Well done Mr Hockey
By TMX Archives on 4th Jun 08
WELL, T+MX has been banging the drum for the RHL, Gareth Hockey, promoted 2008 British MXGP at Mallory Park for months now and the proof of the pudding came with Sunday's racing. But knowing full-well that there will always be people who will find reason to knock the event usually hiding behind a pseudonym somwhere on the Internet I have no hesitation in standing-up to be counted and saying, Gareth you pulled it off!
The fans turned out in force, there was a great atmosphere and some absolutely fabulous racing. Anyone who says that the racing was boring (and I have heard it said!) simply wasn't there. Or if they were there they were unconcious. The latter is probably nearest the mark. What about Searle v Simpson? Searle v Cairoli? What about the tremendous charges by De Dycker and Philippaerts? What about the opening Veterans race and the awesome battle between those Great Britains, Dave Thorpe and Greg Hanson? If you don't call that racing then there really is no hope.
Look. It's easy to criticise. You can slag-off any event if you really want to. I am well aware that there were indeed some glaring issues over the weekend (nothing that can't be put right), but the bottom line has to be the racing. At the end of the day, to use a well-flogged cliche, "Was the racing any good?” The answer is a simple, unqualified "Yes!”
The opening Veterans race set the standard for the day. OK, Iven disappeared into the distance but how we all roared and cheered, firstly for Dave Thorpe to chase him down – and then for the flying Greg Hanson to chase down Thorpe with Greg's British-built CCM giving the fans added incentive to wave those Union Jacks. It was actually the flying bit – Greg gained amazing height over the big ‘triple' that proved the downfall in leg two as, in a freak incident, the tyre rolled off the rim, presumably on landing from that big jump, and the mousse popped out.
But that isn't the point of this piece. The point is, that when the flag dropped on that opening race, the racing was fabulous and the day was on a roll from there-on in.
Back to the fans. Given the recent history of the British MXGP with its plethora of venues and organisers, most of which ended in tears, lost fortunes, recriminations and long drawn-out court cases, Gareth knew that his biggest hurdle was to convince those fans that (as had all those before him), "It will be different this time.”
I have said this before I know but it is well-worth repeating, Gareth has been incredibly transparent about running this GP. Right from the start, he has hid from nothing, done everything right out in the open and effectively laid himself bare to be publicly crucified. And I think it fair to say that it is this openness that ultimately won over the fans. He was not an anonymous ‘promoter' ready to cut and run in the event of failure, he was always going to stand and take his kicking had it all gone wrong.
But, and there is enormous pleasure in saying this, it DIDN'T all go wrong and the fans, to their eternal credit, turned out en masse and in the mood to enjoy themselves. And from this, Mr Hockey (and his team of course, led by his supremely able wife Tracey) can hold their heads up high as the event, and I say this after much thought and consideration, turned out way better than we ever dared hope. I don't mean that derogatory in any way but it was a first time promotion at a brand new venue at a brand new track. The ways things could have gone awry are way too many to even think about mentioning.
Come on guys, give us a break from the "the burgers were too dear” mantra. They are too dear in the van at our local beauty spot but it doesn't stop people buying them! And no-one moans through the local paper!
T+MX has proudly run a weekly British GP ‘blog' in the paper in the run-up to the event and I think without a doubt this constant contact between Gareth and the fans has allowed respect to build for what he has been working towards and a bonding between the fans and the man in charge to take place. On the day he was out there for all to see, standing out like a beacon in his bright red shirt.
There was no hiding place – but then again, he didn't need one!