Opinion: Sad day for British motocross - Graeme Irwin retirement is a real blow to the sport
By Anthony Sutton on 13th Feb 19
For Graeme Irwin to be retiring from top-flight motocross is not only a real blow to the sport but a real blow to my ego too as it actually makes me feel really, really old. I can remember back to the days when he was a wee nipper rising up through the ranks it wasnt even all that long ago and now hes done-diddly-done!
Okay, hes hanging his Tech 10s up a fair few years ahead of schedule hes only just turned 27! as the wrist injury he picked up at the Italian Car Parkcross GP is so severe that he feels he wont be able to perform at his best ever again.
Irwins one of those characters who has left a mark in many different ways. Hes possibly the only rider Ive seen perform an Irish jig to celebrate winning a maiden Maxxis moto and hes definitely the only rider whose shoulder Ive helped to pop back into joint.
Hes one of the many riders Ive raced back up the A34 in a van (yes, its irresponsible I know and not something Id perhaps do now but was a good laugh at the time) and also one of the 100 or so riders whos done something on a dirt bike that has absolutely blown my mind that year he won all those titles with Buildbase Honda he was just something else!
On the flipside Ive also seen him crash far too often too (some hideously big ones) and so in that sense Im happy to see him walk away from the sport with his wife and two kids in tow having hit the kind of highs that so few manage. All in all its been an exceptional career, wholly entertaining both on and off the track and Im glad to have been there to see lots of it firsthand and read about the rest in TMX. So, well done Graeme for having the balls to call it a day and congratulations on being a class act throughout your whole career its been a blast...
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