With a long-standing history in the sport and hands-on experience running the Fastest 40/MX National series, Paul Irwin has stepped up to take on a significant role — shaping the future of the British Motocross Championship. As the newly appointed series director for 2025, Irwin is aiming to unify the sport, elevate the standard of events, and create a pathway for British riders to develop and compete on the international stage. We caught up with Irwin to talk about his background, the direction of the championship, what lies ahead for British Motocross and much more.
GateDrop: Can you tell us about your background in the sport and how your experience with the Fastest 40 series shaped your approach to running the British Championship for the 2025 series?
Irwin: I raced Motocross since 1978, I raced at all levels from club events to youth nationals then straight into the British adult championship at 16. I rode the British championship for many years and even rode in a few GPs in the 90’s. The MX Nationals/Fastest 40 was like an apprenticeship for this year. Running a series of that level you learn so much and meet so many amazing people.
GateDrop: How did the opportunity come around for you to run the British Championship in 2025?
Irwin: The ACU asked me for my thoughts on how the British championship should be structured. I wrote a small plan and showed them and they asked if I would become the series director. It wasn’t a job I was looking for but I’m proud to be a part of it.
GateDrop: What motivated you to take on the challenge of organising the British Championship?
Irwin: I only wanted to do it if I could make a change. I had 4 goals that I wanted to see come to life. A series that is open to all the best riders in the UK and Europe. If they want to do 1 round or all 8, they are still welcome to come and try. Live streaming of the rounds, so that people can follow the series through the year. Youth academy, we have a lot of very knowledgeable people that are happy to give up some of their time to help young riders that want to learn. Every Saturday at each round we have an hour or so with the 125 riders and under 21’s and talk to them about everything from fitness, technique, diet, recovery, bike setup and more. Welcoming the industry to the series. I worked in the industry and I understand how much time and money the industry spends. The industry needs a strong sport and we need them to thrive as businesses. It’s great that so many great brands are supporting us this year.
GateDrop: Is there much of a difference between organising a Fastest 40/MX National compared to the British Championship?
Irwin: Yes, a lot. Mainly the structure is completely different. The Fastest 40 would hire a track and organise everything. This year we are working hand in hand with the organising clubs to produce the best event possible.
GateDrop: Were there any lessons from the Fastest 40/MX National series that you’re directly applying to the British Championship?
Irwin: Yes, there are only so many riders at this level and we need to look after them. Give them good tracks, good exposure and a chance to show what they can do in front of the off-road industry where they can get some of the support they need to progress.
GateDrop: There’s finally only one main British Championship just like back in the good old days. I feel like this is important to allow the up-and-coming talent to go and race in Europe — do you agree?
Irwin: So important. I saw this a few years ago that the Fastest 40 wasn’t really helping riders that wanted to go and race EMX races because we had a date clash. Often they would come to us because they were fighting for a title rather than try an EMX race. This year the calendar is a bit less congested and more teams are racing in Europe. We will never see another British world champion if riders aren’t competing in those events.
GateDrop: Are there specific areas you’ve identified that need immediate improvement?
Irwin: A lot of small details. The biggest thing that I’m pushing is the consistency of the events — the same look and feel and organisation at every round. I would love to see consistent medics, marshals, clerks and track crew and improve the safety anywhere we can. Once we have that, we can build on it.
GateDrop: What does success look like for you — this year and in the long term?
Irwin: This year I would like 8 strong rounds. A strong base so that we can build from and take the next steps for 2026. There is so much more we could do, but a lot comes at a cost. Further down the line I would love to see British riders fighting for a world championship.
GateDrop: How happy are you with the 2025 calendar and venue selection? Do you see room for more variety or returning to certain classic tracks? We’d love to see a round back in Northern Ireland in the future…
Irwin: The calendar was challenging this year. We had what looked like a nicely spread calendar and then had to adjust it due to clashes with other events. It’s tough with so many good events to make it work. I have a wish list of circuits, but many have different challenges that stop them being able to host a British Championship. I don’t think people understand why we can’t go where we want always. 100% would love to come to Ireland next year. Will do my best to make that happen.
GateDrop: We are two rounds into the 2025 series. Are you happy with how both rounds have gone?
Irwin: I think so. It feels like there is a nice atmosphere, great racing, big crowds, and really good online viewing figures. We are off to a good start. Always looking to improve though.
GateDrop: What sort of feedback have you had from riders and teams so far?
Irwin: Pretty positive on the whole. We are trying to give them the best platform to showcase themselves. There are always things we want to improve for them.
GateDrop: Is there anything in place or being planned to make the series more attractive to international riders? I believe Jeffrey Herlings will be racing Preston Docks and Duns — but are you hoping to attract more MXGP riders to certain rounds to improve the level?
Irwin: GP riders are always welcome. They raise the level of the series and push our riders to be better. The structure we have allows them to come and race the odd event that fits their schedule. The issue is that they want money and I don’t believe that MXGB should pay that. If we had more money to pay, we would look after the UK riders first.
Jeffrey has made a deal with Preston Docks and Duns for those rounds, which is great. It’s good to see him coming back to form.
GateDrop: What’s the idea behind the Duns round being a double header and could this be something we see more of in future? Perhaps you could have five weekends but ten rounds?
Irwin: We really wanted to go to Scotland and wanted to see if this could work as a two-round event. The team in Scotland were onboard and time will tell if it’s something we can develop.
GateDrop: What’s your overall vision for the British Championship under your leadership?
Irwin: I want to build something sustainable that can be developed — and that’s difficult in today’s economy. If we can get the championship to a place where it is growing rather than shrinking, that would make me happy. At some point I’ll retire and would like to leave it in a good place!
