Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Adam Bailey is an Australian who, over the years, has lived and breathed the sport of motocross and Supercross. With a background in marketing, Adam has been one of the driving forces behind the recent growth of SX in Australia. In 2015, his group promoted the first-ever Aus-X Open SX in Sydney. Now, almost a decade later, that event has moved to Melbourne and the incredible Marvel Stadium and has also grown into one of the largest motorsports events in Australia. Adam has also been instrumental in the growth of the WSX Championships, and this weekend, he’s in Abu Dhabi for the second round of that series, a race that will see our own Cole Thompson lining up. This year, Adam and the WSX Series have also been working closely with Jetwerx in Canada on items like track construction, track maintenance, and the continuation of growing the sport of SX globally. We caught up with Adam as he was preparing to make the long journey from Australia to the Middle East for the Abu Dhabi SX.
MXP: Hey Adam! First off, thank you for doing this. We know the next month will be very busy for you and your crew. You’re headed to the Middle East this week, and it’s a long way from the East Coast of Australia to Abu Dhabi. What does that travel day look like for you?
It’s not too bad for me, to be honest. Australia is pretty remote from the rest of the world, so almost every major international trip seems to begin with a 12-hour trip to Abu Dhabi/Dubai as a stopover. I’ll depart from Brisbane Airport tonight and arrive in Dubai at 5:30 a.m. Then it’s a 1.5-hour drive to Yas Island, where I will catch up with our team, who are already on the ground there!
MXP: Many mainstream sports have had recent successful events in Abu Dhabi. How excited are you that the WSX will debut there this coming weekend?
Really excited. It’s a fantastic opportunity to expose the sport to new consumers, media, and brands and, hopefully, to convert some new fans to SX. The host Promoter of the event is Ethara, who also promotes F1 there. They’ve done an incredible job, which only further helps us build our brand.
MXP: That sounds very exciting. Can you talk a little about how you were able to secure a round of the WSX Series in Abu Dhabi?
We were lucky enough to be introduced to Ethara through a mutual contact in the event space. Also, our founding investor, Mubadala, is from Abu Dhabi, and I’m sure it helped. It was a 6-8 month process, and thankfully, we were able to agree to terms around March of this year. It was a little late, but I’m excited that we were able to get everything done.
MXP: Through your connections with Jetwerx here in Canada, you have some good old Canadian boys helping out with the track build this weekend. The track map looks very cool for this weekend. You’ve been a part of many SX events in recent years. How is everything shaping up for this round?
Yeh, we’re stoked to be working with the Jetwerx guys. Not only are they super experienced, but most importantly, they’re good people. They’ve already been out once to inspect the dirt and came back positive. That was an initial concern because clay-based soil is uncommon in the Middle East. It was a relief to hear they found some good stuff, so it’s all coming together nicely, and dirt starts to go in today!
MXP: Speaking of Canada, there have been a few attempts to have a WSX event in Canada. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out with Vancouver this year. Is this something that you’re continuing to look at for the future?
For sure! We were really disappointed to have to cancel Vancouver this year. BC Place is an epic venue, and we’re really positive about Canada in general. Our cultures are so similar, and there are already so many great people wanting to help us bring it to life. I’m sure we’ll be there soon enough.
MXP: That is great news, as I think Canada is ready to host another International SX event. Also, this weekend will see the debut of Cole Thompson in the 2023 WSX Series. We know you’re familiar with Cole from his recent success in the Australia SX Championships. But it’s very cool that he will be a part of the event this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
It’s awesome to have Cole join the field in WSX. He rips, and in the tight setup we have in Etihad Arena, he’ll make an impact for sure, and no doubt will do Canada proud.
MXP: Final question regarding this weekend in Abu Dhabi. How do you anticipate the spectator response to be? This is an international city, and with this being a global event, do you expect a sell-out?
I think we’ll get close to a sell-out. We’re going to a completely new market, with very little knowledge about Supercross. We expect to be building over multiple years, but things are certainly shaping up well this weekend, and I think the stadium will be very busy. We look forward to putting on a show for the locals and keep growing the fan base.
MXP: Are you heading straight back to Australia after this event?
Yes, I’m heading straight back to the Gold Coast for a few days, then Newcastle, New South Wales, which is about an hour’s flight, for the second round of the Fox Australian Supercross Championship! Busy times!
MXP: The final round of the WSX Championships and the Australian SX Championship is fast approaching at the end of the month in Melbourne. Over the past several years, you have been a big part of making SX happen in Australia. From the early years in Sydney to Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, it’s been quite an impressive journey.
Thank you, I appreciate that. One of my good qualities is also one of my worst, which is when I see an opportunity in something or where it can be made better, I can’t help myself. When we started promoting the AUS-X Open events in Sydney in 2015, the other Australian Championship events were struggling quite badly. So we started to work towards promoting the whole series, which now AME (being run by my partner, Kelly) is doing. We had quite a bit of momentum going in 2019 when AUS-X moved to Marvel Stadium, but as everyone knows, COVID-19 destroyed that for all events. It’s taken until now to feel like the Australian Championship is back on track, and now, I’m fully committed to building WSX to where we believe it can be.
MXP: Watching events like the SX races in Australia bounce back from the Pandemic has been very impressive. Whether it’s been the entire SX series in Australia with riders like Justin Brayton and last year with Cole Thompson on his Serco Yamaha or the final event of the series, which has always seen a plethora of top International riders in attendance, Supercross in Australia looks to be in a really good spot and has a following that extends right across the globe. What have been some of the keys in growing the sport to not only succeed within the borders of Australia, but also worldwide?
That’s a tough question! I think first and foremost, as cliché as it sounds, is to put the fan experience first. That means going to venues and locations that may be smaller than is ideal or in non-traditional regions, but we know we can engage fans and use these events to build from.
Also, and probably the most challenging part, is making the whole thing work commercially. It doesn’t take a genius to run a great event and spend a bunch of money in the process, but to make supercross events work commercially so that the sport can grow sustainably requires not only very stringent cost control but also clever and out-of-the-box marketing ideas. When building something new and trying to cut through against traditional sports and events with a limited budget, we have to make every dollar count.
MXP: Well, I would say keep doing what you’re doing, as it appears to be working. Every sport needs its stars to help grow a sport, and Australia has been fortunate to have some incredible riders like Chad Reed, Brett Metcalfe, and now the Lawrence Brothers. These riders, just to name a few, have been tremendous ambassadors for Australia on the world stage. What is it about Australia that keeps turning out these superstars?
I think it helps to have strong domestic racing opportunities first and foremost. However, I think Australia has a great culture for wanting to win and be the best. Aussies love being underdogs, it seems. It’s really helped younger generations have the likes of Chad, Metty, and the Lawrences pave the way and prove that an Australian rider can find success on the world stage. The wave of young talent in Australia is building at the moment – we’re calling in the Lawrence effect; the better those guys do, the more motivated our junior riders seem to be!
MXP: Speaking of Chad Reed, since his retirement a few years ago, we’ve seen him take a very active role in promoting SX in his native Australia. He’s even bringing his son Tate down to race the Supermini Class in Melbourne in a few weeks, which is very cool. How does the relationship with Chad work as far as the series goes, and how impressed are you that he’s chosen to stay involved as much as he has?
Chad has been great to work with. He really has a depth of knowledge that very few can compare to. I’m really happy for him that he has made such a strong transition from being a racer to this stage of his life and that he’s now so committed to giving back to the sport.
MXP: Can you talk a little about your background in the sport Adam? How did you get started, and what has the road been like from those early days until now?
Like many involved in this industry, I grew up racing myself. I started when I was around 12 and raced pretty seriously as a privateer right up until I was 25. While doing that, I studied Marketing and Commerce and promoted my first events when I was around 23. I’ve done almost every job there is to do in the industry, from selling magazine advertising to track building, commentary, selling sponsorship, managing athletes, TV hosting, and event management for other events. I basically tried anything I possibly could to keep myself in the industry and working, doing what I loved.
I started my own athlete management company and managed a few guys in MX/SX and FMX before growing that into a broader sports marketing agency and eventually promoted the first AUS-X Open event in 2015. We ran that from 2015 to 2019 when we grew to Marvel Stadium and also launched ‘S-X Open’ events in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2018 and 2019. At that stage, I already believed that Supercross could be an international/global championship. When the rights came up for grabs during COVID-19, that was it – we swung into action, and here we are!
MXP: It sounds like you’ve seen it all in this sport, and like Chad Reed, you have a strong knowledge base about how things work. Moving forward and looking into 2024. The WSX Series saw an ownership change a few months ago, and some new investors came in. Do you see this change giving the series some real solid footing heading into next year? And what do you see the WSX Series looking like moving forward?
For sure! Having a solid group of experienced investors like Kyril and Juan is critical to the success of the WSX Series. There’s been some really tough learnings to bring us to where we are today, but I’m excited to see what the future holds, and I’m enjoying working with both of the guys. This weekend will be their first Supercross officially, so I have no doubt when they see it in person, they’ll be just as hooked as the rest of us are!
MXP: Thanks for your time Adam. Safe travels this month, and best of luck with both Abu Dhabi and Melbourne.
You’re welcome. Thank you so much for your support. We can’t wait to get to Canada soon!
