The fourth annual Pro Circuit Open, presented by Kawasaki, was held at Tampa MX, located at 6334 Burts Rd., on March 7.
The custom-designed, state-of-the-art track, which also plays host to many exciting sports events such as amateur motocross racing and mud runs, is located in the heart of the Tampa Bay area and is easily accessible from major highways. It showcased top professional off-road motorcycle racers, including Tampa’s own Kyle Chisholm, who competed in front of thousands of spectators for a cash prize. Tampa’s Pro Circuit Open featured $10,000 in prize money with Mike Alessi taking home the first place prize of $4,000, Tyler Bowers won second place and $2,500 and Cole Thompson won third place and $1,500. Additional prize money was paid back to 10th place.
The event was held just days prior to the prestigious running of the Daytona Monster Energy Supercross on March 9.
“We love giving top athletes a high-quality race track to come out and test since it’s so easy for them to travel from Daytona to Tampa. Fans always enjoy watching these guys battle it out for the chance to take home a good chunk of cash,” said Mike Floyd, event promoter and co-owner of Tampa MX.
Amateur competitors as young as four also competed for contingency, including $1,000 to the winner in the Advanced Women Open class, $1,750 going to the 9 to 16-year-old winner of the 85cc-112cc class and a $1,000 Hollywood Racing Pro Holeshot Award for the professional who made it first to the first turn.
Since 2015, the Pro Circuit Open has been Florida’s only one-off event to kick off Daytona Bike Week. The event has gained momentum for its boost to the local community and garnered a stellar reputation with strong support from the motorcycle racing industry. This year again featured a Supercross-style main event format and followed a successful third-annual event, which drew nearly 2,000 spectators and families from surrounding areas.
