motocross and AMA Supercross with the challenging obstacles of hard enduro. EnduroCross riders race over massive rock piles, through water crossings, over tractor tires and even across log stacks lap after lap in a stadium setting, making for a thrilling spectator event as well.
The AMA EnduroCross National Championship Series includes events all over the country, featuring professional and amateur racers from the United States and overseas, all competing for AMA National No. 1 plates.
Championship and Premier Events
Claim: Injured motorcyclists are uninsured and disproportionately rely upon the public to pay for their injuries.
Response: Motorcyclists are just as likely to be privately insured as any other road user.
A medical center study1 reported that injured motorcyclists in the trauma center relied on public funds a lower percentage of the time than did automobile drivers to pay their hospital bills during the same time period.
A university study2 reported that automobile drivers and motorcyclists have their medical costs covered by insurance at a nearly identical rate.
Conclusion: Injured motorcyclists are less likely than the general population to use public funds to pay for injuries sustained in crashes, and no more likely to be uninsured than other vehicle operators.
One of the toughest and most prestigious extreme off-road events in the nation serves as the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship. The event features a multi-round “knockout” format where riders race against the clock in some rounds and compete head-to-head in others. The course varies in length in each round and covers extremely difficult terrain. The Tennessee Knock Out includes two amateur class competitions on Saturday, with the top 25 finishers earning the opportunity to compete in the pro class races on Sunday.
Supplemental Regulations
- AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship Supplemental Rules – Updated rules coming in 2024
This is a six-race series organized by EnduroCross LLC. The events are moto-based, with heats and mains. The man-made tracks feature obstacles, including logs, rocks and water crossings, along with more extreme obstacles, such as K-rails and tractor tires. The courses vary in length in each round and cover extremely difficult terrain. Riders race head-to-head for a chance to win an AMA National Championship at the end of the season. EnduroCross is a one-day program featuring a variety of classes.
Supplemental Regulations
The AMA Hard Enduro Series will be 10 Extreme Off-Road events divided into two regional championships: AMA West Hard Enduro: AMA West Extreme Off-Road Championship Series and AMA East Hard Enduro: AMA East Extreme Off-Road Championship Series. Each round is hosted by the region’s premier clubs and promoters and also will act as qualifiers to the AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand Championship, the Tennessee Knockout.