HALL OF FAME

GORDON CROCKARD HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN PROTAGONISTS OF THE 250CC MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY, FIGHTING FOR GP WINS AND PODIUMS DURING THREE SEASONS. HE IS THE UNIQUE IRISH RIDER TO HAVE EVER WON GP’S, AND TEN YEARS AFTER HIS RETIREMENT, HE REMAINS ONE OF THE MAIN ACTORS IN THE MXGP PADDOCK.

Born on 16th December 1978 in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, Gordon did his first race when he was eleven years old in his native Northern Ireland at Comber Grass track� It was not a surprise to see him racing motocross, as his father David was himself a former pro rider who raced GP’s in the 60’s and 70’s, entered six Motocross of Nations with the Irish team and claimed an Irish title in 1976! Five years after his debut Gordon became the youngest ever Irish champion, and in 1996 he got a podium result at the famous Cup de l’Avenir in Belgium�

In 1997 he had the opportunity to race his first GP during the French round at Brou, and later one he scored his first points at Roggenburg, one of his favourite tracks� However, an injury at the end of the season stopped his progression, as he broke two collarbones, toes, chipped elbow, torn ACL and more� Joining team CAS Honda in 1999, he was back to the GP’s and had the opportunity to race all the series with a final thirteenth position� Thirteen, his favourite racing number, that he would keep during most of his Pro career! With more experience, he entered the 2000 season ‘on fire’ as he won the first round of the series in Spain where he beat Fred Bolley, Mickael Pichon and Pit Beirer to just name a few� Claiming other podiums and another GP win in Belgium, Gordon was missing consistency to fight for the final podium, but that season was definitively a good one as he also claimed his first British title�

The GP format changed from two motos to one in 2001, and even if he was physically strong, it was with the single moto format that Gordon got the best results of gus career, as he was in contention for the silver medal all season long� Pichon was unbeatable that season, but Chad Reed and Gordon

1996: 2nd at the Cup de l’Avenir 1997: 31st in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Yamaha) 1998: Winner at the Cup de l’Avenir 1999: 13th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Honda) 2000: 6th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Honda). Win 2 GP’s British Open Champion 2001: 3rd in the 250 Motocross World Championship (Honda). Win 2 GP’s British Open Champion 2002: 7th in the 250 Motocross World Championship (KTM) 2003: 11th in the MotocrossGP World Championship (Honda) British Open Champion 2004: 33rd in the MX1 Motocross World Championship (Honda) 2005: 28th in the MX1 Motocross World Championship (Yamaha) 2006: 13th in the MX1 Motocross World Championship (Honda) 2007: 21st in the MX1 Motocross World Championship (Honda)

fought hard and only two points separated them after the last GP in Austria� Winner of two GP’s, he was the one and only one who beat twice the Frenchman that season to finish third in the series� In Great Britain, he defended his national title after a tough battle against Carl Nunn until the last heat of the series�

Signing with KTM factory to race the 250cc class alongside James Dobb in 2002, he got two podiums, but he wasn’t so successful on the orange bike and went back to Honda in 2003 for the third and last season with the one moto format per round� It was also the first season with the MotocrossGP class mixing 250cc two strokes and 450cc four strokes, and even if he was one of the eight riders who were able to join podiums that season (Germany and Austria), Gordon missed several rounds due to injuries and finished eleventh�

In Great Britain he conquered his third national title, and then he would never do one full campaign in the World Championship again� He did his last GP appearance in 2007, and then he crossed the Atlantic to race the GNCC with BMW in 2008�

After that new experience he went back racing in UK but a terrible crash during a pre season race at Hawkstone Park forced him to stop for a few months� He got his last World Championship podium at the age of 34, when team Ireland won the B final at the 2014 Motocross of Nations!

After his retirement Gordon started his own motocross school, and later he joined Honda Europe to coordinate the EMX150 European championship� Since several years, he is the Honda Europe Off Road Racing manager and he can share all his years of experience with the current teams and riders�

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1 MXGP Academy riders receiving advice from former World Champion John Van den Berk 2 FULL HOUSE at the Monster Energy

MXGP of France! 3 Hands up if you’re having fun… We didn’t have to ask the MXE riders twice as they enjoyed another weekend of racing in Germany. 4 Not sure what was happening here… but our MXGP-TV camera crew caught it! 5 Mattia Guadagnini pictured with the

MXE riders in Spain. 6 When a four-time 500cc World

Champion Joel Smets gives you advice… you listen to every word!  7 Monster Energy trials crew put on a show in Germany. 8 Gautier Paulin enjoyed the Monster

Energy of France in Ernee and of course received plenty of media attention! 9 Nacho Cornejo caught up with Lisa

Leyland on MXGP-TV. 10 Scott riders signed autographs in

Germany! 11 MX2 podium finishers, Thibault

Bensitant and Tom Vialle pictured with the French Motorcycle Federation

President!

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IF YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF STEFAN EVERTS THEN YOU HAVE LIVED A VERY SHELTERED LIFE; EITHER THAT OR YOU ARE NEW TO MOTOCROSS. EITHER WAY, THE BELGIAN IS NOT ONLY A MOTOCROSS LEGEND, HE IS ALSO THE GOAT OF THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, HAVING WON TEN WORLD TITLES AND 101 GRAND PRIX VICTORIES, WINNING TITLES IN 125CC, 250CC, 500CC AND MX1. EVERTS FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CAME IN 1991 AND IT’S HIS RM125 SUZUKI THAT TOOK HIM TO THAT FIRST TITLE THAT WE WILL FEATURE IN THIS ISSUE OF MXGP MAGAZINE.

Introductions over, Stefan Everts took three years to wrap up his first world championship� The journey began in 1989 where he claimed 15th overall in the 125cc class, his best result being 3rd overall (4-4) in Czechoslovakia� He followed up with 3rd in 1990, where he again notched up another podium� This time it was a 2nd place in Switzerland with a 2-2, coming home behind America’s Donny Schmit who had already been crowned world champion for that year� Schmit was also Everts teammate, so in terms of learning his craft, the Belgian was in very good company indeed�

The bike for 1991 was pretty much the same as that from the previous title-winning year, but during testing, Schmit’s mechanic Harry Nolte, could already see that Everts was improving, although the two riders would rarely be at the same track at the same, as Nolte explains:

‘We did testing together, but Donny was always riding together with his wife Carrie, so we had a different programme� At the time, Stefan was more or less the same speed as Donny but was so smooth at that time,’ whereas Stefan remembers it slightly differently, and he certainly wasn’t eyeing up a world championship in 1991, as he recalls:

‘The end of ’90 I got one of my first podiums, my second podium in Switzerland, so things started going well, and I started to have for one time, a good speed to ride with Donny and the fast guys, and then we went into the winter and we trained with Donny and did some pre-season races and so-on�’ go for the world championship, but then we went to the first GP in Arco and I won the first moto and I was like ‘woah!’ Ok, now I’m a title contender! And then the second moto I crashed at the start because they still had that chicane there, but I still came to 6th or something and I still made the podium, but from there on I started to believe that I could be world champion for that year� Donny was really good with the starts and he didn’t make any mistakes and he won a lot of moto’s and I couldn’t get close to him to battle or get a fight with him, or beat him, until (round 4) we went to Hungary, Kaposvar� ’

That’s when things pulled a 180� Everts had been fast, all weekend, even setting the fastest time in Time Practice, and then before the first race, the Belgian pulled an ace from under his sleeve; to say it might have changed the status quo is a bit of an understatement, but Everts took a gamble, and it paid off:

me and Donny had this argument on the start line, because Donny was always really early there (to the start) and already fixing his gate, and I just went there and I said ‘I’m gonna pick that gate!’ and then he was f***d up! So, the war already started before the gate even dropped� Anyway, we went into that first moto and I took a good start and he couldn’t battle me; I won fair and square, and then the second moto he had a big crash� The pressure was coming and he ended up in the hospital with a broken thumb and I think his shoulder or the collarbone as well� But then the new challenger was ready, that was Bob Moore! So, Donny was out and then it was Bob who I had to go against, and that was also a tough battle for some GP’s� ’

After winning in Hungary, Everts now led the championship by 5 points over Schmit - at the start of the weekend he trailed the American by 18 points, but there were still eight GP’s remaining� Everts won the next two rounds in Switzerland and Belgium but struggled in England at Nantwich, allowing Moore to close the gap once again� Moore won again in Ireland after Everts fell in race one, but the real test would come in the fly away GP’s in Guatemala and Brazil, where it would be hot and humid:

‘After Ireland, me and my dad did some really hard training weeks, he said ‘we’ve got to step it up now’, so we went to Lommel� It was 35˚ and the sand was like the Sahara, and we did forty-five minute moto’s, only for lap times; no-one else was there, only me and my dad, just training, training� It was tough for me; mentally it was tough but then we went to the South American GP’s and I took 80 points! I won all four moto’s� And there I took a big step towards the title� ’

The penultimate round of the series was in Germany and Everts hoped to wrap the title up in front of his army of fans, but he was denied by a hard charging Pit Beirer, and his rival, Moore� At the final round in Suzuka, Japan, Everts needed just 6 points to be world champion, but it wasn’t going to be easy, as he remembers:

‘I got sick there and I was all weekend on the toilet; luckily, they had one moto on the Saturday and one on Sunday because it was so humid there, and to do two moto’s there would be impossible for the riders�’

‘Winning the title was a big moment, but when I crossed the finish line, I expected

a lot more from that moment, but actually not much happened, you know? I was like ‘okay, is that it?’ but I was so exhausted because I was so empty from the whole week being sick, I couldn’t eat anything, and I just managed to finish just right with the points because Bob won and I think I was 6th, so I had enough to be champion, and then the next day (race two) I broke my engine in the first or second lap; I jumped on a rock and the oil came out and I didn’t finish the last moto� But anyway, coming home was ‘pfffff … media, fans, flowers … that’s when it hit me!’

With two titles in two years, Suzuki had proved it had a good package, first with Schmit and then with Everts� Of course, it goes without saying that both rider and machine were equally matched, but looking back now, how did Stefan rate his 125cc title-winning bike?

‘The bike was good you know; I think we were one of the only factory bikes in the paddock� Suzuki at that time was really strong in the paddock because when I remember the picture from Arco, on the start line I think it was Bartolini, Tragter, Donny, me, Yves Demaria, Pit … and there was a few more, maybe nine Suzuki’s from fifteen� Those days they came out with this new model and they were a nice step ahead from the rest� Our bikes were good, they were fast� I can’t remember now how fast, because when you go to the 250cc, 500cc, 450cc, with the power of those bikes you almost laugh now at the power of the 125cc, but it was good!’

The Bike

Both Stefan and Donny’s bike (before he got injured) were identical, the only difference being the suspension set-up preferred by both riders� Both ran factory Showa, front and rear�

According to Harry Nolte, who started the first four GP’s with Schmit, but when the American crashed, was drafted in to work with Stefan for the remainder of the season, until Schmit returned at the final GP - the engine was factory, but the cylinder head was standard, and modified in-house in order to obtain the optimum compression ratio� The exhaust pipe, silencer and piston were all factory items but whilst ‘the CDI was special, the stater and everything was stock� ’

The gearbox, crank and clutch were also standard but the cases were sandcast and the 38mm magnesium carburettor was supplied by Mikuni� The chassis was not factory, but not exactly standard either and holding everything together was an array of titanium nuts and bolts; the bike was full-titanium bling� There was a factory swingarm but this was married to a standard linkage, and keeping things rolling were the factory, magnesium hubs� The spokes were also factory� Bigger radiators and Nissin brakes completed the set-up�

On the way to his first world title, Stefan Everts claimed 10 race victories and 10 podiums, with five of those being overall wins, and whilst it may have been the first title for Everts, it was also world title number 24 for Japan in all classes, and the 12th success in the 125cc division� This was also the only title Everts would win on a Suzuki�

❝I would like to buy an MXGP tee-shirt for my wife, where can I find it online? ? Eric ❞ Hi Eric , I would like to buy an MXGP tee-shirt for my wife, where can I find it online? Best Regards MXGP

❝We were with friends at the Monster Energy MXGP of France, and someone took some photo, where we can find it? Hugo ❞ Hi Hugo , Hello Hugo, we hope you enjoyed the GP, you can take a look at the photo gallery from the event here: https://www.mxgp.com/ photos?race_category=All&year_ filter=2022&country_filter=All Regards MXGP ❝ When and where will take place the Motocross of Nations this year? Jeanne ❞ Dear Jeanne , The Motocross of Nation this year will take place 25th of September in USA to the amazing track of RedBud! you can already book your ticket by clicking HERE: https:// redbud-mxon.motocrosstickets.com/en/22471motocross-of-nations/ Best Regards MXGP

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Hello Piera : You can buy a GP pass to watch all the races on MXGPTV in this link: https://www. mxgp-tv.com/subscribe Thanks MXGP ❝ where can I find the latest issue of the magazine?

Vince ❞ Hi Vince you can check out the latest issue of MXGP Magazine HERE: https://issuu.com/mxgpmag! Thanks MXGP