Motul Fastest 40 thrills Landrake fans

By Team TMX on 6th Jun 24

News Motocross MX Nationals

Crendon Tru7 Honda’s Conrad Mewse destroyed the competition at round three of the Motul Fastest 40, powered by Michelin held at Landrake in Cornwall. Mewse had dominant rides in both Apico Pro MX1 races, winning the first race by over half a minute and the second by a slightly larger margin.

In the Leatt Pro MX2 class, Tommy Searle (Dirt Store Kawasaki), after fending off teammate Joel Rizzi and Dylan Walsh (MSR Kawasaki), notched another two race wins as the three riders made it an all-green MX2 podium.

With other big motocross events cancelled and others suffering from wet conditions, the picturesque Landrake Moto Parc track in Cornall basked in sunshine the whole weekend. However, hard work from the track crew kept the track in excellent racing condition and the dust to a reasonable level.
Straight out of the gate, Mewse led the pack around the opening lap, followed by his Crendon Tru7 Honda teammate Taylor Hammal as the pair pulled away from the rest of the pack to finish first and second.

By lap five, Adamson had re-passed Meara for third place where he ended the race. Tom Grimshaw (Apico Honda) had gated eighth, but he followed Adamson past Meara to fourth place, only to be moved down a spot when Meara re-passed him a lap later. He then lost another place to his teammate Martin Barr as the Apico Honda pairing finished in fifth and sixth.

Adamson got the holeshot at the start of race two but by the end of the first lap, Mewse was back in the lead, and that was the last anyone saw of him.

By lap five, Hammal slipped up the inside of Adamson to take second place from him, with Carpenter and Meara relegating Adamson to fifth place at the flag. Barr and Grimshaw swopped places mid-race to finish sixth and seventh, with Dan Thornhill (Chambers Husqvarna) eighth. 

Overall, it was a faultless Mewse from Hammal and Meara, with Adamson just missing out on the podium because of Meara’s higher-placed finish in race two.

“It’s been a solid day, going 1-1,” said a happy Mewse. “I was working on my lap time and pushing on. The track was awesome, and the bike was faultless. My teammate, Taylor Hammal, did a great job as we finished first and second on the day. A great team day, and I have extended my lead in the championship.”

"I was pushing on in the second race and I was riding quite well,” said Hammal. “I am enjoying riding the 450, and the track was really good. It will take some doing to win one of these races and Conrad (Mewse) is riding so well."

“I am slowly getting my confidence back after a rough couple of years,” said Meara from third spot on the podium. “I am enjoying my racing more this year and hope to keep the ball rolling. The track was in prime condition at first, as it was very tacky, but as it dried out, it became tricky and gnarly. It was still good to ride, but it was a bit of a job to pass on."
Ben Mustoe was flying on his ASA untied GASGAS as he set the fastest qualifying time from Rizzi, Walsh, Searle and Charlie Cole on yet another Kawasaki – this time a Phoenix Even Strokes team machine.

Walsh got all the important holeshot at the start of the first Pro MX2 race, followed by Searle, Josh Taylor (HJA Racing GASGAS), Mustoe, and Rizzi around the opening lap. But, by the end of lap three, Searle was in the lead, powering his way to the first race win.

Taylor dropped to sixth on the first lap but moved up a place when Cole crashed out of third. After a shaky opening lap, Mustoe re-passed Rizzi and Cole on lap two and snatched second place from Walsh a lap later.

The top four remained in that order for the rest of the race, with the only real move coming from Jamie Wainwright (WHP SBE KTM), who gated in 11th place but ended his race in fifth.

Searle got the holeshot at the start of race two and was unchallenged to the finish flag, while Rizzi, who gated second, was passed by Walsh at the halfway point.

Howard Wainwright (HWR Racing Honda) chased Walsh for the first three laps until Mustoe and Cole first slipped by him. But disaster struck Mustoe a lap later as the seat of his GASGAS came off. He struggled for four or five laps till his pit crew called him into the work area to refit the offending item. He scored eight valuable championship points, but his chance of a top-three finish was gone.

The biggest mover of the race was Ty Westcott (HJA Racing GASGAS). He started in 16th place but ended his race in sixth.
Overall, Searle won from Walsh and Rizzi, with Howard Wainwright missing out on a podium position.

Searle was quick all day and was quick to leave the track as he was flying off on holiday that night. So, no quote.

A disappointed second overall, Walsh said, "Things are getting a bit better, but it's been a long year and a half getting back to racing from my injury. But I am getting better and better every weekend. I need as many gate drops as possible to return to my old racing self."

The ever-smiling Rizzi said from the third-place podium, “I just didn’t gel with the track today and simply wasn't good enough. But days like this are good as they remind you that it’s not always plain sailing to get race wins. Tommy (Searle) rode very well today and was hard to stay with. I have learnt things today, like when I didn’t get a good start, I struggled to pass and started to ride way over my head, and I find that very frustrating. But we tried some things on the bike and lines on the track, but I wasn’t feeling it, so to get on the box is not too bad, and we will take it.”

There was no stopping Josh Vail (SJP Moto KTM) in the 125 British Championship as he took two wins from his two starts for a perfect weekend. With second place and a third, Charlie Richmond (JP KTM) was the best of the rest in second place, with Jamie Keith (MBRPX McGuigan KTM) in a distant third.

While Vail was the top Youth rider from Keith and Richmond, Matt Bayliss (S Briggs GASGAS) was the top Adult from Luke Dean (Five Two Racing Fantic) and Daniel Brough (Rutzz Racing Husqvarna).

Sunday's Honda Cup produced some of the weekend's best racing, although the score sheets don't show it. Howard Wainwright, with three race wins, took the overall from Henry Williams and Adam Chatfield. But what made the races enjoyable was that Chatfield didn't get one good start and had to charge through the pack three times from three bad starts.

Three wins from three starts gave Scott Aldridge (Feehily MX KTM) the overall in the Amateur MX1 class, Josh Greedy (Yamaha), who chased him over the finish line in each race, and Josh Canton (Concept CCF Yamaha) third overall.

Charlie Hamlet (Feehily MX KTM) won all three of his races on the way to the Amateur MX2 overall win from Harrison Greenough (Simpson & Associates KTM) and Daniel Brough (Rutzz.co.uk Husqvarna).

Matt Dowes (KTM) was king of the Clubman MX1s with three wins from his three race starts, while just three points separated second-place man Harvey Pomphrett (Honda) from the third-place rider Harry Fletcher (Honda).

With a couple of race wins and a second, Richard Roberts (Rutzz Racing KTM) won the Clubman MX2s from race two winner Sean Frayne (RDS Racing Kawasaki), with George Clarke (JS Clarke KTM) third.

Motul Fastest 40 Round Three Results - Landrake 

Pro MX1

Pro MX2

Pro MX2 Under 21

1 Westcott 47, 2 Marshall 42, 3 Mustoe 41, 4 Hopkins 38, 5 Bennett, 6 Dickinson 30, 7 Cashmore 28.

ACU Apico 2-Stroke Festival British 125 Combined Overall

ACU Apico 2-Stroke Festival British 125 Youth Overall

1 Vail 50, 2 Keith 42, 3 Richmond 42, 4 Bubb 36, 5 Delaney 31,6 Harris 29, 7 Laughton 26, 8 Rooney 23, 9 McGregor 23, 10 Lee 22.

ACU Apico 2-Stroke Festival British 125 Adult Overall

1 Baylis 50, 2 Dean 44, 3 Brough 38, 4 Bache 36, 5 Stanbridge 39, 6 Smith 27, 7 Allen 18, 8 Roberts 16, 9 Coltart 14.

Honda Cup

Amateur MX1

Amateur MX2

Clubman MX1

Clubman MX2

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