British World Champions

Great Britain have a handful of Motocross World Champions on their books. Five British riders have been awarded a motocross world championship, Dave Thorpe with three, Jeff Smith with two, and Neil Hudson, Graham Noyce and James Dobb with one apiece.

Despite the somewhat short list, British riders have always been a major part of the FIM Motocross World Championships and they will continue to fight for that ninth world championship for their country.

The first British motocross world champion was Jeff Smith, who won the 500cc class in 1964 and 1965, and was a regular on the world championship top three, finishing third in 1963, third in 1966 and second in 1967. He also finished second in the world 250cc championship in 1962, and second and third in 1960 and in 1961, just prior to it being classed a world championship. Smith didn’t miss a top three spot in eight years, from 1960 until 1967, rather amazing really.

Another British rider Dave Bickers was a little unlucky, having won the 250cc championship before it became a world championship in 1960 and 1961 and then finishing third in the 1965 250 world championship and third in the 1967 500cc world championship. Bickers is still considered one of the best British riders ever despite his lack of a world championship.

Graham Noyce would be Great Britain’s next world champion when he won the 1979 500cc world championship and two years later Neil Hudson joined him with the 1981 250cc world championship.

The rider many believe to be the best British motocross rider of all time, Dave Thorpe joined the British world champions with 500cc world championships in 1985, 1986 and 1989.

British riders struggled somewhat on the world scene for a number of years, with the odd second place of third place, Kurt Nicoll the most obvious, with second in the world in 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1992. Jeremy Whatley scored third in the 250cc world championship in 1984, and Paul Malin second in the 1996 125cc world championship, but it wasn’t until 2001 that James Dobb joined his other world championship winning countrymen.

Since Dobber, no other British rider has won a motocross world championship in the premier classes, and at present it doesn’t look like they have one around the corner. Tommy Searle came close and won a bunch of Grand Prix’s, but that future world champion from Great Britain isn’t in sight just yet.

Now this coming weekend at the Matterley Basin circuit in England, Tommy Searle, Shaun Simpson, Max Anstie, Ben Watson, Conrad Mewse, and a long list of other British riders will be working hard to make the next step. Who knows, maybe within that group is that next motocross world champion.

Author:

Geoff Meyer