Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128606
nate enough to find a place on the I n 1957, the first-ever 500cc MX World Championship Series was launched. In 1962, the 250cc MX World Championship Series was run for the first time. And in 1975, the 125cc MX World Championship Series was born. In effect, World Championship Motocross - sanctioned by the FIM (Federation Inter- disciplines), this brave new world of created to lure potential sponsors to the sport), Luongo has held firm to his vision of setting new standards for the tracks, promoters and sport as a whole. "Up to now, many World Championship events are treated like local events, not like worldwide events," said Luongo in the Action Group interview. "We have to work with the clubs, the promoters, the federations and the governments to make national and international promotions and to create great interest for these World Championship Motocross has events." drastically revised schedule will be required to host all three classes. The days of three individual GP classes racing in different nations on any given Sunday are, in fact, numbered. Created through the long-term "vision" of Italian Giuseppe Luongo, ringleader of Action Group Interna- nationale Motocycliste') - has been thrilling fans around the globe for over four decades (more if you count the Motocross des Nations, which started in 1947 at Wassenaar, HoIland). Graced by such formidable men as Roger DeCoster, Joel Robert, Heikki Mikkola, Guennady Moisseev, Hakan Carlqvist, tional (which first entered GP motocross in 1996, and now holds the promotional rights to all three GP Last week, the FIM and Action Group exe- Luongo has held firm to his vision of setting new standards for the tracks, promoters and sport as a whole. Graham Noyce, Dave Thorpe, Gaston Rahier, Donny Schmit and Greg Albertyn, the three divisions that make up the barnstorming World Championship circus have set up the big top in virtually every far-flung corner of the world. From races which drew upwards of 200,000 fans in Russia, to hobbled events such as the Budds Creek USGP that ran before 4000 fans last September, the sport has generated a rich, viorant and unique history. However, that's all about to change this year - and change dramatically. For in the year 2000, World Championship Motocross will begin a brave new era with the advent of the "Triple Header" Grand Prix. Purposely created to bring all three Grand Prix divisions - 125cc, 250cc and 500cc together at one venue on one day, these new "triple header" events have generated a significant amount of attention - and controversy - in the motocrossing nations of Europe. Beginning with the Grand Prix of Hoiland at Valkneswaard on April 9, four additional triple Grand Prix events will run throughout the spring and summer months. Other venues will include: Foxhill, England, on May 28; Spa/Francorchamps, Belgium, (site of the legendary Formula 1 race) on June 4; Grobbendonk, Belgium, on July 30; and Folkendange, Luxembourg, on August 13. (Interestingly, four of the five prolific events will run in the motocross- rich Benelux region of Europe). However, the sweeping change and reform of World Championship motocross does not end there, for in 2001 every Grand Prix venue fortu- thrilled a number of members of the European motocross fraternity - and ruffled the feathers of many others. Brought to life through a solid relationship Luongo has created with FIM principal Wolfgang Srb - Srb was tapped by FIM President Francesco Zerbi to head up a new think tank/brain trust called the Motocross Commission - the pair has worked diligently to bring GP m9tocross out of the dark ages and, through a new strategy of utilizing more contemporary media and promotional techniques, into the bright white light of the mainstream. In a recent interview published by the Action Group, Luongo claimed that 30 years ago, motocross was a very popular sport throughout Europe which drew 30,000 to 40,000 fans to each race. However, while other forms of motorsport embraced media and learned and grew from it, motocross did not. Luongo believes that if this would have happened, motocross would today be as big as road racing. To a certain degree, his theory is quite fnteresting. Although he has been criticized by many European motocross insiders for seemingly being all too ea(ler to trade in 40some years of GP motocross history and heritage - much of it created by many individual GP promoters who may now lose their events - for substantial rights fees, TV ratings and opulent hospitality areas (no doubt ",IIUI .....'. CJf*'" 101001 96 MARCH 29, 2000' cue • • :> neVIl's cuted the next step of their sweeping reform of the sport by announcing that in 2001, every World Championship Grand Prix would be a triple header. It was also deter- mined that a purposely created "track crew" will attend each event - its purpose being to concentrate solely on track preparation. Said Luongo in regard to this new dynamic: "I think that, in general, Europeans work harder and better than the Americans on the events. But particularly, on tracks they work better than us, and we • have a lot to learn." With the first Grand Prix of the 2000 season just having been run, it is quite evident that Luongo, the Action Group and the FIM have already set the course for the future of World Championship Motocross. And on April 9, 2000, a striking new era will begin on the deep, brown sands of Valkenswaard, Holland. Whether it will be a dramatic improvement, or an abysmal trainwreck, has yet to be seen. However, and to their credit, Luongo and his comrades can't be faulted for trying something new in a concerted effort to breath life back into Grand Prix motocross. Sure, it has been argued and rumored - that he has created the Triple Header format to glean significant "rights" money from the participating promoters involved in the new program, - and whether this is true or not, it is pure speculation - but the World Championship Series is in dire need of some new thinking (not to mention better media and sponsor support). and Luongo, far more so· than any other person in decades, has been the man to move the series' toward that. Stay tuned. eN - Mlnnupolls 51 - GeorgIa NatIonal Enduro - World Trials Opener - 11Ie Ileal SuWI . .Z..... s,ert T..- 30 YEARS AGO••• APRIL 7, 1970 Issue #12 in J 970 was our annual April Fool's issue. The cover was pfaced on the back of the paper as well as upside down with the Cycle News logo appearing as a mirror image. A young man named Billy Watkins graced the cover alongside the Easter Bunny and Miss Maverick, laurie Adams, after winning a Maverick minibike for a victorious Easter-egg hunt at Anzac Raceway... We interviewed 21-yearold dirt tracker Dave Aldana, asking him about his early interest in motorcycling and his income potential. In 1969, Aldana made about $15,000 as an amateur. .. John DeSoto, Gary Bailey and Dick Mann met at Hangtown Cycle Park in Plymouth, California, to race a little motocross... Patraco placed an ad featuring their competition throttle/brake. The idea was that when you let off of the gas on your two stroke, you just turn the throttle slightly past the closed position which, reportedly, activates your brakes and allows you to leave all four fingers on the handlebar at all times. What will they think of next? 20 YEARS AGO••• APRIL 2, 19111J The Wheelie King Doug Domokos and World Trials Champion Bernie Schreiber graced the cover of Issue # 12. Inside they were interviewed quite informally about why they do what they do and what they're working on next. Schreiber was working on a stop wheelie while Dornokos wants to jump a bike into the Grand Canyon while wearing a parachute. One of those acts is pretty common today ... Bob Hannab announced that he would be driving an offroad buggy in the upcoming Off-Road Championship Grand Prix in the L.A. Coliseum to tide over his racing itch until his leg heals... Mark Barnett (Suz) and Kent Howerton (Suz) won the 125cc and 250cc classes at round one of the AMA outdoor national series held at Hangtown Cycle Park in Northern California ... Dick Burleson (Hus) won round one of the AMA ISDT Qualifier series held in Tellico Plains, Tennessee with relative ease... Teammates Larry Roeseler and Jack Johnson (Yam) narrowly defeated Bruce Ogilvie and Cnuck Miller (Yam) at the Mexicali 250 held in B.C., Mexico. 10 YEARS AGO••• MARCH 28, 1990 Team Kawasaki's Jeff Matiasevich graced the cover of Issue #12 after winning his first-ever Su,percross event in Las Vegas, Nevada. Matiasevich extended his points lead with the victory. The 125cc class saw another first ~1~,::i:l.l:Ll: llaliasevich hils the jackpo in Las Vegas Supercr~ .! time Supercross win- ner as Jeremy Adam McGrath (as it shows in the results) took his Kawasaki to the front on the first lap and built up a sizeable Ie.ad early. "I pressed hard for the first few laps, and from then on paced myself," said McGrath. "It's so much easier to win from the front."... Nicky Hayden (Kaw) lost to his sister Jenny Hayden (Kaw) in the 65c.c class at the Jacksonville Half Mile in Jacksonville, Florida and again finished second, in a photo fmish, to his sister at the Ocala Short Track in Ocala, Florida in the 65cc class. Nicky got his revenge in the 85cc (7 -11) class where he. beat everyone, including his sister Jenny. _