Who Else Likes GP Motocross?

Back when I first got interested in motocross (yeah, you smartasses in the back row, it was a loooong time ago), the scene was completely different from the way it is now. We were the snot-nosed punks of the motocross world, and regularly got thrashed by the European Grand Prix riders. Back then, they dictated the style…both on the track and for what to wear. They had the experience (we had little), and heck, even a large portion of the equipment came from there. Who remembers Maico, Husqvarna, Greeves, Montesa, Bultaco, Ossa, DKW, Monarch, CZ, and Zundapp?

Among the first races I attended back in the day was one of the Hang Ten USGPs at Carlsbad. It’s hard to imagine now, but one of the U.S. guys getting a sniff of a top ten in a moto used to be a big deal. Finishing on the podium? That was barely worth considering, it sounded like such a crazy idea.

Of course, things have completely turned around since then. A lot of the focus is now centered over here, both on the Supercross and National scenes. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that I still like to check out the action over there, and rather than looking at it as quirky and odd (like some of my friends do), I like that it’s different, whether it’s the bikes, gear, or overall scene. I also like keeping track of who’s who, and who’s doing what over there. That always comes in handy around MXoN time. And with the MXoN coming to the U.S. more often in the future, and with the return of GPs to the U.S. starting next year, it makes it easier to feel more connected to the global scene.

I’ll be traveling to Holland for next week’s GP season opener, and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve always wanted to see a Dutch sand race, and it’ll be cool to see the full MX1 and MX2 classes in action, since we only get a limited selection of each one at the MXoN. Be sure to follow along on Vital next week for updates, and besides the race action, we’ll be checking out some of the team introductions on Friday from Valkenswaard.