With the announcement of the Apico Honda team coming through last week, and a few clues coming our way from the release of the Arenacross British Championship Rider Lists, the shape of the British Championship and Fastest 40 paddocks is starting to emerge from the winter gloom.
Words: Ben Rumbold. Featured Image: ESMX
The opening outdoor event is, as always, the Ashbrook Hawkstone International Powered by Syntol Lubricants. A few international, well, Dutch and Belgian riders have been confirmed as lining up, with Jeffrey Herlings again their headline star, Glenn Coldenhoff and Roan van de Moosdijk wheeling out their new factory Fantic machines for the first time, with Brent van Doninck and Scott Smulders also joining the fun in the sand.
It’s unlikely that we’ll see any of the Arenacross stars in Shropshire, as the final round of the indoor series takes place at Wembley the night before. So the big British stars missing will likely be Conrad Mewse and Tommy Searle, although one of their main rivals, Harri Kullas, has said that he will race both for FUS Marsh Husqvarna. When questioned if the deal was for the winter only, he replied “Yes, winter only”! So we are still unsure of whether or not we will see Harri in the UK after Hawkstone.
John Adamson and Martin Barr will also ride indoors, but they both enjoy the sands of Hawkstone so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them making the overnight trip after leaving the stadium races.
No British riders have been confirmed yet, but I would expect that Hawkstone fan Shaun Simpson’s Gabriel SS24 squad of Josh Gilbert and Cas Valk will be there, as well as the Apico Honda team of Tom Grimshaw, that man Barr, and most of the top 20 in the British Champs. We hope to see Romain Febvre come along again, and maybe even with his new teammate Jeremy Seewer too! He would be all action around there! And we hope most of all that there is a good MX2 class, as with all respect to Joel Rizzi and Jake Nichols, it wasn’t the best of standards in 2023.
We received a message from the, get this right now, SAS TPC KTM Racing team, not long after getting a message from the Ultimate Wheels JC184 squad declaring a parting of ways. As the name suggests, Jamie Carpenter will still be racing the Ultimate Wheels team, but the previously announced Youth racer Josh Lansbury, plus an MX2 class rider to be announced soon, will be racing for SAS TPC KTM. We really have no information as to what caused the split, but there will be some nice printed t-shirts and jackets going cheap somewhere. In the end, we might have won an extra team! Bonus!
More info will be shared through Dirt Hub as soon as we get it. In the meantime, here is the current state of play, see you back here next week!
MX1:
1. Conrad Mewse – Confirmed as staying with Crendon Fastrack Honda.
2. Josh Gilbert – Confirmed with Gabriel SS24 KTM
3. Harri Kullas – Racing Arenacross with FUS Marsh Husqvarna, but unconfirmed if that deal includes the summer season.
4. Tristan Purdon – Unannounced, out of Gabriel SS24 KTM.
5. John Adamson – ran a PW Racing KTM for winter, 2024 Unannounced but racing Arenacross for SC Sporthomes Husqvarna.
6. Evgeny Bobryshev – Unannounced, possibly staying with SC Sporthomes Husqvarna?
7. Jamie Carpenter – Confirmed as moving to Ultimate Wheels JC184 KTM (formerly Ultimate Wheels Thunder Road Honda).
8. Brad Todd – Confirmed as staying on a private Honda with support from Apico and Bikesport Honda, but looking for more sponsors!.
9. Tom Grimshaw – Confirmed as moving from Chambers Racing to Apico Factory Racing Honda.
10. Tommy Searle – Confirmed with Dirt Store Kawasaki in MX1.
11. Liam Knight – Unannounced, possibly staying with Gabriel KTM?
12. Ashton Dickinson – Unannounced, possibly staying with TALK Templant KTM?
13. Ivo Monticelli – Confirmed as leaving the UK to race for Beta in MXGP & Italy.
14. Martin Barr – Confirmed as staying with Apico Factory Racing as they change manufacturer from Husqvarna to Honda.
15. Shaun Simpson – Confirmed as staying with Gabriel SS24 KTM but as Team Manager only
16. Stuart Edmonds – Unannounced, possibly staying on a private Honda with S Briggs Commercials?
17. Jason Meara – Confirmed as staying with Moto-Cycle GASGAS.
18. Dan Thornhill – Confirmed as staying with Chambers Racing.
19. Miro Sihvonen – Unannounced, but likely to be moving away from British racing.
20. Callum Green – Confirmed as moving from TRU7 Honda to Crendon Fastrack Honda.
NEW ARRIVAL – Brian Bogers – Confirmed at Revo GASGAS Racing.
MX2:
1. Isak Gifting – Has to move to a 450 for MXGP, looking unlikely to be racing further in the UK.
2. Taylor Hammal – Confirmed as moving to TRU7 Honda Racing Academy in MX2
3. Elliott Banks-Browne – Confirmed as staying in MX2 with SC Sporthomes Husqvarna.
4. Bobby Bruce – Unannounced but confirmed as leaving ASA United GASGAS
5. Jamie Wainwright – Unannounced, possibly staying with his own family-backed KTM team?
6. Carlton Husband – Confirmed as staying in MX2 with Phoenix Tools Even Strokes Kawasaki.
7. Charlie Heyman – leaving TRU7 Honda, destination unannounced.
8. Sam Nunn – Confirmed as leaving Cab Screens Crescent Yamaha for Chambers Racing.
9. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku – Confirmed as leaving SC Sporthomes Husqvarna for AMA racing.
10. Charlie Cole – Confirmed as staying in MX2, moving from Blades Bikes to Phoenix Tools Even Strokes Kawasaki.
11. Ben Mustoe – Unannounced, possibly staying with ASA United GASGAS?
12. Joel Rizzi – Confirmed with Dirt Store Kawasaki.
13. Jack Chambers – Unannounced, possibly staying with Big Van World MTX Kawasaki, maybe full-time in British Champs?
14. Mel Pocock – Confirmed with Dirt Store Kawasaki.
15. Glenn McCormick – Unannounced, possibly staying with Chambers Racing?
16. Jake Millward – Unannounced, possibly staying with Verde Shiloh KTM?
17. Ben Franklin – Unannounced, possibly staying with Chambers Racing?
18. Bailey Johnston – Unannounced, possibly staying with Verde Shiloh KTM?
19. Joe Brookes – Confirmed on private KTM with support from Nationwide Signs Ltd.
20. Tommy Searle – see MX1!
21. James Barker – Confirmed as racing a KTM privately but looking for more sponsors!
22. Alfie Jones – Confirmed as staying with Chambers Racing.
23. Dylan Walsh – Confirmed in AMA Supercross with Host Grindstone Kawasaki.
NEW ARRIVAL – Ethan Lane – Confirmed with Revo GASGAS Racing
NEW ARRIVAL – Billy Askew – Confirmed with Revo GASGAS Racing
NEW ARRIVAL – Cas Valk – Confirmed with Gabriel SS24 KTM
BACK FROM INJURY – Ollie Colmer – Confirmed with K-Tech Aristocars KTM
POSSIBLE WILDCARD – Calum Mitchell – Confirmed with Lexa Racing but only competing at “selected” British events.
