The 'Firsts' of MX History.

[mx250]

For my benefit, my spiritual redeemion and my education, list the 'firsts' of MX history.

e.g. When and where was the first offroad/cross country race in the MX or Scrambles format? When and where was the first in the two stage MX format? Ditto for Australia.

Nothing particular, just anything that was considered a First and memorable of MX. The first Production MX'er available to the public, etc., etc. Even the first 125, the first 250 etct etc. The first World Champion, 125, 250. trials, sidecar etc etc. First Aussie Champions, first Aussie Championships etc etc. First American champ, first South African, First Professional racer, First AMA champ, etc etc.

Be controversial if you want. Be whimsical if you want .

[firko]

I'll start:
*The first known scramble event took place in Camberley, Surrey in the UK in 1924. It was called the 'Camberley Scramble' and that became the name for the sport until the European 'Motocross' gained common usage after WW2. Early races were actually point to point events based on similar lines to a fox hunt.

*The European Championship began in 1952 with Belgian Victor Leloup winning on a Sarolea. It morphed into the World Title in 1957.  It was won by Swedens Bill Nillson on an AJS.

*The European 250 Championship began in 1957 and it was won by Fritz Betzelbacher on a Maico. It became the World Championship in 1962 When Torsten Hallman (Husky) became the first 250 World Champion.

*The first 125 World Championship was in 1975, won by Gaston Rahier on a Suzuki.

[EML]

I'll have a go at the sidecar cross stuff, but may stand corrected.
First European champ was Haller/Haller on a Honda 4 beleive it or not but 1st world champ was Robert Grogg/Andy Graber on a Norton Wasp in 1974.
As to when the first sidecar cross was in Aust is a mystery to me though I have programs of grasstrack/scrambles from the late 60s with sidecar entries.
No doubt someone will have more onfo then we will all find out-I hope.
The only time I saw sidecarcross in NZ was at Tauranga/Mt Manganui in the early seventies with 2 or 3 outfits, but 1 guy broke his back and they've never been heard of again.

[jerry]

This post is gonna grow legs!Bigtime! Bring it on! Jerry

[EML]

I hope so-the Alron thread has gone on long enough!

[TooFastTim]

*The first known scramble event took place in Camberley, Surrey in the UK in 1924. It was called the 'Camberley Scramble' and that became the name for the sport until the European 'Motocross' gained common usage after WW2. Early races were actually point to point events based on similar lines to a fox hunt.

<puts on flame suit before correcting Firko>

Camberley heath actually. It was properly called the southern Scott (it may still run) and it was an intepretation of the Scott trial but without the observed sections. The southerners decided they didn't like those pesky sections. But, yeah it was a point to point like the Scott trial.

[mx250]

"Suzuki claimed the first world championship for a Japanese factory when it won the 1970 250 cc crown".

"The first stadium motocross event was held in 1972 at the Los Angeles Coliseum".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocross

(Starting to answer my own questions .)

Was the first Australian Stadium motocross the Granville speedway? What year, 75?

The Camberley event wasn't a closed loop with laps and thus more related to enduro's and reliability trials than motocross. When/what was the first closed loop/lap events?

[ba-02-xr]

The first Ausie to win a world MX title was Jay Wilson of the Moree Motorcycle Club (my club) in 2009.

The first Ausie indoor supercross was in the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1986. Aus Vs USA. Dame yanks won. Ausi riders were Gall, Leisk, Dack, Bell. Yanks were Ellis, Jo Jo Keller. Guy Cooper & UUUMMMM. Lost. Cant remember.

[Tim754]

For Sidecars  look around in this site . Highly regarded as accurate.    http://www.thejohndaveypages.org/  Some records go back to 1931...  
EML find a copy of "TWO WHEELS"  May 1974  There is a small report and photo on the Hallers winning the European title, of course on their SPP Honda 754

[firko]

<puts on flame suit before correcting Firko>

No need for that, I'm always open for improvement. My source only told part of the story obviously. I thought the Scott and Camberley events were different based on my 1964 copy of The MotorCycle but I was going from memory after misplacing it.....serves me right!

I hope so-the Alron thread has gone on long enough!

You obviously don't own an anorak.  )I'm possibly taking it a bit personally but the Alron thread has uncovered more previously unknown information than any other thread on this or many other forums. That thread shows what can be achieved when enthusiasts with a common interest dig deep to expose the bullshit that had previously been accepted as fact. There is more and more information coming in all the time which shows that the thread is still alive and contributing. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it. 

[firko]

"The first stadium motocross event was held in 1972 at the Los Angeles Coliseum".

Not really. They ran stadium motocross events on the infield of Ascot Speedway dating back to the late sixties. Mike Goodwin, the Superbowl of Motocross promoter was inspired by those early Ascot meetings and combined that concept with the razzle dazzle spectacle of the annual Superbowl football game at the LA Colleseum to create the Superbowl of Motocross in '72.
Prior to the Ascot races, in sixties Czechoslovakia huge stadium motocross events were held in front of over 100000 spectators. Because of the Iron Curtain being firmly in place preventing much information heading to the west, we had little knowledge of these huge events.
                                       
                             

[mx250]

I wonder if our CZ/commy buddies can come up with some actual dates and places.

[jerry]

Nice one Firko. Have a look at the size of the crowd!

[EML]

Firko, Anorak (= hairy mountain beast)??
I agree with you about the finding and proving of good info- I'm all for it and this forum does just that. so you can keep it going.
Two wheels writing a sidecar cross story-that'll be the day!!(it would have to have been an issue of three wheels stoopid)
Granville speedway 1975, I was there with Vern Grayson on the Norton Wasp.  1 yr after the rail bridge collapsed. Don't remember how we went.

[jerry]

If we exclude European stuff for the moment would the first "works" bike available to the public be the YZ 250 / 360?