Exciting start to 2025 Motul ACU British Motocross Championship

By Dick Law on 1st Apr 25

News Motocross

The new and improved Motul ACU British Motocross Championship leapt into action on March 30 at a sunny Hawkstone Park in Shropshire. Crendon TRU7 Honda’s Conrad Mewse dominated the MX1 class with two come-from-behind wins while Bobby Bruce (Bike It DRT Kawasaki) recorded his first-ever British Championship round victory. In the fast and furious 125 class, Ryan Waggott dominated both races, putting him on top of the podium.

The weather on the day was ideal for motocross with bright sunshine and a cooling breeze to take the edge off the heat.

Adam Sterry (Chambers KTM) set the fastest time in MX1 qualifying, outperforming Mewse and Josh Gilbert (Lexa MX Honda). In the MX2 class, Bruce recorded the quickest time in qualifying group one while Gyan Doensen (Gabriel SS24 KTM) was quickest in group two. With 55 entrants in the MX2 class, the non-qualifiers advanced to an LCQ race, which French teenager Tom Caneele (Motoland KTM) won.

All three classes had full start lines.

Chris Mills (Yamaha) got the holeshot at the start of the first MX1 race and was followed around the first turn by Tristan Purdon (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna), Sterry and John Adamson (Lexa MX Honda), with eventual winner Mewse down in seventh place.

Sterry took over the lead almost immediately as Mills crashed dropping back to 15th place. Mewse was already up to third by the end of lap three.

Gilbert’s start was worse than Mewse’s as he gated in ninth but was taking his time to move forward. By the halfway point, Mewse was in second place and closing in on the leader as Gilbert passed Jamie Carpenter (Crendon TRU7 Honda) for fourth.

Mewse was on a mission and slipped past Sterry to take the lead in the race while Charlie Putnam (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) crashed out, suffering a broken finger and dislocating another in the process.

Mewse won by almost 37 seconds as Sterry backed off a bit in a strong second place. Purdon was close to a minute behind the winner, followed by Gilbert, Carpenter, Brad Todd (DK Offroad Honda powered by Bikesport Newcastle) and Adamson.

Ben Edwards (Dyce Carriers KTM) holeshot MX1 race two was chased around the opening lap by Sterry, Gilbert, Matheo Miot (SAS TPC KTM), Todd and Adamson with Mewse, once again messing up his start down in 13th place with a lot of work to do. Sterry had moved into the lead by the time the pack came around to the infamous bombhole.

Purdon’s race came to a dramatic end on lap three. “I had a big crash on the tabletop before the bridge,” he said. “The bike just cut out on the take-off and I cartwheeled down the track. I was okay, but just a bit sore. It knocked the wind out of me, and my knee hurts a bit, but I consider myself lucky to have gotten away with it. "

A lap later, as Mewse was already up to third, Gilbert slipped by Sterry for the lead. However, a lap later, he had a bit of a slip and handed the lead back to Sterry.

By the halfway mark, Mewse was in second place and closing fast on the leader. The inevitable happened two laps later when Mewse took the lead and secured the second race win.

Other notable events in the race included Carpenter, who came from eighth at the start to finish fourth behind Mewse, Sterry, and Gilbert.

Miot and Adamson seemed to struggle in the second half of the race, dropping down to 12th and 10th, while Todd and Edwards had good races, finishing fifth and sixth.

Overall, Mewse from Sterry and Gilbert was on the podium, while Carpenter, Todd, Adamson, and Edwards just missed out.

When asked what happened to his starts today, Mewse said, “I don’t really know. I made things more difficult for myself - I know that for certain. I got two good jumps off the gate. I think in the first I got too excited and moved back on the saddle too quickly, and the powerful Honda just started to wheelie. You can’t do that on a 450. In the second start, I don’t really know what happened. I came off the gate and hit the sand, having no idea what was going to happen. It can be deep sand just off the gate. I always struggle with starts here and make things difficult for myself. But it was a good test of where we are with things. I feel strong; the bike and team are great, so I am looking forward to the rest of the season. "

“I just didn’t have enough for Conrad today,” said second-placed Sterry. “But it’s been a good day for the first round of the championship, going two-two for second overall.

“Coming into the championship, I knew that Conrad would be the man to beat but he was on it in the second half of both races. I thought I had the measure of him in the first half, but we have some things to work on for the future. I had the shock overheating, which I have never experienced before, but no excuses – Conrad was better today, and there are a few more GPs before round two at Canada Heights where we will come out swinging."

“I got off to a terrible start in the first race - it was an absolute shocker,” said third-placed Gilbert. “I made my way reasonably quickly, although I didn’t think I was riding that well, and I finished fourth.

“In the second race, I had a better start, but I made a very big mistake at the back of the circuit, where I almost got stuck in a bog. However, I finished third in that race and overall. It’s not all bad news, as I still ended up on the podium and am about 10 points behind in the championship, and it’s a long season. "

As Bruce led the pack into turn two at the start of the first MX2 race of the day, with Tommy Searle (Dirtstore Triumph), Ben Mustoe (ASA United GASGAS), and Gyan Doensen (Gabriel SS24 KTM) all in his wheel tracks. Billy Askew (Dirtstore Triumph) and Jake Nicholls (Crendon TRU7 Honda) were in a heap back in turn one.

Doensen slipped past Mustoe into third on the second lap, and from then on, the top three maintained the same order, but behind them, it was all kicking off.

Charlie Heyman (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) moved from seventh at the start to overtake Mustoe for fourth place on lap three, only to see the positions and finishing order reversed with four laps remaining.

But the real movers were Askew and Nicholls. By the halfway stage, Askew had advanced from 38th to ninth. He then went on to finish sixth. Nicholls came from 39th, had another crash, but still managed to finish 14th.

Bruce just managed to hold off Searle for the win by three and a half seconds, with Doensen four seconds further back. Mustoe was fourth on his own, followed by Heyman, Askew, and Glenn McCormick (Chambers Racing KTM).

Askew didn’t make any mistakes in the second MX2 race, as he led from the drop of the gate to the chequered flag. Behind him, Bruce gated second, but after passing McCormick on lap two, Searle was doing everything he could to close in on him.

They swapped places for a lap with two laps remaining after Bruce made a mistake, but Bruce passed him again with one lap to go.

Ollie Colmer (Chambers Racing KTM) was fourth, while Nicholls, who started in 11th place, finished fifth, all the while being cheered on by his wife and kids.

Overall, Bruce was the winner from Searle second, with Searles teammate Askew in third. After that, a single point separated Mustoe, Colmer, and Heyman.

“This is my first British Championship overall,” said the ever-smiling Bruce. “I have won single races and messed up the second race. It almost happened today, but Tommy gave me a lifeline by coming off, so it’s been a good day. "

A philosophical Searle said, “I was happy with the day as second overall is a good start to a long racing year. To have Billy (Askew) winning a race for the team is really good. The Dirtstore boys put a lot of work into the team, and for us to give them a double podium is brilliant.”

From the third step on the podium, Askew said, “In the first race, I came into the first corner a bit too hot and made a stupid mistake, getting caught up with Jake (Nicholls). His bike was on top of me, and we were at the back of the pack. I just kept my head down and went as fast as I could. I got up to sixth.”

The 125s were all about Waggott. He led race one from start to finish as Freddie Gardiner (MGMX GASGAS), Hayden Statt (HS Racing Yamaha), Charlie Richmond (Yamaha) and Lucas Moncrieff (3 Flo Crescent Yamaha) all disputed the runner-up position.

Statt passed Gardiner on lap two, only to have Gardiner and Richmond pass him back on the very next lap. Gardiner went on to finish second, while Statt reclaimed third for himself.

Richmond slipped back to sixth but then regrouped to claw his way back up to fourth before the finish of the race.

Statt got the lead from the gate in the second race from Waggott, Richmond, and Harry Lee (Fantic) fourth. It took seven frantic laps for Waggott to find a way past Statt for the lead and the race win.

Richmond spent the entire race in third, while a small mistake with three laps to go dropped Lee back to sixth. Gardiner, who came from a crash on the first lap, moved up from 35th to snatch fourth place from Drew Stock (Yamaha) on the very last lap.

Overall, Waggott, with the maximum score, was the winner, beating Statt, Gardiner, Richmond, and Stock.

2025 Motul MXGB ACU British Motocross Championship

Results, Round One - Hawkstone Park

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