On 16 November 1975, reigning World Motocross Champion Gaston Rahier won Suzuki’s first ever Australian Championship – in the 125cc class.

Rahier won this Championship, which was held that year at the South Arm Road circuit in Sanford, Tasmania.

Young Western Australian rider Greg Thomas (Suzuki) finished second in an inspiring ride to split up the works riders of Rahier and another Belgium Suzuki factory rider Gerard Camal – making it a clean sweep for Suzuki’s.

Rahier demonstrated why he was the world champion by winning all three titles he contested. He went on to win the 250cc and Unlimited classes, lapping the whole field in two of them.
1975 was the first ever 125cc Motocross World Championship, which Rahier clinched with eight wins. 

He was the first reigning World Champion to race down under, competing in various events across Australia. He totally dominated this class in the beginning winning three World 125cc titles between 1975 and 1977

With the sales boom of the early seventies beginning to significantly affect motocross, Rahier and a host of international riders toured Australia in 1975 to promote the new Japanese lightweight motocross machines.

In addition to the two Belgium riders Rahier and Camal, the international riders at the Australian Championship in Tasmania included Japanese development rider Masanori Ozeki, all on works Suzukis. Also present were Vic Allan (United Kingdom) on a string of Bultacos, Gualtiero Brissoni (Italy) on a SWM 125, Per Klitland (Denmark, Yamaha) and Ivan Miller (NZ, Yamaha).

Steve Cramer won the only title which was left, the 500cc race, beating Per Klitland (Denmark) and Mike Landman (VIC) in a Yamaha clean sweep. Ivan Miller came second and third respectively in the 250cc and Unlimited classes.

The visiting troupe brought with it an inescapable message – fitness was vital in European motocross. Rahier hardly raised a sweat in any of his Australian rides, including his Australian Champs triple.

Once some riders began training hard, everyone had to follow and we started seeing the emergence of elite professional Australian motocross riders with Stephen Gall from New South Wales leading the charge.