Canadian motocross talent Tanner Ward is set to make an intriguing guest appearance at the opening round of the British Motocross Championship this weekend, lining up with the SC Sporthomes Husqvarna squad. The hard-charging rider has travelled across the Atlantic for a first taste of British racing after striking up a connection with the team earlier this year in Florida, and he’ll make his debut at the legendary Hawkstone Park circuit.
Known for its brutal sand, long lap times and the famous Hawkstone Hill, the historic venue will be a proper test for Ward as he goes up against a stacked field that includes several Grand Prix regulars. However, coming from Canada and growing up riding one of the toughest sand tracks in the world at Gopher Dunes, the conditions could play right into his hands.
With no pressure and an open mind about what the weekend might bring, Ward is eager to see how he measures up against the British Championship’s elite—and if things go well, this one-off appearance could potentially turn into something more. We caught up with Ward ahead of the trip to talk about how the opportunity came together, his thoughts on Hawkstone, and what he’s hoping to achieve in his UK debut.
GateDrop: Tanner, you’ll make the trip over from Canada to race the British Championship this weekend with SC Sport Homes Husqvarna. How did this all come about?
Ward: Yes, I am super excited for this opportunity. I met Neil and the gang at the winter ams in Florida at the end of January, we started chatting and one thing led to another.
GateDrop: Hawkstone Park is an iconic track. What do you know about the track? I guess you’ve looked it up on YouTube – the hill is something else the first time you see it!
Ward: I’ve always heard of Hawkstone and seen stuff on social media but once I found out I was coming to race I definitely did a deep dive on YouTube. The track looks really fun and to be completely honest, from what I’ve seen it looks a lot like some of our stuff at home.
GateDrop: What do you know about the competition of the British Championship? There are some fast GP riders doing the series!
Ward: I’ve heard this year’s series is pretty stacked with some heavy hitters. I know coming to a different country there will be a ton of fast guys, I’m excited to see where I fit in.
GateDrop: Hawkstone can get rough – do you like deep sand?
Ward: Yeah, I love sand. I grew up thirty minutes from one of the worlds gnarliest sand tracks, Gopher Dunes.
GateDrop: Have you got any expectations for this weekend?
Ward: Like any racer I want to do good, but truthfully, it’s hard to put expectations on something like this. I know if I can ride to my potential that I’ll be just fine.
GateDrop: Is there a chance you could end up sticking around beyond the first round?
Ward: The plan is to race round one and go from there. If it all goes well, I obviously would love to come back and do more.
GateDrop: If you do end up staying with the team perhaps we’ll see you race selected AMA rounds and maybe some MXGP?
Ward: That would obviously be amazing, but right now we’re just focusing on Hawkstone and then going from there.
