The Honda Unadilla National is set to kick off this weekend with the Pro Motocross races on Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. Motocross has been flourishing in Unadilla for the past 54 years, where it stands out as one of the best tracks in the United States. (Photo from MX Sports Pro Racing/Align Media)

NEW BERLIN – One year removed from celebrating a half-century of racing, the prestigious Pro Motocross Championship will usher in a new era for the 2023 season as the centerpiece of the newly formed SuperMotocross World Championship.

The 11-round summer Pro Motocross campaign will visit 10 different states over the course of its journey to crown a pair of AMA National Champions with the sport’s most distinguished title, which will include an annual visit to the rolling plains of Central New York to one of American motocross most hallowed grounds at New Berlin’s Unadilla MX.

For more than 50 years, this iconic venue has welcomed the fastest racers on the planet, from all over the world, for an international showcase of this gritty, awe-inspiring sport. While Unadilla’s existence predates Pro Motocross, it has served as a hallmark event on the championship calendar since the series’ inception in 1972 and will host the 37th running of the Honda Unadilla National on Saturday, August 12, to kick of the stretch run of the 2023 season. The race at Unadilla MX will signify the ninth of 11 events on the summer Pro Motocross calendar and the 26th event of the SuperMotocross World Championship following the 17-race Supercross season.

Unadilla became a mainstay for motocross in the late 1960’s, during the sport’s infancy here in the United States. At the time, European racers were the dominant force and the track’s unique, sprawling layout perfectly utilized the undulating landscape of the Unadilla Valley to create a European-style layout that quickly allowed it to gain prominence.

The early races at Unadilla provided an opportunity for American fans to see the sport’s biggest international stars and also helped foster what became a rapid development of homegrown American talent. It was an obvious inclusion for the inaugural Pro Motocross Championship season and has remained a pinnacle event in American motocross ever since. The history made on the lush green hills is profound and stepping onto the property is a convergence of the sport’s formative years and the current booming modern era. Unadilla remains motocross in its purest form and it’s why no track speaks more loudly across motocross history.

The five-plus decades of success at Unadilla can be directly attributed to its caretakers, the Robinson family. The family patriarch, the late Ward Robinson, was a visionary and became a founding father of American motocross thanks to his business savvy and ability to host a world-class event when the sport was still unknown here in the states. He continued to lead Unadilla’s ascension into one of the country’s premier venues and nurtured the next generation to assume the reins of the business. Siblings Jill and Greg Robinson have not only sustained their father’s success, but have led Unadilla’s continued elevation into a modern-day motocross mecca. The track and its annual summer showcase of the Unadilla National have become a must-see, bucket-list visit for any race fan, which is a direct result of the extensive care and oversight by the Robinsons to make Unadilla a truly special place.

On the racetrack, a decorated contingent of the world’s most uniquely skilled athletes from across the globe will comprise the competitive field set to wage battle during the Pro Motocross Championship. American-born champions like Adam Cianciarulo, Aaron Plessinger, and Chase Sexton will go bar-to-bar against fellow champions from different continents, like France’s Dylan Ferrandis and Australia’s Jett Lawrence. Chase Sexton is currently the reigning Unadilla winner.

One of Chenango County’s own Corey Burnett from Bainbridge, who serves as an officer for the Norwich Police Department, is set to compete in this prominent event on behalf of the Norwich Police Benevolent Association.

Other New York natives include, Justin Barcia, a former Unadilla winner set to make his 2023 Pro MX debut from injury, Phil Nicoletti , One of the most beloved racers from New York, whose career-best finish came at Unadilla, Hunter Nitsch from Skaneateles, NY, Caleb Hall from Oswego, NY, Trevor Schmidt and Blaze Cremaldi from Rochester, NY, Nick Niles from Gansevoort, NY, and James Slaughter of Walden, NY.

These riders, along with star rookie Haiden Deegan, of the poplar Deegan family, who has over one million followers on social media, will be addressing the media on Friday, August 11 from 1 to 1:30 p.m. before riding immediately following interviews.

The full schedule, along with ticket information is below. Good luck to all riders.

Event Information

Honda Unadilla National

Round 9: 2023 Pro Motocross Championship

Unadilla MX - New Berlin, New York

August 12, 2023

8:00am Practice & Qualifying

12:30pm Opening Ceremonies

1:00pm First Motos (250 Class & 450 Class)

3:00pm Second Motos (250 Class & 450 Class)

Ticket Info:

Saturday General Admission $60 Adults / $25 Kids (Ages 6-11)

Pit Pass (9am - 12pm) $30 All Ages

For information about the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news.

-Information from Brandon Short, Next Level Sports