After ten years, the Michelin MX Nationals signs off at Hawkstone Park – Race Report & Results

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After ten very successful years of service to the motocross racing public, last weekend’s fifth and final round of the 2023 Michelin MX Nationals was the last in its current format. But it was one of the best, as most of the year-long championship battles went down to the final race of the year and some even to the last lap of the last race of the year.

Race Report by MX Nationals – Feature Image courtesy of Crenden Fastrack Honda – Other images by MX Nationals – Elliot Spencer

In the prestigious Leatt Pro MX1 class, both Crendon Fastrack Honda team riders were suffering from minor injuries. But despite the handicaps, both riders occupied the top two steps of the podium. Conrad Mewse, with some fractured ribs, won the overall and, with it, the 2023 Leatt Pro MX1 championship, while his teammate Josh Gilbert, with a swollen hand, had to settle for second place on the day and in the championship.

On the comeback trail after a first-round injury, Ivo Monticelli (ASA United Gas Gas) claimed the last podium position. At the same time, in the championship, Cab Screens Crescent Yamaha’s Harri Kullas had to settle for third place this year.

Things couldn’t have been much tighter in the Apico Pro MX2 championship race, as the title chase was decided between four riders in the last race. During the race, with championship contenders crashing or pulling out with mechanical problems, the championship lead changed many times. But, as the flag fell, Carlton Husband, on his Phoenix Evenstrokes Kawasaki, crossed the finish line sixth MX2 rider home but had done enough to be the 2023 Apico Pro MX2 champion by just two points from Joe Brooks (GRT Impact KTM).

Kullas got the holeshot at the start of the first combined Pro MX1 and MX2 race from Tristan Purdon (Gabriel SS24 KTM) and Gilbert, but by the end of the lap, Gilbert was in the lead from Mewse and Kullas as was pushed back to third, as Monticelli moved into fourth place at the expense of Purdon.

By the end of the second lap, Mewse was in the lead and from then on, he just revelled in the conditions and pulled further away from the rest of the pack, crossing the finish line very twenty-second clear. Gilbert and Kullas spent the rest of the race in second and third, with Purdon repassing a slowing Monticelli for fourth place.

Tom Grimshaw (Chambers Gas Gas) had gated sixth and had passed the ailing Monticelli at about the halfway make, but a simple mistake allowed Monticelli to repass him as the pair finished the race in fifth and sixth.

The young and talented Billy Askew (GTCI Revo Kawasaki) had already won the MXY2s on Saturday, so the team thought sending him out with MX2 Pros for the experience would be a good idea.

Now riding a KTM, Dylan Walsh was the first of the MX2s. He gated tenth but swiftly moved up to seventh place in four laps, with the young Askew following him through the pack to eighth place on lap four as he started to close on the MX2 leader Walsh as Glenn McCormick (Chambers Gas Gas) after gating twelfth begun to slip back into the pack with his championship chances going with him.

With four laps to go, Askew seemed to run out of steam as Walsh pulled away for the win, leaving Askew in a comfortable second place with Dylan Woodcock (Verde Shiloh KTM) third and with Pro MX2 series leader Husband fourteenth on the track but sixth in class.

All Mewse had to do to clinch the 2023 title was to finish in the top ten in race two. It was that simple. But, as the start gate fell and Monticelli got the holeshot, Mewse tried to go around the outside of the pack, went down in the deep sand, and was almost last.

As Monticelli, Gilbert, Purdon, and Kullas powered away at the sharp end of the race, Mewse ended his first lap in twenty-third place but was flying. By the time the race reached the halfway point, Mewse had slipped by both Purdon and Kullas and was in third and closing rapidly on the leading pair.

On lap nine, he passed Gilbert for second place, and two laps later, he passed Monticelli for the lead only to throw the lead away at the rocky top of the track and hand the lead and the race win back to Monticelli. He remounted and crossed the finish line in second place, but the championship winner. Gilbert was third, from Purdon and Kullas.

In the MX2s, Walsh had gated eighth and well within the bigger 450s but had Askew in his wheel tracks and with Husband close behind them.

For the next ten laps, Askew dogged Walsh’s every move as he got closer and closer until on lap nine, after making a couple of attempts to snatch the lead, a clip of a wheel sent Askew out of the race.

While all this was happening, Charlie Cole (Blade Bikes Kawasaki) crashed out of the championship race on lap three, with Husband staying out of trouble as he crossed the finish line in fifteenth place on the track but sixth in class, which was enough to become champion.

The Pro MX1 overall on the day was Mewse, from Gilbert and Monticelli, but in the final championship standing, it was Mewse with 236 points, Gilbert with 221 and Kullas with 198.

The Pro MX2 on the day was Walsh from Heyman and Woodcock, but in the championship, it was Husband 156, just two points clear of Books with 154 and Wainwright with 152 points.

With three wins and a fourth place, James Dodd (FUS Marsh MX Husqvarna) won the RFX Experts MX1 overall. Still, race one winner Richard Bird (Allmoto Megabikes Yamaha) did enough for second overall and the championship win. Dodd had to settle for second in the championship, with Harry Bradley (JB Tuning Kawasaki) third in both.

Ben Mustoe (ASA United Gas Gas), with two wins and two-second places, won the RFX Experts MX2 overall from Josh Colman (Holeshot MX LRSMX KTM) and Tyler Westcott (HJA MC, Planet Moto KTM). But the championship went to Ashley Greedy (Darjen Contractors Gas Gas), who won both races on Saturday but didn’t compete on the Sunday. Mustoe and Colman were second and third in the championship.

The Motoverde Amateur MX1 was all about Luke Mellows (LM Kitchens Honda), as he won three out of his four races. He was second in the fourth and won the amateur MX1 championship. Sean Wainwright (Fasteddy Racing Honda) was second in both, with Josh Greedy (Darjen Contractors Kawasaki) third.

Raife Broadley (723 Race Bikes Fantic) won in great style all four Motoverde Amateur MX2 races and, with it, the championship. Dan Brough (Rutzz.co.uk Yamaha) was second overall and second in the championship, with Niall Cregan (Husqvarna) third with Ben Clark, who didn’t race the weekend third.

Daniel Chapman (Honda) was a closely fought Worx Sports Insurance Clubman MX1 from Darren Manning-Coe (Fabrican KTM) and Alex Christopher (KTM), but in the final championship positions, the winner was Tallon Aspeden (LA Groundwork Fantic) from Manning-Coe and Billy Saunders (WMS Commercials Honda)

With three race wins and a second place, Matt Tolly (426 Motorsports KTM) won the Spiral Clubman MX2s from Matt Pocock (MGP Steel KTM) and Aaron Framingham (Fabrican Racing KTM) while in the championship, Tolly won from Framingham and Pocock.In the youth Fly MX2s, we had a different winner for a change, and Billy Askew (GTCI Revo Kawasaki) had won every championship race up to Saturday afternoon when he switched to the Pro MX2s for the last two races of the year. This let

Tyler Hooley (Gas Gas), who was the only other rider to win an MXY2 race this year, was the overall winner from Bayliss Utting (Trell Contractors Honda) and Mckenzie Marshall (DK Offroad Yamaha). Utting was second to Askew in the final championship positions, with Marshall third.

Reece Jones (SJP Husqvarna) won all the Fly MXY125 races and the championship from Freddy Gardener (Team Matt Gardener KTM) and Westley McGavin (KTM). Still, in the championship, McGavin was second to Jones, with Ollie Bubb (3 Flo Yamaha) third.

Josh Vail (SJP Moto KTM) continued his winning ways on the Syntol Big Wheel 85s by winning all four of his races from Jamie Keith (MBR X&P KTM) and Charlie Richmond (KTM), while in the championship, it was the same order.
In the Syntol Small Wheel 85s, Joel Winstanley-Dawson (Techsource Racing KTM) won the overall and the championship.
Stay tuned for what’s happening in 2024.

Final Standings

Leatt Pro MX1:
1 Mewse 236, 2 Gilbert 221, 3 Kullas 198, 4 Grimshaw 145, 5 Monticelli 121.

Apico Pro MX2:
1 Husband 156, 2 Brooks 154, 3 Wainwright 152, 4 Mitchell 143, 5 Cole 142.

RFX Expert MX1:
1 Bird 336, 2 Dodd 330, 3 Talbot 262, 4 Bradley 243, 5 Canton 219.

RFX Expert MX2:
1 Greedy 344, 2 Mustoe 314, 3 Coleman 308, 4 Bayliss 274, 5 Murfitt 232.

Motoverde Amateur MX1:
1 Mellows 390, 2 Wainwright 355, 3 Greedy 351, 4 McCorkell 269, 5 Thornhill 266.

Motoverde Amateur MX2:
1 Broadley 381, 2 Brough 298, 3 Clark 292. 4 Palmer 222, 5 Ongley 193.

Worx Sports Insurance Clubman MX1:
1 Aspden 360, 2 Manning-Coe 322, 3 Saunders 308, 4 Lane 222, 5 Chapman 209.

Spiral Clubman MX2:
1 Tolley 395, 2 Framingham 303, 3 Pocock 299, 4 Johnstone 255, 5 West 203.

Fly MXY2:
1 Askew 400, 2 Utting 330, 3 Marshall 299, 4 Taylor 251, 5 Bennett 250.

Fly MXY125:
1 Jones 345, 2 McGavin 315, 3 Bubb 262, 4 Hyde 252, 5 Meara 199.

Syntol Big Wheel 85:
1 Vail 428, 2 Keith 392, 3 Richmond 372, 4 Ward-Clarke 251, 5 Spratt 241.

Syntol Small Wheel 85:
1 Winstanley-Dawson 424, 2 Lee 388, 3 Prince 217, 4 Moore 172, 5 Wilson 82.

Hawkstone Results

Pro MX1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2
1	Conrad Mewse	47	25	22
2	Josh Gilbert	42	22	20
3	Ivo Monticelli	41	16	25
4	Tristan Purdon	36	18	18
5	Harri Kullas	36	20	16
6	Tom Grimshaw	29	15	14
7	Martin Barr	27	14	13
8	Jamie Carpenter	26	11	15
9	Liam Knight	25	13	12
10	Charlie Putnam	22	12	10
11	Brad Todd	18	7	11
12	Callum Green	17	8	9
13	Tony Craig	16	9	7
14	Ethan Lane	16	10	6
15	Stuart Edmonds	13	5	8
16	Louie Kessell	11	6	5

Pro MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2
1	Dylan Walsh	50	25	25
2	Charlie Heyman	36	16	20
3	Dylan Woodcock	36	20	16
4	Joe Brooks	30	12	18
5	Carlton Husband	30	15	15
6	Sam Nunn	28	14	14
7	Jamie Wainwright	25	13	12
8	Joel Rizzi	22	–	22
9	Calum Mitchell	22	9	13
10	Glen McCormick	22	11	11
11	Billy Askew	22	22	–
12	Ben Franklin	18	8	10
13	Alfie Jones	18	18	–
14	Shaun Mahoney	14	5	9
15	Cole McCullough	10	10	–
16	Charlie Cole	7	7	–
17	Bailey Johnston	6	6	–

Expert MX1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	James Dodd	93	18	25	25	25
2	Richard Bird	87	25	20	22	20
3	Harry Bradley	75	20	18	15	22
4	Declan Whittle	64	22	22	20	–
5	Aidan Bruce	61	16	13	18	14
6	Sion Talbot	59	15	16	12	16
7	Josh Canton	57	14	15	13	15
8	Nathan Green	48	–	14	16	18
9	Aaron Patstone	14	–	–	14	–

Expert MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Ben Mustoe	94	22	22	25	25
2	Josh Coleman	82	20	18	22	22
3	Tyler Westcott	78	18	20	20	20
4	Callum Murfitt	62	15	14	18	15
5	Patrick Jackson	59	12	15	16	16
6	Jordan McCaw	55	14	13	14	14
7	Ashley Greedy	50	25	25	–	–
8	James Barker	47	13	16	–	18
9	Luca Pegg	40	–	12	15	13
10	Mathew Bayliss	16	16	–	–	–

Amateur MX1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Luke Mellows	97	25	25	25	22
2	Sean Wainwright	83	20	20	18	25
3	Josh Greedy	74	22	22	12	18
4	Joshua Mccorkell	68	16	12	20	20
5	Brad Thornhill	67	18	18	15	16
6	Daniel Maule	58	14	14	16	14
7	Callum Gordon	56	15	15	13	13
8	Lewis Taylor	53	–	16	22	15
9	Ryan Osborn	52	13	13	14	12
10	Jamie Dixon	43	12	11	9	11
11	Keelan Southwood	39	11	9	10	9
12	Henry Partridge	37	8	8	11	10
13	Dan Holliday	36	10	10	8	8
14	Harry Foster	16	9	7	–	–
15	John Marsh	6	–	6	–	–

Amateur MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Raife Broadley	100	25	25	25	25
2	Dan Brough	86	22	22	20	22
3	Niall Cregan	68	10	16	22	20
4	Charlie Griffiths	67	11	20	18	18
5	Leon Ongley	62	20	18	10	14
6	David Plank	59	18	14	15	12
7	Tom Hughes	58	14	12	16	16
8	Charlie Palmer	50	7	15	13	15
9	Tommi Davies	49	12	10	14	13
10	Archie Hicks	46	13	13	11	9
11	Jonathan Rodrick-Evans	39	16	–	12	11
12	Jasper Gibson	35	9	9	7	10
13	Seth Moir	35	15	11	9	–
14	Stephen Mullally	32	8	8	8	8
15	Morgan Walters	6	6	–	–	–

Clubman MX1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Daniel Chapman	89	20	22	22	25
2	Darren Manning-Coe	83	13	25	25	20
3	Alex Chritopher	68	15	11	20	22
4	Tallon Aspden	67	16	18	18	15
5	Billy Saunders	60	18	14	15	13
6	Josh Young	58	22	20	–	16
7	Paul Atkinson	53	12	16	13	12
8	Kalem Hicks	44	11	15	9	9
9	Jude Gaylard	39	–	13	12	14
10	Ashley Senior	36	5	12	8	11
11	Harry Foster	34	–	–	16	18
12	Luke Richardson	32	14	4	14	–
13	Richard Evans	26	10	–	6	10
14	Ryan Davis	26	2	6	11	7
15	Max Wood	26	8	5	7	6
16	Ben Lightbown	26	9	7	10	–
17	Drew Lane	25	25	–	–	–
18	Dean Rodgers	23	1	9	5	8
19	Michael Graham	23	4	10	4	5
20	Josh Bailey	18	6	8	3	1
21	Charlie Roper	12	7	1	–	4
22	Dan Hartley	6	–	2	1	3
23	Jordan Andrews	5	3	–	2	–
24	Jack Gatland	3	–	3	–	–
25	Josh Hooker	2	–	–	–	2

Clubman MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Matt Tolley	97	22	25	25	25
2	Matthew Pocock	76	18	20	18	20
3	Aaron Framingham	72	20	14	20	18
4	Alex Hamer	61	25	22	14	–
5	Bradley Johnstone	52	15	18	15	4
6	Richy Roberts	51	12	13	11	15
7	Jake O’Gorman	45	1	–	22	22
8	Mitchil Collins	44	7	16	16	5
9	Jack Ratcliffe	40	8	10	12	10
10	Max Fletcher	39	13	3	7	16
11	Toby Lightbown	36	9	12	4	11
12	Jamie Collins	34	6	15	–	13
13	Charlie West	28	–	9	10	9
14	Jack Loveridge	28	4	4	13	7
15	Jordan Ambler	26	16	1	1	8
16	Max Flint	25	–	11	–	14
17	Elliot Pugh	22	–	7	9	6
18	Hayden Stevens	21	14	–	6	1
19	Sam Menzies	20	–	–	8	12
20	Matthew Fuller	16	11	5	–	–
21	Jordan Meredith	16	10	–	3	3
22	Daniel Shutt	16	3	8	5	–
23	George Boyce	6	–	6	–	–
24	Danny Townsend	5	5	–	–	–
25	Enzo Mussell	4	–	–	2	2
26	Daniel Houlker	2	2	–	–	–
27	Jacob Bell	2	–	2	–	–

MXY1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Reece Jones	100	25	25	25	25
2	Freddie Gardiner	88	22	22	22	22
3	Wesley McGavin	75	20	15	20	20
4	Ollie Bubb	64	16	18	14	16
5	Lucy Barker	62	15	16	18	13
6	Jack Meara	57	12	12	15	18
7	Declan Wright	50	14	14	8	14
8	Max Corke	50	11	13	16	10
9	Cody Spacagna	45	9	11	13	12
10	Will Haddock	40	13	–	12	15
11	George Corke	38	6	10	11	11
12	Chester Hyde	38	18	20	–	–
13	Louis Perrin-Brown	35	10	8	9	8
14	Gus Mustoe	27	8	9	10	–
15	Aston Williams	23	5	7	2	9
16	Max Walsham	21	2	6	7	6
17	Tyler Townsend	16	3	–	6	7
18	Samual Logan	16	1	5	5	5
19	Erikas Kuzminkas	8	–	4	4	–
20	Sonny Rooney	7	7	–	–	–
21	Jack Bearey	4	4	–	–	–

MXY2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Tyla Hooley	92	22	20	25	25
2	Bayliss Utting	82	20	18	22	22
3	Mckenzie Marshall	68	18	12	18	20
4	Bernerdo Tiburcio	60	–	22	20	18
5	Harrison Greenough	53	14	7	16	16
6	Billy Askew	50	25	25	–	–
7	Lee Cameron	47	10	8	14	15
8	Liam Bennett	44	16	13	15	–
9	Kayde Rayns	43	12	5	12	14
10	Seth Manners	42	13	16	13	–
11	Jacob Randell	39	7	10	10	12
12	Tye Jones	38	6	11	8	13
13	Sid Putnam	36	11	14	11	–
14	Harley Maskill	34	5	9	9	11
15	Finlay Evans	24	9	15	–	–
16	Jak Taylor	15	15	–	–	–
17	Kyron Carron	14	8	6	–	–

Big Wheel 85 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Josh Vail	100	25	25	25	25
2	Jamie Keith	88	22	22	22	22
3	Charlie Richmond	80	20	20	20	20
4	Drew Stock	72	18	18	18	18
5	Finlay Pickering	62	16	16	15	15
6	Lewis Spratt	55	13	14	14	14
7	Blake Ward-Clarke	53	14	13	13	13
8	Hayden Statt	51	10	9	16	16
9	Alfie Geddes-Green	47	12	15	9	11
10	Austin Beasty	47	15	10	12	10
11	Harry Lee	41	9	12	8	12
12	Zane Stephens	41	11	11	10	9
13	Owen Kenningley	31	4	8	11	8
14	Travis Bixby	21	5	7	7	2
15	Archie Stapley	19	8	2	2	7
16	Harley O’Callaghan	19	2	5	6	6
17	Halim Own	17	7	1	4	5
18	Stanley Siebert	14	6	4	1	3
19	Andrew Piggford	11	1	3	3	4
20	Archie Congdon	8	3	–	5	–
21	Alfie Herron	6	–	6	–	–
22	Marley Alder	1	–	–	–	1

Small Wheel 85 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Joel Winstanley-Dawson	92	25	20	25	22
2	Lucas Lee	85	22	25	20	18
3	Leo Wilson	82	20	22	15	25
4	Harvey Collins	78	18	18	22	20
5	Chad Prince	64	16	15	18	15
6	Riley Butterworth	63	15	16	16	16