By Paul Oughton, Founder of Dirt Hub – Images courtesy of Mike Wood
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and are intended to encourage discussion about the future of British Grasstrack.
Why Doesn’t Grasstrack Have a British Championship?
One thing I have always wondered about British Grasstrack is why we don’t have a proper National Championship for the sport’s two premier classes – the 500cc Solos and 1000cc Sidecars.
In fact, why is Grasstrack (speedway aside) the only major off-road motorcycle discipline in Britain without a multi-round national championship?
It’s a question I’ve asked myself for years.
Because, if we’re honest, the sport is facing some real challenges.
Entries are down across many classes, organisers are getting older, and the excitement around the sport doesn’t feel like it once did.
Recognition Matters
For any sport to thrive, the riders at the top need something to strive for. They need a title that carries prestige, creates rivalries and gives them recognition.
Recognition doesn’t always have to come in the form of prize money.
Most top riders simply want to be recognised as the very best at what they do.
At the moment, Grasstrack has fantastic standalone meetings such as the Wimborne Whoppa and the Ledbury Leader. Within the sport, everyone understands how important those events are.
But outside the sport?
Sadly, very few people do.
Imagine Mark Cossar sitting down with a potential sponsor from outside Grasstrack.
Which carries more weight?
“I won the Wimborne Whoppa.”
Or…
“I won a round of the British Championship.”
The answer is obvious.
Grasstrack is an expensive niche sport. For many riders, the financial commitment simply doesn’t match the rewards.
A National Championship changes that.
Instead of racing isolated events, riders would be competing for an overall title across multiple rounds. Every race suddenly means more.
Every event becomes part of a bigger story.
Leading into Round One, we’re talking about James Shanes trying a new engine. Mark Cossar arriving full of confidence after a recent victory. Championship favourites. Wildcards. Riders returning from injury.
That’s what creates interest.
That’s what keeps fans engaged.
Building Heroes
One thing I’ve learnt through sports marketing is that successful sports all have three things:
- A strong elite level that has heroes and stars
- A healthy grassroots structure starting from right at the bottom.
- A clear pathway between the two.
Barry Hearn has said, “It’s the opportunity we can create for people to change their lives and chase a dream.”
Grasstrack may never make riders millionaires, but it can certainly create heroes.
Young riders should grow up wanting to become British Champion.
They should be able to watch their heroes on a livestream, follow the standings on social media, watch highlight clips on YouTube and dream of one day lining up against them.
That’s how sports grow.
The Media Opportunity
From a media perspective, the opportunities are endless.
- Seeded rider announcements.
- Wildcards.
- Championship standings.
- Preview features.
- Qualifying stories.
- Rider interviews.
- Title battles.
- Controversy.
- Season reviews.
Every successful championship is built on stories.
The racing is only part of it.
The way those stories are packaged and communicated is just as important.
Why Change?
Let’s be honest.
The sport has very little to lose by trying something different.
What we’re doing now is largely what we’ve always done.
Unfortunately, the current structure isn’t reversing the decline in entries or creating new excitement.
This isn’t simply a case of “evolve or die.”
It’s about promoting and protecting the future of British Grasstrack.
We shouldn’t just be trying to survive.
We should be trying to thrive.
One positive is that the ACU has already recognised the need for change. Its current five-year strategy includes the introduction of a National Series for Grasstrack in Year 4. Personally, I’d love to see that happen much sooner. With riders and teams leaving the sport at an alarming rate, I believe now is the time to be bold and build some real momentum. The foundations are already there; perhaps it’s just a case of accelerating the vision.
More Than One Big Day
Where does becoming British Masters Champion leave you today?
It’s still a fantastic achievement.
But outside the Grasstrack community, what does it actually mean?
Outside of Speedway Star, Dirt Hub and the Grasstrack Banter Podcast, who is consistently telling those champions’ stories?
Speaking personally, Dirt Hub rarely receives previews, entry lists or even post-event press releases from organisers or the ACU.
If we want the sport to grow, media has to become part of the conversation.
What Could GrasstrackGB Look Like?
Imagine instead if, in 2027, the ACU launched GrasstrackGB, bringing the discipline in line with MXGB, EnduroGB and TrialsGB.
Imagine a four-round British Championship to begin with, with the ambition to grow it over time.
The structure could perhaps be something like:
- Four rounds for the 500cc Solos and 1000cc Sidecars.
- Supporting championship classes rotating throughout the series.
- Saturday youth racing and qualifying.
- Sunday championship finals.
- Dedicated GrasstrackGB branding.
- A central website with standings, rider profiles and news.
- Livestream coverage.
- Regular social media.
- Professional press releases.
- Support for clubs to promote events locally.
Importantly, I’m not suggesting we lose the iconic meetings that make British Grasstrack what it is.
Quite the opposite.
The clubs would still own and promote their events, with each round retaining its own identity, history and name. The Wimborne Whoppa would still be the Wimborne Whoppa, the Ledbury Leader would still be the Ledbury Leader and the Sussex Super would still be the Sussex Super.
They would simply become part of something bigger – Round 1 of the GrasstrackGB British Championship, Round 2, Round 3 and so on – much like the RedBud National, the Hangtown Classic and Southwick National all retain their own identities while forming part of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Every Other Off-Road Sport Has One
Every other major off-road discipline already has this structure.
- MXGB – 8 rounds
- EnduroGB – 6 rounds
- British Quadcross Championship – 6 rounds
- British Sidecarcross Championship – 6 rounds
- Trials GB – 4 rounds
- British Flat Track Championship – 4 rounds
- British Supermoto Championship – 8 rounds
So why not Grasstrack?
Looking to the Future
Riders and teams are leaving the sport at an alarming rate.
Doing nothing doesn’t feel like an option anymore.
I’m not suggesting a British Championship is the complete solution.
But I do believe it would give riders something bigger to race for, provide organisers with a stronger product to promote, create more opportunities for sponsors and media, and inspire the next generation.
Because that’s ultimately what this is about.
Not changing Grasstrack for the sake of it.
But giving one of Britain’s great motorcycle sports the platform it deserves.
British Grasstrack has produced world champions, incredible racers and some of the sport’s most iconic events. I believe it deserves a championship structure that reflects that heritage. A multi-round British Championship won’t solve every problem overnight, but it could give riders, organisers, sponsors and fans something they can all buy into.
And perhaps, that’s exactly the direction the sport needs.
Like I said, it’s not about trying to survive; it’s about making the sport thrive!
What Do You Think?
Should British Grasstrack introduce a multi-round British Championship for the premier classes, or is there a better way to grow the sport?
It would be great to hear your thoughts via my email paul@dirthub.co.uk
