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1988 Mister Motocross series - Dack wins three in a row
1988 MISTER MOTCROSS SERIES - Oran Park (NSW), Broadford (VIC), Gillman (SA), TOOWOOMBA (QLD), Oran Park (NSW)
Photos: [Left ] For the 1988 Mister Motocross series, reigning champion Craig Dack switched from Honda to Yamaha , but stayed with the Brian Collins Racing Team; [Centre]; Dack went on to win his third Mr. MX title in a row; and [Right] the 1988 Mr. MX promotional poster.
Dack wins three Mr. MX titles in a row, his first on a Yamaha
1988 saw Honda offer even less support to reigning and two-times Mr. Motocross winner Craig Dack, so Craig switched to Yamaha for the 1988 Castrol Mr. MX series, but remained with the Brian Collins team. The team also saw the addition of a 125cc rider in the form of up and comer Dean Burt from Victoria.
The Yamaha Marlboro Team also changed shape, dropping Glen Bell, but retaining Queenslander James Deakin and hiring fellow Queenslander Peter Melton and Victorian Steven Andrew.
Other Queenslanders making waves were Steve Dinsdale (Honda) the “Mackay Mauler”, who finished 5th in 1987 at his first attempt, and David Armstrong (Kawasaki).
After being dropped by Yamaha, Glen Bell scored a deal with Honda, who decided to resume their racing interest as they did not want Dack and Yamaha to have it their own way. Bell formed a privateer team with businessman Mark Luksich and support from Honda NSW, Yokohama, Shell and SCP.
So there was a complete turn-around with Australia’s two fastest riders swapping camps, but the rivalry remained.
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Queenslanders Armstrong and Deakin tie for win in Mr. MX season opener at Oran Park (NSW)
The first round of the Mr. MX series at Sydney’s Oran Park was delayed a week due to heavy rains – and yet, when the racing was finally held on 8 May 1988 (Mother’s Day), it was very dusty! But when the opening round of the 1988 series got under way, it was a real ripper and the cat had been set amongst the pigeons with Queenslanders James Deakin and David Armstrong tying for overall first on the day on 42 points.
It was a brave effort for Deakin who rode the final race with a badly-gashed arm. In the previous race he was involved in a first-corner skirmish which saw his right arm opened from wrist to elbow by the broken clutch lever on a rival’s bike. But even with his jersey soaked with blood, and riding in considerable pain, he brought his Marlboro Yamaha home in fifth place to end the day as equal series leader.
Glen Bell was third overall on 38 points, just one point ahead of reigning champion Dack, who had a mixed bag on the day. After winning the first moto, the effects of a stomach virus took hold and slowed Dack down for the next two races, letting David Armstrong through. But Dack managed to come back and win the final moto.
The inconsistency of the day, however, cost Dack plenty, with the leaderboard showing Armstrong and Deakin leading Dack by five points. Dack’s 37 points in fourth overall didn’t look that bad, but it was his worst Mr. MX series start in a long time.
Photo: Team Marlboro Yamaha James Deakin tied for first overall in Round 1, despite racing the final with a badly-gashed arm.
Dack restores the series lead at Broadford (VIC)
If Dack’s day at Oran was bad, his day at Victoria’s Broadford for Round 2 on 28 May 1988 was the polar opposite. He by no means dominated, but 2 third places and 2 wins restored him to the position he’d become accustomed – leading Mr. MX by a healthy margin of 17 points over arch rival Glen Bell on 70 points.
Armstrong and James Deakin both had shockers – Armstrong collected only eight points and a concussion for his troubles, while James Deakin was suffering from an arm injury and didn’t add to his points tally.
The big mover was Queenslander Stephen Dinsdale, with his 2-2–4-3 results netting him 42 points for second on the day and elevated him to third in the overall series standings.
Glen Poole and Andy Haydon also performed well on the day with Andy winning a heat aboard his KTM and Glen Poole almost doing the same on his Suzuki.
Photo: NSW rider Glen Poole finished third in moto 3 and led moto 4 on his Suzuki, eventually being overhauled by round winner Craig Dack (Revs)
Bell wins hot third round battle at Gillman (SA) to challenge Dack for the overall series
The third round at South Australia’s Gillman track on 26 June 1988 produced what was considered some of the hottest and most competitive racing yet seen in the history of Mr. MX. Glen Bell took the first moto aboard his Honda ahead of Yamaha mounted Dack, but then Dack reversed the result in moto 2.
The pair were fighting elbow-to-elbow in all four heats, with Bell winning the first three heats, with Dack suffering a mechanical issue, which put him out of contention in the third race before a crash in the fourth. The desperate Dack entered the last corner of the final race alongside Bell and then rammed his rival, but fell and in the confusion to re-start could only sprint to the chequered flag in fourth place.
The day’s results gave Bell 57 extra points in his drive towards the Mr. MX. crown, while Dack only added 41 to his score, leaving the pair separated by just one point in the series tally – Dack 128, Bell 127. Stephen Dinsdale was third on the day, holding the same place in the overall series pointscore. Dinsdale now had a comfortable gap back to fellow-Queenslanders David Armstrong and James Deakin.
Photo: After dominating Round 3 at Gillman in South Australia, Glen Bell (pictured here with manager Mark Luksich) moved within one poiny of series leader Dack.
Dack forges ahead in Mr. MX series after near perfect round in Toowoomba, Queensland
As history shows, it takes just one pivotal round to juggle the Mr. MX leaderboard and round 4 at Queensland’s Toowoomba Echo Valley Racecourse on 31 July 1988 provided all the ingredients.
With his starting issues addressed, Craig Dack set about demolishing the opposition. Dack’s near perfect day netted him 55 points, just 5 off the maximum. Queenslander David Armstrong came in next with 47 points from the four motos.
Glen Bell was desperately unlucky after a consistent day went south after he tangled with Stephen Dinsdale early in the last moto to record a 2, 3, 2, 9 result card for a disappointing 36 point haul for the day.
After going into the round just one point ahead of rival Glen Bell, Craig Dack had broken away to what looked to be a series winning 20-point buffer.
Craig Dack in 1988 – on the cusp of winning three Mr. Motocross titles in a row.
Dack seals third consective Mr. MX at Oran Park
Although the fifth and final round of the 1988 series was scheduled for Sydney’s Liverpool Raceway on 5 September 1988, a major bout of vandalism at the venue saw it relocated to Oran Park at the last minute.
Ex-US factory Kawasaki rider Eddie Warren was a wild card thrown into the last round aboard a Kawasaki West KX250. Eddie placed 2nd on the day and 8th in the series with two heat wins, a third and fifth.
As had been the case for much of the series, Craig Dack and Glen Bell went head-to-head with the title chase down to these rides and Yamaha vs Honda. Bell took the first moto and, as had happened in the past, the results were reversed in the second race.
American Eddie Warren won the third and fourth motos on his Kawasaki leaving, the minor placings to be decided between Dack and Bell.
Dack prevailed, meaning that with a 22 point lead over Bell after the third moto, his third consecutive Mr. MX title was in the bag. So Dack cruised around in the fourth race, and eventually finished the series with a 24-point buffer over Bell.
Third in the series went to Kawasaki’s Armstrong when Steve Dinsdale didn’t show at Oran Park (after an altercation with a rider at a title race in Queensland which ended up with the Mauler copping a lengthy suspension, which he claims to this day was victimisation by the ACU of Qld).
The 125 Gold Cup was won by Yamaha’s Phil Sargent after a season long duel with Dean Burt, and New Zealander Daryl Atkins, who finished in that order. The Kid Motocross was won by underdog Tony Elliot from favourite Lee Hogan.
Photo: [Top] After clinching his third consecutive Mr. MX title after the third race in the final round at Oran Park, Craig Dack cruised home in the final – his first win on a Yamaha; and Kawasaki West rider Eddie Warren (USA) won the third and fourth motos, to finish second on the day behind Dack.
1988 Mister Motocross Final Overall Points
Photo: Three-times Mr. MX winner Craig Dack with 4-time winner Stephen Gall.
1. Craig Dack (NSW, Yamaha, 234 points)
2. Glen Bell (NSW, Honda 208)
3. David Armstong (QLD, Kawasaki, 132)
4. Stephen Dinsdale (QLD, Honda) and
5) James Deakin (QLD, Yamaha).
