1984-1986 Moto Park Grand Prixs

By the late 70’s the Golden Years of Canadian Motocross had come to an end, as did the boom years of Motorcycle Sales in Canada. The last Motocross Grand Prix had been held at Mosport in 1979. During the mid 80’s thru the mid 90’s sales of Motorcycles plummeted from more than 100,000 units per year to as low as 20,000.

Carl Bastedo had been successful in promoting both a series of National Consumer Motorcycle Shows throughout Canada starting in 1977 as well as Supercross starting in 1980 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Bringing a World Championship Motocross Grand Prix back to Canada was a natural evolution in his mind.

Any Motorsport event requires major sponsorship in order to be successful, this is the way it is all over the World. The Supercross events actually took in more in sponsorship than they did at the gate. The financial success of the Canadian Grand Prix was doomed from the beginning as Yamaha Canada was the only major company to sponsor the event.

In spite of this, a great event was put together in 1984 on an extended Motopark track. Hundreds of loads of dead sand carved out of a “honey hole” found on the property re-surfaced the entire track. Huge D8 bulldozers where brought in to reshape the woods at the south end of the property revealing huge hills and drop offs which where a part of any GP track of the era.

Hospitality wasn’t generally a part of the travelling GP Circus at the time and Motopark was one of the first to introduce a deck overlooking the track with décor and waiters serving up Steak dinners for the local and GP VIP’s in attendance. The Township Reeve and council members where in attendance and Ontario’s Solicitor General arrived for the opening ceremonies via Helicopter which landed in the front yard of Carl’s house.

More than 3,500 spectators paid to get in bringing total attendance close to 5,000. It was the most people seen at a Motocross race in Canada since the great 500cc GP at Copetown in 1975.

All the buzz in the pits was how Canada’s Ross Pederson would fare against the GP regulars, 13 of whom made the trip. Chuckles throughout the pits as the Euro’s looked over Ross’s RM500 “Motocross” bike. On the track it was a different story as Ross challenged many of them finishing top Canadian in 4th place while Glen Nicholson, also on the RM500, was next Canadian garnering 10th.

The podium at the 1984 Grand Prix of Canada was made up of Belgian riders. The victory went to Georges Jobe (Kawasaki) followed by Andre Malherbe (Honda) and Eric Geobers, also on a Honda.

In 1985 the FIM requested that Motopark run a non points paying 250 c.c. GP as the US GP at Unadilla was the following week and they felt the European riders would like to spend the week prior acclimatizing themselves to North America. Only 4 Euro’s made the trip led by Gert Jan Van Doorn who battled with Ross Pederson taking first in Moto 1. Van Doorn suffered a flat tire in Moto 2 allowing Pederson to take the win and become the first Canadian to win a Canadian Grand Prix. American Honda’s Darryl Shultz also showed up in 1985. Shultz finished with a DNF in moto one and 3rd behind Pederson and Doug Hoover in moto 2.

Financially, the Grand Prix’s proved to be to much of a drain and Motopark informed the CMA in the fall of 1985 that it would not run another 500 c.c. World Championship round in 1986. The CMA felt obligated to produce the event and took the production over with agreement that the event would be held at Motopark.

The last Motocross Grand Prix in Canada was held in sweltering heat. The event was well produced but poorly attended. On the Podium in 1986 were Belgians Andre Malherbe, and Eric Geobers while Great Britain’s David Thorpe rounded out the top 3. Top Canadian that year was Doug Hoover and Glen Nicholson in 9 and 10th. Ross Pederson was not entered, I suspect he was injured.

It was the end of an era and the entire World GP Circuit went into a slump during the late 80’s and 90’s as Motorcycle Sales World wide continued to plummet. Slow market growth in the late 90’s led to a revival of the GP scene in early 2000.

21,051 Responses

  3. На сайте https://kino.tartugi.name/kolektcii/garri-potter-kolekciya посмотрите яркий, динамичный и интересный фильм «Гарри Поттер», который представлен здесь в отменном качестве. Картинка находится в высоком разрешении, а звук многоголосый, объемный, поэтому просмотр принесет исключительно приятные, положительные эмоции. Фильм подходит для просмотра как взрослыми, так и детьми. Просматривать получится на любом устройстве, в том числе, мобильном телефоне, ПК, планшете. Вы получите от этого радость и удовольствие.

    Reply

  18. Hallo du! Stell dir Raume vor, die nach dir aussehen – mit https://dasvasagle.de/ wird’s Wirklichkeit. Ein leiser Klick, und da steht er: der runde Tisch, der sich heimlich in Gesprache schleicht. Oder das Regal, das Bucher wie Schatze zeigt. Der hohenverstellbare Tisch hebt nicht nur Monitore, sondern auch Laune. Und das Bett? So schlicht, so stabil – ein Ruheort mit klaren Linien. Alles wirkt vertraut, nichts wirkt laut. Wer VASAGLE kennt, wei?: Es geht um mehr als Mobel – es geht um Stimmungen, um kleine Alltagsbuhnen, die ganz dir gehoren.

    Reply

  22. Выбор тарифа интернета в новосибирске — вопрос, который требует тщательного анализа. Прежде всего, выясните, какой именно интернет вам нужен: домашний, мобильный или оптоволоконный интернет. Обратите внимание на доступные технологии и скорость интернета, которые могут варьироваться в зависимости от провайдера. На сайте novosibirsk-domashnij-internet006.ru вы можете провести сравнение тарифов различных провайдеров интернета. Оцените стоимость подключения и наличие безлимитного интернета. Также не забудьте узнать о дополнительных услугах, таких как TV и телефония. Не забудьте прочитать отзывы о провайдерах, чтобы оценить качество обслуживания и условия использования. Обратите внимание на акции и скидки, которые могут существенно снизить стоимость. В итоге, правильный выбор поможет вам насладиться быстрым и стабильным интернет-соединением.

    Reply

  23. Main slot lebih mudah di situs TESLATOTO tahun 2025!

    Cukup deposit hanya 5000 via QRIS, langsung
    spin game seru dengan peluang jackpot besar.
    Terjamin, cepat, dan mudah diakses untuk semua pemain. Gabung sekarang dan nikmati bonus menarik.

    Reply

  34. Good day! Would you mind if I share your blog with
    my facebook group? There’s a lot of folks that
    I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know.
    Thank you

    Reply

  35. Hey guys,

    I’ve been checking out the world of online casinos lately, and I’ve gotta say — it’s surprisingly fun. At first, I was super skeptical. I mean, how do you even rely on an online platform with your cash, right? But after doing a ton of research (and trying out a few questionable sites so you don’t have to), I figured out a few things that set apart a trustworthy casino from a risky mess. First off, if you’re new to all this, here’s the golden rule: **regulation is key**. If a casino doesn’t have a proper legal status (like from the MGA or the UKGC), just close that tab. No bonus is worth the risk of never seeing your money again. Also — and I know no one wants to — read the T&Cs. That’s the only way to know what kind of hidden traps they’ve slapped onto those so-called “generous” bonuses.

    Now, let me share a site I’ve been playing on these last few weeks. It’s been a total win. The interface? Super smooth. Payouts? Fast as hell. And the game selection? *Wild*. Slots, live dealers, blackjack, even some oddball options I hadn’t tried before. Check it out here: sugar rush What really stood out was the support team. I had a tiny issue with a bonus not working, and they got back to me in like no time. Compare that to other sites where you’re just ghosted by support — yeah, no thanks.

    Also, if you’re into bonuses (and who isn’t?), this place offers some awesome ones. But here’s the trick: don’t just go crazy over promos. It’s smarter to get reasonable terms than a huge bonus you’ll never be able to withdraw. I’m not saying you should go and drop your rent money — please don’t. But if you’ve got a little extra spending money and you’re looking for a chill way to spend an evening, online casinos can totally deliver. Just stay sharp, know your limits, and don’t treat it like a side hustle. It’s for fun, not for a paycheck. Anyway, just wanted to drop my experience here in case anyone’s interested or trying to find a decent place to play. If you’ve got your own stories or even some horror tales, I’m all ears — love talking shop about this stuff.

    Good luck out there, and spin smart, win big ??

    Reply

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *