Fastest 40 and 2-Stroke Festival join forces

By Team TMX on 21st Aug 24

News Motocross

For the second time in a month, two major motocross series joined forces to create a bigger and better racing event as the last round of the Motul Fastest 40, powered by Michelin, met the Apico 2-Stroke Festival at Sellindge, in sleepy Kent. Racers and race fans flocked to the event for a hot weekend of motocross action.

Crendon Tru7 Honda’s Conrad Mewse had already clinched the Pro MX1 title at Hawkstone Park in the last round, but as he was away on GP duties, the class was wide open, and the overall win was up for grabs.

Stuart Edmonds (Seca Racing Honda) got the holeshot at the start of the first combined MX1 and MX2 race but was quickly passed by Dylan Walsh (MSR Kawasaki), Taylor Hammal (Crendon Tru7 Honda), and Tommy Searle (Dirt Store Kawasaki) by the end of the opening lap. The front three fast riders had already started to pull away from the rest of the chasing pack.

The Apico Honda teammates of Tom Grimshaw and Martin Barr gated fifth and sixth ahead of two-stroke-mounted Josh Colman (Concept Yamaha).

Brad Todd (DK Offroad Honda) moved to sixth in three laps, which was a feat, considering he had raced in Scotland the day before. “I had a great battle with John Adamson yesterday at the Scottish Cup and managed to beat him to the win. I drove all night to get here and arrived at 3.00 am this morning. I have only had about three hours of sleep and have been running on Red Bull power.”

At the halfway point, Hammal kept pace with Walsh and did not let him get away while Searle was still in touch with the leaders and was the first MX2 rider. Billy Askew (DRT Kawasaki) and Searle’s teammate Joel Rizzi, who was the only rider who could mathematically stop Searle from being champion, didn’t get the best of starts and came around at the end of the opening lap in 11th and 12th place. Still, they were not content to stay in those positions and moved forward through the pack.

On lap nine, Walsh made a small mistake, Hammal pounced and got the lead as Searle started to close on the leading pair. Grimshaw was on his own in fourth place and Barr was fifth. A lap later, Askew snatched sixth from Todd, and Rizzi did the same thing two laps later.

With a lap and a half to go, Walsh sneaked up the inside of Hammal as the pair dived into the wooded area to take the lead back and the first race win.

Hammal was the second MX1 rider home from Grimshaw, Barr, and Edmonds. In the MX2 side of the race, Searle was the class winner from Askew and Rizzi, making it an all-Kawasaki podium for race one.

Todd got the holeshot at the start of the second combined Pro race from Searle, Grimshaw, Walsh, Hammal and Dan Thornhill (Chambers GASGAS), but by the end of the lap, both Grimshaw and Thornhill had slipped back to seventh and ninth places.

Again, Askew didn’t get the best of starts, but he took his time as he started to move forward, and the laps counted down.

Searle took the lead from Todd on the second lap, with Walsh pushing Todd down another place later in the lap.

On lap four, Walsh slipped up inside of Searle for the lead at exactly the same spot he passed Hammal in race one, as Hammal passed Todd for third place.

Grimshaw had recovered from his crash and repassed Barr, Edmonds, and Todd and was now in fourth. Askew slipped in behind him in fifth, with Ty Westcott (HJA Racing GASGAS) in sixth but third MX2.

There was little change in the race's second half as Walsh notched up his second win of the day. Searle was second on the track but the first MX2 rider home.

Hammal and Grimshaw filled the rest of the MX1 podium, with Askew and Steven Clarke taking second and third place on the MX2s.

Overall, in the MX1 class, Walsh scored a maximum from Hammal and Grimshaw, while in MX2, Searle scored a maximum from Askew and Ty Westcott.

However, in the final MX1 championship positions, the absent Mewse was the champion from Hammal, with a consistent Barr third. In the MX2s, Searle was the champion from Rizzi and Coleman.

“It's been two very different races today," said a happy MX1 overall winner Walsh. "The first, I got into the lead early and just rode around till I made a mistake and got passed. I repassed a lap or two later and got the win. I didn't get the best of starts in the second race but managed to make some passes to get the second win. It was a good moto.”

Hammal, who always wants to be better, said after his second overall, “The first race started off really well, and I felt like I had some more speed for Dylan Walsh, but he’s difficult to pass, and fair play to him. He just kept blocking every move I made. But after I got passed him, I just tightened up big time. He speeded up as I slowed down and got me in the end. I was really gutted. I am still happy with how I rode but the result didn’t show it. I got a decent gate in the second race but messed up the first corner. In race two, Dylan, Tommy and I rode at the same pace, and the gaps were not changing.”

Grimshaw said about his third overall. “It's been a tough day today, as my teammate Martin Barr and I rode two classes – the Fastest 40 races plus four two-stroke races. The two-stroke races were a bit longer than I thought they would be and we'd both had it after the second Fastest 40 MX1 race. But I am pleased with how things went today – the starts were key. I had a crash in the second race and lost a couple of positions, and I had to come through, and that showed I had some excellent pace and riding well for my first ever MX1 podium.”

Another MX2 overall and a championship win for Searle, who said, “It’s been a nice day today. I like this track, and I like riding hardpack. I managed to go 1-1 in my class and rapped up this Fastest 40 Pro MX2 championship. I have not been off the podium or had a bad race all year; consistency pays off. The team has done a great job and giving them a championship is great. Nothing but a positive day.”

Second overall MX2 rider Askew said, “I am happy with two second places. The first race wasn't the best, as I got a bit tired and got an arm pump, but I chilled out a bit in the second race and cruised around and felt good. It's all about getting race fit after my injury."

Third-place man Westcott said, "I didn't have the best start in the first race and struggled a bit. Towards the end of the race, I got a bit of a flow going and made some positions back, but then crashed on the last lap and handed a position back. I had a better start in race two and held on for a good place finish. The track was good and had a great flow to it."

The ACU Open two-stroke races were all about the Apico Honda pairing of Martin Barr and Tom Grimshaw. Both had two wins, a second, and a third each, and they ended up tied on points. The highest-place rider in the last leg was the overall winner, and that went to Barr for his last race win. Raife Broadley, the only other rider to get into the top three, was third overall.

With three race wins and a second place, Scott Alldridge won the Amateur MX1 class from race three winner Josh Greedy, with Keelan Southwood third.

Charlie Hamlet did the same in the Amateur MX2 class as Alldridge did in the MX1 division. Jonathan Roderick-Evens backed up his race win with two second places and a third for second overall, with James Lassu, who didn't finish out of the top four all weekend, third.

It was tight at the top of the Clubman MX1 class as only seven points separated the top three after four races spread over the event's two days. Charlie West was the overall winner from Harry Fletcher and Harvey Pomphrett.

Only a bad start and a crash in race one spoilt Lenny Ashley’s perfect weekend in the Clubman MX2 class. He had to fight his way from eleventh place to fifth but then went on to win the remaining three races for the overall win. Sam Menzies was second, with James Lee third after a DNF in race three spoilt the chance of the overall result.

Matt Bayliss showed the youngsters how to do it as he won the hotly contested 125 two-stroke championships overall with two race wins and two second places. Charlie Richmond and Josh Vail joined Bayliss on the podium in second and third, with Richmond taking the youth overall and runner-up overall.

Steve Bixby won the small Evo two-stroke class with three race wins and a second, while Steven Clarke won the Super Evo two-strokes.

Michael Chesney won all four of the Vets Over 40 races for the overall win with Roger Frean second and Richard Brown third.

In the youth side of the event, Levi Saunders, with four race wins, won the Youth MX2 class from Jon Waghorn and Harry Farlam, while in the 125cc side of the race, Lenny Wright won all his races for the overall from Freddie Saunders and Freddy Willet.

Finley Pickering scored a maximum of four race wins in the Big Wheel 85s from Robbie Daly and Casey Lister. Henry Lewis won the Small Wheel 85s from Harley Ince and Teddy Merriman.

Cohen Jagielski always seems to be winning 65cc races. This weekend was no exception with four wins from four starts, he dominated the Junior 65s. Jimmy Ball was second overall, with Johnny Wright third.

Red Bull Pro-Stroke National/ Fastest 40 Pro MX1

Red Bull Pro-Stroke National/ Fastest 40 Pro MX2

MX2 Under 21

1 Westcott 47, 2 Broadley 43, 3 Bennett 40, 4 Cashmore 40

ACU Open 2-stroke

Amateur MX1

Amateur MX2

Clubman MX1

Clubman MX2

125 Championship

125 Championship, Adult

1 M Bayliss 94, 2 C Bayliss 77, 3 Bachelor 63, 4 Brough 54, 5 Matthews 47, 6 Humphries 37, 7 Roberts 33, 8 Edmonds 29, 9 Wood 25, 10 Elwell 13

125 Championship, Youth

1 Richmond 93, 2 Vail 87, 3 Bubb 74, 4 Lee 60, 5 Haddock 54, 6 Laughton 52, 7 Clarke 48, 8 Grainger 46, 9 Carter 28, 10 Head 28

British Evo 2-strokes

British Super Evo 2-strokes

Noughties

Vets Over 40

Youth MX2

Youth MX125

Big Wheel 85

Small Wheel 85

Junior 65

More like this…

VMXdN Foxhill: Results

See Slammin' Sammy Halbert in action at King's Lynn this weekend

Motocross Events September 2024

Find motocross events near you with our what's on guide for September.