MxLarge Story
Steve Dixon interview - British GP and British MXoN Team
Interview Friday 06th August 2010 By Geoff Meyer
Steve Dixon is slowly moving himself into the position of being the most celebrated non-rider in the history of British Motocross. That sounds like a great statement, but if you consider what Dixon has contributed to the sport in Great Britain then he has climbed many mountains.
First as a Grand Prix mechanic and part of the 1994 MXoN winning effort, then team owner of the Yamaha UK team, where his riders Paul Malin, Andrew McFarlane and many more took GP victories and finally promoter of both British GP’s and the last Motocross of Nations held in Great Britain. Oh, did we forget team manager of the British MXoN team.
After the news of the British Grand Prix being releases last weekend we had to catch up with Dixon and ask him about the biggest event in the British Motocross season and also about the selection for this year’s Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations.
MXlarge: Steve, can you give us the insight on how you got involved in running a British GP?
Dixon: The British Grand Prix came around after me thinking about a GP not being in England. It was hard to take, first I thought there might be a Grand Prix at Chester but that didn’t happen, then it looked like they might have another place involved, but that didn’t happen. I contacted the ACU and we were working on Matterley Basin to be a permanent facility and that was all working out, so I contacted the ACU and they were up for doing it and that would have been perfect, but for this year it wasn’t possible.
MXlarge: I though the original plan was that the ACU would run the GP?
Dixon: The more the ACU thought about it with the commitment to paying for it with license holder’s money, they realized it was probably best to committed to help with another organization and some type of funding. That was nearly two months ago and everything was quiet and nothing was signed by other promoters so I pushed for a conglomeration with some other people and now we have the people involved we need to run the Grand Prix in 2011.
MXlarge: The base for organizing the Grand Prix is there, I remember you had a good group of people helping in 2006.
Dixon: For next year’s GP we already have 100 volunteers for the day. I always look at Sweden as a bit of a role model on how they get so many people involved to do the job. I know from running the two Grand Prix’s and the MXoN we can break down where the money was spent and try and do a good job. I think we have to realize it isn’t a cheap thing to run a Grand Prix in England with the health and safety people, all the hoops you have to go through compared to other countries. We need a British Grand Prix for the fans; it is where Motocross comes from. I think the manufactures also know we need a Grand Prix in Great Britain. They have been receptive as well.
MXlarge: Obviously Matterley Basin will be one of the best circuits on the calendar; I don’t think anyone can knock that spot.
Dixon: We have realized that the road racing circuits are not what the British fans want; we need to get it to a traditional track. We will work hard to make everything good; the land owner is keen to make it work also. We saw at the 2006 Motocross of Nations, it was huge. We had a lot of rain and the crash on the road, there was a lot didn’t go to plan, but what people remember about the 2006 MXoN is that it was fantastic racing, there were more good points and bad points. We need to work on getting people to pay to get in and have good security, plus the infrastructure needs to be good. I want it to work, ACU want it to work and Youthstream are happy to have it there.
MXlarge: I heard that Youthstream have really helped out?
Dixon: Youthstream have come up with a good deal to try and stabilize the British Grand Prix, so between myself as the organizer and Youthstream it is a joint venture, if it loses we both lose, if it gains we both gain. It’s not about making money; it’s about stabilizing the Grand Prix and building it up. We want to get a start and then improve it.
MXlarge: What about the track, how has it held up over the last few years?
Dixon: The track is still there, just like it was for the MXoN, it is still in good condition and we are working on making sure the other areas are correct. We need good fencing and some other things changed. We have to remember when we spoke to the local villages the Grand Prix passed as though nothing happened, but the des Nations was the start of the huge crowds and when you have police telling people to turn away because the event was full, but it was chaotic, but then again every big festive in England has that. Overall the memories from the des Nations was fantastic racing and Stefan Everts passing Bubba Stewart.
MXlarge: Yes, Matterley was really impressive as far as crowd numbers, probably the first really huge MXoN in recent time.
Dixon: Ernee was good, but Matterley got bigger and now the Motocross of Nations has got what it deserves, it has the pride and the status of a massive event.
MXlarge: Moving away from the British Grand Prix, what about the British MXoN team. Obviously Dean Wilson telling the World he was on the team in the middle of the night in Europe didn’t impress all the other British riders?
Dixon: With the British team that is normal. For some reason maybe it’s because of the English style of the newspaper reporting, everything seems to be controversial. Nothing is ever straight forward, which is good in a way, with the internet there is a lot of controversy. At the end of the day I am the team manager and I have to make that decision, I feel I have enough experience to make that decision. If we have 300 views on who should go and who shouldn’t go it doesn’t change that I need to pick the team myself and if I can’t do that then I am not a good leader.
MXlarge: People are a little confused because of Dean coming in after riding for Canada, now he’s racing for Great Britain?
Dixon: Originally I picked five riders; I didn’t include Dean in that because I didn’t know he was available. I watched him in Hangtown at the start of the year he was good there. There was some controversy that he might or might not ride for Canada, but people have to realize, just like Zach riding for Porto Rico, the des Nations is a special race, I mean after the event, if you get your name on the Cup, it’s what it does for the country and I don’t think just because he rode for Canada it should be looked at in a bad way. I mean Shaun’s (Simpsons) dad Willy rode for Northern Ireland, and for Great Britain, as a racer you just want to ride that event. I mean Great Britain have had South African riders Rob Herring and Paul Cooper, it’s a global sport and it happens in cricket, or rugby or tennis, it happens in all sports.
MXlarge: So who is in the Steve Dixon team as of now?
Dixon: In my team at the moment, all going well, subject to the ACU approval, obviously Dean is number one pick, he has support from Pro-Circuit, that goes without saying, he has already ridden that circuit. Second rider and third rider, it’s up in the air at the moment. If Tommy is fit he can go well on the 350cc, he rides the track, he is over there he has ridden the track already. In the next weeks we will see how Shaun is doing with his fitness; Jake and Brad also have to show their form at the Grand Prix. We also need to see what support the riders can get at the event. Obviously Shaun has an advantage in that area because he would have 100% support from KTM, he is a factory rider.
MXlarge: If you went on results and past results Shaun is a must?
Dixon: Shaun has the credentials, I think he rode the bigger bike well last year at the MXoN, he has won Grand Prix’s and he has done the MXoN. Those three (Wilson, Searle and Simpson) seem like the next candidates. It would be nice to take a reserve as well, somebody who can ride a 250, 350 or a 450.
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