In recent times we have talked about the relationship Antonio Cairoli has with circuits like Matterley Basin and Valkenswaard, two tracks where he has multiple wins and just loves racing. Around 18 years ago, the young Scotsman Billy Mackenzie had a similar love affair with the circuit of Sugo in Japan.

May 29, 2005 was the first time Mackenzie visited the Sugo circuit, and he finished with 2-1 for the overall victory and beat soon to be World champion Antonio Cairoli, who scored 1-4.

A year later in 2006 and Mackenzie returned to Sugo, and again beat Cairoli to the overall victory. The Scot went 1-3 this time, compared to 4-1 by Cairoli.

Mackenzie wasn’t finished though, as he again scored the overall in Japan in 2007, and Sugo, with 1-2 results, this time ahead of American Mike Brown who scored 5-1 results.

We decided to sit down with Billy Mac and talk about that amazing connection with a far-away place in Japan, back when Mackenzie was one of the best motocross riders in the World.

MXlarge: Okay Billy, so the first time you went to Sugo, and riding the track, did you know pretty quickly you would love it?

Mackenzie: No, I never had that feeling, at any of the tracks. I arrived with no expectation and I never got pumped up about anything. The gate dropped and that was it. You walked the track and did everything you could to do your best. I was slowly getting better that first year, I had won a race in Spain, at Bellpuig and proved to myself I could win a race. So, I started to believe I could win races. When I was in schoolboys, I would arrive at the track and expect to win and on the World championships it was more difficult. I do remember when I was younger, I expected to win and if I didn’t win I would be really angry. So, going to Sugo that first year, there was nothing. Pretty sure I took Tiffany over, who I was dating at the time, so I had my attention elsewhere. I was relaxed, that is the best way I could put it. I had none of my entourage with me, we were off in Japan somewhere. I was jet-lagged and waking up early, and to be honest, if anyone wants to know why I won in Japan, it was because I woke up early.

MXlarge: So, you got more time to get into the day. The first time you raced wide awake.

Mackenzie: Pretty much (laughing). By the time the race came around, it was when my body clock was most active. Back home I we would play five a side football 8pm til 9pm at night so I was never an early riser.  In Japan, my body clock was on point. That is really the only thing that I can think of that made me better in Sugo. I tried to wake up early when I got back to Europe, I really did!

MXlarge: I remember in Sugo the first year and your Dad wasn’t there, and he was always at the races, and you calling him on your way to the podium or on the way to the media centre for the press conference.

Mackenzie: I remember in the first race, I got second to Cairoli in the first race and he put a really hard move on me, and I was pissed off with him. I wasn’t thinking of calling my Dad, but Ray (Archer) and Adam (Wheeler) and all you press guys, you were all kind of taking care of me, because we were all there together. So, they said, hey, do you want to call your Dad on Skype, and I said, sure, why not. I do have a picture that Ray took me talking to him on Skype, My Dad just said go out there and do it in the second one. That motivated me, and I thought to myself, if I got second and I didn’t feel like Cairoli should have passed me.

There were also three things, I have mentioned in the past, three superstitions. One was, I was wearing yellow and that was my lucky colour from Bellpuig in Spain. It was a bit of a Carmichael thing when wore orange after his Kawasaki win.

I also listened to the same song in the pit box - Insomnia by Faithless . I used to lay down on the start, just a few feet back from the gate. Some riders were looking at me like what am I doing, but I was laying down just because I was relaxed.  When the gate dropped is when I get my race head on. No build up, no calm down. I tried to be like that at every race, but sometimes it was difficult when there is so much going on around you.  I had a lot of advice from everyone trying to help me improve or motivate me that sometimes it didn’t always help.  That second race, I got a good start, I was riding well, and I felt comfortable on the bike.

If I feel comfortable and i’m having fun I get results and it just so happened I got results in Sugo.

MXlarge: The whole travelling to overseas races. It is funny, some people really love it, and some don’t. Tommy Searle likes it, Antonio Cairoli likes it, Jeffrey Herlings, he doesn’t seem to really like it. I remember you were a guy who really enjoyed those trips.

Mackenzie: Yes, I mean, you have told me before I am a free spirit, and i guess you’re right. I have been travelling my whole life, especially coming from Scotland and travelling to England every weekend for the Schoolboy Nationals. Fly away races was an excuse to see another part of the World,  I guess I was just excited to get on a plane, go to good weather. Normal routine and mentality was left behind and i felt like i was just on a little journey, I did used to enjoy the fly-away races. I did well in Sun City and Japan. I liked getting away, and enjoying the travel.

MXlarge: Second and third times at Sugo, I can imagine after the first two wins you must have thought the third time you got this?

Mackenzie: The third time, I was becoming confident about Japan, but it seemed like I was in everyone’s head. It was like everyone expected me to be fast at that track. The third time I took my Dad, because we used to do everything together and he had never seen me win a GP and I thought if I am going to win one, its probably at Sugo. Even that third year I didn’t really start to expect to win there, I just knew i had more odds than others!  I just thought, we will see how it goes, put in a fast lap time and get a good start, just the basics.

I had talked to Adam Wheeler about getting the Scottish national anthem played, and he downloaded something from the internet. I remember in 1995 I had a Scottish rave song that I liked, and I was 12 years old and I asked my dad to play it out of the speakers in the van as I was on the podium. So that little childhood memory became an adult one in Japan.  It was almost after that I had that moment a dream was achieved.

My 2008 season was one of the best I remember, I really clicked a gear after that but World Championships in 2009 went south when I injured my thumb.

I don’t think It was ever a real dream to become World champion, I might have said it in interviews and such, because monkey see monkey do, but truly, it was never really my dream. I used to watch AMA a lot and I just liked riding my bike as a kid. I never thought about championships until I was leading them!

I wasn’t as much of a motocross nut as other people, I put a lot into it but also enjoyed doing other stuff during the week.  I went back-packing to Australia while also fitting in a NZ race on the new 2009 Honda, and I loved it, its such a beautiful place. In 2009, I wanted to try and win a World championship and I was going to put my best effort, but the new Honda was not easy to ride, and all the factory riders got injured. I had a taste of Australia; I had a shit season in 2009 and I made the easy decision to race in Australia. I flew out in 2009 and visited some teams and races and the boys were fast. The decision to race a 17 round World championship and eight round British championship, or shall I go to Australia became pretty tempting.  I was also interested in doing supercross and they did that in Australia. I thought Australia would be easier to learn on than AMA.

MXlarge: I guess the entourage is always a tough thing. In some cases, you need them, but then they can also be a load on your shoulders.

Mackenzie: I heard Carmichael talking about it on the Emig/Carmichael podcast. There is so much energy around us. Of course, it can be motivating, and it does get the fire burning, but it also gets exhausting. I think now as older racers, we all respect each other, pat each other on the back that we have made it through a tough sport and relatively injury free.  When we were younger, we were getting wound up from everyone around us, which definitely fuelled our fire, but you know the saying when the gate drops the bullshit stops, that is so true, it is just you and your bike. All the stuff before that doesn’t matter.

Geoff Meyer story and images