MX Vice runs regular “… Years Ago” posts on social media as little reminders of Motocross’ great history and the riders that helped to shape it.  In the case of Hawkstone Park 1993, which saw something of a new era dawning for the big-bike class in the World Championship, our legendary snapper Jack Burnicle just had too many awesome photos to condense into a small post.  So here is Jack’s gallery from that historic day with a few notes on how it all played out.

Words: Ben Rumbold | Images: Jack Burnicle

1993 saw two major changes to the Motocross World Championships for the 500cc class, which had been the primary focus for most manufacturers a decade before, but became less important with dwindling sales for the half-litre monsters. So much so that this season was the last for the class in the USA, being reduced to just a four-round Championship and won by Kawasaki’s Mike LaRocco.

The first major change was the 250cc class was now defined as the “Blue Riband” Premier class, with financial incentives increased to match that status. The second was that four-stroke machines were allowed an increase in capacity to a maximum of 650cc. The first change had seen an exodus of the entire top three from 1992. Champion Georges Jobe had retired, with four-time runner-up Kurt Nicoll unwilling to push for another title in the 500s after being so narrowly denied at the final round. He was joined by Bronze-medallist Billy Liles in tackling the 250cc class for 1993, leaving the 500s somewhat lacking in star quality as well as in factory support.

So it was time for new stars to shine. Younger twenty-somethings Joel Smets, the highest-ranked rider left with the #4 plate, Johan Boonen wearing #6, and Marcus Hansson from Sweden were massive big-bike fans and up for the challenge. Veterans Jacky Martens, Dirk Geukens, and Jorgen Nilsson were ready to step up, as were British challengers Jared Smith, Brian Wheeler, Jeremy Whatley, and of course three-time World Champ Dave Thorpe, convinced that he still had what it took to challenge for the crown.

The second change was to truly be the lifeline for the class to last for the further decade that it did after the AMA version was cut. Four-strokes had made small incursions with Walter Bartolini on a Husaberg in 1991 and Jacky Martens’ factory Husqvarna in 1992. Martens was back on the bigger version of the snorting Husky, and Smets joined him on the four-banger after being smitten with the Vertemati brothers’ revised Husaberg in a mid-season test the previous year.  Between them they formed the prologue to the true four-stroke revolution that was to come.

Most of the other riders were on privately-funded Hondas, Kawasakis, and KTMs. The Austrian factory had gone into liquidation at the end of 1991 despite finishing 2nd in all World Championship classes that year. Nicoll had again finished 2nd on what was left of the factory effort in 1992, but there was nothing apart from a sweet 250 for Trampas Parker in terms of KTM support for 1993.

There was also another wild-card in action at Hawkstone, in the shape of one of those 1991 runner-ups, Mike Healey!  On a private Honda with the eye-catching #111, it wasn’t the greatest of showings for The Gunner and he left with no points.

Other privateer Honda riders did better, however, with 28-year-old Swede Jorgen Nilsson on fire from the get-go on his #7 Wulf-sponsored CR500. Three times winner of 250 GP motos in the 1980s, and 3rd-placed finisher at the final round of 1992 behind Nicoll and Jobe, Nilsson was on his second year of CR500 racing and cleaned up in the first moto ahead of Ronny Weustenraed, the most mis-spelt name in Motocross. “Wursty-Sausage” finished ahead of another Belgian on a Kawasaki, 24-year-old Johan Boonen. Smith put in the best British moto of the day with 4th ahead of the black Scott Facemask-wearing Carlo Hulsen, a classic Dutch sand specialist who excelled in little else! Smets and Martens took 6th and 8th, either side of Thorpey, who was taking part in what would be his final British Grand Prix.  A blanket could have covered the three of them across the line, as captured in Jack’s excellent shot below. Sadly, it wouldn’t get better than that at Hawkstone for DT.

Slechten-sponsored Weustenraed made a better fist of the second-race start and showed the sort of pace that brought him a surprise moto win at the start of 1991, when no-one had a clue who he was! With Hulsen 2nd and Nilsson 3rd, the overall result looked to be between those three.

New Zealander Darryl King took a fine 4th ahead of Smith and Honda man Jo Martens (no relation to Jacky). Just behind them was Dirk Geukens.  Another moustachioed Belgian, Dirk had won the second of his two career GPs at the 1991 Hawkstone round. Twice a world number three, it wasn’t looking too good for him on his KTM debut. But more was to come…

The Brits, apart from Smith, weren’t having a good one. Whatley could only manage 11th, and DT fell whilst chasing Jem and ended up 15th. Brian Wheeler and Warren Edwards, both fairly local boys, wouldn’t trouble the points scorers. James Marsh got into the points with 14th in both races two and three.

Smets had also had a quiet day, but he roared the Husaberg to the holeshot in the third moto ahead of Edwards and another local boy Daniel Smith! Austrian Karl Sulzer was also up there early, but Geukens was swiftly through to take a stunning race win ahead of Jacky Martens, who had a massive bandage across his face from a broken nose sustained in practise! Nilsson brought it home in 3rd again to ensure a massive first career overall Grand Prix victory!

Amazingly, Weustenraed had destroyed his Kawasaki with a big crash through the tunnel, but was still second overall with just the first two moto scores, as Hulsen could muster no better than 11th, just enough to deny Geukens an overall podium finish! Smith suffered a poor start and could only get 10th, 3 points off the overall podium but still top Brit in 5th overall.

The title, like in 1992, would go down to the final race and decided by a handful of points. Nilsson was the rider that just fell short, as Jacky Martens would take the first World Championship for a four-stroke rider since Jeff Smith in 1965. It was a royal battle all season, which will catalogue for you amongst all the action here at MX Vice!

Full Results:

Pos.	Rider	Nat.	Bike	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Points
1	Jorgen Nilsson	SWE	Honda	1st	3rd	3rd	50
2	Ronny Wuestenraed	BEL	Kawasaki	2nd	1st	X	37
3	Carlo Hulsen	NED	Honda	5th	2nd	11th	33
4	Dirk Geukens	BEL	KTM	13th	7th	1st	32
5	Jared Smith	GBR	Kawasaki	4th	5th	10th	30
6	Jacky Martens	BEL	Husqvarna	8th	X	2nd	25
7	Darryl King	NZ	Kawasaki	9th	4th	12th	24
8	Soren Mortensen	DK	Kawasaki	11th	8th	6th	23
9	Joel Smets	BEL	Husaberg	6th	X	5th	21
10	Jo Martens	BEL	Honda	12th	6th	9th	21
11	Johan Boonen	BEL	Kawasaki	3rd	10th	X	21
12	Rudy van Leeuwen	NED	Honda	10th	X	4th	19
13	Marcus Hansson	SWE	Honda	X	9th	8th	15
14	Jeremy Whatley	GBR	KTM	X	11th	7th	14
15	David Thorpe	GBR	Honda	7th	15th	13th	13
16	Hans Koenen	NED	Honda	X	12th	X	4
17	James Marsh	GBR	Honda	14th	14th	X	4
18	Pekka Vehkonen	FIN	Honda	15th	X	14th	3
19	Gerard Delepine	BEL	Honda	X	13th	X	3
20	Klaus Nielsen	DK	Kawasaki	X	X	15th	1