How to watch: All-Japan Motocross Championship – Round 1 Saitama

The 2024 All Japan Motocross Championship will begin this weekend, Saturday 30th and Sunday 31th in Saitama. This year the lineup of each class is stacked of good riders who transfer or move up in class. Among these, the IA1 class has seen major changes among the top contenders this season, with foreign riders and returning from overseas series.

Current champ Jay Wilson #1 first competed in the All-Japan Motocross Championship in 2021. At that time, he raced in the IA2 class as a wildcard appearance in the 7th round, where he won both motos. Then in 2022 he moved full-time and went undefeated in the IA2 class with a perfect 17 streak of moto wins. Last year he stepped up to the IA1 class, claiming the championship by winning all motos except one.

In addition to aiming to win the All Japan Motocross Championship, Wilson also contributes to Yamaha in areas other than his own racing, such as nurturing young riders and developing technology. He is someone that Japanese riders follow and raises the level of Japanese motocross.

Honda´s Yuki Okura #2 took the runner-up spot last year in his second IA1 season. He is well-known for his consistency throughout the series. Alongside him, Hakuri Yokoyama #41 will make his 450 debut after claiming two consecutive IA2 titles in 2019 and 2020. In recent years he has been competing in Australia.

Last but not least, Spaniard Victor Alonso will step-up with the big guys in his second year in Japan after dominating the IA2 class in his rookie season. He will continue with the AutoBrothers team, but this time with the support of GasGas Japan.

2024 ALL-JAPAN CALENDAR

The All-Japan Championship will consist of 8 rounds that will change format during the championship. This first round will be held in three 15-minute heats. Then there will be rounds that will be held in the normal two-round format with variations in duration.