Motocross History, Vol. 2

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

How did the terminology change from the British word Scrambles to Motocross? It was the French who combined moto for motorcycle and cross for cross country. The roots go back to the 1920s, so it is a sport that has been around for the better part of a century. As in some of the other titles in the "MXplosion!" series there is a recap of the history and new information about the use of motorcycles in WWII. Trial competitions were first, followed by motocross and there have certainly been some legendary trials champs from the UK. Black and white photographs show the early days of racing—the bikes and equipment were very different. Another change was the shortening of the actual race course and an increase in the number of laps on the shorter course. As the sport grew, there was a need for a governing body—The Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme, which is now known by the acronym FIM. The sport really boomed after WWII and the great riders were coming from many parts of Europe. Belgium produced on of the greats in Roger DeCoster who is a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. In the U.S. the American Motocylist Association was formed in 1924, but the U.S. was not a serious contender in racing until the 1980s. Now there is a uniquely American version of the sport called Supercross, which takes place on man-made courses in sports arenas. Statistics show how strong the U.S. has been since and through 2007. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot