Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

2DD2 Motocross des Nations 'Frack Operator Malcolm McCassr By ERIC JOHNSON/RACER Since its inception at Wassenaar in the Netherlands in 1947, the Motocross des Nations has been viewed as the true World Championship of motocross. And while the fabled event's format has gone through countless changes in the past 55 years (including a new and bewildering, one-moto, winner-take-all overhaul for 2002), the concept has remained the same: The great motocross nations of the world send out their best riders to do battle for one year's worth of international bragging rights. Largely, through an epic winning streak which went from 1981 through 1993, Team USA has been far and away the most dominant country in the socalled Olympics of Motocross, winning 15 times during the last 21 years (although Great Britain has the most wins with 16). Nonetheless, the Motocross des Nations - which changes locations each and every year - has only been held in the Big 50 once, X ILLUSTRATED PHOTOS BY SIMON CUDBY "The 2002 Motocross des Nations will take place at the Competition Park circuit in San Jacinto, California, United States, on September 29. The event will be run according to a new format.» -FIM pres release, March 27, 2002 uch like the Northridge earthquake of 1994, the two-sentence Dorna press release announcing that the 2002 Motocross des Nations was coming to a local sportsman-level motocross facility rocked the Southern California-based U.S. motocross industry to its very core. In fact, many - and this is no lie - thought it to be some type of early April Fool's day joke. But no, the release, typed out by FIM Press Officer Marc Petrier, was fit to print, and subsequently, no laughing matter. r.v;r ll1J 22 APRIL 24, 2002' cue • e n __ s when Bob Hannah, Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward won at a rain-lashed Unadilla circuit in 1987. Far off the beaten path as far as the World Championship Motocross community is concerned, America has been waiting in vain for the most prestigious motocross race in history to once again grace its motocross-loving shores. During the winter months, rumors in Europe claimed that the 56th annual running of the Motocross des Nations would take place in the infield of the legendary Spa-Francorchamps Formula One circuit, nestled at the base of the Ardennes hills of Belgium. Somehow, some way, the plan came unglued, and Dorna (the promotional body of the FIM-sanctioned World Championship Motocross Series) went looking for another nation. Shortly thereafter, they met a 58-year-old American named Malcolm McCassy. A long-time journeyman in the U.S. motorcycle industry, McCassy, through contacts in Belgium, was introduced to representatives of the Spanish-based company. His objective: to try and bring the Motocross des. Nations to Southern California. One thing led to another, and ultimately, an attache of Dorna employees - way below the radar screen - flew to California to meet McCassy, who, along with partner Jim Facciuto, took them through a presentation. The duo apparently had its ducks in a row, as Dorna duly granted McCassy and Facciuto the contract to hold the 2002 Motocross des Nations. The amazing thing was that nobody knew anything about it! In a sport where rumors normally spread like wildfire, McCassy and Facciuto had been able to keep one of the greatest secrets in modem U.S. motocross history under their hats. Thus, when word did finally leak a couple of weeks ago, nobody could believe it. Many still don't. It's easy to see why. Neither man has ever promoted a National-caliber motocross race, and although they are both involved with Competition Park, the facility (and its surrounding infrastructure - i.e. highways, hotels, restaurants) is light-years away from holding a world-class motorcycle race. Throwing more fuel on the fire were the global motocross Web sites, which went berserk trying to sift facts from rumors. The primary point of confusion: Competition Park didn't even have a track on which to hold the event. We decided to go right to the source in an attempt to find out exactly what in the hell was going on. Through Marty Moates at No Fear, we were put into contact with McCassy (whose son, Malcolm Jr., is a No F~ar employee). Eager to set the record straight and explain the method in which he scored the plum event, McCassy was ready to let the public in on the mighty task he and his colleague now have on-hand. With a litany of questions that needed some answers, Cycle News performed the following two-part interview with McCassy. The first segment took place via telephone from McCassy's home in Dana Point, California, and the second, at the construction site of the recently relocated Competition Park, where we were joined by Facciuto, and McCassy's son, Malcolm Jr. Malcolm, for those who may not know much about you, how long have you been involved in American motocross?

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