The ACU British Motocross Championship (MXGB) is looking to expand to 10 or even 12 rounds in the future, building on a fantastic 2026 season that saw the series continue to grow both on and off the track. To help make that expansion possible, MXGB is introducing a new points-scoring regulation for 2027, designed to free up valuable calendar dates, attract more World Championship riders and support British talent competing on the European and World Championship stage.
Feature Image courtesy of MXGB – Insight Media
Speaking exclusively to Dirt Hub on the All British Motocross Podcast, MXGB’s Paul Irwin explained how the increasingly congested international calendar with 20 MXGP rounds, the Motocross of Nations and other major international events has made it difficult to grow the British Championship while still allowing the country’s leading riders to compete on the world stage.
For 2027, MXGB has opted to clash with two overseas GPs for the first time, creating more flexibility in the calendar while introducing a new points system to protect riders competing at those events.
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“When we looked at this year’s calendar, there were nine free dates. So it doesn’t give us a lot to land on. There’s constant conversations. Can we grow to 10 rounds or 12 rounds? But something has to give. We have to clash with some GPs. We have to free up some dates and look at some options and where we can take the championship, and what’s better for all the riders, what’s better for the UK teams and the GP teams.”
Listen to the full interview with Paul Irwin below from 31:00
New MXGB points rule for 2027
For 2027, MXGB will introduce a system that allows registered championship riders to receive points when they miss a British Championship round to compete in a clashing non-European flyaway round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Eligible riders must at least participate in the official qualifying practice at the GP and will receive 75% of their average MXGB race points scored so far that season, rounded to the nearest whole point, for each British Championship race missed.
Irwin explained the thinking behind the change:
“We’ve basically put a structure in place that we’re going to clash with two flyaway GPs this year. If you look back at 2026, it doesn’t affect a single rider in the series. But if we had a rider in the top 10 of the British Championship that wanted to go and do these flyaways, they would get awarded 75% of their average points, while they were away at a GP. So if we had an Elite rider in the British, it keeps them in the championship; it doesn’t take away points from anyone else scoring on the day, but it gives us the option to keep the best riders coming to the British, which is what we want at the highest possible level, and opens up potentially four more dates that the British could run on, so going forward it gives us the option to go to 10 rounds or 12 rounds.
How the new MXGB points system works
| Example calculation | Points |
|---|---|
| Points scored from four MXGB races | 70 |
| Average points per race | 17.5 |
| 75% of average race points | 13.125 |
| Points awarded per missed race (rounded) | 13 |
| Total points awarded for a two-race round | 26 |
Example supplied in MXGB’s official 2027 championship points announcement to the riders.
The additional points will not affect the points riders earn at the British round.
The system follows a similar regulation used in France, and Irwin confirmed that British teams have responded positively.
“It’s something they’ve been running (in France) for quite a few years, and we’ve just modified a version of it. This is the first year. I’ve spoken to all the major teams, and they’re all up for it, and there are no issues; it doesn’t really affect anyone until someone wants to go to China, or someone who wants to go to Australia. That’s where we will see; if we have a top British rider who goes to those, and if we do, fantastic.”
Could MXGB grow to 10 or 12 rounds?
The new regulation could potentially open up four additional dates for the British Championship, giving organisers more opportunities to grow the series. According to Irwin, there is no shortage of venues wanting to become part of MXGB.
“We’ve got more venues than ever that are interested in running a British. There are no dates to give everyone a round, and we want to mix it up a little bit. We are always trying to find new venues and keep a balanced series around the country, which is difficult, but there seems to be options there.”
Irwin believes the changes are an important step towards the championship’s long-term development, although he acknowledged that the system could be adjusted if necessary.
“The dates were probably one of the biggest issues for moving it forward. We’ve put something in place; whether it stays exactly like this forever, it can be modified if it’s not working, but it feels like something we need to put in place for the future so that we can try and grow and continue to do it better.”
Keeping Britain’s best riders in MXGB
With a strong crop of young British talent emerging, particularly in MX2, Irwin is keen to ensure that riders progressing into European and World Championship competition can continue racing domestically.
“I am conscious that we want riders to go to Europe. We want to see the next British star there, whether it be European motocross or world motocross.”
“It is always in the back of my thoughts: how can we structure the championship to allow these riders to go and do these GPs while still having the best riders doing the British Championship? And that’s a struggle. So going forward we have got a bit of a plan to free up more dates, which should work, and hopefully we will see a few more riders in the World Championship, as there is a lot of talent coming through that could do it.”
By reducing the disadvantage of not scoring any points by competing at selected overseas GPs, MXGB hopes to retain its leading riders, attract more international-level talent and create opportunities for future expansion.
The full details of the new points-scoring regulation will be published in the 2027 championship regulations.
