McGovern To Be First American to Race FIM World Vets

July 31, 2007, 5:50am

The 55-year-old will line up at the FIM World Veterans Motocross Championships August 4-5 at Namur, Belgium

Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM) has accepted the first ever American competitor into its World Veterans MX Championships series. Glenn McGovern of New Orleans, La., will compete against the top European, New Zealand, Australian and Russian riders Aug. 4-5, Youthstream announced today. The first race of the 2007 World Veterans MX Championship series will be held at the historic Citadel castle in Namur, Belgium. The second will take place at Donington Park, Great Britain Aug. 25-26.

McGovern, 55, is a trial attorney who relocated to Metairie, La., after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his New Orleans East office. He raced at the AMA Nationals at Loretta Lynn in 2004 and 2005 and has been racing since 1973. He grew up riding on the levees on New Orleans East’s Ninth Ward which was largely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, 2005.

McGovern will be racing in the FIM Veterans MX Class with riders age 51-60. The FIM World Championship Motocross MX1 and MX2 races are run the same days before crowds of over 25,000 expected. McGovern will be riding a 2007 KTM 250 SX from Champion Cycle of Covington, La.. Other sponsors include So Decal Works, Twin Air Filters, Carl Langley’s Racing Innovations Suspension, M2R Helmets and Universal.

“I am the first, but hopefully not the last, American to participate in this event at the almost sacred Namur MX track,” McGovern said. “It’s an honor to race at Namur the Monaco of Motocross races with the best FIM/Youthstream riders in the world. I hope to inspire some of our American MX Legends to enter next year and win the FIM Veterans MX Championship Cup by an US rider.”

While he’s optimistic about how he’ll do in the races, he’s still working on the complicated logistics of his trip.

“I still haven’t figured out how I’m getting my bike to Donington Park,” McGovern said. “If anyone could give my KTM a lift to Great Britain, that’d be great. I just wish I had Delta or Air France as a sponsor!”