Craig Schofield began his racing career in 1981 at the Buckmore Park UKBMX National, where he won the 12X age group. Following this victory, Craig caught the attention of S&T Bikes, who immediately sponsored him, covering all his equipment and travel for the full UK National Series. After a brief period with the Mongoose Factory Team, he joined the Raleigh Factory Team in 1983, embarking on one of the most successful and long-standing factory sponsorships of the 1980s, which lasted until the end of 1986. During this time, Craig was dedicated to bringing BMX to the masses, traveling thousands of miles each year to perform demo shows at events, on TV, and at grassroots bike shops.
Throughout his tenure with Raleigh, Craig performed several hundred demo shows across the UK and internationally, including in Israel, Italy, Holland, the UAE, and Spain. His major TV appearances included BBC's Blue Peter, TVAM, Kellogg’s Track Wars, and Saturday Superstore. He also starred in Raleigh Bicycles TV commercials and was a featured rider in the ‘Hyper Biker’ video game.
As an amateur, Craig achieved significant success, becoming the UKBMX National Champion in 1982 and 1983, alongside wins at the Lee Cooper Grand Prix. The pinnacle of his career came in 1985 when he won the IBMXF World Championship in Vancouver, Canada. Leading up to this victory, he had already secured a world No. 4 ranking in 1983 (Holland) and 1984 (Japan). Craig also claimed numerous international and European titles and was crowned the UKBMX Superclass National Champion in 1985. He was the overall champion of Kellogg’s and a top contender heading into the 1985 World Championships.
Prior to the 1985 World Championships in Vancouver, Craig faced tough domestic competition, frequently trading wins with Gary Llewellyn. This rivalry may have pushed him to elevate his game on the world stage. There were rumors of a Porsche being promised if he won, and whether true or not, Craig shot out of the gate in the 1985 Superclass World Final, capturing the title over France’s Xavier Redois and Holland’s Phil Hoogendoorn.
In 1986, Craig was among the elite BMX riders invited to perform at the world premiere of RAD: The BMX Movie in London. He spent the next two years racing in the UK Pro Series and hosting BMX training camps in both the UK and Ireland.
Congratulations to Craig on being inducted into the British BMX Hall of Fame for the Pioneer Racer Category in 2024.
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Video by Neil Waddington / Extra Clips Andy Ruffell