An official investigation is to be held into events at a UK motocross championship round in Moray that left several people injured at the weekend.
Nine people were taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin after sustaining injuries at the Woodside track in Elgin during round three of the Scottish Motocross Championships, with several more sustaining injuries that did not require hospital treatment.
Amongst the injured were two race marshals who had gone to the aid of a rider before themselves being struck by a second competitor.
Now the head of the sport in the UK, Roy Barton, says he will travel to Moray to investigate the circumstances of the high accident rate from the two-day weekend event – although he stressed that motocross was a high risk sport that invariably involved accidents.
He said: “Anyone who races knows that it is dangerous – before they are allowed to compete they have to fill in paperwork and take out licenses that make this very clear.
”The danger is all part of the attraction to the sport – it is adventurous and gives people an adrenalin rush. Obviously we work hard to make it as safe as we possibly can but there are not many riders who do not get injured at some stage in their career.”
Local councillor Barry Jarvis welcomed the investigation – however, he pointed out that events at the track were always well organised with a variety of safety measures in place. He said: “There appears to have been a series of unfortunate accidents but this is not a reflection on the local club or the event itself, which will normally pass without incident.”