Round 1 of the 2025 ACU Motul British Motocross Championship took place at the historic Hawkstone Park, with riders from the Dirt Store Triumph Racing Team showcasing their skills on the world-renowned sand track. With weather and track conditions looking excellent compared to the challenging International pre-season race in February, the team was eager to kick off the British Championship with a bang.
Tommy Searle and Billy Askew both lined up in the MX2 class, onboard the Triumph TF 250-X bikes. Askew, having shown good speed in the early rounds of the EMX250 series in Europe, was eager to show off his talents on home soil.
Joel Rizzi made his debut on the Triumph TF 450-RC bike in the MX1 class, marking another significant milestone for Triumph UK&I at MXGB.
MX2 Class: A Strong Start for Askew and Searle
The MX2 qualifying session saw Billy Askew and Tommy Searle place in P4 and P6.
In Race 1, both Askew and Searle got off to strong starts. However, a hard crash for Billy in Turn 1 caused the young rider’s Triumph to be trapped beneath Jake Nicholls’ bike, dropping him to the back of the pack. Meanwhile, Searle was in second place at the end of the opening lap, chasing down Bobby Bruce. Tommy rode a consistent race but could not close the gap to Bruce, finishing in second position.
Billy, undeterred by his crash, mounted a remarkable comeback. In just the opening lap, Askew gained 12 positions, and by lap 2, he had moved up another 8 spots. By the sixth lap, he had already made it into the top 10, and by lap 9, he had caught up to Glenn McCormick and Ollie Colmer. In the closing laps, Askew’s speed and persistence paid off. He passed both riders in the final stages of the race to finish 6th, a fantastic recovery that kept him in contention going into the second moto.
Race 2 started with another strong launch for both riders. Billy was leading at the end of lap 1, with Tommy in 4th behind McCormick. Askew showed impressive composure and skill in the lead, pulling out more than a 7-second gap over Bobby Bruce to cross the finish line in 1st place. This marked his first MX2 victory at MXGB.
After a strong race in third position, Tommy Searle made a late charge on Bobby Bruce for second. He passed Bruce to take P2, but while working his way through lapped riders, Tommy stalled his bike. Bruce was able to regain the position, and Searle eventually finished in 3rd.
Askew’s 6-1 race scores earned him 3rd place overall, while Searle’s 2-3 race results secured him 2nd overall for the round. A double podium for the Dirt Store squad.
MX1 Class: Joel Rizzi Gains Valuable Experience on the Triumph TF 450-RC
Joel Rizzi, making his debut in the premier MX1 class on the Triumph TF 450-RC bike, qualified in 9th position. He was eager to prove himself on the bigger 450 following a successful 2024 season in MX2.
Race 1 saw Rizzi going elbow to elbow with Conrad Mewse up the start straight. He was mid-pack through the first turn and had work to do to move forward. By lap 2, Joel had gained 3 positions and moved into the Top 10. He continued to push forward, overtaking Carlton Husband on lap 6 to move into 9th. Unfortunately, a crash set him back to 15th, and despite his best efforts, he crossed the line in that position.
Race 2 proved to be another challenge for Rizzi. He nearly collided with Josh Gilbert on the start straight, again leaving Joel outside the top 10 after lap 1. He did well to gain 4 positions and move to 12th by lap 3. Despite being unable to make further progress past Barr and Meara, a mistake from Miot allowed Rizzi to move up to 11th with 3 laps remaining. He finished the race in 11th, earning 13th overall with 15-11 scores.
Although not the results he hoped for, Joel is keen to build on this experience and improve his performances at the next round.
Team Statement:
The Dirt Store Triumph Racing Team would like to extend their thanks to all their sponsors and partners for their continued support throughout the season. They are pleased with the performances in the opening round and are proud to be debuting the Triumph brand in the MXGB Championship.
The team now looks forward to the upcoming Round 2 at Canada Heights, Kent, on May 18th. They are confident that their riders will continue to improve and impress as the season unfolds.
Words by Dirt Store Triumph Racing team – Images courtesy of Cult Moto
