Motocross Grand Prix and the country of Argentina have created a very strong relationship over the last decade, with the MXGP Championship returning there in 2015 and running nearly every year since then, apart for those tough years of Covid in 2020 and 2021.
While the last six visits to Argentina have really surprised and excited the MXGP paddock, it was way back in 1985 that the first ever Grand Prix was held in the country. Finnish rider Pekka Vehkonen won the 125cc Grand Prix at the Salta circuit and a year later it was Dutchman Dave Strijbos who stood on top of the podium in Argentina.
In 1987 American Rodney Smith won the 250cc Grand Prix of Argentina, held at the Salta track. Smith went 1-1 to lead on Jorgen Nilsson and Rob Herring. A year later, little known Giuseppe Andreani also won on Argentine soil, also at the Salta circuit. It was the last of four Grand Prix wins for the Italian, a rider who was a regular top ten guy in his career and took out that victory in Argentina with 4-1 results in the 250cc GP, beating better-known riders Vehkonen and American Ricky Ryan. That win in Argentina was something of a surprise as the aging Andreani was edging close to the end of his career and actually finished 12th in the Motocross World Championship in 1988.
In 1989 another American stood on top of the podium as Trampas Park won at the Cosquin circuit, taking 3-1 results to finish ahead of countryman Mike Healey and Italian Alessandro Puzar. Parker also went on to win the 125cc Motocross World Championship in that 1989 season.
The Grand Prix series didn’t return to Argentina for a handful of years, but in 1994, yet another American won there with Bobby Moore finishing with the victory in the 125cc Grand Prix. Moore went 1-2 to lead home his compatriotBader Manneh with 3-1 and future 125cc World Champion Alessio Chiodi, who scored 2-3 scores.
Chiodi set to become a three-time Motocross World Champion a few years later, was becoming hard to beat and in 1995, again at the Cosquin track, the Italian finished first with 1-4 scores. Second on that day was American Jimmy Button and third Frenchman Mickael Maschio (another future World Champion).
As we all know, the Motocross World Championships didn’t return to Argentina for 20 years and in 2015 German rider Max Nagl took the victory from Clement Desalle and Antonio Cairoli. Nagl was on fire in 2015 and finished with 3-1 results, while Desalle came home with 1-3 and Cairoli 2-2. A handful of races later and all three riders were out of championship running with injuries.
In another surprising win, Dylan Ferrandis won the MX2 GP in 2015, beating Pauls Jonass and Jeremy Seewer, two riders from the current list of elite MXGP riders. It was Tim Gajser, who finished in fifth place in this race that would go on to win the MX2 World Championship and his relationship with Argentina would grow as the years went on.
Gajser sure enough won in Argentina a year later, scoring 3-1 and beating Cairoli and Nagl, who joined him on the podium. In the MX2 class that year, Jeffrey Herlings added his name to the winners list in Argentina, scoring 1-1 toclean up Seewer and Russian rider Aleksandr Tonkov.
Gajser showed his liking for the Patagonian track with another win, but this time 1-1 in the MXGP class, behind him came Jeremy Van Horebeek and Evgeny Bobryshev. In the MX2 class Jonass won in front of Jorge Prado and Seewer.
In 2018, Herlings now in the MXGP class, won a classic battle against Cairoli, Herlings scoring 2-1 results and Cairoli 1-2, in third was Desalle with 3-3 scores. In the MX2 Jonass won again, ahead of Thomas Olsen and Hunter Lawrence.
A year later Cairoli took his first win in Argentina, finishing with a perfect 1-1 ahead of Gajser with 2-2 and Van Horebeek 6-3 scores. MX2 saw the arrival of Prado as a winner on the magnificent Patagonian circuit, he scored 1-1 to lead home Thomas Olsen and Mitch Evans.
As mentioned, 2020 and 2021 we missed travelling to Argentina as COVID 19 rocked the World, but we did return last year with huge reception from the large spectator turnout. Gajser won again with 2-1 with Maxime Renaux and Prado behind him. In the MX2 it was Frenchman Tom Vialle who won from Jago Geerts and Mikkel Haarup.
Now we return again to Argentina and as always, the MXGP paddock and the enthusiastic locals will celebrate this strong bond between MXGP and Argentina. Bring on round one of the 2023 MXGP and MX2 Championships.
Photo Credit: Juan Pablo Acevedo
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