Wales’ answer to ‘Evil Knievel’ Jason Rennie announced the arrival of Supercross at the Millennium Stadium in style today, by jumping ‘Big Foot’ the monster truck on the Stadium forecourt.
The motorcycle jump star will attempt a Guinness Book of World Records jump over 13 buses at the Future West International Supercross Series third round on Saturday 22 November.
Rennie, from Coedpoeth in North Wales, holds the World Record for the longest motorbike jump with a passenger for 85ft. He is also an experienced supercross racer and will join Britain’s top riders at the first event of its kind to be held in a Stadium of this size.
Other Welsh riders in the Supercross field will be Mark Jones from Bridgend, current British Supercross Champion Neil Prince from North Wales and Richard Jones, also from North Wales.
‘This is the way they do it in America, but there just weren’t venues like the Millennium Stadium around when we first brought supercross to Britain,’ said the Canadian boss of Future West Motorsport Promotions John Hellam.
‘It’s the kind of sport that appeals as pure entertainment to a wide spectrum of the general public as well has having its own hard core of dedicated fans.
‘We are bringing the Monster Trucks and there will be plenty of stunts and exhibition riding to go alongside the serious issue of racing on the day.’
Major Supercross race teams represented at the launch weere CAS Honda, Hooper Suzuki and Dixon Yamaha alongside the current British Supercross Champions Jason Higgs and Prince.
‘This is another great event and another spectacular way of showing how truly versatile the Millennium Stadium is,’ said WRU group commercial manager Gwyn Thomas.
‘We already have the World Speedway Championships here on an annual basis with their 110 truck loads of sand replacing our removeable pitch.
‘And now the Supercross team will be bringing in four times as much sand to create their own spectacle.
‘Before we know it we’ll have more motorsport here than at Silverstone and we are more than pleased with the prospect as these are exactly the kind of high profile and diverse events we want to be attracting.’
Promoters Future West have been trying to put together a plan to stage supercross at the Millennium Stadium since the Cardiff venue was built.
‘With the sliding roof it gives the option of having the roof open if the weather is good and the stadium bowl lends itself to good track design,’ added Hellam.
‘The British Speedway GP has been staged at the Millennium Stadium for the last two years with crowds in excess of 30,000. If we could match those crowd figures we would be delighted.
‘We have taken our time over coming up with a plan for an event which we hope befits a fantastic venue such as the Millennium Stadium and we expect to see a rider line-up to suit.’
The Future West Supercross Series will begin at its traditional home of the Hallam FM Sheffield Arena on Saturday 11th October 2003. One week later rounds two and three will be staged at the King’s Hall in Belfast. Round four will be at Millennium Stadium on Saturday 22nd November and then the series moves to the Point Arena, Dublin on the 9th & 10th January 2004.
The series will end with the final round at the NEC Arena, near Birmingham, on Saturday 21st February next year.
