Matt Daley
Three times Australian motocross Champion and twice Australian Short Circuit Champion, MATT DALEY, died on 1st November 2021, aged 77 after a long illness.
Born in Queensland, Matt came to live in Wollongong in 1964 where he worked for Geoff Martin, who was president of Wollongong MCC and proprietor of a successful engineering business specialising in engine reconditioning. It was here that Matt learned the skills that would stand him in good stead in later years. Geoff also had strong ties with the Cotton factory in UK and provided bikes for Matt to race in motocross, and it was a rare occasion when he was beaten.
I first saw Matt at Moorebank Scrambles track in Sydney. He was incredibly fast and also incredibly unspectacular. He had a way of riding quickly without expending unnecessary energy, although he had plenty of that in reserve. And he was superbly fit – he worked hard at that, unlike most of the rest of us. Matt could, and did, ride anything, and he was so talented that he always had plenty of people wanting him to ride their bikes. Although scrambles and motocross were his main focus he also raced occasionally in road racing, at Oran Park, Amaroo Park and at Bathurst on Geoff Martin’s Cotton Telstar. He came fourth in the 250cc Grand Prix at Bathurst in 1967. At the end of 1970 Matt and wife June sailed for England, taking a 400 Husqvarna with them, which Matt rode on the Continent for a couple of years before they decided to make their way home via USA. In Florida, Matt got hooked up with a big Yamaha dealer who supplied him with bikes on which Matt predictably cleaned up in local events just as motocross was really catching on in the US. Back home, Matt attacked business with the same clinical approach as he had with racing, and was highly successful, developing Redlands Engineering into one of the largest engine reconditioning companies in Australia, as well as importing engine reconditioning equipment and distributing this throughout the trade. He kept his hand in by racing a Hagon for Brisk Sales and won two more Australian Championships in 1978 at Ipswich. In latter years Matt and June loved touring on their BMW and Matt always had the latest KTM in the garage for tearing up the trails. He also restored a number of bikes to a meticulous standard, including his original 250 Husqvarna, and a BSA Big Valve Super Rocket 650, both of these restorations featured in OBA. Matt was farewelled by around 120 people at Capalaba Sports Club, Brisbane on 12th November. ■