Glenn McCormick has been having a great season racing the British Championship and 2025 is proving to be his strongest season yet. The Chambers KTM rider has been a regular at the sharp end of the competitive MX2 class, pushing for top fives and showing that hard work and persistence really do pay off. Returning to the Ulster Championship for a rare appearance at home, McCormick reflected on the progress he’s made, the buzz of racing in front of a local crowd, and why he feels like he’s living his childhood dream. He also shared his thoughts on the possibility of representing Team Ireland again at the Motocross of Nations, with Ironman looming large later this year.
GateDrop: Glenn, we are here at an Ulster Championship, it’s nice to see you here, it’s nice to see other top guys from home here and it’s nice to see some British guys here. First of all, what’s your perspective of it? It’s nice to see an effort being made to get these guys over and see competitive racing…
McCormick: It is brilliant, I mean this is my sort of going… I love this, just natural, some jumps made into it. I tested the track here at the start back in 2019 and the difference from then to now, the work that’s been done here has been incredible. Jo, Mark and everyone is, you can’t fault them for them for their effort. The track is mega, and I loved it. You know, having everyone here, you can see the buzz about today, you go in here today, it’s the first-time racing at home in many years, it’s just a buzz. The Ulster Championship has been good for me and for Jason Meara especially. It all started here and I say it all the time, both me and him, racing here, I don’t think we would have gotten as far without it, not because of hatred or anything like that but we just wanted to beat each other all the time and having that rivalry. It’s a healthy rivalry and it’s helped us to now and it’s just unfortunate he couldn’t be out here today as well. It’s been a really good day and with the English riders coming over and giving us a bit of a challenge, it’s been good.
GateDrop: You mentioned 2019 there, it’s actually my first time here at the track so I don’t know what it was like in 2019, what was it like then compared to now, I’m assuming there’s a few more jumps and stuff now?
McCormick: A few more jumps. The track didn’t have the further fielding and stuff so the changes have just been immense. Mark and Jo have listened, given us an award, been to races in England to see what’s happening. You know, they have a good understanding of what riders want so they do, hats off to any of the group putting the work in. There’s obviously more people, there’s so many people, it’s just amazing, it’s cool, it’s nice to be here, nice to be at home. It’s a lovely moment, it’s just nice having a weekend at home. The English guys for a change have to get the boat.
GateDrop: Just on your moto’s, four motos, usually three, how did you find the four and just talk me through? It was probably hard, work on a 250 against the 450s, but bar the starts, you rode really well, coming up through them…
McCormick: I’m really happy with my riding, I think this year has been the best I’ve done, it’s my best year ever. I keep on saying it, I’m like a fine wine, I just keep getting better with age. It was a tough four races, obviously the start hurt a little bit, but I mean, that’s not really an excuse. We’re all racers, just ride the bikes as hard as you can really, and I’m happy with my riding. Obviously you’ve seen Taylor and the guys riding… they’re on the pace of Conrad and Jeffrey so, we’re in a good place. I’m quite happy, three fourths for second overall on the day which doesn’t always happen but the riding is good, so I’m happy.
GateDrop: Just on the British Championship, like you say, I feel like this is your best season so far, obviously there were issues and stuff off the track last year, that was very difficult, but it must be nice to have such a strong season, I mean, you’re battling, you’re pretty much consistent top 10, and sometimes pushing for top five which isn’t easy, because that MX2 class seems a lot quicker this year than last year, I think, anyway…
McCormick: I think it’s a wee bit taken for granted. You know, obviously Tommy Searle and the experience he has, but people will say he’s on the way down, but really, the pace, it’s phenomenal. Last year it probably wasn’t really seen, I knew myself that my season was very strong all things considered. I know coming into this year that it would propel me and that mentally I was in a good place and was strong. The team have been brilliant, they’ve stepped it up to do GP’s. Mike and Tim have been great, it’s been a brilliant time, it’s just been awesome and it’s really good to be there.
I kicked it off with a really strong winter, I put a lot of work in so to be where I’m at in the championship. My goal is to be in that top five, and a podium would be awesome before the end of the year so we’re not far away. We’ve just got two or three seconds to make up really to be honest so we will keep working hard. We’ve got a lot of good tracks coming up so I’m looking forward to getting stuck in, because we’re there and the starts have been good too. I think that has really helped me this year so ready to get stuck in, and get into the rest of the season.
GateDrop: You mentioned there, you had a really strong off season, did you change anything this winter, compared to other winters, or not so much? Did you spend it all at home like usual?
McCormick: I did spend a few weeks in Spain and I haven’t been there in quite a few years so that did help. Between that I’ve just a good group of people around me. I’ve got good coaches and all the people behind the scenes… People helping me at home, getting bikes ready. I have a small circle of people but it’s very good. When I have all those people around me with everyone going in the same direction, they help me achieve my goals which are set high for myself but I can be there. To be doing what I’m doing, I am happy.
GateDrop: On the Chambers KTM team, I know you talked about them a little bit there but they’ve really stepped it up this year, I know from speaking to Adam, he’s really happy with the team, and how everything’s going, it seems like great vibes with great bunch of people. How happy are you that they kept you for this year, because, you know, they were stepping up the GPs, they could have easily said, well, we don’t want Glenn, you know…
McCormick: Well, that’s the thing too. Obviously, I’m not at that level, I’m not a GP rider. Where I’m at in my career I don’t inspire to be either, I just do the best I can in the British Championship. Ironically, that was sort of my dream growing up. I was going to be happy to be riding for a team in England. You know even getting gear sponsored, and that was just things I’d grown up. When you step back and look at it all I’m living my childhood dream. Tim, Mike, everyone at the team has just been great. They sort of scaled back and then put in a big push forward to make things good and give us the best of things. They’ve done that, and given us everything they promised to give us, and I can’t fault them, it’s just been awesome. Tim is just Tim, he’s a great lad, and he’s great for the sport as well. I think British Motocross need people like that to be involved in the sport. It’s nice that they kept me and with Adam being there too, it’s just brought so much work, thanks to the team that helped and it’s just been amazing.
GateDrop: The British Championship has a new organizer, ownership, whatever you want to call it, this year with Paul Irwin, it’s great for us, because there’s actually a live stream, so we can watch what’s going on, what’s it like being in the paddock, I was at Canada Heights, and it was good vibes… How do you think it’s being run?
McCormick: There’s nothing negative to say really. If you speak to Paul Irwin or some of the guys, they want more, you know, which is a good thing, because they just want us to thrive, and make it better for us, riders, and make the sport better. Now driving into the paddock, it’s like when I was a kid, driving into the British Championship, with that buzz, and just excited, almost like, here I am and it’s like a kid again riding a bike. Fair play to them it’s been a change in the boost of the sport. It’s elevated everything, and the riders, the pace of everyone as well.
It would be good if we can see some of the talented kids like Charlie or my team mate, Ollie can push on now as well. You’ve got the likes of Billy too who are being underestimated just because they’re getting beat by Tommy but the experience is there. He can get the starts too and you see Oriol last week, when he passed him, he got him right back again, he just passed him back. I watched the race back and you can see what he was doing, it seems simple really but it’s just experience. I’ve got to race with Nicholls too. When you follow him, you see some of the lines he does and it’s amazing. Experience, you can’t beat it so it’s nice to be racing against them guys and being competitive. Over the years sometimes it’s a struggle to get points so it’s nice to be at the sharp end.
GateDrop: You love the MX2 class, do you see your short-term future still in the MX2 class, or would you be tempted to move up now?
McCormick: You do sort of have glimmers of thinking I would maybe like it, but the 250cc is my bike. I just enjoy it, I enjoy my racing, and, you know, it’s hard to race a 450cc at 100%.
GateDrop: Would you even consider a 350cc?
McCormick: I tried a 350cc, but it just wasn’t as fun as the 250cc. I’m at the stage of my career, it’s near the end, so, I just want to enjoy these last few years. I’m 30 here next week so I’m pushing on, we’re closer to the end than we are at the start, so I just want to enjoy it, and make the most out of what is left. Because after what happened last year and stuff, it just puts things in perspective. You take it all for granted when you’re struggling, and you’re beating your head off a wall, but really we are riding bikes around the field at the end of the day, you can’t beat it.
GateDrop: I know Martin Barr is a good friend of yours, he’s turning 38 here soon, how much did you look up to him growing up, and you’re not going to be like him, racing until your 37?
McCormick: I can’t see it (laughs). He’s old, isn’t he?! (laughs). But there you go, Martin is going out there and getting the results so he can’t be faulted for that. Fair play, it’s nice just to be riding along with him. I looked up him as a kid, we are sort of rival to him. He pretty much grew up in the British scene. It was nice to be in away a part of it too, when you’re doing all the motos together as well as all the training and stuff. Fair play to him, he’s had a good run at it, I’ll probably end up getting beat at a race by him before he retires yet (laughs).
GateDrop: I have to ask you about Team Ireland, you must really fancy your chances this year, it’s probably the best year of your career, and the first MXoN didn’t really go according to plan for you, so how motivated would you be if you get picked for Ironman?
McCormick: Yeah, they’re heading out to America in Ironman and racing in America has always been a dream of mine so it would be cool. But my season is the British Championship, so I just try to focus on that. If I get picked to go I’ll definitely be there, giving it my all. Obviously, in Ernee it was just a bit of bad luck being took out in the qualifying race. It was difficult but I feel like I still rode good. I hurt my hand in the B final crash but I tried anyway, I can tell you that. I’m looking forward to hopefully finishing my year strong, and what will happen will happen. Fair play to Martin who has put in a lot of hard work to try and get things up and running. To be quite honest, I can’t be bothered with the crap that comes with it. This country is too small for everyone to be arguing and fighting but it’s nice that he’s putting the work in. Hopefully for him it goes well, he’s got it up and running, and it’s going the right way, so, it’s fair play to him. We’ll see what happens at the end of the year.
