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After last week’s announcement that Martin Barr and Brad Anderson will captain team Northern Ireland and England respectively at the ‘4 Nations MX Cup’, organisers Steel Hawk Motorcycle Club are pleased to announce that Billy Mackenzie and Mark Jones are confirmed as the captains for Scotland and Wales.
The innovative new event, which run alongside Steel Hawk MCC amateur and youth team event, the ‘Hammer & Tongs Team Trophy’ currently has a provisional date of 1st/2nd October and will see five racers from each U.K home nation race against each othe to decide who’s best. There’ll be a rider under 21 years of age in each team as well as a rider over 30 and each team has to at least field one 2 stroke rider with all 20 riders racing each other in three motos.
Former British champion and GP winner Billy Mackenzie has been lively on the team captain’s Whatsapp group and is already buzzing for the event. “I’m totally up for it. It’s a brilliant opportunity to bring generations together and bring some real positivity towards British motocross. I love the fact that us old boys can rekindle our rivalries and then try and mix it up with the next generation with some real purpose. The banter has already been great on the Whatsapp group and let’s be honest, the rivalry between countries has always been there, history shows us that with all the tear ups down the years! I’m a proud Scotsman and I want us to come out on top. Of course it’s going to be a lot of fun but I know we’re all going to give it everything we’ve got when the gate drops.”
Wales team captain Mark Jones is good friends with Billy after their time shared on Steve Dixon’s Yamaha team back in the day and he knows what to expect.“It’s going to be a right laugh, but I know all the other team captains will definitely want to win and will take it serious behind the scenes, we’re racers and it’s hard to switch off the will to win. I’ve already started making a list of my potential team riders and will be contacting those guys soon. I’m really looking forward to it. Steel Hawk MCC don’t do things by half and come up with some cool ideas and events, this is another great one and I’m honoured to be asked to be the team captain for my country. Having the age gap between all the riders will make it interesting and mixing it up with 2 strokes and 4 strokes. I’m enjoying the banter between us team captains already and we’re almost a year away from the event. I think it’s going to be something special and hopefully we can help to turn it into a brilliant annual event where everyone gets behind their country and supports the event.”
Photo Credit – Dave Rich
