ISDE goes out MX GP is in...
By John Dickinson on 4th Aug 10
WITH a couple of heavy news stories hitting the streets this week editor JD takes a tentative peek under the flagstones...
TWO big stories this week catch the eye, both concerning major International events. First (page 2) the ACU has pulled the British teams out of the ISDE which is scheduled to be held in that hotbed of motorcycle sport and technical innovation, Mexico.
Then this was followed by the news that there WILL be a British MXGP in 2011, at Matterley Basin, near Winchester, promoted by Steve Dixon and the ACU. Both sides of the coin in one week.
Anyone surprised that the plug was pulled on the ISDE squads? Not me I'm afraid. Apart from the fact that it's common knowledge that things are not good on the ground over there, I'd been hearing rumblings for a long time that some people in our camp were not happy with the situation. And quite right too.
There is no need whatsoever to take any risks in a troubled country just for the sake of riding a motorcycle. I feel sorry for the lads and their helpers and sponsors who had put all their efforts into raising money, training for the event, etc, they have invested maybe 12-months or more of time and effort that has come to nought.
The question is, of course, what was the FIM doing wanting to run the ISDE in an unstable country anyway? The cynic would say that the blazer wearers fancied a nice all-expenses paid holiday in the sun at an exotic location. After all, they have plenty of form when it comes to that sort of thing. They have always had an obsession with South and Central America with many diaried events – in all disciplines – eventually being canned.
If you're thinking about the cost of such jolly ventures just remember that there's no such thing as a recession in their cosy corporate air-tight bubble. They clearly have lost all memory of life in the real world. They of course will trot out the tired old line about being ‘inclusive', taking the sport to new audiences, world markets, blah, blah, etc, etc. Maybe they even believe it. Where next I wonder...?
THE return of the MXGP to Britain will be hailed by fans as a major triumph. And why not. I'm the first to shout that a British MXGP can be a fantastic thing, a showcase for the sport and one that in the right circumstances can give it a real lift.
Unfortunately, in recent years things haven't quite followed that ideal route as the event has been kicked around between promoters, who rapidly became failed promoters, and venues which rapidly became equally failed venues. If you dig even a few centimetres below the surface it does not make for good viewing. Court cases, bankruptcies and all kind of related nasties are the real-life aftermath of chasing the MXGP Holy Grail.
The other reality of course is that the majority of fans neither know nor care about such things – nor should they really. All they (we) want to do is roll-up, pay our money and enjoy the show. Just as we would if we were paying to watch a pop concert or whatever. But if you want to know why the British MX GP has been booted from pillar to post and back again in recent years then that, in a nutshell, is why.
Steve Dixon has of course been there and done that and all credit to Steve for picking himself up and having another crack, with his eyes wide open I'm sure. The ACU has offered its full backing (minus the offer of cash to fund the show) and this is just how it should be. The MXGP scene, like all top-end motor sport, is a pure business transaction these days and needs treating as exactly that.
Steve has a huge task ahead of him and I personally wish him all the best. Matterley Basin might not be a venue steeped in MX tradition like Hawkstone, Farleigh, Foxhill etc but at least it is one that the fans have taken to during its brief spell as a major venue. The tail-end of next year may seem like a long time off, but for Steve the clock starts ticking now...
AND so this week's jolly drive took us to Dirt 3-2-1, proudly sponsored by Pidcocks Motorcycles, the T+MX/ DBR off-road spectacular which took place, as if you didn't know, at FatCat MotoParc, near Doncaster. What is now called FatCat used to be, how can I say this gently, a less than perfect venue, but since arch-enthusiast Martin Craven took hold of the reins it has become an absolutely first class facility where you can practise virtually every day of the week, all year round. And there are tracks to suit everyone from absolute beginner to MXGP rider.
Having completed an amazing transformation once, Martin is now in the process of building a completely new facilty as the site is being developed by its owner for other leisure activities, and Martin has to move FatCat to another part of the site. This procedure is already underway and the big news is it will be even better than the current offering. Riders over in east Yorkshire don't know how lucky they are to have such a fantastic place to ride.
FatCat plug over and back to the Dirt 3-2-1 – the big new idea this year was the ‘King of Dirt', which you can read about elsewhere in this week's paper, and I congratulate Alex Snow on becoming the very first ‘King of Dirt.'