Clear Channel vs. AMA Pro Racing: The Story Of How The FIM Became Involved in AMA Supercross

These days we hear a lot of grumbling about the involvement of the FIM in “our” Supercross series. From the odd black flagging decisions to the draconian drug penalties, the shadow of the FIM looms large over Monster Energy Supercross. The reasons for this complex entanglement are numerous and varied, but the crux of them go back to a power struggle that took place all the way back in 2001 between Clear Channel (then the promoter of the series) and the AMA’s for-profit arm AMA Pro Racing. Because this took place quite a long while ago and there are many that may not know or may have forgotten this fiasco, I thought it might be good to take a look back at what happened then and how we got where we are today. This video covers the 2001 dispute and the fallout from it we still feel today.