Motul Fastest 40: Mewse and Walsh win big at Brookthorpe

By Team TMX on 9th Jul 24

News Motocross MX Nationals

Conrad Mewse, on his Crendon Tru7 Honda, dominated the Pro MX1 class at round four of the Motul Fastest 40 series at a very changeable and muddy Brookthorpe track in Gloucestershire. As Mewse did his thing in the MX1 class, Dylan Walsh, riding an MSR Kawasaki, was doing the same thing in MX2, although his arch-rival, Tommy Searle (Dirt Store Kawasaki), pushed him all the way to the chequered flag in the second race.

But the real story of the weekend was the weather. With loads of other events all over the country being cancelled because of heavy rain, the Fastest 40 team took a punt and went ahead with the event. It had been raining on and off since Thursday but it looked as if it would be OK on Friday. But overnight, the heavens opened, complete with a thunderstorm, and it just rained and rained.

The track crew made the soft, claggy track ridable and the Pro classes and 125cc two-strokes went ahead. However, with more rain overnight on Saturday, and another lot of track work first thing Sunday, the races did go ahead, but unfortunately, only two of the scheduled three blocks ran because of the lack of time.

With the track conditions the way they were, getting the holeshot would be more critical than usual. And we all know how good Mewse is at starts.

As expected, Mewse got the holeshot at the start of the first Pro MX1 race and, in his smooth, fast, almost effortless riding style, led from start to finish nearly 47 seconds clear of second-placed rider Tristan Purdon (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna). Purdon had gated fifth but passed Taylor Hammal (Crendon Tru7 Honda), and with second and third placed at the start, Tom Murphy (GRM Apico Yamaha) and Jack Timms crashing out, found himself in second on lap two. He then held that place, almost on his own, till the finish flag.

Hammal spent most of his race in third but had John Adamson (LEXA MX Husqvarna) closing him down till, with three laps to go, Adamson had his drive chain come off in one of the deep corner grooves, ending his race.

Chris Mills (Yamaha) had gated eighth but moved up two places at the expense of Murphy and Timms crashes and then found a way past Dan Thornhill (Chambers Husqvarna) on lap six, on his way to finish fourth, with Thornhill chasing him over the line in fifth.

Martin Barr (Apico Honda) must have been asleep at the start as he rounded the first turn in 14th place, but Barty, being Barty, pounded out the laps to come home in eighth place and the last rider on the lead lap.

Once again, Mewse got the holeshot at the start of the second and last Pro MX1 race, but this time, he only won by just under 43 seconds. However, behind him, things were all messed up.

Barr and Hammal had gated second and third but Hammal crashed out on the second lap and dropped to ninth. Barr held on to second until the halfway point, when Jason Meara (Moto-Cycle Racing Honda), who had DNFed in race one, passed him.

But Purdon had a worse start, in ninth, but was in fourth by the halfway stage. He slipped past Barr and a lap later and snatched second place from Meara on the very last lap.

After his crash, Hammal regrouped and worked his way back up the field to fourth place by the end of the race.

Barr held onto fifth, with Tom Grimshaw (Apico Honda) having his best ride of the day in sixth.

It was Mewse from Purdon and Hammal on the podium, with Barr just missing out.

"It's going well for me as I managed to go one today for the overall," said a happy Mewse, "The track was very technical today, but I felt really comfortable out there. We have had a solid week of testing with my WV2 suspension guy, Nick, from Belgium. He made the trip over here, and it made a massive difference. This is the reason I was so comfortable out there today, along with the Crendon Tru7 Honda racing team. The two holeshots made it a lot easier for me".

From second place, Purdon said, “First loser again. Not really. It's been a positive day today again. In the first race, I made quick moves at the beginning, got into second place quite quickly, and then tried to click off laps and not let the gap to the lead get too big. I was learning and getting better. I got a good jump in the second race but sped up on the gate. I was last but made my way up to second place. I was pleased that my fitness is good, and I look forward to the next race".

Hammal said from third place on the podium, “I am a bit fed up with myself. I finally got a good start and then crashed, got up, and crashed again. It’s not really working out at the moment. I still managed to get a podium, but the riding wasn’t great.”

It must be said that the track was at its worst for the first Pro MX2 race. Walsh got the holeshot from Searle and Josh Coleman's two-stroke Yamaha, and that’s the order in which the top three finished.

Behind them, on the opening lap, riders swopped places countless times. Lee Truman had gated fourth but ended the lap in 13th, while Howard Wainwright (HWR Honda) dropped from fifth to 11th place.

Joel Rizzi (Dirt Store Kawasaki), Charlie Cole (Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki), and Charlie Heyman (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) did get the best of starts in ninth, 10th and 13th places but fought their way up -Cole finishing fourth, Rizzi seventh and Heyman struggling to eighth place.

Ben Franklin (Chambers KTM) and teammate Glenn McCormick swopped places several times before the pair finished, with Franklin in fifth and McCormick one spot behind him.

Once again, Walsh got the holeshot at the start of race two from Coleman and Searle, but by the end of the second lap, Searle was in second place and starting to close on the race leader.

It took Heyman four laps to replace Coleman in third, and the top three stayed in the same order until the end of the race. Searle closed in on the leader Walsh without the opportunity to affect a pass.

Coleman was in a solid fourth place till, with two laps to go, Josh Waterman (Honda) and, later in the lap, Rizzi, from another bad start in 13th, both passed him as they finished fourth and fifth, with Coleman ending his race in sixth.

Overall, on the track, Walsh was on the top step, from Searle and Coleman, with Heyman and Cole, who were separated by a single point, missing out.

In the Under 21 side of the event, Heyman was the top scorer from Ty Westcot, Liam Bennett, and Harvey Cashmore.

"It's been a great day, even with all the rain we have been having," said a happy Walsh. "To be honest, the track was mint. Perhaps not that good in the first moto but nothing scary. The second race was perfect, with a couple of lines to choose from in most of the courses. Fastest in qualifying, two holeshots, and two race wins for the overall."

Searle was happy with his day and said, “Race one was in very tricky conditions, but I was second out of the start and was content to stay safely in the position. It rained again before the second race, but halfway through it, the track became really good. I pushed on and got close to Dylan (Walsh), but he hung on for the win. Considering the conditions at the start of the day, it was nice racing at the end of the day”.

Coleman said from third place, “I had a couple of good starts, which always puts you in a good position. I had a nice third in the first race and was holding fourth in the second moto till I made a simple mistake and lost two positions, but I still did enough to make it on the podium. The first pro podium for me”.

The first of the ACU Apico 2-stroke 125 championship races was all over the place. Neville Bradshaw (KTM), fresh back from a horrific crash early in the year got the holeshot from Jamie Keith (MBR / PXM KTM), Luke Dean (Yamaha) with Josh Vail (SJP Moto KTM) in third. But, by the end of the opening lap, Dean was in the lead with Vail on his tail. The pair swapped places for the rest of the race until Vail won the first race.

Keith passed Bradshaw for third place on lap five, while Bradshaw hung on to fourth place at the end of the race. Such was the pace of the lead five that they lapped the rest of the field.

Keith led the second race from start to finish. Harry Lee (Dirt Store KTM) was second going into the first turn, followed by Matt Bayliss (S Briggs GASGAS), Jordan Bachelor (Yamaha) and Bradshaw, with Vail way back in the eighteenth.

By the end of lap two, Dean was pushing Bayliss hard for second place, which he took on lap five only to lose it again two laps later. Vail was in Bradshaw’s wheel tracks as the pair fought over fourth and fifth. But Bradshaw re-passed Vail for fourth by the flag.

Overall, Keith, from Dean and Vail, won, but in the youth championship, Dean, from Vail and Bubb, won. The adult top three included Dean from Bayliss and Bradshaw.

With two race wins, Henry Williams (Honda) won the Honda Cup overall from a hard-charging Howard Wainwright (Honda). Shane Carless (Honda) was third.

Scott Aldridge (Feehily MX KTM) and Josh Greedy (Yamaha) tied on points at the top of the Amateur MX1s with Aldridge awarded the win by his highest score in the last race of the day. Josh Canton (Concept CCF UK Yamaha) was third, and Keelan Southwood (JK Jointing Honda) missed the podium.

With two race wins, Harrison Greenough (Simpson & Associates KTM) won the overall in the Amateur MX2s. With two third places, Charlie Hamlet (Feehily MX KTM) was second, and Mark Young was third.

Matt Dowes (KTM) and Charlie West (Tim Feeney Super MX KTM) tied at the top of the Clubman MX1 score sheets as they both finished the day with a win and a third place each. Dowes was awarded the overall win because he won the last race. Billy Saunders (WMS Honda) took the last spot on the podium, while Harry Fletcher (Honda) just missed out.

In Clubman MX2, Alex Hamer and Richard Roberts (Rutzz Racing KTM) finished the day on the same points, with Hamer at the top of the box. Harry Foster (KTM) was third.

With two race wins, David Rushden (Fantic) took the extra Clubman event from Will Payne (Kawasaki) and Charlie Guttridge (Kawasaki).

Results

Pro MX1

Pro MX2

Pro MX2, U21

1 Hayman 50, 2 Westcot 44, 3 Bennett 38, 4 Cashmore 38

ACU Apico 2-stroke Festival 125

ACU Apico 2-stroke Festival 125 Youth

1 Keith 47, 2 Vail 47, 3 Bubb 38, 4 Linton 38, 5 Lee 30, 6 Brearey 28, 7 Hicks 26, 8 Evans 24, 9 Laughton 23, 10 Pearson 21.

ACU Apico 2-stroke festival 125 Adult

1 Dean 47, 2 Bayliss 45, 3 Bradshaw 42, 4 Bachelor 33, 5 Roberts 33, 6 Bache 32, 7 Brough 28.

Honda Cup

Amateur MX1

Amateur MX2

Clubman MX1

Clubman MX2

Clubman Open

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