| Category | Motocross |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Inaugural season | 1951 |
 Current season | |
The ACU British Motocross Championship (abbreviated to MXGB and currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Dirt Store ACU British Motocross Championship) is the premier motocross series in the United Kingdom.
The championship is recognised as being the official British championship in the sport of motocross by the ACU. It is currently under the stewardship of promoter RHL Activities. [1]
There is uncertainty about the origins of motocross, but it is likely that it began in 1914 when the Scott Trial was started by Alfred Angas Scott, owner and founder of The Scott Motorcycle Company. The Scott Trial was held on the Yorkshire moors in Northern England and after World War I test riders of new British motorcycles started racing against each other on off-road factory courses. The French came up with the term 'moto cross' to describe this off-road racing and the first recorded motocross competition was on Camberley Heath in Surrey, England on 29 March 1924. [2]
The British Motocross Championship competition is organised into classes of MX1 and MX2. MX1 is for 251cc to 450cc (fourstroke) and MX2 for 175cc to 250cc 4-stroke motorcycles or 120cc to 250cc 2-stroke motorcycles.
In addition to the senior classes, several youth classes take place across each round in support of the series, forming the British Youth Motocross Championship. These include the 250cc, 125cc, Big-Wheel 85cc, Small-Wheel 85cc and 65cc classes.
The British Women's Motocross Championship, with a supporting youth class, was also revived upon the beginning of the stewardship of current promoter RHL Activities. However, this was discontinued before the start of the 2022 season due to lack of entries. [3]
A 'Veterans' series was introduced in 2009 with just two rounds. [4] This class was later discontinued and does not form part of the British Motocross Championship.
The Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) is the governing body of the British Motocross Championship. The ACU sets the rules for the British Motocross Championship and organises the training of stewards and marshals to ensure track safety. The ACU also sets and checks safety standards and tracks the progress of national championships. The ACU has an important role to defend and develop motorcycle sport and is independent of any commercial organisation. [5]
The British Motocross Championship currently has a title sponsor with Dirt Store UK, a partnership that commenced in 2024. [6]
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
The AMA Supercross Championship is an American motorcycle racing series. Founded by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1974, the AMA Supercross Championship races are held from January through early May. Supercross is a variant of motocross which involves off-road motorcycles on a constructed dirt track consisting of steep jumps and obstacles; the tracks are usually constructed inside a sports stadium. The easy accessibility and comfort of these stadium venues helped supercross surpass off-road motocross as a spectator attraction in the United States by the late 1970s.
The motorcycle sport of racing includes motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Other categories include hill climbs, drag racing and land speed record trials.
Hawkstone Park Motocross Circuit, typically referred to as Hawkstone Park or Hawkstone, is a motocross circuit situated near Market Drayton, north Shropshire, England. The circuit is arguably one of the world's most famous motocross circuits, having staged many grand prix and international events from the 1950s, right through until the present day.
Christophe Pourcel, is a French former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships and in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2004 to 2016 and then raced his final season in the 2017 CMA Canadian motocross national championship.
Motorcycling Australia is the governing body for motorcycle racing in Australia, covering road racing, motocross, trials, supercross, dirt track, supermoto and speedway. Motorcycling Australia is affiliated with the international governing body, Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The FIM Motocross World Championship is the premier championship of motocross racing, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2. Race duration is 30 minutes plus two laps per race. The series runs 20 events with two races per class, including a point-scoring qualification race. The FIM Women's Motocross World Championship(MXW) is a women-only motocross championship, inaugurated in 2005, and is a feeder series to the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Marvin Musquin is a French retired professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2004 to 2010 and the AMA Motocross Championships from 2011 to 2023. He is a two-time MX2 World Champion & the 2015 250cc AMA Supercross East Champion.
Jeffrey Herlings (born 12 September 1994) is a Dutch professional motocross racer. He has competed in the Motocross World Championships since 2010. Herlings is notable for winning the 2012, 2013, and 2016 MX2 Championships; and the 2018, 2021 MXGP Championships. He has the most Grand Prix wins in MXGP history.
Ken Roczen is a German professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2009 to 2011 and the AMA Supercross Championships since 2011. He is the 2011 MX2 World Champion, a two-time 450cc AMA Motocross Champion, the 2013 AMA Supercross 250cc West Champion & a two-time FIM World Supercross WSX Champion. He was also a member of the winning German team at the 2012 Motocross des Nations.
The 2017 British Motocross Championship is the 66th British Motocross Championship season. Tommy Searle will start the season as the defending Champion in the MX1 class having taken his first national title in 2016. In the MX2 class, Adam Sterry starts the season as defending champion, but he will not compete in the series in 2017. For 2017, a new national 2-stroke championship will be contested at four rounds of the championship.
The 2019 European Motocross Championship was the 31st European Motocross Championship season since it was revived in 1988. It included 15 events and 5 different classes. It started at Matterley Basin in Great Britain on 24 March, and ended at Imola in Italy on 22 September. All rounds acted as support classes at the European rounds of the 2019 MXGP.
The ProMX Motocross Championship, is the premier Australian Motocross series, sanctioned by Motorcycling Australia. The series runs throughout autumn and winter, before the Supercross stadium series in spring, and features three classes; the premier class MX1, MX2, and MX3, which also features junior riders. An MXW class for women is also part of the series.
Conrad Mewse is a British professional Motocross racer. He has previously competed full-time in the MX2 class of the FIM Motocross World Championship. He was the 2013 FIM Junior Motocross world champion in the 85cc class. In the same season he was also able to bring home the European Motocross Championship in the 85cc class.
Harri Kullas is a Finnish-born Estonian professional motocross racer. Kullas has had a long international career that has seen him compete in the FIM Motocross World Championship in both the MX2 and MXGP classes.
The New Zealand Motocross Championship is the premier domestic Motocross series in New Zealand, sanctioned by Motorcycling New Zealand.
Kay de Wolf is a Dutch professional Motocross racer. de Wolf has competed in the Motocross World Championships since 2021 in the MX2 class.
José Antonio Butrón Oliva is a Spanish professional Motocross racer. Butrón competed in the Motocross World Championship from 2008 to 2021, finishing third in the final standings of the MX2 class in the 2013 FIM Motocross World Championship.
The 2024 ACU British Motocross Championship season was the 72nd British Motocross Championship season.
