MXGP Returning to Asia

Of course, Asia has been a big part of the FIM World Motocross Championships, with a handful of rounds held in the 1980s and 1990s, but for many years it disappeared from the calendar, until it returned again in Japan in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The Japanese GP was always a brilliant event with the magnificent Sugo circuit bringing success to Billy Mackenzie three times and of course Christophe Pourcel and Stefan Everts also won there too. After those three consecutive Japanese races, again Asia dropped off the calendar, until in Thailand appeared as the second round of the 2013 Grand Prix season.

Held at the Si Racha circuit in the outskirts of Pattaya, a beautifully prepared circuit saw Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings take victories and an explosive superfinal brought the large crowd to their feet on many occasions. We returned to Si Racha again in 2014 and again Cairoli and Herlings were the overall winners.

A year later and on a very warm day in March 2015, the MXGP riders arrived at the spectacular Nakhonchaisri circuit, and it was American Ryan Villopoto who claimed victory, with his 1-3 results. Herlings picked up his third straight MX2 overall in Thailand.

Moving further north in 2016, the MXGP and MX2 boys turned up at the Suphan Buri circuit and it was Roman Febvre winning the MXGP overall and yes, Herlings in the MX2 class, his fourth win in a row in Thailand.

With our Thailand adventures well and truly enjoyed, the MXGP championship changed countries as Indonesia returned to the grand prix calendar for the first time in more than two decades. The small island of Pangkal Pinang was where we would all arrive and after pouring rain and a waterlogged circuit, Scotsman Shaun Simpson took out the GP overall in MXGP and Jeremy Seewer on the MX2 class. Both classes held just one race as the circuit was more or less under water.

2018 and two Indonesian rounds made it on the MXGP calendar, with the first again on Pangkal Pinang, with Herlings taking yet another Asian GP victory and Calvin Vlaanderen winning in the MX2 class. A week later at a very impressive Semarang circuit on the main island of Java, Jorge Prado won the MX2 class and Mr Asia himself, Jeffrey Herlings won the MXGP class, his sixth GP win in Asia.

2019 there were three GPs in Asia, the first two in Indonesia and the third in China. Palembang was the opening Indonesian GP, which was won by Tim Gajser in MXGP and Jorge Prado in MX2. The second Indonesian round returned to Semarang, with Prado and Gajser clocking up a double each in the MX2 and MXGP classes.

China would be the final GP of the 2019 season and Herlings returned with a victory in MXGP, while Prado won in MX2. Obviously due to Covid, we haven’t ventured back to Asia since that Chinese Grand Prix, and this year, it is the Sumbawa Island that will host next weeks 12^th round of the MXGP and MX2 championships. Another trip to Indonesia and as always, we are awaiting those countries beautiful people and the excitement of an Asian Grand Prix.