The Craig Dack vs Glen Bell Rivalry

Craig Dack and Glen Bell rode together in their teens, faced off for national titles as men, and drove each other to all-new heights. The two virtually owned Australian motocross and supercross between 1986 and 1992, but they were never in the business of trading pleasantries. Dack was brash and often in the limelight, while the introverted Bell shunned media attention. But out on the track, all personality traits were put to the side as these two men forged one of the Australian MX’s fiercest rivalries.

For a fascinating insight into that rivalry, and how Dack and Bell now reflect on it, grab a copy of the March-April issue (#49) of Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine. Speaking of which, Craig Dack asked that we clear up an error in that Blue Corner, Red Corner feature. “Please offer my sincere apologies about my comment that I was a strong runner-up to Jeff Leisk in 1985 Mister Motocross series,” says Dack. “I actually ran third to Jeff Leisk and Vaughan Style that year. Vaughan was too good of a rider and person for that not to be accurate – particularly as he was the only rider to steal a moto win from the dominant Leisk that year.”

While clearing up the fact, Dack also expressed some concern about Transmoto’s choice for the feature’s opening image: “Of all the photos to run, you went with the one of me flipping the bird. I’d like people to know that the photographer, ADB’s Andrew Clubb, was and is a mate of mine and I was just joking around at the time.”

Well, Dacka, we reckon readers will get that. They might even forgive you. After all, it was 30 years ago and we were all young punks once. We simply couldn’t not run that classic black and white image from the MXdN because it epitomises the difference in Dack’s and Bell’s personalities. Plus the look on the young Jeff Lesik’s face seems to say, “Who cares about your rivalry? I’ve got you both covered.”