MiniMoto SX 2011: Five Things You Need To Know 2

Yeah, there's some big race coming up in Vegas Saturday night that you may have heard of. But if you're looking for something fun to do on Friday night in Vegas, there's also the eighth annual GEICO MiniMoto SX that you can hit on as a tune-up for your spectating and partying skills. Here are a few things you need to know.

1. New location!

If you head to the location of the past seven MiniMoto SX events (The Orleans), you'll find that you're kind of lonely. This year's event will be held in the South Point Arena at the South Point Casino, which provides a larger floor, so the riders will get the biggest MiniMoto SX track to date. Construction for the track? It'll be built by the Schaefer Tracks crew.

Ready to set your GPS? Here's the address:

South Point

9777 Las Vegas Blvd South

Las Vegas, NV 89183

Oh, and the race will return to The Orleans next year.

2. Pro & International Riders

In the past, we've seen Jeremy McGrath, David Pingree, Jason Lawrence, Chris Gosselaar, and more. This time around, you'll find returning champs like Michael Blose, Derek Costella (who's won more MiniMoto SX mains than any other rider), and Austin Politelli, as well as plenty of guys who kill it on the small bikes. They'll be vying for an $18,000 purse.

Since this is the biggest event of the year for the mini crowd, all the top teams bring their fastest creation, so expect to cruise the pits to check out the Works-caliber bikes from teams like Braaap USA, CHP, 2-Up Minis, BBR Monster Energy, Pitster Pro, and Sano.

Something else you'll find is a very large (and very competitive) international contingent. While there are AMA number one plates up for grabs, this really is very much like a World Championship.

3. Electric vs. Gas

Electric bikes had been run as a demo class in recent years, but last year they went head-to-head against th 16-inch wheel playbikes, and the electric bikes took the win with Drew Gosselaar on board a Quantya.

This year, as the battery-powered bikes continue to develop, you can expect to see additional brands, and a renewed rivalry between Quantya and Zero. If you're as curious about watching how the electric bikes develop as we are, this is one race you definitely want to see.

4. Leatt Brace Service

Race-N-Safe Distributing will have their trained staff offering free inspections and fitment checks of all Leatt Neck Braces. It doesn't matter if it's old or new, youth or adult, they can dial you in with adjustments, and replace broken parts at a special MiniMotoSX discount. Their trained staff will also do the work for free while you wait. How cool is that?

5. Tickets

If you buy in advance, you can save a couple bucks. Advance Ticket Prices for adults are $30, $25, ad $20. Kids 2-12 are, $20, $15, and $10.

On the day of the event, adults are $32, $27, and $22; while kids are $22, $17, and $12.

Want to order tickets? Check here for tickets to the 2011 GEICO MiniMoto SX.