Fox Raceway at Pala Raceway in Southern California has served as the traditional Pro Motocross season opener for years, and there is no better place to start a championship. The Southern California sunshine, the passionate West Coast crowd, and a track that has hosted elite-level racing for decades make Pala the perfect first chapter of the Pro MX story.
The Track
Fox Raceway is a classic natural-terrain outdoor track with significant elevation change, wide-open sections, and the kind of deep, sandy soil that is particular to Southern California. The sand is a differentiating factor — riders who come from sandy backgrounds or who have done specific sand preparation have a measurable advantage in the early laps before the track cleans up. By the second moto, the preferred lines are clear and racing tends to tighten up considerably.
The track features several long, sweeping downhill sections where riders can carry extraordinary speed, offset by tight uphill climbs that test both horsepower and rider fitness. The physical demands at Pala are significant — Southern California in late May is warm, the track is dusty before it gets watered, and the elevation changes make every lap a full-body workout.
"Pala tells you everything you need to know about who prepared over the winter. There's nowhere to hide at Fox Raceway."
— Moto, Moto Track GuideThe 2026 Opener
With Haiden Deegan making his 450MX debut in 2026 and the supercross title fight still fresh in everyone's memory, Fox Raceway's opener carries more storylines than usual. Who emerges from the winter strongest? Which supercross riders translate their speed to outdoor tracks? Which outdoor specialists have been quietly preparing for a championship run? Pala answers all of those questions in one long, sweaty, spectacular afternoon.