Riders hoping to cross paths with $1 million

Imagine watching an all-star game where the participants tried from start to finish.

Such a scenario actually exists - in motorcycle racing.

Saturday's Monster Energy Cup at Sam Boyd Stadium pits the best 22 riders in the world against each other with the possibility of winning $1 million. The rider who can finish first in all three 10-lap races takes home a cool million. For some, it could be a life-changing experience.

"It means you can stay in a nice hotel," said Jeff Alessi, who, along with his brother Mike, will try to duplicate Ryan Villopoto's feat in last year's inaugural event. Villopoto finished first in all three races and left Las Vegas a big winner.

"It's going to be tough to repeat this year," Villopoto said of the race, which carries a $250,000 purse, with the winner receiving $100,000. "Last year we had a perfect night and came away with the million. But this year it sounds like all the top guys are going for it."

Villopoto and Chad Reed each made close to $11 million last year. Many of Saturday's participants do well financially, earning six- and seven-figure incomes thanks to endorsement deals ranging from their bikes, racing suits and shoes to video games and eyewear.

It provides for a comfortable living, even though it might not be LeBron James money. According to Forbes Magazine, James made $53 million last year.

"The best do very, very well," said Todd Jendro, vice president of two-wheel operations for Feld Motor Sports, which is staging the Monster Energy Cup. "It's a very lucrative sport."

And very popular.

More than 30,000 are expected to attend Saturday's event. Qualifying begins at 12:30 p.m., and the three-race main event will start at 7. The Speed Network will televise the race live to 124 countries.

Much of the event's popularity is that virtually anything goes. Normal restrictions in the regular motocross and supercross season don't apply here. Only fuel and noise are regulated.

The crews are able to push the boundaries, and the riders tend to be a little less cautious.

Throw in the changes to the track, and it's not just about who has the fastest bike. In addition to a 200-foot banked turn built into the stands, the track includes two separate starting gates that converge at the holeshot and a Joker lane that is out of the track's circuit. Each rider will be required to navigate the Joker at least once in each race.

Finally, there's the money. Racing for big bucks tends to get the competitive juices flowing, and existing rivalries on the track are sure to be heightened. New rivalries might be formed in the chase for first place and the possibility of winning $1 million.

"You're going to have to think out there," said Mike Alessi, one of the favorites to win Saturday. "There's a lot of strategy in a race like this.

"It's going to be more competitive than usual, I think. Guys are going for it even more than they normally will."

Jeff Alessi said: "It's about being tough. The weak don't make it to the top."

According to Jendro, the track took five days to build. Some 150 people were employed to spread the 9,000 cubic yards of dirt and lay 10 miles of fiber-optic cable to help time the event and for TV production capabilities.

"A unique event like this a quite an undertaking," Jendro said.

Jendro said the idea of writing another big check Saturday is fine with him.

"It was one of those blessings in disguise when Ryan won last year," he said. "We had to write a check for a million dollars, but the exposure and media coverage we got in return and all the excitement it created far exceeded what we paid out.

"If someone can win a million this year, we'll be glad to write that check again."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@review
journal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.