Motocross

Motocross developed as a kind of motorcycle or all-terrain racing sport that took place on off-road tracks including muddy, hilly, slushy or rocky routes. It was in the early part of the twentieth century that the sport had its origin in Great Britain. Known then as ‘Scrambles’, motocross was a word that derived from the combination of the French word motocyclette meaning motorcycle and ‘cross-country’. Since then the sport gained and grew in popularity as motocross.

The first known motocross event was held in 1924 in Camberly, Surrey and was called the Southern Scott Scramble. This is the event that led to the initiation of motocross in the sporting world. After this event, scrambles started becoming quite a rage with sporting events and this fad continued through the 1920s and 30s. Motocross racing spread wildly as a highly popular sporting event throughout Europe in the years to follow.

It was after the Second World War that the sport gained recognition at the international level. Towards the end of 1950, a proposal for the launch of a motocross event of international standing was submitted to the F.I.M. (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) or the International Motorcycling Federation, by the Belgian Federation. In 1952 the F.I.M. created the European Championship in which motorcycles with 500cc engines were used. This was a major turning point in the history of motocross racing and the sporting events associated with it. By 1957, this event had been upgraded to World Championship status. » Read more: History of European Motocross