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Catalina Motorcycle Grand Prix Returns For 2020

Grab your sunscreen and ferry pass, the Catalina GP is back!

January 30, 2020

This is a view of the 2010 Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix racecourse. There is nothing quite like the spectacle of a thousand motorcycles racing through the sleepy hills of Avalon on the most famous of California’s Channel Islands.Red Bull Content Pool

The Catalina Grand Prix is set for a return in November of 2020, and the California off-road racing scene is looking that much better because of it. The fabled GP has been shelved for a decade despite record turnout and a level of popularity shared by very few one-off racing events. You can imagine all the reasons that a quiet retirement community with just 4,000 residents like those who call Avalon home would prefer not to have a world-class race held in their backyard, but they have given it the green light.

This is what the action looked like from the starting line of the pro race during the 2010 Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix, which featured motorcycle legends including the late Curt Caselli, Nitro Circus founder Travis Pastrana, and Baja 1000 winner Kendall Norman, to name a few.Red Bull Content Pool

Thanks to the efforts of District 37 racing organizers and a band of local Catalina business owners, the race is set for a glorious return later this year. The news was first revealed on cyclenews.com earlier this week, so make sure to check out the Jean Turner interview with D37’s Scott Perkins for more insight regarding how the pieces finally fell into place.

Back in the glory days of the Catalina Grand Prix, riders from all over the world would migrate to the West Coast for a chance to be a part of something truly special and one of a kind.Red Bull Content Pool

If you are interested in racing or spectating, it will behoove you to follow the official Catalina GP Facebook page for updates as they are made available. If you’d like to read a bit more about the history of the Catalina GP, check out our Catalina GP Thunder Island article from back in 2010.

Honda’s Kendall Norman claimed victory in the Pro class during the 2010 Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix.Red Bull Content Pool

Classic motorcycles are really the core of the Catalina Grand Prix. This is the opportunity for the legends of the sport and racing fans alike to meet on the grid and rub elbows with each other.Red Bull Content Pool

Here’s Travis Pastrana jumping a mudhole at the 2010 Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix.Red Bull Content Pool

Motorcycle racing always draws out the personalities. Back in the good old days, you were just a face in the crowd, but this year we will probably bear witness to a who’s-who of racing legends at the starting line.Red Bull Content Pool

Expect to see some truly historic racing machines on the grid for 2020.Red Bull Content Pool

Will Norman be back to defend his title after a decade of relaxing by the pool? Or will he concede the 2020 title to another young racer? Stay tuned…Red Bull Content Pool