Mark Chamberlain: “It’s huge for me!”
By Sean Lawless on 19th Apr 17
Great Britains new MXoN Team Manager Mark Chamberlain has spoken exclusively to TMXs sister title Dirt Bike Rider about the passion and pride he plans to bring to his new role.
"It's huge for me,” said Chamberlain, who was interviewed for the June issue of DBR. "I chucked my hat in the ring just after the des Nations in Italy and said that if you're looking to change anything then at any point I would be massively honoured and proud. I chucked some ideas down and said there were some things I would do differently if I had the chance.
"I wanted to put my name forward five years ago but I didn't and I regretted it afterwards although to be honest I'm glad now that I didn't because I don't think I was ready – now I feel as though it's the right time.”
The 38-year-old MVR-D Route 77 Husqvarna team boss was given the job earlier this month by the ACU Motocross Committee after Neil Prince resigned.
"I want to build a good team spirit. I'm up for it and I'm so pumped and really proud to get the opportunity.
"When I was a kid I used to lie in bed dreaming about riding for my country – it was almost like the biggest thing I could ever think of. And I'm still a big kid so it's a massive thing for me.
"I know it's going to be difficult and I know people are going to criticise what I do but I'm ready for that and I'm up for it.”
The stresses of team management are something Chamberlain, who's run a team in the British championship every year since 2003, knows better than most and he's confident he can select the best three-rider squad for the event at Matterley Basin on October 1.
"There's a group of good riders there to chose from and there's no negotiation involved – hopefully all those boys want to ride for their country and I'm sure that they will. Those guys are all on good equipment, they've all got good teams. It's a case of getting them to gel together.”
Even the prospect of managing Team GB in front of upwards of 30,000 race fans on home soil doesn't dampen his enthusiasm for the job.
"When I put my name forward the venue hadn't been changed. It wasn't like I'd gone ‘it's in England, I'd love to do it there'. To be honest it'd probably be better if it was somewhere else the first year but you can't let things like that faze you – you've got to look at the plus points like the massive home support.
"Those guys shouldn't need motivating in front of their home fans. There are loads of plus points to it so I'm not moaning.”
