Gilbert & Coles move Mountains! 2023 MX Nationals Round 2 – Race Report & Results

Last weekend the new Monster Mountain facility staged its first event, round two of the Michelin MX Nationals powered by Milwaukee, and what an action-packed weekend it was! With almost 300 hundred riders keen to get on the new track and a tremendous crowd for the MX Nationals, both enjoyed the two days of fast and hot motocross action.

Report by Dick Law – Images courtesy of MX Nationals

If you haven’t seen the images and videos on social media, Monster Mountain is a USA- styled track set on top of a Welsh mountain. With months and months of hard, back-breaking work that involved moving hundreds of tons of earth with machines the size of a small house, the Monster Mountain track was born, and the scale of the project was mind-blowing. Once you have climbed up the mountain’s side to the peak, you enter a landscape that could be easily mistaken for Pala or even the moon.

The Leatt Pro MX1s were mainly about three riders, the Crendon Fastrack Honda pairing of Conrad Mewse and Josh Gilbert and Cab Screens Crescent Yamaha rider Harri Kullas. The winner would come from one of these riders, who have dominated the home racing scene all year.

Kullas got the holeshot at the start of the first combined MX1 and MX2 pro race but was quickly passed a quarter of the way around the opening lap by Mewse and then by his teammate Gilbert, who had gated third, slipped by Kullas before the end of the lap. While this happened, John Adamson (ASA United Gas Gas) got cross threaded in one of the deep ruts and dropped from fourth to tenth.

Adamson’s teammate Ivo Monticelli, who was making a comeback from an injury he suffered at round one but took full advantage of his teammates Adamson’s problems and took over his fourth place as Jason Meara (JM 10 Moto-cycle Racing Honda), Tom Grimshaw (Chambers Gas Gas), Charlie Putnam (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna), Jamie Carpenter (Cab Screens Crescent Yamaha), and Dan Thornhill (Chambers Gas Gas) all moved up a place at Adamson’s expense.

The leading four riders of Mewse, Gilbert, Kullas, and Monticelli stayed in the same running order to the end of the race as Meara and Grimshaw fought over fifth place. The two riders changed position many times till, on lap eight, Meara crashed out of the race, leaving Grimshaw to make fifth his own.

Adamson was on a charge after his crash and fought back to sixth at the end of the race, while Putnam came off his machine, relegating himself back to thirtieth place.

The immense new track, with its long start straights and big jumps, and even an adverse camber turn, was always going to disadvantage the smaller Apico MX2 machines over the power of the Leatt MX1 machines, with Glen McCormick (Chambers Gas Gas) being the first of the MX2s around turn one, followed by Jamie Wainwright (Reline KTM) and Carlton Husband (Phoenix Evenstrokes Kawasaki) as race favourite Charlie Cole (Blades Bikes Kawasaki) suffering a mechanical problem that saw him at the back of the pack with a lot of work to do.

Wainwright had passed McCormick to lead the MX2s by the end of the first lap as Husband slipped back three places. But, as the race continued, Husband upped his pace and repassed six other riders on his way to tenth in the race, but first MX2 home.

McCormick put on a last-lap charge and snatched a place from the hands of Wainwright as the pair finished eleventh and thirteenth on the track but second and third in the MX2s, as for the unlucky Cole. He regrouped and fought his way back from thirtieth to finish fifteenth in the race but fourth MX2 and the last person on the lead lap.

Kullas once again got the holeshot at the start of race two, and once again, Gilbert found a way past him by the end of the lap. Behind them, it was Grimshaw, Meara, Monticelli, Mewse and Carpenter.

Grimshaw took his time in the opening laps and slipped back to sixth. Mewse slid past Monticelli on the second lap to take over third place, with Meara relegated to fifth.

While Grimshaw and Carpenter fought over sixth place, the running order of Gilbert from Kullas, Mewse, Monticelli, and Meara stayed the same till the very last lap when Mewse used the backmarkers to snatch second place from Kullas, and with it second overall for the meeting.

On the Apico MX2 side of race two, Cole had gated tenth but had Wainwright in his wheel tracks and McCormick two places further back as they battled for the MX2 lead amongst the bigger MX1 machines.
After changing the lead with Wainwright several times, Cole established himself eighth on the track but first of the MX2s. Wainwright finished in tenth place for the second MX2, with McCormick third. Unfortunately, Husband didn’t get the start he wanted and didn’t seem to get going as he finished sixth MX2, behind Joe Brooks and Charlie Hayman (Tru7 Honda).

With three race wins and a second place, Ben Edwards won the RFX expert MX1s from race one winner and wildcard rider Josh Waterman. Jayden Ashwell (AJP Geartec Husqvarna) was third, with Jay McCrum missing a podium position.

Ashley Greedy (Darien Contractors Gas Gas) won his first three races in the RFX MX2s, but while in the lead of his fourth and final race of the weekend, he was passed by Jimmy Margetson (AJP Geartec Husqvarna) on his way to second overall, with Mathew Bayliss (Darjen Contractors Gas Gas).

Wildcard rider Scott Elderfield won three out of his four races on his way to the Motoverde amateur MX1 overall, with race four winner Sean Wainwright (Fasteddy Racing Honda) second. Josh Greedy (Darjen Contractors Kawasaki) tied in third with Luke Mellows (Forty-Four Honda).

Wildcard riders took three out of the top four places in the Motoverde amateur MX2 class as Ben Clarke, with two wins and two third places, took the overall from race two winner Raife Broadley (723 Race Bikes Gas Gas) while the winner of the last race Wal Beaney was third, just five points behind the winner.

Tallon Aspden (LA Groundwork KTM), with three wins and a second place, won the Worx clubman MX1s from Darren Manning-Coe, who was second in all four of his races as Daniel Chapman, the winner of the last race of the weekend was third as Drew Lane just missed out on the podium by two points.

Sam Ongley (Fantic) won all four Spiral GFX clubman MX2 races from Matt Tolly and Charlie West.
In the youth Fly Futures MXY2s, Billy Askew (GTCi Revo Kawasaki) won all four races and remains unbeaten this year. Behind him, Domonic Newbury (426 Motosport KTM) and Mackenzie Marshall (DK Offroad Yamaha) were separated by just three points as they finished the weekend in second and third overall.

Reece Jones (SJP Moto Husqvarna) was third in his first race of the weekend, but from then on won the other three for first overall in the Fly MXY125s. Jake Walker (Mr T Racing KTM), who didn’t finish out of the top four all weekend, was second, with a race-three low score pushing Tyla Hooley (Fantic) down to third.

Josh Vail (SJP Moto Husqvarna), with two race wins, a second and a third place, took the overall win in the Syntol Big Wheel 85s with Jamie Keith (MBR X&P KTM), who didn’t finish out of the top three all weekend, third.

With a couple of wins and two-second places, Joel Winstanley-Dawson (Techsource Racing KTM) won the Syntol small wheel 85s from race one winner Lucas Lee (Husqvarna) and Ollie Truman.

Results

Pro MX1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2
1	Josh Gilbert	47	22	25
2	Conrad Mewse	47	25	22
3	Harri Kullas	40	20	20
4	Ivo Monticelli	36	18	18
5	Tom Grimshaw	31	16	15
6	Jamie Carpenter	28	14	14
7	John Adamson	28	15	13
8	Dan Thornhill	23	13	10
9	Callum Green	21	10	11
10	Stuart Edmonds	21	12	9
11	Charlie Putnam	20	8	12
12	Tony Craig	19	11	8
13	Jason Meara	16	–	16
14	Louie Kessell	15	9	6
15	Liam Knight	12	5	7
16	Joe Clayton	12	7	5
17	Gavin Stevenson	10	6	4
18	Tom Murphy	7	4	3

Pro MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2
1	Charlie Cole	43	18	25
2	Jamie Wainwright	42	20	22
3	Glen McCormick	42	22	20
4	Carlton Husband	40	25	15
5	Charlie Heyman	32	16	16
6	Joe Brooks	31	13	18
7	Calum Mitchell	29	15	14
8	Bailey Johnston	24	11	13
9	Ben Franklin	24	12	12
10	Lewis Hall	24	14	10
11	Josh Taylor	19	10	9
12	Shaun Mahoney	17	9	8
13	Sam Nunn	11	–	11

Expert MX 1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Ben Edwards	97	22	25	25	25
2	Josh Waterman	89	25	22	22	20
3	Jayden Ashwell	74	18	20	20	16
4	Jay McCrum	63	15	15	15	18
5	Richard Bird	62	16	16	16	14
6	Corrie Southwood	53	5	14	12	22
7	Ryan Thomson	47	14	13	13	7
8	Josh Canton	46	13	9	11	13
9	Josh Peters	38	20	–	18	–
10	Aaron Patstone	37	9	8	10	10
11	Aidan Bruce	35	7	12	8	8
12	Scott Alldridge	33	–	18	–	15
13	Harry Bradley	32	–	7	14	11
14	Sion Talbot	30	11	–	7	12
15	Frazer Norrie	30	6	6	9	9
16	Cory McShane	26	10	10	6	–
17	Nathan Green	19	8	11	–	–
18	Glen Phillips	12	12	–	–	–

Expert MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Ashley Greedy	97	25	25	25	22
2	Jimmy Margetson	75	15	20	15	25
3	Mathew Bayliss	69	20	22	14	13
4	Uldis Freidbergs	67	16	15	16	20
5	Kieran Banks	67	18	13	18	18
6	Henry Siddiqui	63	13	14	20	16
7	Josh Coleman	60	22	16	22	–
8	Aaron Ongley	45	10	12	9	14
9	Niall Cregan	40	5	9	11	15
10	Callum Murfitt	40	7	11	10	12
11	Harvey Cashmore	38	12	4	12	10
12	Charlie Griffiths	35	8	6	13	8
13	Eiour Palmarsson	31	9	5	6	11
14	Shane Carless	29	11	18	–	–
15	James Barker	26	14	8	4	–
16	Charlie Hamlet	23	6	–	8	9
17	Rhys Walker	20	3	3	7	7
18	Seth Moir	17	4	2	5	6
19	Ben Mustoe	10	–	10	–	–
20	Luca Pegg	9	2	7	–	–

Amateur MX1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Scott Elderfield	97	25	25	25	22
2	Sean Wainwright	83	20	18	20	25
3	Josh Greedy	80	22	20	18	20
4	Luke Mellows	80	18	22	22	18
5	Jamie Dixon	58	14	16	12	16
6	Joshua Mccorkell	54	16	13	11	14
7	Ryan Osborn	53	11	14	15	13
8	Callum Gordon	50	12	15	13	10
9	Brad Thornhill	47	9	12	14	12
10	Jacob Bowden	46	10	11	10	15
11	Lewis Taylor	45	15	6	16	8
12	Henry Partridge	39	13	10	5	11
13	Keelan Southwood	31	6	9	9	7
14	Adam Reeves	30	8	5	8	9
15	Harry Foster	27	7	8	7	5
16	Dan Holliday	22	5	7	4	6
17	Nathan Badte	6	–	–	6	–

Amateur MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Ben Clark	90	25	20	25	20
2	Raife Broadley	87	18	25	22	22
3	Wal Beaney	85	22	18	20	25
4	Jayden Murphy	72	16	22	16	18
5	Shaun Springer	70	20	16	18	16
6	Charlie Palmer	57	14	15	13	15
7	Dan Brough	45	12	12	7	14
8	Alex Buchanan	45	11	14	12	8
9	Jonathan Rodrick-Evans	40	7	7	14	12
10	Leon Ongley	40	15	8	6	11
11	Lewis Glynn	34	6	5	10	13
12	Archie Hicks	31	5	2	15	9
13	Harry Fletcher	30	3	6	11	10
14	Tommi Davies	27	13	4	3	7
15	Ben White	25	10	13	2	–
16	Jasper Gibson	24	1	9	8	6
17	Ben Wainwright	21	8	–	9	4
18	Max Smith	20	9	11	–	–
19	Morgan Walters	18	–	10	5	3
20	Stephen Mullally	12	2	1	4	5
21	Jude Turton	7	4	3	–	–

Clubman MX1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Tallon Aspden	95	25	25	25	20
2	Darren Manning-Coe	88	22	22	22	22
3	Daniel Chapman	76	15	18	18	25
4	Drew Lane	74	20	20	16	18
5	Kalem Hicks	62	16	16	15	15
6	Billy Saunders	54	18	–	20	16
7	Ryan Davis	48	10	12	14	12
8	Ashley Senior	47	11	14	9	13
9	Josh Young	46	14	10	11	11
10	Josh Bailey	37	6	7	10	14
11	Jude Gaylard	31	12	–	13	6
12	Oddur Jarl Haraldsson	27	1	15	1	10
13	Jake Thompson	26	5	11	6	4
14	Ben Lightbown	25	8	8	4	5
15	Richard Evans	21	–	13	–	8
16	Charlie Roper	21	7	5	7	2
17	Rory Wootton	20	4	9	–	7
18	Calum Watson	18	–	6	12	–
19	Max Wood	17	–	–	8	9
20	Michael Graham	15	9	3	3	–
21	Jordan Andrews	13	13	–	–	–
22	Thomas White	13	3	2	5	3
23	Ben Jones	7	2	4	–	1
24	Guy Carter	3	–	1	2	–

Clubman MX2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Sam Ongley	100	25	25	25	25
2	Matt Tolley	80	20	22	22	16
3	Charlie West	65	11	16	16	22
4	Bradley Johnstone	60	16	15	20	9
5	Chris Corthorn	59	10	20	9	20
6	George Boyce	56	12	13	13	18
7	Matthew Pocock	51	–	18	18	15
8	Richy Roberts	44	9	6	15	14
9	Max Flint	44	14	9	14	7
10	Jordan Ambler	41	18	12	–	11
11	Aaron Framingham	40	22	7	3	8
12	Toby Lightbown	33	6	5	12	10
13	Jamie Collins	31	8	10	7	6
14	Hayden Stevens	30	3	8	6	13
15	Jake O’Gorman	25	1	1	11	12
16	Jack Ratcliffe	24	13	11	–	–
17	Alex Hamer	24	15	–	8	1
18	Max Fletcher	18	4	14	–	–
19	Jordan Meredith	14	–	2	10	2
20	Mitchil Collins	12	2	–	5	5
21	Sam Menzies	11	7	4	–	–
22	Danny Townsend	8	5	3	–	–
23	Jack Loveridge	5	–	–	1	4
24	Matthew Fuller	4	–	–	4	–
25	Elliot Cook	3	–	–	–	3
26	Spencer Stanbridge	2	–	–	2	–

MXY1 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Reece Jones	95	20	25	25	25
2	Jake Walker	82	18	20	22	22
3	Tyla Hooley	74	22	22	10	20
4	Freddie Gardiner	66	25	11	12	18
5	Wesley McGavin	65	13	18	18	16
6	Harrison Greenough	58	14	16	16	12
7	Chester Hyde	56	15	15	13	13
8	Shane Jones	54	16	14	14	10
9	Ollie Bubb	53	11	13	15	14
10	Jack Meara	47	–	12	20	15
11	Declan Wright	37	12	10	8	7
12	Louis Perrin-Brown	28	8	8	4	8
13	Logan Powell	26	10	6	1	9
14	Jack Bearey	23	3	5	9	6
15	Cody Spacagna	23	9	7	7	–
16	Max Smith	22	–	–	11	11
17	Tyler Jones	22	7	4	6	5
18	Travis Laughton	22	6	9	3	4
19	Caden Tomlin	16	5	3	5	3
20	Braidy Tucker	8	4	2	2	–

MXY2 – Overall

Pos	Competitor	Points	R1	R2	R3	R4
1	Billy Askew	100	25	25	25	25
2	Domonic Newbury	75	20	15	20	20
3	Mckenzie Marshall	72	22	10	22	18
4	George Hopkins	62	18	14	16	14
5	Jak Taylor	61	9	20	10	22
6	Fin Wilson	61	16	16	14	15
7	Bayliss Utting	58	14	22	18	4
8	Liam Bennett	53	4	18	15	16
9	Kayde Rayns	52	15	13	12	12
10	Kyron Carron	44	12	8	11	13
11	Sid Putnam	37	11	11	8	7
12	Seth Manners	34	5	12	6	11
13	Lennox Dickinson	33	10	2	13	8
14	Josh Bassett	22	–	3	9	10
15	Alfie Smith	22	2	9	5	6
16	Jack Wilson	20	3	1	7	9
17	Lee Cameron	19	7	7	–	5
18	Tye Jones	19	13	6	–	–
19	Jacob Randell	12	8	4	–	–
20	Jack Meara	6	6	–	–	–
21	Jake Barker	6	1	5	–	–

Big Wheel 85 – Overall

Pos Competitor Points R1 R2 R3 R4 1 Josh Vail 92 25 22 20 25 2 Jamie Keith 89 20 25 22 22 3 Charlie Richmond 87 22 20 25 20 4 Lewis Spratt 65 16 18 15 16 5 Alfie Geddes-Green 62 18 8 18 18 6 Harry Lee 58 14 16 13 15 7 Blake Ward-Clarke 57 13 14 16 14 8 Reegan Rogers 44 8 13 10 13 9 Finlay Pickering 42 12 5 14 11 10 Maison Jones 41 9 11 9 12 11 Danny Flude 36 10 15 11 – 12 Riley Small 35 11 12 12 – 13 Stanley Siebert 30 15 6 6 3 14 Zane Stephens 28 4 10 5 9 15 Travis Bixby 26 7 9 8 2 16 George Clark 18 2 7 2 7 17 Harley O’Callaghan 17 5 1 7 4 18 Archie Stapley 14 – 4 4 6 19 Christopher Brindley 11 3 – – 8 20 Ethan Jordan 10 – – – 10 21 Owen Kenningley 9 6 – 3 – 22 Marley Alder 5 – – – 5 23 Charlie James 3 – 3 – – 24 Jayci Dix 2 – 2 – – 25 Tyler Townsend 1 – – – 1 26 Archie Congdon 1 – – 1 – 27 Silas Mandeville 1 1 – – –