EMX250 age rule change explained: the new restriction on riders introduced for 2023
By Andrew Hill on 6th Sep 22
European Motocross EMX250 EMX2T EMX Open
The EMX250 European Championship age rule will see another change when the new season gets underway in 2023 dropping to a maximum age of 21.
It will be the second change to the age restriction in the last four years after it was amended in 2019 only to accept riders under 23.
That change in 2019 wiped out the opportunity for many riders challenging for title glory that had previously found success, including Britain's Steven Clarke. There were some that felt that announcement came too late, with some teams' plans being upended after they had already committed to their plans, which included riders that would be over the new age limit.
In a press release, the FIM said: "Over the last several years, the pyramid scheme has seen great success with an increasing number of entries in the European classes.
"Many of the current top stars in MXGP and MX2 have gone through the EMX ranks to become the front runners in the FIM Motocross World Championship, which is exactly what the pyramid scheme aims to achieve in order to have the best riders in the world competing on the biggest stage of motocross racing.
"The change in the EMX250 will be the age rule which looks to follow the natural evolution of the riding experience in the European Championship."
While that statement is true, it has not been without its problems.
Its continuing popularity with teams and riders has seen healthy entries from a full gate to 70 riders looking to qualify. Why have the high costs of MX2 flyaways or struggle to get into the top 20 when you can avoid that? Meanwhile, MX2 has the same age rule and has half-empty gates.
Although many will welcome the change, others feel the answer doesn't lie with an age cap rule change.
Announced simultaneously, the FIM confirmed that EMX250 and EMX125 would remain the same number of rounds as last year 10 for EMX250 and nine for EMX125.
The EMX2T European Championship has seen a steady reduction in the number of rounds per year since its creation in 2019. EMX2T started with seven events, was reduced to five the following season and then three in 2021. This year it was a one-round event, and it will be the same in 2023.
There was chatter the EMXOpen would be axed altogether in 2023, but it appears to have survived, at least for now. Created in 2020, the EMXOpen has been a six-round championship every season but has arguably seen riders that should be in MXGP perhaps finding an easier and less costly time in the Euro series.
Next year, the EMXOpen will switch to the same one-round event format as EMX2T.
Will any of these changes positively impact the FIM Motocross World Championship? Let us know on social media.
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