New Zealand’s longest-running and most popular stand-alone motocross event – the always popular Woodville MXGP – will not be run in 2022.
The Manawatu-Orion Motorcycle Club committee met on Wednesday night and voted to cancel next year’s Honda-sponsored New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville.
As riders, fans, sponsors and supporters can probably imagine, it was a tough decision for the club to make, especially seeing as the Woodville MXGP has been running for 60 years and throughout that time been a highlighted date on the racing calendar.
However, considering the current COVID-19 pandemic climate (involving the new traffic light system, New Zealand heading into summer, Auckland opening up) and the massive financial risk, the committee agreed it would be best to cancel.
The big annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville has for long been the stuff of legends and news of its cancellation no doubt comes as a shock to many.
“We are absolutely gutted that we have had to cancel the event,” said club president and event organiser Brad Ritchie.
“It all comes about because of the uncertainness of the world we now live in. A big factor for us is that this should again be an outstanding blockbuster event and to push on under the current constraints would take some of the shine away from what has historically been such an iconic event.
“Hopefully after next year it will be all up and running again. We can’t thank the sponsors enough for the fact they continue to stand beside us.”
From a fairy-tale beginning in the 1960s, the event has flourished and matured and, remarkably, it can list current, former and future world champions among its glittering lists of alumni.
Woodville, the small farming service town that guards the gateway between Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay, has hosted some of the world’s biggest names in the sport over the years.
Founded by former Aussie/Kiwi international motocross and enduro racer Tim Gibbes, the event has been held at the same grassy farmland venue every year since 1961, next year would have marked the 61st anniversary of what has grown from humble beginnings to now rank as New Zealand’s largest and most popular off-road motorcycle event.
The iconic event, usually run on the last weekend of January, was also recognised as the opening round of four for the New Zealand Motocross Championships last year, although that wasn’t on the cards anyway for 2022.
A total of only about 50 riders raced at the first Woodville Motocross in 1961. Here’s a photo from that historic day. Of course it has grown quite a lot since those formative days. Photo by Bruce Watt.
The Woodville honour roll over the years reads like a who’s who of leading New Zealand motocross talent and also features some of the best riders of the day from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Sweden, England, Wales, Australia and the United States.
Even legendary British two-time former world champions Jeff Smith and Dave Bickers raced at Woodville. Smith, 500cc motocross world champion in 1964 and 65, beat Bickers, 250cc world champion in 1960 and 61, to the Woodville trophy in 1970.
Other big international names such as Akira Watanabe, Paul Hunt, Greg Hanson, Perry Leask, Billy Mackenzie, Jake Nicholls, Willie Surratt, Frankie Brundage, Craig Dack, Vaughan Style, Glen Bell, Brett Metcalfe, Dean Ferris, Kirk Gibbs, Todd Waters, Jed Beaton, Jay Wilson and Wilson Todd, to name a few, have graced the illustrious Woodville MX programme over the years.
However, it has been the star Kiwis riders who have enjoyed the most success there, although only six riders have won the main trophy at Woodville three times or more in the past – Taranaki’s Shayne King (a record 9-time Woodville winner), his elder brother Darryll King (5-time winner), Motueka’s Josh Coppins (5-time winner), Mount Maunganui’s Cody Cooper (3), Tauranga’s Peter Ploen (3) and Pahiatua’s Ken Cleghorn (3).
The event typically attracts hundreds of competitors and spectators number by the thousands and the programme has expanded over the years to boast more than 70 races. It easily fills two days.
Sadly, with COVID-19 continuing to wreak havoc worldwide and governments from so many countries forced to consider drastic options in a bid to curb the virus, some of the freedoms we previously enjoyed will be no more than cherished memories for the time being.
Hopefully, when the pandemic eventually wanes, we can look forward again to mixing with our mates and racing on the hallowed turf at the eastern end of the Manawatu Gorge.
© Words and aerial photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
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