New challenge for Hancock
AHorsham man is set to be part of a management team at the forefront of a new era for Australian motocross championships in Australia.
Horsham Motorcycle Club secretary Mark Hancock was appointed as race director for a new PROMX series.
PROMX was formed to replace MX Nationals, which came to an end earlier this year.
Williams Event Management managing director Kevin Williams announced his organisation would step down after 25 years of promoting the MX Nationals series.
The 2020 event, which was to be in March, was cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rebranding to PROMX comes under direction from Motorcycling Australia and will drive management and promotion of the championship for 2021 and beyond.
Mr Hancock said he was excited to be at the helm of a new era for the sport in Australia.
“My role as a race director will be to ensure that all the rules are conducted over the period of the entire event and training more officials to be able to run race meets,” he said.
Mr Hancock said the new series would have three categories for men, women and veterans. The series will also have classes for differing skill-levels from MX3, for young up-and-comers, MX2, for ‘future champions’, and an MX1 class for Australia’s best riders.
The series will take place in seven locations across Australia, including two events in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and one event in South Australia.
Mr Hancock said forward planning with the series was a positive signal for the sport.
But he said events would be entirely dependent on the COVID-19 pandemic and closures to borders.
“There will be a fair bit of travelling involved as part of my new appointment,” he said.
“I’m a bit nervous about isolation rules, but hopefully by the time we get away next year a lot of those bans will be gone, and we will be able to move about more freely.
“Changes to those bans will be critical for the championships to proceed.”
Mr Hancock has had a long affiliation with motocross and has pushed to boost its position in the Wimmera.
In 2018, he helped to lay groundwork that would see an internationally recognised world junior motocross event take place in Horsham.
The event attracted riders from 21 countries to compete at Dooen, with thousands of spectators in attendance.
“That was a great experience, not only to bring it to Horsham but also great for Australia, because it was the first time it ever happened,” Mr Hancock said.
He said he ‘cherished’ the opportunities he had enjoyed as a member of Horsham Motorcycle Club.
“It’s been a fantastic journey with the people I’ve met and the things we’ve been able to do to progress more. I’ve got to give it up for the Horsham club because without their help over the years and without a great group of people, none of these things could ever have been achieved,” he said.
“We’re actually tiny in the Australian scheme of things in terms of what other clubs have. But what we lack in size, we make up in effort and commitment. It really shows on the track and is really respected right across the industry. Our facilities are second to none.”