Farleigh Fever!
By Team TMX on 8th Sep 26
There are plenty of good reasons to head for Farleigh Castle this weekend, but if the sight, sound and smell of a paddock full of beautifully restored two-strokes doesn’t get your pulse racing, there’s probably not much hope for you.
The original UK vets motocross event returns to the spectacular Somerset Grand Prix circuit from September 10-13 for its 17th running, with the racing getting serious on Saturday and Sunday. And while Farleigh has always been as much about the bikes and banter as the racing, the current management team has worked hard to put the competitive edge firmly back into the event – and this year’s entry looks set to deliver another belter.
Leading the charge is a familiar collection of fast old hands and international stars, with former HRC Honda GP winner and British champion Evgeny Bobryshev perhaps the most intriguing new addition. The ‘Big Russian’ will make his Farleigh racing debut aboard a 1992 Honda CR500 supplied and prepared by former team manager Neil Prince, having shown at VMXdN Foxhill that the big two-stroke still has plenty of life left in it.
Then there’s Guy Martin, who clearly enjoyed himself rather too much last year. Having been bitten by the Farleigh bug in 2025, the TV star and TT racer is back for another crack, this time aboard a Chesterfield-liveried Yamaha YZ250 paying homage to the factory Rinaldi machines of the early ’90s.
Team GB has already assembled a serious-looking line-up for the weekend’s highlight – the Farleigh team race. Fresh from his winning performance at VMXdN Hawkstone, Brad Anderson will spearhead the home squad, joined by 2025 Farleigh winner Josh Spinks and Steven Clarke. Anderson has the choice of a YZ250 or CR500, Clarke will again unleash his CR500, while Spinks gets his hands on the SPD Honda ridden by Ronnie Mac at Hawkstone.
And then there’s the machinery. Farleigh remains a glorious celebration of motocross’s past, with bikes spanning four decades and classes covering everything from pre-1990 Evos and ’90s Super Evos through to Ultra machinery from the 2000s. New for 2026 is an Evo Ultra four-stroke class for riders aged 30-70 aboard bikes up to 2008, while Twinshock makes a welcome return to the programme.
There are 60-rider gates and 10 classes per block, meaning there’s precious little time for anyone to catch their breath. Each class gets practice and two full-length races on Saturday, followed by another two on Sunday, building towards the three-rider team race and the weekend’s inevitable collection of heroes, roost and mechanical casualties.
And that’s the beauty of Farleigh. It’s supposed to be a vets’ race, but nobody has told the riders.
From Thursday’s midday gate opening and Friday’s track walk and scrutineering to the final chequered flag on Sunday, Farleigh Castle Vets MX remains one of those rare weekends where nostalgia and flat-out competition happily share the same paddock.
Bring your earplugs. And maybe your knee braces.
