Tommy Searle signs up for UK Arenacross
By Team TMX on 28th Oct 16
Current British MX1 motocross champion Tommy Searle has stunned the off-road community by becoming the first world championship contender to take on the entire UK Arenacross Tour.
Although this is the first time the 26-year-old champ has set his sights on the British indoor scene, he'll definitely be ready to come out swinging when the tour kicks off on January 7 inside Manchester Arena.
The multiple GP winner enjoyed a stellar outdoor season in 2016 which resulted in him taking his first ever major championship title.
He'll no doubt be looking to add to that title tally come the New Year but will have his hands full with the ultra-competitive line-up of hard-charging arenacross athletes that includes all three previous tour champions – Adam Chatfield, Fabien Izoird and two-time winner Thomas Ramette.
Mounted on a Kawasaki KX450F, the AX series could present a steep learning curve for Searle but the Kent ace has never been one to shy away from a challenge and reckons that once the gate drops he'll be fully competitive.
"I've seen some of the arenacross racing before and enjoyed watching it,” explained Tommy. "Then, a few weeks ago, I took part in the SMX Cup in Germany and found I really liked it so when the opportunity to contest the whole of next year's arenacross tour with
Kawasaki came up I was pretty excited and thought it would be great fun.
"I don't know much about the other competitors and there's no-one in particular that I'm worried about but they'll be fast, especially the French as they tend to be indoor specialists. They are at the top of their game and I now have to prepare myself to beat them.
"I do know it's not going to be easy to win as there's the reigning and all previous champions to consider but I am entering the series with the aim of winning and I can guarantee that I'll be giving it my best shot.
"I'm really looking forward to the whole arena atmosphere and it sounds like the AX team has good plans for the future. It's something I want to be a part of.”
"We have had a fantastic 2016 season with Tommy in the outdoor British championship and are incredibly excited that he has chosen to compete in the arenacross series,” added Kawasaki's Racing and Marketing Co-ordinator Ross Burridge. "It is one of the most exciting forms of off-road racing and gets our brand in front of large audiences week-in, week-out. We believe that Tommy has the skill-set and raw speed to challenge for race wins and ultimately the title so we can't wait!”
Summing up the importance of this latest signing to the arenacross tour, series promoter Matt Bates is clearly looking forward to seeing the British hero in action.
"Tommy is one of those effortless riders who, no matter what he's racing in, is just amazing to watch,” he said. "He brings a level of world-class status to our series and that's something we've all strived for since we started in 2013.
"We've achieved so much in arenacross and I'm proud to announce today that we have the UK's best rider lining up for round one in Manchester. My thanks go to Kawasaki and Steve Dixon of DRT Kawasaki for their help in supporting Tommy to race in AX 2017.”
Tickets for the full tour are available either online at www.arenacrossuk.com or via 24-hour ticket lines – Ticket Factory 0844 3388 222 and Ticketmaster 0333 321 9999.
Meanwhile, Searle will be available to meet and greet fans on the arenacross tour stand at the International Dirt Bike Show this Saturday (October 29).
