Philadelphia
Lincoln Financial Field
The City of Brotherly Love (and many other colorful nicknames) returned to the Supercross schedule in 2024 for the first time since the Carter administration and when most bikes were air-cooled, twin-shocked and had drum brakes.
Fast Facts
On August 9, 1980, Mike Bell entered the Philly doubleheader with a 27 point lead over Suzuki’s Kent Howerton but almost got decapitated in his heat race; a banner fell from the over/under bridge and caught Bell around the neck as he passed through the tunnel. Bell still won but suffered a bruised and scraped neck that he lathered in salve.
In the main, Bell led all 25 laps (also a goof-up) and earned his 6th victory of the season. Jim Gibson finished 2nd, Steve Wise was 3rd.
Broc Glover (#11) won Sunday afternoon’s main event in the 1980 Philadelphia doubleheader but Mike Bell (who needed a 7th or better if Kent Howerton won) claimed the 1980 AMA Supercross championship, his first, and Yamaha’s fourth consecutive.
The win at Philadelphia II was Glover’s fourth of the season but he was out of title contention due to missing rounds 3-4. Bell finished 3rd in the race, his 11th podium of the season.
The 1980 Philadelphia Supercross course circumnavigated the grass where the Eagles were scheduled to begin the NFL season a few weeks after the SX race.
Lap times hovered around 45 seconds, on a race track that featured walls intended to slow down the riders and catapult them into the air. Many competitors went over the bars, straight to the hospital. Philly didn’t return to the schedule until 2024.
Philly returned to the Supercross schedule for the first time in 44 years and aired live on NBC network in a Saturday afternoon race.
Jett Lawrence won his 7th overall of 2024, and led every lap. Chase Sexton finished the first lap in 5th and passed Cooper Webb for second on lap 15.
Webb went down trying to hold off Jason Anderson. With 4th place, Webb left Philly -12 to J. Lawrence.
Venues
Lincoln Financial Field opened in August 2003. It is an open-air, 67,594-capacity football stadium and home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, part of the larger South Philadelphia Sports Complex where JFK Stadium once stood.
John F. Kennedy Stadium hosted the 1980 Philadelphia Supercross, which ran around the perimeter of the football field (promoters were not allowed to build on the grass). JFK was demolished in 1992.
This interactive table below details the all-time leaders in Philadelphia; who has the most starts, wins, podiums and points. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more column
All-Time Leaders
Who won in Philly, in what year and what round was the race? Winner history makes that easy to see. Tap ‘additional stats’ to see more info
Winner History
Full race results from every Philadelphia Supercross in sport history. Tap ‘additional stats’ to see position changes and qualifying ranking
Race Results
Fun Facts
To get a true sense of what the track was like in 1980, watch these videos shot from the stands by Lyndon Fox.