Australian Motocross Legend Gary Flood
Main photo: Victorian rider Gary Flood (No. 2, far right) riding a 250cc Bultaco on his way to winning the 1969 Australian Unlimited Motocross Championship at the St. Leonards Circuit in Devonport, Tasmania. The young 17-year-old burst onto the National motocross scene creating history to win all four classes. Top right: Flood switched to International Solo speedway racing in England between 1972 to 1973. Bottom right: Flood raced Bultacos for most of his career.
Gary Flood - One of Australia's all-time motocross legends
Victorian rider Gary Flood is one of Australia’s all-time Motocross legends – winning eight Australian Motocross Championships in the 1960-70s – equal with Jeff Leisk and Glen Bell.
And in 1975, he also won the prestigious Mr Motocross series.
Without doubt, Gary Flood – the older brother of Trevor, who is another Australian Motocross Legend – could have won more motocross titles.
But he spent significant time overseas racing motocross in England in 1970 and 1971, then International speedway in 1972 and 1973, after switching codes mid career.
Gary Flood was a teenage prodigy who, at 17 in his first attempt, won all solo classes at the 1969 Australian Championships in Tasmania — winning the 125, 250, 500cc and All Powers (Unlimited) classes on 23 November.
He was the first ever rider to achieve this feat, but later Jeff Leisk won all three available classes in Mackay (QLD) in 1988 and Kim Ashkenazi did the same in the 1992 three-round series.
Motocross was his first passion and he successfully returned to the sport and picked up three more National Championships in 1973 and 1974.
In 2018 Gary Flood was inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame (See RHS – Speedcafe video).
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Where the "Floodgates" opened
As a 15 year-old schoolboy, Gary Flood won the first motocross race he entered at Warrnambool in Victoria.
At that event Flood won the 125cc A Grade class riding an 80cc Suzuki farm bike , which was prepared by his father Bert who also owned a motorcycle shop in Victoria, named after himself.
This victory ignited Gary Flood’s passion for racing, so he bought his first bike – a 250cc Bultaco Pursang – from his father’s shop.
Starting off in C Grade, Gary won his first 250cc event in that grade and within three meetings he progressed through to B Grade, then A Grade.
Photo: Gary Flood (far right) with British Speedway Solo Champion Jim Aird and Gary’s father Bert
Eight-times Australian Motocross Champion
Gary Flood burst onto the National motocross scene at the 1969 Australian Motocross Championships at the St. Leonards Circuit in Devonport, Tasmania.
At just 17, he won all the solo classes — 125, 250 and 500cc.
The 1969 championships were a shoot-out between two stars – Flood on a Bultaco and New South Wales rider Matt Daley on a CZ. But Flood proved unbeatable with Daley having to settle for a second in the 250 and 500 classes, and third in the All Powers.
In 1970 Flood raced in a series of English scrambles campaigning a 250cc Bultaco Pursand, which he purchased in Spain.
He returned to Australia prepared to defend his titles at the championship meeting in Ipswich, Queensland. But after six months of long 45-minute motos, he was not accustomed to the short sprint-style races of his homeland and managed to hold only one of his titles – the 125.
In 1971 Flood returned to England before coming home to Victoria, where he made a surprise but successful switch in bike codes.
At Melbourne’s Brooklyn track Flood won his first motorcycle speedway race, a victory that saw him return to England in 1972 when he was called up as a member of the Australasia team in a series against England.
Flood ended up racing the 1972 and 1973 speedway seasons in England, also competing in grasstrack and longtrack motorcycling events on Bultacos.
But his first love was motocross and he returned to this branch of the sport in Australia winning three more National Motocross titles.
He won the 125cc class at Foster Park, Mulbring in New South Wales in 1973. Then in 1974 – the year he got married – he dominated at the Cosy Creek Circuit in Manjimup in WA winning both the 250 and 500cc Australian titles – all on a Bultaco.
“In 1975 Gary Flood added the prestigious Mr Motocross series to his impressive tally of eight national motocross titles, setting a benchmark for future generations.”
That year, he also won the Mountain Man Motocross in Toowoomba at Echo Valley in Queensland.
Gary Flood’s last crack at an Australian Motocross Championship came in 1978 in his home state.
Riding a KTM machine, he finished third in the Australian 500cc Championship at Broadford behind Swede Pelle Granquist (Husqvarna) and New South Wales rider Stephen Gall (Yamaha).
Throughout his career Gary Flood won eight Australian Motocross Championships and dozens of State titles in motocross and various forms of dirt racing – mostly on Bultacos.
Flood in action - Photo gallery
Gary Flood burst into the National motocross scene winning four Australian titles in his first attempt
Gary Flood in action at Amaroo Park (NSW) in the inaugural Mr Motocross series in 1974
Gary Flood won the second Mr Motocross series in 1975, the year after his brother Trevor
Flood rode the Spanish Bultaco 250cc machines almost throughout his entire motocross career
Videos
Flood finished third in the 500cc Australian Championships in 1971 at Clarendon (SA)
Flood won the 250 and 500cc Australian Championships in 1974 at Manjimup in WA
Flood placed third in the 500cc Australian Championships in 1978 at Broadford (VIC)
In 2018 Gary Flood was inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame (Speedcafe)
Gary Flood's
key career
motocross
highlights
Flood also won State titles in motocross and various forms of dirt racing
1969
Australian 125cc Champion (Devonport, TAS)
Australian 250cc Champion
Australian 500cc Champion
Australian Unlimited Champion
1970
Australian 125cc Champion (Ipswich, QLD)
3rd Australian 250cc Championship
1971
2nd Australian Unlimited Championship (Clarendon, SA)
3rd Australian 500cc Championship
1973
Australian 125cc Champion (Mulbring, NSW)
1974
Australian 250cc Champion (Manjimup, WA)
Australian 500cc Champion
1975
Inaugural winner of the Mountain Man Motocross (Toowoomba, Queensland)
1978
3rd Australian 500cc Championship (Broadford, VIC)
2018
Inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame
