As supercross racing returns to Philadelphia, check out this local rider's Eagles-themed helmet, bike
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A teenager from Telford, Bucks County, is preparing to compete at the AMA Supercross Championship at Lincoln Financial Field this weekend, and he'll be repping Philly during the race.
Bryce Shelly, 19, will wear an Eagles helmet and ride an Eagles green bike while riding through the team's stadium on Saturday. His motorcycle is usually blue, but Shelly felt it was fitting to make some changes for his homecoming.
"Super exciting to have a race here at Lincoln Financial Field," Shelly said. "Me growing up about 30 minutes from here, it's super special to me, and it's awesome to have family and friends come out."
Shelly is in his rookie season, after learning how to ride a dirt bike at just 4 years old.
"Super excited to run the Eagles graphics and helmet and be in front of the home fans," Shelly says.
He'll join dozens of other riders for the one-day competition in Philly.
What is AMA Supercross? How is supercross different from motocross?
AMA Supercross is an off-road motorcycle racing championship. Over its 17-week series, the championship attracts crowds inside some of the most recognizable stadiums across North America. This will be the first time the event is held at the Linc, and the first time supercross is back in Philly in more than 40 years.
The term "supercross" refers to manmade tracks constructed inside the stadiums to bring motocross to the fans, while motocross refers to tracks that are built into a natural landscape.
Transforming the football field into a dirt racetrack for supercross takes days. The protective cover and plywood was set on Monday, and then 26 million pounds of dirt was moved in and formed over the next few days to get the course ready for practice on Friday and races on Saturday.
AMA Supercross 2024 schedule and fan events in Philadelphia
The fan experience starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday well ahead of the races. You can read more and get the full AMA Supercross schedule on supercrosslive.com.
FanFest is a festival for the fans and has become a major part of the supercross experience. Fans will be able to jump between meeting the athletes outside of the stadium to watching practice and qualifying rounds inside the stadium.
The opening ceremonies begin at 2:30 p.m.
Racing starts at 3 p.m. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.com.
