Legends of our sport are of course led by the racers, names like Everts, Cairoli, Herlings, De Coster, Gajser, Geboers, Hallman, (Harry) Everts, Smets, Jobe, Thorpe, Malherbe and so many more who set their legend in stone in Grand Prix motocross. Of course, in America, its names like Hannah, Johnson, Smith, Ward, McGrath, Carmichael, Dungey, Villopoto, Tomac and Webb.

However, behind those racing legends are so many more legends, men who put their mark on our great sport, from team owners, mechanics, or promoters. At the very top of the non-racing legends list for me, is the greatest promoter the sport has ever seen, Giuseppe Luongo.

As a young fan, Luongo visited Grand Prix racing as a young man, but very quickly realized his dream of being a racer was one that wasn’t going to take him far in this spectacular and dangerous sport, so he took another route to remain in the sport as long as possible.

More than 40 years later, he retired from the sport recently, with a CV that is full of stunning events. MXGP currently has more factory teams and riders than ever in the sports history. We travel across the globe, just as a world championship should, from Argentina, South Africa, China, Australia and all over Europe.

The top riders are making millions and millions of dollars and there isn’t a single ride arrives at a Grand Prix and wonders how they are getting home, as was the case throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Teams are bigger, the Japanese and European brands are investing big time and the worldwide coverage of the sport has never been bigger than in 2026.

In retirement, Luongo has left a very healthy MXGP product, despite Europe being in serious problems, with a struggling economy and unrest throughout the world. MXLarge has always been a supporter of the Luongo dream, and I for one, don’t know a more loyal man. I am proud to call him a friend and respect what he has done to our sport. We caught up with him this week and asked him about his career and what his future will look like. This is part one of the interview.

MXLarge: Firstly, congratulation on your retirement, but what brought this decision on?

Luongo: Geoff, thanks, I appreciate it. Look, I am always thinking, the world makes evolution every day and it’s a long time I was preparing inside the company for this moment, with younger people, like my son (David), like Daniele (Rizzi), like Anthony (Andreu), and of course, Marionna (Leiva). With the speed of the world now, many new things are coming, like new technology, IA and I think it is important to have fresh blood. I was prepared for this for a long time. If you see the last years, with David and Daniele, it is the time to step back, because they manage very well. David knows the spirit we built up in motocross and with respect to the roots, but also the future. With respect to the professional riders, but also the amateurs. For me, it was the right moment as 65. I want to enjoy life a little more.

MXLarge: You retire in one of the most exciting seasons the sport has had, with so many different things to look forward to in MXGP. I have spoken to many people, legends like Dave Thorpe, or Stefan Everts, or Joel Smets and they are all excited for 2026. What is your opinion of what is coming this year?

Luongo: I think, you know, every year, I like very much and the present and the future. I don’t believe in living in the glory of the past, but this year in particular is going to be very exciting, and I really hope all the riders stay safe and don’t have injuries in the pre-season. If that happens, then it’s unbelievable with the two biggest names we have change brands and that is exciting, because we don’t know what they will do on these new brands. And then, many other riders are very fast and including Febvre. He is like a good French wine, just gets better and better. We also have new events on the calendar, and my only hope is, everyone stays fit and no injuries.

MXLarge: You have such a long career and amazingly, its 40 years ago since that sensational MXdN at Maggiora in 1986, when Team USA dominated. You promoted that event, but it wasn’t your first promotion, was it?

Luongo: No, my first event was in 1983, an international race in Italy. I was 23 years old and it was an event I promoted alone. It was very successful and many media said it was the best run event ever, with many 125cc world champions, with Eric Geboers, Michele Rinaldi, Gibson the American, Pekke Vehkonen and many more. This event made me believe I could make this my job.

MXLarge: Obviously, you were a motocross fan, and you raced, but what brought you to the decision to promote races?

Luongo: I was a big fan, and I raced, but I knew I wasn’t good enough to make a living from racing, I wasn’t a good racer, but I wanted to be involved and promotion was something I knew would keep me in the sport for a long time. The only way for me to stay at the top of motocross world, was this.

MXLarge: I remember speaking to you many years ago, and it wasn’t always easy being a promoter back in the 1980s. You had a bit of a rollercoaster career early? You did a Grand Prix between that 125cc international and Maggiora in 1986?

Luongo: Maggiora was my greatest event at the moment and for a long time. Maggiora 1986 was one of the best Nations ever, but between this time, I also promoted the Italian championship and also international races, also the supercross championship in Italy, but from Maggiora, it brought me up in the scene and I decided to organize the Masters of Motocross. It was the best racing at that time, better than Grand Prix, better than the racing in America, because it brought all the best American and European riders together. Imagine, we had the best 125, 250 and 500 riders from Europe and all the best American riders. We had six or seven races between September and December, from motocross to supercross. We had the Tokyo supercross, Monaco, Milano, Genoa supercross, also Maggiora and other major motocross tracks. We had the Scheveningen beach race, and we had riders from Ricky Johnson, Jeff Ward, Larry Ward, Ron Lechien, Jeff Stanton, J. M. Bayle, Johnny O’Mara, all of them. Imagine today, if you have six races like this? Feld have tried to do it with supermotocross, and its very good, but they miss the Grand Prix riders. Imagine now six races, between September and December, let’s say supermotocross with all the top GP and AMA riders. I think, it was the best series ever made.

MXLarge: Because the Masters of Motocross was so good and the riders made a lot of money, then also Bercy paid the American riders really good prizemoney, do you think that created the American riders huge prizemoney and contracts now in USA, because I do remember Ricky Johnson once telling me, he made as much doing these races in Europe in the winter, as he did racing full-time in USA?

Luongo: Yes, the Masters gave a little bit, a kick to the world, at this moment. The world championship was run just in Europe and there was AMA supercross and AMA motocross. The American riders were free to race outside of America, because their contracts were not that big. Because of this, all the riders tried to do races after their championships finished. Both the Grand Prix riders and the American riders. For that time, we paid really well, but it’s nothing to compare to what riders make now, but for that time, it was a lot. The top riders could make up to 25.000 and the lowest was one thousand. Back in the 1980s, 25.000 meant you flew business class and everything was paid for. The problem was, the FIM in Europe and the people who ran the sport in America did everything possible to finish the Masters, because it was dangerous for their series. The FIM wouldn’t allow the Grand Prix riders to race the Masters, so it was outlawed. Back then, they didn’t have the same type of rules as they have today with open markets. Today you have an international tribunal that makes sure there is free market. So, the Masters was forbidden and any rider racing the master’s would lose their licence.

MXLarge: Tell me something. Back many years ago, when the AMA Nationals was open to all offers and you put an offer in to run both the Nationals and the GP’s, was your plan to run something like that Masters, with AMA and FIM riders all together again?

Luongo: Yes, but it was a big mistake from me to participate in that. My dream was to make motocross more global, and I always had big respect for the riders and the races, and I always looked at USA, but never as an enemy. For me, the enemy is the bigger sports, but the other motocross series, they are brothers and not the enemy. It was my mistake to be involved in trying to promote the AMA Nationals, because I wanted to put the two together and make motocross bigger, in the rest of the world, but I was naïve. It wasn’t something against Davey Coombs or his family, it was me thinking I can make something really great for the sport. Unfortunately, it was a big mistake, because I understand now, the motocross racing in America, must be managed by an American company. Because they know the culture and they have the relationships. I was unhappy I didn’t get it, to run the motocross in America, but the end of the story, it has worked out better.

MXLarge: Davey mentioned to me once, how you called him up to make peace. Can you tell me about that?

Luongo: Yes, but, you know, I never considered Davey an enemy, it was more built up by media, and the media always try to make competition between us, but like I said before, motocross is a great sport, but it isn’t a big sport. Now, we cooperate and that helps the sport a lot, the relationship between Infront and the Coombs family. Look at the success we have with the MXoN working together in America. We have big success from the public and we need to cooperate more and more; it will help the sport a lot.

Part Two Coming........