He d
oesn’t actually call it a comeback himself. But it won’t be any less a remarkable occasion when Gordon Crockard takes place behind the gate at Belgium’s iconic Kester race this Sunday! Invited by the organizingclub AMC Dworp and the 24MX Honda team the 35-year Ulsterman takes on the challenge to race against the current GP stars like Jeffrey Herlings, Jeremy Van Horebeek, Kevin Strijbos, Ken De Dycker, Davide Guarneri, RomainFebvre, AleksandrTonkov, Jose Butron and so on.
Crockard himself knows a thing or two about going fast on a dirtbike and he has the trophy cabinet to back up his claims. He’s a four-time GP winner, three-time British champion and third-place overall finisher in the World Championship who still has great natural skills on the bike. The popular AliasMXathelete even made the podium in Kester before. In the 2000 250cc GP he made the rostrum together with FrédéricBolley and Pit Beirer. Can he turn back the time and make his mark in the 3rd round of the Belgian Masters of MotoX? Or does the proverbial luck of the Irish grant him an unexpected favour?
Turning back the clock
“Yesterday (Thursday) I trained with the 24MX Honda bike in Hélécine and Jeffrey Herlings was there as well. That kid is so incredibly fast! Hopefully the bumps will slow him down a bit on Sunday, “laughs Gordon. Except for Herlings, Crockardwilll line up next to some of the fastest riders in the world. Kester will be an open race on a traditional track with a level of riders that’s seldom seen outside of the World Championship.
“I know it’s going to be tough but I still ride a lot. I do all of my physical training like I did before and I’m busy with my MX riding school. So, basically there’s not so much that has changed since before! I’ve raced at the highest level with the best equipment and against the best riders. That’s the kind of level I would like to retain, the passion to race is still there but of course now there are fewer opportunities for me. “
Thanks to his outgoing personality, laidback attitudeand awicked sense of humor the ‘Crockstar ” attracted a lot of fans in his hey days. Not to mention his sheer speed. Fortunately, he is still the same. Albeit, somewhat slower. “Hey, I have to be honest with myself here!Firstly, I love the fact that I get this opportunity from AMC Dworp and 24MX Honda. My goal is to get into the top 10, or around there twice. If I pull that off I will mention it on Facebook. If I’m between 15 and 20, I think it’s better to shut up! But who knows maybe there will be torrential rain, if it’s mudder, I’m in for a chance… Than anything can happen!”
The Ryan Hughes step-up
Crockard has fond memories of the Kesterheidetrack. “Kester is a very nice circuit. A bit like Farleigh Castle in England, but better. It’s surrounded by many trees, it’s a place with lots of character and the fans can get close. Compared to a modern track, there are not so many jumps, so it’s definitely a bit old school. The surface can get very bumpy as well, but for me it is really perfect! “
Crockard has had many highs and lows in his career. He has enough stories to fill a one-man standup show, so we’ll just focus on Kester. “In 1999, Ryan Hughes rode GPs for Pamo-Honda and it was my breakthrough year. In practice for the Belgian GP of Kester I was following him and I watched him take the step-up jump. I believe Rynowas the first ever to do that. On the next lap I passed him and I jumped it. I was so excited after jumping it, and thought hey that’s cool! While I slowed down, Hughes came up beside me and pulled me to the side of the track. Almost like a police car would pull someone of the road. And he said: ‘Hey man don’t do that f*cking jump. Don’t let anybody see you doing that jump. Save it for the race!’ So, I said okay. We both said, nobody would do the jump. But in qualification I ended up jumping the step-up again because it was so much faster. And than everybody started doing it!”
To see Crockard riding on a Honda is as obvious as Miley Cyrus sticking her tongue out. The Crockstar made a name for himself with the CAS-Honda squad, rode for Roger Magee’s Wulfsport-Honda team and PAR Honda. He’s a lifelong fan of the red products because of their build-quality and their legendary ease of use. Now Gordon is also one of the driving forces behind the Honda 150 European Championship. He coaches the young riders, aged 11 to 14, and shares his wisdom. “We are doing quite well with the Honda 150 European Championship. The level is improving all the time and for a young rider it’s actually an opportunity you can’t afford to miss!All motorcycles are completely identical CRF150R’s. They’re strictly controlled so that racing remains fair and equal. These kids get to race on GP tracks, in front of a big crowd, with a lot of media interest, in front of GP team managers. All at absolutely no cost! Basically, they’re fully supported and the rider only has to make sure he gets there, together with a mechanic helper. In addition, the winner will get a complete European EMX250 season on a Honda CRF250R. It’s a no-brainer really!”
Coach Gordon will not be the only UK-rider taking part in the 49thKester Motocross. Ryan Houghton, Lewis Houghton and Joe Bamfield also feauture on the entry list.