AUSTRALIAN MOTOCROSS HISTORY

While we all head to Darwin, Australia this weekend, for the final round of the 2025 MXGP and MX2 championships, we also make our return to the land down under, after a 24-year hiatus.

Many of us that are old enough, will remember a couple of really exciting world motocross rounds in Broadford, Victoria in 2000 and 2001, and of course, the Aussies have also held a round of the World 125cc championship, back in 1993 and the 1992 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

The first ever major international race was held in Australia on 9 December 1972, when factory Suzuki riders and world 250 and 500 motocross champions, Joel Robert and Roger de Coster arrived to race the rather inexperienced Australian riders. Along with Bengt Aberg, Adolf Weil and a handful of other leading Grand Prix riders, the sport of motocross was introduced on the big scale.

The Aussies got another taste of major motocross racing, back in 1992, around the tough sand track of Manjimup, Team USA’s domination of the Motocross des Nations was expected to come to an end in 1992 when the country’s two biggest motocross stars – Jeff Stanton and Damon Bradshaw – declined to ride.

All the pundits said the 11-year reign at the top was over for the Americans due to the entry of their “B Team” and the sandy Cosy Creek circuit at Manjimup, Western Australia. But a young trio of Americans – Jeff Emig, Mike LaRocco and Billy Liles – showed the world just how deep the talent pool in America had become.

A year later Australia hosted its first World Motocross Grand Prix at the Cosy Creek Circuit in Manjimup, Western Australia. Following the success of the 1992 Motocross des Nations at Manjimup the year before, Australia was awarded the rights to host a round of the 1993 World 125cc Championships at the same venue. It was the final deciding round for the year held over the weekend of 27-29 August and it was the first time ever this class was staged outside of Europe.

Dutchman Pedro Tragter (Suzuki) was in the box seat to clinch his first World Motocross title. Heading into Manjimup, he held a 34-point lead ahead of Frenchman Yves Demaria (Suzuki).

Many decades later, Grand Prix motocross again appeared in Australia, with rounds held in 2000 and 2001. The Australian round of the 500cc World Motocross Championship at Broadford, Victoria in 2000 will long be remembered for the inspiring performances of two local riders who launched successful international careers at this event.

On 19 March 2000 – and in front of a 15,000-strong crowd – Queenslanders Andrew McFarlane and Michael Byrne finished in the Top 10 against the world’s best riders, with McFarlane winning the holeshot on his Kawasaki 500 machine in the first of the two Grand Prix motos, the first round of the season.

The late Andrew McFarlane kept the world’s best riders in his dust for more than 20 minutes, eventually finishing fourth overall after coming third in the first moto ahead of Byrne in fourth aboard a Honda.

Stefan Everts survived a protest to win his second 500 MX GP of the year after an enthralling contest at the dramatic hillside circuit of Broadford, 50 miles north of Melbourne, Australia on the weekend of April 15, 2001.

The race was a great triumph for the Yamaha Motocross Team, with newcomer Andrew McFarlane finishing second on home territory and Marnicq Bervoets only narrowly failing to make it a 1-2-3 for the team. Everts extended his 500-championship lead to 18 points.

So, when we arrive in Darwin this coming weekend, let’s not forget the past, a past that gave many young Australian riders the opportunity to race the best in the world. We see now the performances of Australian riders, both in Europe and in America and the growth of the sport down under will continue this coming weekend.

Photo Credit: KTM