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Tragter wins World 125cc Motocross title at Manjimup
1993 world 125cc motocross grand prix, cosy creek, manjimup, western australia (27-29 august)
Photos: Dutchmen Pedro Tragter avoids the mud winning all three starts and the World 125cc Championship at the 1993 Australian 125cc Grand Prix at Manjimup, WA; [right] Tragter celebrates victory with fellow team Suzuki riders Marcel Van Drunen (left) and Joakim Karlsson (right). All by Peter Kitchingman
The first 125cc World Motocross Grand Prix outside Europe
Following the success of the 1992 Motocross des Nations, Australia applied for and was awarded the rights to host the 1993 World 125cc Motocross Grand Prix at the Cosy Creek Circuit in Manjimup. It was the final round of the 1993 World 125cc Championship, held over the weekend of 27-29 August.
Dutchman Pedro Tragter (Suzuki) was in the box seat to clinch his first World Motocross title. Heading into the final round of the season, he held a 34 point lead ahead of Frenchman Yves Demaria (Suzuki).
Former World 125cc Champion and fellow Dutchman Dave Strijbos (Honda) was way back in third position and, regardless of his performance at Manjimup, would finish overall in this position.
When the racing got under way at Manjimup in wet and muddy conditions, Demaria gave it everything he had passing Italian Andrea Bartolini (Honda) mid-way. But near the end of the race he crashed and finished fourth with Tragter finishing second behind Bartolini – increasing his points lead by two points – with Mickael Pichon (France, Honda) in third.
With two motos remaining, Tragter only needed to finish in the points to win the Championship and Demaria had to win both remaining motos. But he could only manage third to Bartolini and Swede Joakim Karlsson (Suzuki).
Tragter took it easy in the wet conditions and coasted home in seventh place to secure the world championship.
With the pressure off Tragter, he rode harder in the final third moto in sunny conditions with the track drying out and finished second behind countrymen Dave Strijbos. With Remy van Rees (Kawasaki) in third, it was a clean sweep for Holland.
With the Championship race now over, Demaria gave up the fight and DNF’d the third moto, but he finished second in the world championship.
New South Wales rider Kim Ashkenazi (Suzuki) was the highest placed Australian in the event – finishing a creditable sixth overall (13-6-6).
Western Australians Jason Marshall (Kawasaki) and Dale Britton (Honda) just scraped into the points, with Marshall finishing 14th in Moto 2 and 12th in Moto 3, with Britton 9th in the final race.
The pair were used to racing the larger 250cc and 500cc bikes at Manjimup, but switched to the 125cc class just for this opportunity to race in a Grand Prix on home soil.
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Dutchmen Pedro Tragter (3) wins the start of Moto 3, flanked by the Italian Bartolini brothers, Andrea (5) and Alex (94) – before the rain set in
Wet weather and low crowds contribute to big financial loss
Although the event organization was first class, the Cosy Creek circuit was immaculately presented and the racing was thrilling, the event ran at a big loss.
Crowds were well down on expectations due to continuous rain leading up to and during the event. But also, a single 125cc Grand Prix did not have the same drawcard as the des Nations, which featured 40 of the world’s best riders in all classes, including multiple world and AMA champions.
Also, more than three year’s planning went into the Motocross des Nations with a huge team of volunteers, where there was less than a year for the World 125cc Grand Prix. Trevor Holm’s leadership was also missed as he did not take on a major role for the 1993 event.
The world’s best 125cc riders at the start of Moto 3 at the Cosy Creek circuit at Manjimup, after the sun finally came out and the circuit dried out
Grand Prix winners – Andrea Bartolini (IT,1), Pedro Tragter (NL,2) and Dave Strijbos (NL,3)
Former World 125cc Motocross Champion Dave Strijbos (NL Honda)
The newly crowned World Champion Pedro Tragter (NL Suzuki)
1993 Runner-up World 125cc Champion Yves Demaria (FR, Suzuki)
17-year-old Mickael Pichon was sixth in the Championship (FR, Honda)
Video and and race program
Video – Starting 74: 1993 Pedro Tragter (NL) World Champion Motocross 125cc
Manjimup 125cc Grand Prix Results
Moto 1
1. Andrea Bartolini (ITA, Honda)
2. Pedro Tragter (NED, Suzuki)
3. Mickael Pichon (FRA, Honda)
4. Yves Demaria (FRA, Suzuki)
5. Remy Van Rees (NED, Kawasaki)
13. Kim Ashkenazi (AUS, Suzuki)
Moto 2
1. Andrea Bartolini (ITA, Honda)
2. Joakim Karlsosson (SWE, Suzuki)
3. Yves Demaria (FRA, Suzuki)
4. Alession Chiodi (ITA, Honda)
5. Mickael Pichon (FRA, Honda)
6. Kim Ashkenazi (AUS, Suzuki)
7. Pedro Tragter (NED, Suzuki)
14. Jason Marshall (AUS, Kawasaki)
Moto 3
1. Dave Strijbos (NED, Honda)
2. Pedro Tragter (NED, Suzuki)
3. Reny Van Rees (NED, Kawasaki)
4. Andrea Bartolini (ITA, Honda)
5. Marcel Van Drunen (NED, Suzuki)
6. Kim Ashkenazi (AUS, Suzuki)
9. Dale Britton (AUS, Honda)
12. Jason Marshall (AUS, Kawasaki)
