When it comes to British Motocross, there’s not many that have had a career like Billy MacKenzie.
We caught up with MacKenzie to discuss his career and he was very open with us to reveal all.
On being 40 years old and still racing at a high level…
MacKenzie: I don’t know, do I love racing? I like riding my bike. That’s what I’ve learned from growing to this age, is that I’m really good at it and I’ve dedicated my life to it. So, while I can still do it, I have to otherwise, I’ll regret it.
I took a massive break at the end of my Grand Prix days. It was 2009. Now, really, that was a kind of forced one, because I’d snapped a ligament off my right-hand thumb. I remember racing for CAS Honda and we were the factory Honda team back then.
We had the budget and I was getting paid plenty but if I missed a Grand Prix, I was getting docked plenty as well. So, I had to really just push through the pain for around five Grand Prix’s, which was five too many, considering the injury I had. But you know, I had something to prove to myself and to my team and Honda. I was getting faster and it was just really unlucky.
It was in Portugal when it happened. I’d just put the fastest sector down and this was a stacked field. We had Cairoli, Philippaerts, Ramon, De Reuver, Strijbos, De Dyker, Pourcel… everyone was there. I remember just finding my balance in the GP previous, which was Valkenswaard. Really I’d struggled a lot at the start of the 2009 season because we had the new Honda. The 09 Honda was a brand-new bike and we had to develop it. Now, we were getting all the factory stuff from Japan, like all the factory stuff. I’m talking magnesium, everything: forks, white Showas, casings. I came into the start of the 09 season on just a bike that I’d never rode, that I hadn’t set up, and I was just trusting in the factory components and a bit young and naive to the testing and feeling I should be having with the machine.
So, I went on after struggling at the start of the season with British championships and all kinds of crap going on. I was off the pace, and I was like, why? I didn’t know why. I was on a factory Honda and I was a double British champion, Grand Prix winner, all of it. I should not be going down in speed, I should be going up in speed, especially with the support that I got. But the mistake was we didn’t have the bike set up.
I ended up snapping a ligament clean off my thumb on my right-hand side hand. For the next six races, I had to keep it, not quiet… I think people knew, but, you know, I was banging my head against a brick wall pretty much. I was taking local anesthetic injections straight into the joint of my thumb because under braking and, just Motocross, you are going through so many G outs and it was starting to cause me a lot of pain. It was really flaring up and I had no strength.
So, I pushed through with this injury for six races because I was getting paid. I didn’t want to get docked because it was like, you know, my second factory contract. But in the end, I had to just say no. I couldn’t possibly continue, it was embarrassing to me.
I was frustrated. It was embarrassing to Honda, the people who were supporting me. They’re paying me a lot of money and I was not getting the results. Everyone, you know, I was getting a lot of backlash from the UK media. I’d went from a double British champion to being like, oh, what’s up with Billy? That is the British mentality, like kicking when you’re down. Oh, he’s not fit enough etc. I was like, who even are you lot?
On the pressure of being a factory rider and dealing with that…
MacKenzie: It’s difficult. When you’re a factory rider and you are in it, you don’t really know about it because you’ve been doing this, I was doing it since I was six years old. So it’s just natural to me. I should have kept my circle small. I should have listened to my dad more. But, mate, I was young and wild.
On racing for Steve Dixon and his relationship with him – who is still in the GP paddock…
MacKenzie: Steve was literally like a father figure for pro racing, I left home when I was 15 just because I was so focused on racing, and no one knew what to do with me. I just could not stop thinking about Motocross. If I couldn’t ride or do what I wanted to set out to do, then I’d just be a bit of a nightmare.
I moved down to Steve’s, because I wanted to be riding my bike every single day. My dad was busy working. I needed someone to take care of the bike so that I could just vent my energy at a track. I was still in school, I couldn’t even drive. So, I went and stayed down with Steve and just moved into the race truck outside the workshop.
Mate, it’s a kid’s dream. You know what I mean? I had a mechanic. I had all the parts. Dixon’s making all his cool stuff. I had a fresh Dixon Yamaha to look at every morning when I rolled out of the race truck and sat with Steve in his office. Steve Dixon’s father taught me how to drive.
Steve let me do whatever I wanted because he knew that you couldn’t tell me otherwise. Everyone would try and push me in the right direction. They’d try and give me everything that I needed. All I wanted to do was get to the track and light it up, so Steve was amazing. He would only try and help me with anything that I thought, or he thought or anything that could help us get better results. So, trust me when I say I’ve got the experience from the fails and the wins.
I’ve learned everything. I’ve been through so many trainers. I’ve tried it all. I’ve tried the cycling route, the boxing route. I’ve done everything. I honestly have. Everyone supported me doing that because they saw the ferocity that I attacked the track at. When that gate dropped, there was no trying to get me motivated. As long as the bike was working and fast enough, I’ll hold that thing open until it ran out of fuel.
It’s all coming full circle because right now, the way I’m feeling and the way I’m talking, I hope I can live up to my chat because I’m going to lock into another year of racing, British and Scottish motocross championships because the new 450 Kawasaki is that good out of the crate that I actually don’t need to tune it. It’s going to drive Dixon mental because all he wants to do is tune the bike (laughs). So, I’ve told him straight to his face: Steve, if you don’t get me on your team this year, I’m going to beat your rider every single time on a bog-standard Kawasaki. He knows it’s tongue-in-cheek, but he’s scared. So he’s going to have to put me on the team again (laughs).
On his discipline…
MacKenzie: My discipline with training was so focused and riding, but then my discipline with food and diet wasn’t. Everyone could see that having a girlfriend was good for me. If I had a girlfriend, it calmed me down. It made me a better person because I had someone else to think about and I wasn’t as selfish and wild.
On how hard it is to win a GP never mind a world title…
MacKenzie: See, now, looking back, I realize how hard it was because not many people have done it since. Go and have a look at the last 10 British Grand Prix winners. Myself, Max Anstie, Shaun Simpson, Tommy, Swordy. You know, the MX2 was filled up with Swordy and all those guys, but there’s only been two MX1 Grand Prix winners. That’s myself and Shaun.
Shaun got lucky because I moved to Australia. Otherwise, listen, if I’d stayed here, if I’d got my thumb repair and stayed here and continued on the Grand Prix scene, I might have won a whole lot more. I could have chalked up a few more. Look, me and Shaun are holding it strong for the Scottish boys and Dean Wilson as well. When we think back about the British Isles and the MX1 Grand Prix wins, it’s all above the border. It’s Scotland.
The memory I have of winning Grand Prix other than Japan was my first race win at Spain in Bellpuig. So that was me on a 250 four-stroke in 2005. Now, this is the answer to your question.
So from 1999, when I joined Steve Dixon, to 2005, that’s how many years (six!) it took us to win a Grand Prix. I had multiple British Championships, 125cc overall wins, tied with Swordy for a championship. I had heartbreak over Motocross, girls and everything. So as a young kid, going through all that emotion, it didn’t really turn out that well.
In 2001, my Granddad passed. I just was having a bad time as a teenage kid. You know what I mean? So from 2003, when I jumped on the four-stroke Yamaha, that was another mistake. That thing was a piece of sh*t. I’m racing against Rattray and Swordy on factory 125 KTMs. I’m trying to develop a brand new heavy four-stroke 250 that we didn’t know what was happening.
I ended up breaking my foot, like smashed it to bits at Teutschenthal because I was running the wrong suspension. Me trying my absolute best and throwing it all out there, but not being able to control the bike or do what I used to do. I was having a massive confidence knock.
So that was 2003, I had to repair my foot and it took six months. It was completely smashed. I had to have full open surgery and got told I couldn’t run again and all that nonsense. Anyway, I came back in 2004. I jumped on the four-stroke again and it was a little bit better. But same thing again, I was training too hard. I was a skinny little white kid still living down at Dixon Yamaha trying to chase the dream, but it’s all going a bit wrong.
I’m eating too much pasta. I’m thinking I need to get energy, but I’m getting no fats or proteins in. Nothing. I’m just wasting away. Honestly, looking back I looked like an addict. I didn’t feel well, and I couldn’t finish the races. Everyone was like, what is happening? I’m like, I don’t know.
I’m literally giving it everything I can, but I’m not feeling right. So anyway, had a few things go on with dietary requirements. My diet was sh*t. I wasn’t getting the right fuel for my body, and I wasted away to a skinny mess. I had to take three months off while my body recovered.
I’m building up to my first GP win. Finally, after 2004, slogging it out on a slow 250cc, Andrew McFarlane was my teammate. He was getting heavy support from Rinaldi and his bike was apparently faster than mine. I didn’t know and I don’t care, but it got to a point where I think McFarlane injured himself. I’d already moved to a 450 because I was that bad on the 250. I ended up doing half the year on the 450 in 2004.
I entered Namur MX1, got a top 10, that was my first ever MX1 Grand Prix. Now that was a big deal because you’ve got Smets, Pichon, Ramon, Everts. They’re all there and I was a top 10 on my first ever try. And then we went to Gaildorf and I got sixth. I was the first non-factory rider behind all the factory guys. I was like, right, I’m not sh*t. I’m not bad, am I? I was worried before that.
This is years of torture that I’ve been putting myself through. Finally got on a big bike with all the power that I need and just putting it up front because I’m not scared to go in the first corner with anyone. I’m getting good starts and then hanging in there and bringing it home on a 450. In the British Championship, I’m getting podiums with Coppins, Crockard and all these guys. We made a decision because McFarlane injured himself to go and test his bike.
I was going to do two races on the Isle of Wight. It was the last British Championship in 2004. I decided to race both classes just to see which class I was better suited in. So basically we started the day on McFarlane’s bike and I went and won the first race. I beat Rattray on his factory 125.
Did you quickly realise the bike was a lot better than the bike you had to start the year?!
MacKenzie: Well, I don’t know. In hindsight, I wish I’d just stayed on the 450, right? But because I went and won that race and beat Rattray, who finished second in the world I was like, I better go and try MX2 again now that I’ve got a fast bike. So that’s when it all started.
So 2005 and 2006, 2005 especially, that was my best year. Everything clicked. I was on the best bike. We went to the first round and I was terrible. It was in Zolder. I was like, oh no, we’re here again. Next round, I went to Spain, Bellpuig, the first race I was 22nd, crashed and I was rubbish. The second race, I won the thing, zero to hero, eh? So I went and won my first Grand Prix race win in 2005 on an MX2 bike in Spain, Bellpuig. I won it convincingly, it was like a 10 second lead, I just pulled away, edged away. It was immaculate and I was like, that’s how I know how to ride. That’s all I’ve been wanting.
I just wanted that feeling. Because I was so successful in the school boys. That’s the difference between a racer that just knows that he’s good enough or a racer that’s trying his best. I’m like, nah, I’m a winner. So I won that race and that was a good start to a 2005 season. We got more race wins that year.
I went to Isle of Wight, I ended up getting the overall in Japan. So, I won a race, but I didn’t get the overall.
It was a confidence booster and everyone was smiling again. Steve, all the hard work and all the dedication, all the years that we’ve just put into it. Like losing British Championships on tied points to Swordy and having to deal with all the crap of British Championship to finally go and win a race and have a good season.
I finished sixth in the world that year, but we got the overall win in Japan. That was just a knock-on effect from the confidence that grew from that second race in Spain. I had my setup done. We didn’t touch the bike after that, didn’t touch it. The suspension was right for the first time, had all my bars and had my mechanic back because I’d changed mechanic. It was a much better feeling.
In answer to your question, it’s a long report. Winning Grand Prix’s takes a lot of time and you’ve got to be a bit wild to not let it go. To not lose that belief in yourself that you had when you were 15.
So anyway, in 2006, we started again. I had such a good year in 05 that I’m on to win a championship this year, but the bike had changed again. It was an aluminum frame Yamaha. It was a little bit slower. See, we weren’t getting the right feedback from Rinaldi. You had Swordy, Pourcel, Cairoli, Chiodi and McFarlane, . They’re like 10 to 15 kilograms lighter than me. I could never get off the start. I was having to battle through and literally risk it, risk my life to try and get up front.
I did it again in Japan for some reason. I went and won, I beat Cairoli straight up and got the overall, stood on the top step. I do like to just make a joke about it, the fact that I did it in front of the bosses, but it is weird that it happened. I’ll joke about it, but something made it happen. You know what I’m like but I didn’t do anything different.
Steve Dixon was there from 99 to 2006. The only reason I really left was because he run the MXoN at Matterley Basin. I was ready to go MX1 and Steve wasn’t in a position to support me and Jan de Groot is on the phone.
On working with Jan de Groot…
MacKenzie: Completely different from Steve, but not in a good way or a bad way. It was just different being a foreign team. Like I could sit down with Steve in his office and just talk stuff like this all morning. I couldn’t do that with Jan, he just gave me the best mechanic and the best bike.
But we started off the season and I was awful. Honestly, I couldn’t last 15 minutes. Everyone was like, what’s going on? We’re changing this, changing that. I was just a bit foggy. Everything was foggy. I was like, sh*t, am I just not that good? You know, I’m on a GP team and finishing around 12th to 15th. I was like, is this just where I have to start? I’m like, fu*k doing all this again. Haven’t I just done this in MX2? I’m like, it got to the point where we got to Teutschenthal, it was almost five or six races in.
Jan comes up to me and asks what’s up, Billy? I’m like, I actually don’t know, I’m f**ked. I’ve got no energy. Like I had to admit it, I’ve got no energy. It was a really embarrassing thing to admit because I was training as much as I could. I was following this schedule and then having to admit to Jan de Groot that I don’t know what’s going on.
He was like, right, well, come with us. We’re going to take you for blood tests, come to Belgium, do all this. I’m like, thanks. Actually, thank you because I don’t know what’s going on. So we did that.
It was Martin Van Genderson, he was like the team manager that Jan had put in place. He was really friendly, really good guy. I went there, done all the bloods, came back low on sugar, low on fats, low on iron, low on everything. I’m like… Damn, that’s it. I’m done with dieting. I got the sausage rolls back in, literally frying stuff up in my wee camper outside Jan de Groot’s factory, lashings of brown sauce, stuffing it in my gub, went and done a Dutch championship that next weekend, after all my results came back. I was fourth, right on Strijbos’ ass, it was their home track. I’d never raced this track before. Two fourths.
I felt way better and all the energy’s back. Next weekend, we went to Japan and I won it! I went from nothing, nothing, to almost quitting. Then literally, go and look back at the Japan footage, like dominating it. Domination!
I was six seconds a lap faster on the first two laps. I pulled out a 12 second lead at Grand Prix level. Go and look back, James Bubba Stewart hasn’t even done that (laughs).
On where he was based when with Jan de Groot – at home in the UK or in Belgium/Netherlands…
MacKenzie: That’s an interesting question. I was at home at my dad’s house again. I was training with my younger cousin, Bryan, and we were following the training to the script. But this was all before, obviously, I found out that I was doing it alright.
It was like mid-season. I went and won, but I was staying at home still, and I was getting a bit bored. I was getting a bit like… Bryan was working, he wouldn’t train with me. Everyone was going playing golf and stuff, and I was starting to get a bit of a cabin fever feeling staying at home.
I need to be out. I need to run my legs and I need to get my laps in. So anyway, no one was doing it, So I ended up moving down to Derby to train with Tommy Searle because he was on a Jamie Dobbs program, it was working for him. That’s when me and Tommy, we started training with Kirk Gibbons, who was the guy from Derby. I went down and stayed in Derby and was back with my girlfriend at the time. Jamie Dobb sorted me all out, and I finished the season off really strong. I had a trainer and had a steady routine. I still wasn’t taking care of myself as much as I should of, because of my diet and stuff. But basically, we finished that season. I won the British Championship for Kawasaki. But no, I didn’t stay in Holland. Jan wouldn’t have even wanted me there. You know, he just brings the bikes. You turn up. We pay you to do your job. You know, we’re not looking after you. Steve would do everything for me because, you know, I was a young kid when I joined him. So yeah, 2007, finished it strong, won the British Championship finally. Sense of relief, all that kind of stuff.
On de Groots passing and the switch to Honda…
MacKenzie: Jan died after Japan. He literally saw me win, and then I think it was like a week or two later, he passed away. So Pourcel was really coming on strong that year, Christophe had won the MX2 Championship. So naturally, the Kawasaki support went to the Frenchies. I could have went over there, but CAS Honda were knocking on the door and offering me way more money. As hard as it was to leave Kawasaki, because it was the factory team, Coppins had done a good job with the Honda.
He had been second in the world. I was like, you know what, at least I can live at home now, which I did anyway, but at least it’s easier. You know, I feel better about it. I continued in Derby, trained with Tommy like we done a whole year. I won the British Championship again, was so close to getting podiums and stuff, led a lot of laps MX1, but looking back now, I know the mistakes I made, I do. It’s only through experience that I want to fix them now.
It’s a hard one. It’s a hard one to look back and realize the mistakes you made, you know, but 2008, 2007 and 08 especially were my best years, and then 09 came and the bike was different and sh*t happened.
On having raced Antonio Cairoli and seeing him still have elite MXGP speed…
MacKenzie: Me and Antonio and everyone else, but we’ve dedicated our lives to this sport. I tried to move away from it at the end of 2014. I did, I took a massive break because we were getting forced with air suspension and I just felt like I forgot how to ride. But Antonio’s had the luxury of just the factory KTM and everyone just doing anything for him.
So, it was always nice to watch Cairoli keep doing what he’s doing, but I just knew I didn’t want to do it at that time. I was like, I’m not chasing this dream and going to throw myself down the track when I kind of know that it’s over. Antonio had the opportunity to keep it going, but when I was watching him doing it, I was like, I couldn’t be bothered with that. I was sitting on the beach thinking I couldn’t imagine going Ernee right now (laughs).
I watched from afar and I was just thankful that I wasn’t there. But yeah, watching him come back, he misses it as well. With the Ducati thing as well, it is like Tommy and the Triumph. When you get that opportunity, you just knuckle down for another year. If it works out then you knuckle down for another year and after that you just have to accept that is your job.
The money kind of just came with it. I was able to support myself, invest and all that stuff. I am happy and content. I didn’t want the fast flashy cars or anything like that, I just want to get on my bike and go ride in the dunes. I want to be free and that is sort of the mental attitude I have towards it now.
But when the bikes are this good. The Kawasaki is that good I jumped on it and was like: look at all this power. I can ride how I know I can ride, I can push and don’t have to force it. I’ve got my skills and that is what I’ve had my whole life. If I have the bike to keep up with me then the rest is up to me to do the laps and getting a bit fitter and see what happens. I’ll race Cairoli tomorrow (laughs).
On British MX compared to when he was racing and why Brits seem to struggle going overseas…
MacKenzie: It’s a good question. I’ve talked about it to a couple of people, and I certainly don’t have the answer to it. Phones and social media have ruined the lot in terms of race action.
One thing that did intimidate me a little bit was the hard pack tracks. I used to get a little bit nervous at the French and Italian hilly, rock hard and blue groove tracks. That is where I wasn’t very good but I got better at it. I did work hard and practiced at it and the first GP race win for me was in Bellpuig in the Spain. I was a sand man, I loved it and when I was down at Dixon’s we had an amazing base where we could just go out there and moto all day long. It was so convenient for me to be with Dixon because we had that sand pit and we could just go back to the workshop and get everything done. I didn’t need to touch a thing but these days I have to do everything but I don’t mind it because what else am I going to do? But listen, when Steve Dixon turns up I’m going to get him to sign me up again (laughs).
Plans for the 2025 season…
The plan is to race the first rounds of the national championships and just see where I’m at. I’m getting good support from Steve Dixon again, and Kawasaki UK, Ross Burridge. I’ve been involved in helping bring awareness to the Scottish motocross championship, which has really up its game. It is a really fun and beautiful championship to be a part of, especially because it’s in my back garden and I’ve travelled all around the world and I’m just so happy to just rock up to a national championship that’s in Scotland.
I’ve done enough miles to the British championships and I still will, especially if I have a good result or if I have a good feeling on the bike at the first rounds, then I’ll probably go again. But right now I’m not locking into anything because I don’t really like the pressure that comes with the full season. I don’t like the commitment at this moment in time, but I wouldn’t really know what else to do with myself.
So I have just committed with my sponsor MODU, and Kawasaki that I’ll turn up the first couple of rounds. A big mention to Thomas Laing at MODU as he has supported me and bought the necessary equipment to get myself to the races. Also, there is a crop of young Scottish riders that I coach and support, and racing helps me give them the best advice on the day and during the week.
I’ve even entered the over 40s class. So I want to do two classes at the Scottish championship because we’re lucky enough that we can have a two day event, whereas the British championships are only a one day event. The Scottish championship involves all the kids, all the juniors, the school boys, the amateurs. It’s a full weekend’s racing in Scotland, which is grand. I’m just happy to still be riding.
I had surgery to remove some metal work from my spine. So I’m kind of on a recovery year just to get my body back in shape from struggling for like the last three years with some ill feeling in my back, spine and body. So I’m basically at a good base to build from.
