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By Adam Wheeler<br />
It is the time when fans and most<br />
of the paddock enjoy their first<br />
taste of MXGP as the seasonopener<br />
in Argentina is a continent<br />
too far for the Eurocentric race<br />
teams. The scheduling was still not<br />
too kind in this respect as the British<br />
Grand Prix is followed immediately<br />
by the Dutch round on the<br />
‘all-weather’ sand of Valkenswaard<br />
just south of Eindhoven and then<br />
the hard-pack of Arco di Trento in<br />
northern Italy. The political buffoonery<br />
and indecisiveness in the<br />
UK at the moment is hardly enticing<br />
more European visitors but<br />
those from the mainland would be<br />
more likely to wait until Valkenswaard<br />
– even if that race shivered<br />
in snow and sub-zero temperatures<br />
last year in a similar spot on<br />
the agenda.<br />
The gamble worked. Sunday<br />
splashed welcome sunshine and<br />
blue skies to temper the chilly<br />
breeze and the public crowded<br />
what had been a sparse site on<br />
Saturday. Dixon talked about one<br />
of the exasperating elements of<br />
cash-feeding the Grand Prix in that<br />
fans are likely to make snapshot<br />
decisions on the day and not take<br />
profit of early bird offers. Some<br />
scepticism is understandable<br />
and many would have eyed the<br />
weather forecast before making a<br />
final decision on whether to head<br />
to Winchester but it was clear that<br />
Dixon was longing for some of the<br />
financial help that music festivals<br />
typically enjoy when the public<br />
buy their tickets quickly and far in<br />
advance.<br />
There was a rougher edge to this<br />
Grand Prix. It was also the first<br />
race for Youthstream and the full<br />
might of their circuit set-up so it<br />
felt hurried and a little chaotic. It<br />
was noticeable via the small things<br />
such as security staff lacking<br />
information or briefing, generator<br />
power in the living area or the absence<br />
of lighting in the parking and<br />
paddock zones. Where the event<br />
really counted though – the track<br />
and the spectacle – then Matterley<br />
delivered. The course was a splendid<br />
mix of rough ground but high<br />
speed and vast jumps. It invited<br />
throttle-straining pace but also<br />
dared riders to take risks. It asked<br />
questions of their willingness to<br />
push and to paraphrase track creator<br />
and caretaker Johnny Douglas<br />
Hamilton “that’s motocross”. It is<br />
still so popular for the racers that<br />
have to find the lines and tackle<br />
the bumps. Hamilton felt that the<br />
terrain was at an optimum point<br />
of moisture, and this was another<br />
element in which the Grand Prix<br />
was fortunate. It would have been<br />
perilous to rip the track deep and<br />
well in advance due to the propensity<br />
of the English rain (and across<br />
the channel riders described their<br />
frustration at not being able to<br />
train due to the deluge in Belgium)<br />
and in the end the crew<br />
were scrabbling to ensure the right<br />
amount of watering was in place.<br />
Hamilton’s verdict was backed up<br />
by the fact that very little dust was<br />
evident by the end of the second<br />
MXGP moto and a programme<br />
that had seen two support classes<br />
also in action.<br />
In a podcast with Shaun Simpson<br />
and Paul Malin (OTOR’s second<br />
ProTaper-backed recording and<br />
easily found on the website) we<br />
talked about Matterley Basin’s<br />
status as the home of the British<br />
Grand Prix. It has been the port<br />
of call as the UK’s top off-road<br />
gathering since 2011 and while its
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