Comment (October)
By TMX Archives on 15th Sep 03
Amazingly, it's not been greeted in all quarters with the kind of unbounded joy and enthusiasm I'd expect from such a momentous press release. Amazingly, it's not been greeted in all quarters with the kind of unbounded joy and enthusiasm I'd expect from such a momentous press release. Within hours the internet MX sites were buzzing with the news but my jaw dropped when I logged on to some of the comments, such as...'What the ***k is wrong with this country?' 'Why can't they just use some of the other excellent tracks here where all the British motocross followers can go and see their heroes?' 'What a balls-up.' 'Well if it's in the Isle of Wight I think it's going to be a big mistake!' 'It's bad enough getting out of a British championship meeting without having to wait for a blinking ferry!' 'Typically British, we can't organise a thing.'It's tempting to pick up on that last comment and rewrite it along the lines of 'typically British, we can't be positive about a thing' but I'll resist that particular temptation. Interestingly, one of the alternative venues being suggested by the MX website pundits is Hawkstone Park thanks to its more central location. Hmm, if my memory serves me well wasn't Hawkstone criticised as a GP venue because the sand suited the Belgians? There's no pleasing some people.For me, it's dead simple. '01 - no British GP. '02 - no British GP. '03 - no British GP. '04 - British GP! Being based oop t'north means I'm used to long motorway journeys so I honestly couldn't care less that the GP will be on the south coast. Add to that the fact that it's a quality track, designed by racers for racing (and that the ferry companies have promised to bump up the crossing quota) and I can't see what all the fuss is about. So stop your moaning and get behind our GP...or grow a 'tache, grow a mullet, buy a Disney t-shirt and move to bloody Holland!Now, you'd expect my position as editor of Britain's biggest selling dirtbike magazine would automatically put me in line for maximum respect, wouldn't you? Not so... Sutty's taken to calling me the Olympic Torch because he reckons I never go out and, I hate to admit it, he's got a point. The impending arrival of baby Lawless has meant I've been unwilling to stray too far from the delivery suite at Lancaster Royal Infirmary - which is why I missed the final round of the Maxxis Brit champs.Stephen Sword had wrapped up the 125cc title one round early but there were still 'issues' to be resolved in the Open class going into Pontrilas. Not anymore there ain't! So well done Gordy and well done Swordy on a couple of jobs well done...and while I'm on the subject of titles - the same props (damn, talking to Wobbly too much) go to Stefan Everts and Joel Smets.Stefun - who, incidentally, has great taste in magazines - made it a record-breaking seven world titles in Czecho (and it could've been eight if he'd started the year racing the 125cc class as well) while Joel collected crown #5 the same day. Ignoring the fact that both are from the Land That Taste Forgot, their achievements are quite simply awesome and an inspiration to us all.