2024 Namur Track Walk

Wow!

Great job on these videos!  It was my dream growing up to race there one day. 

I appreciate the work you put in, and the ending was great. 

That was a great series !  Also buy Rob's book , it's awesome,  worth it for the pics alone but also a great read .

Thank you. It was indeed a lot of work, but I really enjoyed learning how to do it.

I think the montage at the end is great. I was lucky to be able to find such great photos on the ‘Bring back Namur’ Facebook group. They have hundreds and it was actually tough choosing!  And I think the music and lyrics are a perfect fit.

Glad you enjoyed the series. 

I think that maybe that tree was past the end of the death chasm. But, to tell you the truth, I didn’t actually think to check! 

Nope, the Death Drop is Right There Behind your Savior Tree!

Check out your video at around 9.30 / 9.35. The low fence is just a few feet back from the tree, and you can see the 'wall' curving around to the left. It sort of could be taken as a light grey cobbled / brick road, but it sure as hell isn't - it's a Wall, going downwards. 

When I went in 06 and 07, I spectated a bit on the Uphill, but didn't go over to the left of the track during the event - I'd checked it out in the days before, and didn't want to be anywhere near such a succession of drops, with a bunch of others, a few of which might be pissed as Newts! I think there was  Not a Full fence at the edge of the drop on parts of the Uphill(s) !

I Walked / Crutched ( that's Bloody Hard! ) around the defunct Course a few times in much later years. I found it quite sad, to be honest. It's an amazing place, but , it does boggle the mind that Bikes raced there. Brave, Brave Men!

I think the last MC events there were the ones organized by Eric Geboers - some Vet / Vintage events, and those just a tiny part of the course? - not just the GPs that I think he had a lot to do with up to 07.

As I said, Namur compared to  an MX track  is like the IOM / Real Roads Racing is to Closed Course Road Racing. It must have been amazing for you to race there.

Yeah, now you’ve pointed it out, I think you’re right!  I’m now going to have nightmares about that. 😂

Great stuff guys….keep it coming.   

I agree. You couldn’t have picked better music.  You can’t beat Gordon Lightfoot..
 

This was great Rob, really fascinating to see the place now and from the perspective of someone that rode it. Thank you for taking the time to do it and share with us. 

I wonder what the locals that didn’t follow the sport made of it, if you consider the opposition tracks get these days from locals!

Thanks for this Rob. I appreciate you using some of my photos. These videos bring back memories of the best part of my MX life. I feel so very blessed that I got to be there in 85 and 86 and witness the best 500cc riders race on this most revered track. 

Now I need to go knock the dust off your book and go through it again.

Much appreciated Rob. I was there in 1987. A road trip taking in Farleigh Castle & then Namur we tried to find Lawrence Spence (Factory Kawasaki along with Dave Thorpe) , M Robert sponsored & the largest helmet was still too small for him, & some padding was removed for it to fit him. Head butting a tree in practice & unable to race.

It rained race day navigating our way round the track between practice & the races.

Yes those uphills were steep the fans stood well back from the track avoiding getting splattered but helped by  pulling us up the hills. We were totally soaked with wet mud but enjoyed every minute of it & were able to get up close to the side of the race track.

First time having mayonnaise with chips (French fries) & now can’t have them without it.

Thank you Sir that was amazing Motocross the greatest sport on the Planet.

Just watched the last videos and enjoying all the shots of the glory days of Grand Prix, the crowds, the atmosphere, and it's bringing back so many memories of my trips there.

Rob; when you mentioned about imagining how it was for the fans, waiting down by the bar hearing the bikes come through the woods above for first practice, you were spot on. I had goosebumps and hairs standing up on my neck the first time I experienced it. A distant brap and the crowd going quiet as we heard it, then a couple of minutes of it getting louder while everyone's anticipation grew as we still couldn't see the bikes - just hear them. Then the first bike would appear out of the woods and it was like a goal going in at the World Cup. Just sheer noise. Unforgettable.

Hey, who's cutting onions in here.? 😄

Glad you liked them. A lot of people have told me that they got a bit teary at the closing montage. 

Re the Chalet. Someone told me that the flaggers blew whistles when the bikes first started coming. That’s something I never knew. 

This was a great series, and Rob gained one more subscriber because of it.  I love seeing the old tracks.

Such an iconic track. Truly one of a kind! Thanks Mav , and Merry Christmas my friend! 

Yea, that was me on YouTube.

To make sure I was right about it, I discussed it with my brother the other day and he remembers it too.

It was not only at the Monument, it was all around the track.The first few laps the track marshalls used the whistles to warn the next one on the track and the crowds that the bikes were coming. When the field was more spread out they would stop doing it unless there was a big gap between riders.

This method is still being used in down hill MTB races.

Saving the best till last…

Was there in '85. Pretty sure that was the best ever field in motocross and certainly in the 2 stroke era. 

An all-time classic 500GP season. Malherbe went 2-1 at Farleigh to win the British GP, then Thorpe went 2-1 at Namur to win in Belgium to strike back. Dave Thorpes' book is well worth a read for his recollection of that year.