A cancellation doesn’t happen too often, but, when it does, the Kiwi motorcycling community sits up and takes notice. The 2026 MX at Woodville was ended early and this was one of those reflective moments.
The 63rd annual Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville fell victim to the torrential onslaught of rain at the weekend, with organisers forced to cancel the main draw-card of the two-day programme, the senior racing classes, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Sadly, this wasn’t the first time that this legendary event at Woodville, the largest and most prestigious motocross in the Southern Hemisphere, has been brought down by Mother Nature, with the event also cancelled in 2023 due to heavy flooding and cancelled too when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2022.
It was not quite as tragic this time around, however, as the youngest phalanx of racers, the mini motocross brigade – with riders aged between four and 11 years – did manage to complete two races on Saturday, albeit in extremely trying conditions.
Meanwhile, on the nearby junior circuit, where riders aged between eight and 16 were lining up to race following their practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday, host Manawatu Orion Motorcycle Club (MOMCC) officials decided that, “in the interests of safety”, junior racing would not go ahead.
It was a nervous wait for many as dark clouds continued to roll in and, after further downpours on Saturday night, the club had no option but to cancel Sunday’s senior programme.
As MOMCC president Brad Ritchie explained: “Rider safety comes first and, unfortunately, the track conditions did not allow racing for the juniors and the veterans on Saturday or the senior men, the senior women or the river race exponents on Sunday.
“We know how disappointing this is for everyone involved, but the weather did not play ball.
“We are grateful for everyone’s response to it all. We thank them immensely for their patience and understanding through a very difficult week. Thanks also to our sponsors and partners who have stood by us through these challenging times.”
From a purely academic point of the view, the 2026 edition of the Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville did go ahead, albeit for the mini racers only, so it will go into the record books as the 63rd running.
Since the stand-alone event was first staged in 1961, the Woodville event has grown to become the jewel in the crown for New Zealand motocross and an attempt may be made to run the GP title races in conjunction with another event at a later date.
© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com
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