While last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix was a celebration of how good MXGP is, and how talented Jeffrey Herlings and Kay De Wolf are, it was also a weekend to reflect on one of the nicest blokes in the paddock saying goodbye to a sport he has been involved in for 65 years.

Probably the most popular figure in the MXGP paddock, Roger Harvey, who had had more jobs in motocross than just about anyone and started racing as a young boy, decided the travel has finally made going to the races less fun than enjoyable, or should I say, he still loved being at the races, but getting to the races was just not fun anymore.

If anyone deserved a big send off, it was Rog and he got that in the HRC awning on the Saturday night, with the Gariboldi family making sure that a celebration for all his years in the sport was rewarded.

For me, as one of Rogers thousands of friends, I wanted to write something about this great man, because without doubt, Roger has friends from around the world, and it would be hard to find anyone who doesn’t enjoy his company and some good banter. At times he could have had a signing session, for all the people who wanted a chat and laugh.

I met Roger while working as the CAS press guy, back in around 2002 or 2003. It was also a time when the media room was a fun place to be, with a lot of the journalists hanging out after the races, going for a beer and a meal. Without question, the most enjoyable period of my involvement with working in the sport, and Roger was always happy to join the party and while Roger wasn’t drinking pints and pints of beer like many of us, he was fun to be around, with his quick humour and gentle soul.

A hard man who grew up in an era when being soft just wasn’t acceptable. I often joke to Roger what a pussy I am, and a paper cut for me, felt like I had broken a bone. Rog was from the other train of thought and a broken collarbone, was treated like a paper cut.

We spent many weekends sharing hotel rooms, drinking a beer, enjoying a meal, and just laughing as hard as we could. Those were good times and Roger was in the centre of it all. A more reliable man, you could not meet and if you were on his good side, you were very lucky.

From his stories of old school motocross to his care of how your life was going, Roger was all class, and while there were dozens and dozens of people Roger cared about, it was nice to know he also had your back.

In recent years one of my children was suffering from mental health issues (fortunately that seems to be over now), and I would sometimes speak to Roger about it. The man that Roger Harvey is, I would get a regular call in the off-season, asking, “How’s Maut mate”. I always thanked Roger for caring, but that is his nature, to be there for people and as I have said, he cares about a lot of people.

Last weekend, as we did last year at the Arnhem GP, we went for a meal on the Friday night, just Roger, me and another friend and well-known media guy, Gary Freeman. Gary isn’t working a lot in the sport anymore, but when he knew Roger was having his last Grand Prix, he had to be involved, so jumped on a plane and flew over for his mate’s last stand.

Being that I live in Arnhem, I found a nice little place to enjoy what could be our last meal together. After 25 years of laughing, I have to admit, I felt a sadness, and that sadness just got worse as the weekend got closer and closer to Sunday afternoon.

This tough man, who had turns 75 this year was ending a career that most of us couldn’t imagine. As one of the real characters of British motocross, with a British motocross championship to his name, a GP podium, representing his country in the Motocross des Nations and a long list of international success, Roger Harvey was stopping.

Now, Roger has said he was going to stop for a few years now, but with Jeffrey Herlings signing with HRC, Rog got some new energy and wanted to go around one more time. As it turns out, he will leave the sport with Honda winning, and his involvement with helping Honda grow, with the Gariboldi team, it seems right that Roger leaves the sport when Herlings is having so much success and put on a performances like he did last weekend.

I know I say this for many in the GP paddock, but Roger, we thank you for your big smile, friendly handshake and support. Its people like Roger Harvey who make this sport great and as he left the circuit on Sunday night, one last time, the sport lost somebody who is irreplicable.

Characters from the 1970s are not growing on trees and that little boy who sat in a big tree at the Hawkstone Park GP back in the 1960s, and raced the likes of Jeff Smith, Vic Eastwood, Dave Thorpe, Neil Hudson, Graham Noyce and many others will now enjoy working at home in his garage, enjoying his grandchildren, and bothering his wife, Lynn. Riding his mountain bike two or three times a week and probably having a nice cold beer in the sun somewhere. Retirement will be good to Roger, and I hope (like his mother), he lives into his 90s.

You will be missed Roger, and it wasn’t difficult to shed a tear last weekend as our time together over the years, are now just memories and the times at the motocross came flooding back at your retirement dinner. One of the nicest, most caring and toughest men I know, and somebody I feel privileged to call a friend.

Bavo Swijgers image