EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan Rea:  “I flirt with the idea” of motocross, "but..."

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Jonathan Rea says he “always flirts” with racing motocross.

Rea’s Yamaha stablemate – Jack Miller, who races for the Pramac Yamaha team in MotoGP – raced a round of the Aus Pro MX series in Toowoomba in 2024 when he rode for KTM; but, for Rea, who was at Desertmartin a couple of months ago riding a Yamaha YZ250, a race on the dirt has never happened during his time in World Superbike.

The Northern Irish rider, who grew up racing motocross before he switched to circuit racing, explained that, although he “flirts with the idea” of racing motocross on a one-off basis, he knows it would be a difficult thing for his employer to accept.

Jonathan Rea to race in motocross?

“I always flirt with the idea,” Jonathan Rea told Crash.net in an interview at the UK Round in July.

“But just the way my contract is, and [with] respect to my contract, it’s always a bad idea because I have that gene that, when the angel is saying ‘You’ve got a race next week’ and the devil’s saying ‘But you can pass that guy in the next corner...'

“It’s my second sport. I think it would be a tough phone call to make to Niccolo Canepa and Andrea Dosoli to say ‘Hey, I’ve hurt myself’ or whatever.

“One thing is practicing, when you can control the environment, but if there’s a pass there to be had in the last lap for 10th in a club race, I’m going to try and make it!

“I did a little fun race last year with my son, in Donegal. There were three races in the day, I did two, won both races, and I was so happy to finish and not do the last race and go to the local pizzeria with the family.”

Rea added that the Scottish Championship is one he has had an eye on recently.

“The Scottish Motocross Championship has really built some momentum – great tracks, well-prepared, so maybe in the future,” he said.

“I’m approaching vets’ [veteran] territory now, so maybe Vets +40 [class]. I’ll have to wait for that to maybe do [a race]!”