If you grew up following motocross in Australia in the 1970s, there were two men that pretty much owned the sport, Stephen Gall and Anthony Gunter. While they didn’t completely dominate, there was no question, they were the two best riders in a golden era of Australian motocross.

A time when the famous Mister Motocross series was run and while the Australian riders where not considered World class back in the 70s, for the locals, they the names Gall and Gunter were the masters of their class.

Anthony Gunter passed away this week and in a special article, the guys at AMX History paid tribute to Australian motocross legend - the late Anthony Gunter - who sadly died this week, aged 67, after a long battle with cancer

“Grunt” as he was nicknamed after his racing style, was a “rough nut” kid from the struggling steel town of Wollongong in New South Wales and first made waves as a teenager in the 1975 Mister Motocross (Mr. MX) Series.

A plumber by trade, he went on to become one of Australia’s first professional motocross racers and a household name across the country after winning three Mr. MX series (1976, 1977 and 1979) and three Australian Motocross Championships (1977 - 250cc and Unlimited, Suzuki, and 1981 - 500cc Kawasaki).

After winning the NSW State 125cc title in 1974, he competed in the Mr. MX the following year and broke through in 1976 to win the first of three Mr. MX titles. He also looked set to win his first National Championship in Tivoli, Ipswich in Queensland. But he was the unluckiest rider that day winning several races early, but being let down by machine problems.

1977 was Gunter’s year retaining his Mr. MX crown and clinching his first National Title at Acusa Park in South Australia. That year Gunter won both the 250cc and premier Unlimited classes. The Unlimited title was his best ride of the year – winning overall after finishing moto 1 with a flat rear tyre which he sustained at the half way mark of the 30-minute race.

What made his achievements even more incredible that year, was that he injured his back in Round 2 of Mr MX, which affected his ability to ride at his best.Injuries continued to plague Gunter in 1978, but he bounced back in 1979 to win his third Mr. MX title and establish himself as one of the legends of Australian Motocross.

His performances in the final round of Mr. MX aboard a Works Suzuki, which he rolled out for the event, were magnificent. He went to the final round at Amaroo with only one chance at winning the title – he had to win all four heats. He did just that, and at the end of the day, he had won the title for the third time.

Stephen Gall and Graeme Smythe tied for second place, five points behind him.In 1979 Gunter also won the King of the Cross International Motocross event at Southern Cross, in Western Australia. The following year he struggled again with injuries forcing him to miss the 1980 Australian Championships at Dargle, NSW – in his home State.

That year saw his close friend and arch-rival Stephen Gall breakthrough to win his first two National titles in the 250cc and Unlimited classes.Riding now for Kawasaki, Gunter won the 500cc Australian Championship at Symons Plains in Tasmania on 23 August 1981, taking out his second King of the Cross earlier that month.

He came third in the 500cc class at Toowoomba in Queensland behind teenage sensation Jeff Leisk (WA, Yamaha) and Robert Bailey (NSW, Suzuki).That was to be his last major achievement due to a debilitating knee injury, which eventually forced him into an early retirement from the sport and launch of his motorcycle business – The Dirt Bike Factory.