TMX SAYS: C’mon! Let’s mix and match

Lovers of older machinery and the stars of yesteryear will be all about the Classic Dirt Bike Show sponsored by Hagon Shocks which is more commonly known as ‘Wrighty's Telford Show'. The annual vintage bike fest takes place at The International Centre in Telford on both Saturday and Sunday (Feb 20/21) and is set to be absolutely awesome.

As well as the best selection of vintage off-road bikes ever assembled Classic Dirt Bike editor Tim ‘I'm the most northern person in the world ever' Britton will interview some real off-road aces on stage including Jim Aird, Nick Jefferies, Bill Brown, Wayne le Marquand and speedway star Barry Briggs. 

Meanwhile, over near the Welsh border Saturday sees the 12th running of the UK's No.1 hard enduro – that's The Tough One. Back at its spiritual home of Nantmawr Quarry – for what has been suggested will be the last time ever – the day's action kicks off at 10am with the Sportsmen and Over 40s class (carnage guaranteed in that one) before the main event kicks off at 1.30pm.

For the next two-and-a-half hours the world's off-road elite – we're talking people like David Knight, Wade Young, Paul Bolton and the Hemmingway brothers here – will battle it out around the fiendishly difficult going until we've got ourselves a winner. 

After he took Hell's Gate by storm you'd have to consider young South African Wade Young to be a serious threat to win this weekend but Manxman David Knight has owned this event over the years and you should never count him out. It should definitely be a thrilling encounter.

I doubt that too many people have considered linking the two events together to make a dirty weekend of it but I'd implore you to do just that. With both events taking place within 45 minutes drive of each other and a plethora of hotels available in the Telford area then why not give it a try? I mean you only live once.

If I'm honest the idea only popped into my head because I did something similar over a decade ago. On that occasion I stayed in a Telford Travelodge (other establishments that offer reasonably comfortable bedding and complimentary biscuits are available) straight after racing supercross in the NEC before taking on the inaugural Tough One the very next day – that's the kind of dumb stuff I used to get up to before my knees gave up on me.

I guess I've always been fairly open minded when it comes to getting my off-road fix which is why I think nothing about mixing up two very different disciplines – variety is the spice of life and all that. With that in mind I think that if vintage fans gave the Tough One a watch then they'd love it and if enduro folk took a squizz at the Telford show then they'd enjoy that too. C'mon let's mix it up people...

Finally, big congratulations to Lancashire lad Max Harris who was chosen to be the winner of our RMJ Academy competition based on the fact that he really went the extra mile to prove his commitment to racing. The seven-year-old speedster is currently attending his first training sessions with Rich-Mike and the crew and we look forward to updating you with his progress through the year...