FIM Europe has announce the new Beachcross European Cup will be run by a new promoter called FORGIT Ltd. The agreement is for the organisation of a European Cup in 2024 and a European Championship for 2025 and 2026.

The European Beachcross Cup will start on March 3 at Soverato in Italy, the birthplace of the European Grand Trophy which will retain its historic name. The next rounds will cross the most evocative beaches in Europe, passing through the United Kingdom on October 18-20 and another stop in Europe on October 26-27.

Rinaldo Tirotta, President Stilaro Racing, said: “I thank the FIM Europe for the collaboration. An idea born in 2003 and the constant dedication has today created a new title with a fresh perspective, made possible also thanks to Claudio Bernardinelli, whose commitment has contributed to the realization of this new adventure.”

Vincenzo Tirotta, Forgit Ltd Director, said: “I’m enthusiastic about this new agreement with the FIM Europe. For this new project, we want to change the vision and the method which until now has made participation in an event prohibitive for teams and riders on a global level. In addition to the sporting celebration, the Beachcross European Cup, in fact, pays particular attention to the needs of the riders, considering the high costs associated with a competition of this stature. In line with this awareness, a logistical strategy aimed at facilitating riders to participate more easily in the event in every aspect, through the creation of an all-inclusive package that eliminates the stress of a competition and transforms it into an experience for the participants.”

The pre 1993 Vintage class will run on the Saturday of the event and the 65cc class will now be joining the Sunday Schedule. The Weston event is October 11-13.

The off-road event is renowned for its high octane antics and a firm favourite on the events calendar for riders and spectators alike. Riders will once again take on the 7km course and the famous 2km start straight which is a well watched part of this prestigious off-road motorsport event.

Gareth Hockey, Director of RHL Activities “I am pleased to announce the date for the 39^th anniversary of the Weston Beach Race. It’s time to get ready to go play on the beach in October. Stay tuned as we bring more announcements on the event in the coming months.”

2014 winner, Dan, managed to take the lead by the end of lap one on his Yamaha YZ450 and didn’t look back for the next two and a half hours! Dan took an emphatic win in front of the 200 strong field, and was a lap in front of 2^nd place Neville Bradshaw.

A great way to end a fantastic season for Dan and to top it off, Dan’s brother Brad finished 11^th in the main race also.

Dan Thornhill – “Great weekend for me at Skegness Beach. The race started well, inside the top 10, before getting into the lead come the end of lap 1. The track conditions in areas were very tricky and caught a lot of guys off guard. I picked my way through certain areas and managed to stay out of trouble where a lot of bikes were getting stuck. 

“The race was not all plain sailing, stopping for fuel more than a lot guys and having a tip over in one of the wet areas cost some time overall, but I’m happy to have got the win and by the finish I was one lap ahead. 

“Big thanks to everyone who make each week possible and have contributed to this year. Nice to end on a positive note heading into the off season.” Photo simonemorgan29.

Jamie Law, 25 Husqvarna TC250 MX2 7th Overall

 
“After a different start, where we had to run to our bikes, I managed to get down to the gates inside the first 20 riders. I fell at the first dune after getting caught in an early pile-up. It felt like there were hundreds of riders in front of me at the end of the straight. I pushed on and cleared the larger dunes, then coming back through the smaller dunes I got a bit impatient and took a fresh line that buried the bike and it took more time and energy to get it out than I would have spent by waiting. Just in case that was a fluke, I made the same mistake again on the next lap! I settled into the race by lap 4 finding my flow and getting my head down to make up positions to finish 7^th at the line. I was happy enough with the result after not feeling 100% leading up to the event. That said, with the mistakes I made during the race it could have been a lot worse. I’d like to thank all of the team and my family along with my sponsors for another great season”.

Matt Burrows, 25 Husqvarna FC250 MX2 8th Overall

“I’ve never known a Weston like it, I made a mistake at the first dune and fell off before getting straight back on and getting down the straight in the first 50 – 100 riders, the place was like a war zone! Jamie was stuck on the first lap and I went past him and then caught and passed my brother down the straight on the second lap to get into the top 35 riders. From this point, I made up positions and by lap 6 I was settled into the top 10. I’ve ridden a few Weston Beach Races and I’ve never known the weather to be as unpredictable and rain as heavy. I took my first pitstop of two at the 1.20hr mark. I pitted again whilst in 6^th place with 38 minutes to go and had to change my goggles and refuel my bike as my pit crew had abandoned me! I’d also used all of the material on my front brakes and had to push the piston open and not use it. This is when Jamie caught and passed me along with another rider and I managed to finish 8^th overall”.

Stuart Edmonds, 162 Husqvarna FC450 MX1 9th Overall

“I’d managed to get well placed out of parc fermé and clear the first dune for 5^th down the start straight. I went through the big dunes without issues and it was when I hit the small corner dune I was caught out and lost some time. I managed to get into my flow again on lap 2, though it was when I came down one of the larger dunes I hit a bike in front, falling off and someone ran over my leg. The first couple of laps were absolute carnage. I got into a rhythm and started to make positions before pitting on the hour inside the top ten. That didn’t go to plan initially as I couldn’t find my pit crew! The second hour was hard with a couple of crashes, I managed to catch up with Carlton Husband and then crashed again. At the 2 hr point, I’d managed to pass my teammate Matt, though then lost the position after another big crash. I then managed to ride out the rest of the race sore and with a battered bike finishing 9^th at the flag. I’d like to thank all my sponsors and the team for their help in preparing for this insane event”.

Dylan: Another year, another Weston! It’s good to be back with the team and the Apico Hydration Station. This year we changed things slightly and raised money for Air Ambulances U.K. in memory of Jude Morris. This charity still helps GWAAC, which we’ve collected for the previous 5 Westons, amongst other Air Ambulance charities. I have to take my hat off to Mark Morris and the people involved in raising money for Jude Morris, which must be close to the £70,000 milestone now, I hope the charity auctions and other efforts to raise funds in Jude’s name help to hit the £101k, eventually.  

Racing was business as usual for the now seasoned Apico Husqvarna Weston competitors of Jamie Law, Matt Burrows and Stuart Edmonds. Jamie had it all to do on the 2 stroke, after a tough start he showed the grit and determination we’ve come to expect from his performances this year bringing it home in 7^th position, the highest place of our riders. Matt led the team for most of the race. He’s competed in this event more than the others and has had some impressive results over the years. It was business as usual for him as he had a pretty much problem-free race until losing his front brake at the end, coming home in 8^th. Stuart had a tough race too, with a few crashes and getting run over, he still managed to push on to bring his Husqvarna FC450 home in 9^th for a 7,8,9 place finish for the team.

I’d like to thank Anna, the sponsors, riders, mechanics, media team and families for all helping this season. We’ve had some of the best results of recent years and that’s down to the hard work and dedication of the team. We’ve all gone that extra mile to make sure we have done our best. We now look to 2022 and hope to improve further on our achievements to date.

Adult Solo:
1st – Todd Kellett
2nd – Ashley Greedy
3rd – Mel Pocock
4th. – Jamie Wainwright
5th – Dan Thornhill

Adult Solo over 40
1st – Derry Milling
2nd – Tim Forman
3rd – Ryan Bawn
4th. – Michael Windsor
5th – Alex Owen

Adult Solo Ladies:
1st – Jane Daniels
2nd – Zoe Zembrzuski
3rd – Zoe Deac