Tommy Searle fought through the pain barrier to take the British MX1 title while British-born Kiwi Dylan Walsh romped to a double win to claim the MX2 crown at Landrake in Cornwall on Sunday.

For Searle, it has been damage limitation for half the rounds as he has had a succession of injuries. He arrived at the rain-hit Cornish track with an injured arm that kept him out of the last two GPs. He had a 35-point lead over KTM’s Shaun Simpson, who as expected took a double win.

Searle quickly led the first moto from holeshot man Lewis Tombs but Simpson was quickly through to the lead. Searle eventually drifted back to fourth place as Harri Kullas and Jake Millward came past and set off in a bid to catch Simpson. Tombs slipped off and remounted with a bent gear lever. He lost a place to Mel Pocock in fifth while Brad Anderson took seventh, out on a 450 after racing all year on a 250 two-stroke.

But fourth for Searle was enough to clinch the title, marking his last ride for the BOS Kawasaki team. He said: “My goal was to stay out of trouble and get it sewn up in the first moto. It’s been a season where I’ve been in injured in so many rounds, so I’m so pleased to get it done.

“I had some good battles early on with Shaun Simpson until I got hurt. And if he hadn’t had a double DNF at Desertmartin, the championship would be very different.”

Searle bravely decided to venture out in race two despite being in discomfort, but this time didn’t get such a good start. He was just inside the top ten and eventually worked up to seventh place.

At the front, Simpson set the early pace, chased by Kullas and Elliott Banks-Browne, who had failed to score in race one. Simpson made a mistake and crashed into the fence, which allowed Banks-Browne to capitalise on the carnage and take the lead.

The Geartec Husky man, who had missed most of the season through injuries, held a strong pace at the front but Kullas eventually came within striking distance. But the Brit battled back and held off the Cab Screeen Honda man to the flag, ending the season very much on a high with his first Maxxis win of the year.

Simpson eventually came through the pack to third place, which gave him the overall win from Kullas and Jake Millward, whose sixth place in moto two gave him yet another podium. Ando took a great fourth place from Tombs, who had learned four days earlier he wasn’t being retained by the Honda team for 2020.

Simpson won more motos and took more overall wins than any other rider in the series but his double mechanical DNF in Ireland meant he finished second in the series behind Searle.

Millward took third overall on the day for third in the championship, a stunning debut MX1 season on the Chanmbers Husky. Kullas’ great day in Cornwall saw him overtake Mel Pocock for fourth in the championship.

In the MX2 title hunt, Dylan Walsh took a strong double win to clinch not only his first British title but also Husky’s first MX2 British championship. And it was a double celebration for the Revo team as his team-mate Alvin Ostlund took second overall in the championship, thanks to fourth overall on the day, with Honda’s Josh Gilbert third in the series with a third place at Landrake, his local track.

“It’s been a perfect day. Just perfect. I qualified first and got two holeshots,” said Walsh. “In the first race I rode a little bit tight and nervous. In the second one I made a small mistake on the second lap and got passed but I got straight back into the lead and won both motos. It feels great to be British champion.”

The event marked the return of Conrad Mewse, the 2018 champion who was absent from the third round at Canada Heights when he broke his wrist. Mewse had only ridden four times and was obviously race rusty, but still took second overall for the Hitachi KTM squad.

 The first moto saw Mewse in third place as he tailed winner Walsh and Ostlund over the line. Liam Knight took a distant fourth, with Yamaha’s Martin Barr fifth while Gilbert struggled to get on the pace and took sixth.

Moto two saw Walsh once again lead from the first lap and take an easy win and the title. With Ostlund suffering from a bad start, it left Mewse second while Gilbert moved up into third.

Gilbert had made suspension changes since the first moto and was riding with far more confidence as he reeled in Mewse, made the pass and edged away to take a well deserved second place finish.

Estonian wild card rider Jorgen Mattias Taviku had a great British debut as he took fourth place in the moto from Knight, Ostlund and Taylor Hammal. Taviku took ninth in the opening race so finished a creditable sixth overall, with Knight fifth overall from Ostlund just off the podium.

In the MXY2 series, two-stroke man Joel Rizzi clinched the title in the first moto with a stunning win after he caught and passed leader Kyle McNicol who took second from Preston Williams.

Rizzi’s rival Ike Carter had a bike issue on the start line, and returned to the paddock to have it repaired. He missed the start and got off last but stormed through the pack until he was disqualified. As he’s lined up on the start, he should have pulled into the mechanic’s area rather than going to the holding area hence his disqualification.

Carter made amends in moto two by setting the fastest lap of the race and taking the win from Rizzi by less than a second, with McNicol third 46 seconds back. Rizzi took the overall win and the championship, with McNicol second overall on the day from Louie Kessel. Rizzi clinched the title from Carter and McNicol.

After seven hard-fought rounds it all goes down to the wire on the fast, sweeping, hard-pack circuit laid out on a hillside just on the Cornish side of the Tamar Bridge.

In the MX1 class Tommy Searle (BOS Kawasaki) is looking like a shoo-in for the title and with a 35-point lead from Shaun Simpson (RFX KTM powered by PAR Homes) should wrap up the championship in the opening moto.

It’s been a tough season for the leading pair who’ve both been forced to race with injuries this year with Simpson’s disastrous double DNF with mechanical problems at Desertmartin looking likely to be the deciding factor.

Currently holding down third and fourth are class rookies Jake Millward (Chambers Racing KTM) and Mel Pocock (ASA United KTM). Millward has a 33-point cushion over Pocock who will be more concerned with holding off Harri Kullas (Cab Screens Deos Group Racing Honda) who he leads by a single point.

There’s no shortage of fast men who will be looking to sign off in style so don’t discount riders including Brad Anderson (Verde Substance KTM), Jake Shipton (Crescent Yamaha), Lewis Tombs (Buildbase Honda) and Elliott Banks-Browne (Geartec Husqvarna).

It’s closer in MX2 but Dylan Walsh (REVO Husqvarna UK) still has a healthy 18-point lead over his team-mate Alvin Ostlund with local hero Josh Gilbert (Buildbase Honda) a further 28 points off the pace.

Another 15 points behind, veteran Irishman Martin Barr (Crescent Yamaha) hasn’t given hope of snatching a top-three finish in the championship but the established order could be blown wide open by the return of defending champion Conrad Mewse (Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee).

Mewse won four out of the five opening motos of the year before getting injured at round three at Canada Heights. It remains to be seen how race-rusty he is after such a long lay-off but you can guarantee he won’t be there just to make up the numbers.

There’s also an exciting wild card coming over from Estonia. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (Husqvarna) finished fourth in this year’s EMX125 series and is seriously quick.

The MX2 Youth championship will be decided at Landrake and will be a two-man fight between Joel Rizzi (RFX KTM powered by PAR Homes) and Ike Carter (PGVM Yamaha) with Rizzi holding a 28-point lead.

Event promoter RHL Activities is styling the event as the Battle of the MX British Titles with the final round of the Judd KTM British Youth Championships also being decided over the weekend so the on-track action will be flat-out both days.

Check out our highlights!

With a faster than normal Hawkstone Park circuit for the Maxxis British motocross championship, the fastest men in Britain go for glory once again.
After his double mechanical DNF from the last round, Shaun Simpson goes all out to claw ground back on Tommy Searle, who was nursing a rib injury.
With action in the MX2 class from Revo Husqvarna’s GP men Dylan Walsh and Alvin Ostlund taking on the Brits, plus that screaming 125 two-stroke and 250F youth action, it was an action packed day on one of the world’s toughest circuits.

Shaun Simpson made amends for his double DNF at the last round at Desertmartin by romping to a pair of unchallenged race wins at Hawkstone Park, round six of the Maxxis British championship.

The Scot took the lead on the opening lap of both races and made it look easy, especially in the first moto where he won by 37 seconds. Second time out, his rival Tommy Searle was never too far behind, but the KTM man controlled the pace to take the victory.

Searle was also second in the opening moto, despite riding in discomfort from ribs he injured recently. He pulled through to second place with  couple of laps to go, using his superior fitness as his rivals slowed.

It means despite his injury meaning he wasn’t at full speed, Searle still has a healthy 49 point lead over Simpson with two rounds remaining – and 100 points still up for grabs.

As he has done many times this year, Honda’s Harri Kullas took the final place on the podium despite riding in pain with a shoulder injury. He inherited third place in the opener when Elliott Banks-Browne, making his return from injury in the Maxxis series, went out of second place when his Husky expired.

In the second moto, Kullas pulled the holeshot as Banks-Browne crashed out on the first turn and was run over by several bikes. He didn’t finish the race.

Kullas couldn’t hold off Simpson and Searle, and finally lost third place to another rider making his return from injury, Honda’s Jake Nicholls.

After ten months away from British championship racing due to complications to a broken leg, Nicholls ended the day on a high with that third place. His day started off much worse as he fell on the second corner and restarted last. He pulled through to a solid eighth place. His 8-3 scores meant he ended up fourth overall, just a point in front of Jake Millward and Mel Pocock who tied on points for fifth. Husky man Millward got the nod as his second race fifth place was higher than Pocock’s seventh. Millward was fifth in both motos while Pocock’s first ride ended in a fine fourth.

Also returning from injury was Honda’s Lewis Tombs. He was running near the front of the opening moto until he fell coming down Hawkstone’s hill. Battered and bruised, he remounted to finish the race 13^th. With his back badly tweaked, he went to the line in moto two and was rewarded with ninth place.

Irishman Jason Meara, filling in for the injured Gert Krestinov on the Phoenix Kawasaki, proved his selection for the Irish Nations team is justified as he took a great seventh overall, in front of Jake Shipton and Jamie Law.

Brad Anderson struggled on the very fast track on his 250 two-stroke KTM and took tenth, while former pro rider and current AMCA championship ace Nev Bradshaw took 13^th overall, a place in front of former AMCA champ Luke Burton. Bradshaw only decided to enter the race on Friday.

In the MX2 class it was a walkover for the Revo Husqvarna team with red plate holder Dylan Walsh winning both motos from his team-mate Alvin Ostlund. Walsh set the fastest time in qualifying, pulled two holeshots and was never headed in either moto. But Ostlund was right on his tail both times, chasing him over the line in nail-biting finishes.

Ostlund didn’t get the greatest start in the first moto and had to battle his way through to second. He caught Kiwi Walsh on the last lap but couldn’t make a pass. In the second moto Ostlund was right behind Walsh from the first lap but still couldn’t get by. With KTM’s Conrad Mewse and Bas Vaessen both out with injuries, it’s odds on one of the Husky men will win the title.

Third overall was Honda’s Josh Gilbert, who took third in both races. In the first moto he fell but remounted and took third. Second time out he was closer to the leaders but couldn’t get on terms with them on what he says is his least favourite track of the year.

With the next two rounds being on his preferred hard pack surface, he hopes he can beat the Husky men and edge closer to his first championship.

Veteran Martin Barr rode solidly for fourth overall, with two fourth-place rides. And fifth was rising star Ashton Dickinson, who held second place for much of the first moto to show he really does have the speed of the top men.

The results are HERE.

MX1

MX2

Support

Just two weeks after a horrific first bend crash, Ryan Houghton is back home from the hospital and on the mend. It was during round 4 of the British Maxxis British Motocross Championships at Blaxhall that the incident occurred with 10 or so of the leading pack going down hard with Ryan in the middle of it.

After frantic treatment at the track, Houghton was airlifted to hospital where news emerged that he had broken his femur and a bone in his neck. Hundreds of get well messages were posted up on the Teams social media sites and were sent to the team.

Team Boss Rob Hooper went to see Ryan on Thursday and was amazed by what he saw: “Ryan has made a remarkable recovery. Having seen the crash, and how quick he has recovered from it, is a testament to his fitness and strength, and of course, he has a fantastic family and friends supporting him. On the day that I saw him, he went to the physio and actually took three steps without any aid at all, so we are very pleased that he is doing so well after what was a very worrying situation.”

A fresh-faced Houghton was humbled by the support of the Motocross community and said “Thank you, everyone, for your messages it’s been overwhelming to receive this much support. 

“As you may know the operation on my femur went well, and day by day I am making progress walking with crutches. My broken C7 Vertebrae should heal up nicely. I am now out of hospital and enjoying resting at home and starting my journey to make a full recovery. Thanks again for the messages and concern you’ve all shown to my family and me.”

While Ryan recovers off the track, the team’s on track exploits continue this Sunday with Taylor Hammal competing in the third round of the Bridgestone British Masters at the Fatcat Motoparc. Hammal holds the joint MX2 series lead with Martin Barr, so he will be looking for a solid weekend with a clear points lead at the end of it.

MX1

MX2

BW85

SW85

MXY2

The award-winning sand circuit is always perfectly primped and prepped and will be in prime condition on Sunday for the eagerly-anticipated battle between MX1 series leader Shaun Simpson (RFX KTM powered by PAR Homes) and second-placed Tommy Searle (BOS Kawasaki).

The pair have traded wins at the opening three rounds although a double victory by Simpson last time out at Canada Heights has handed him an eight-point lead. Searle came out ahead in both motos at last weekend’s MXGP of France so the momentum is with him but the Scot is a tough man to beat and the contest is too close to call.

Currently sitting third in the championship 50 points off Simpson’s pace, class newcomer Lewis Tombs (Buildbase Honda) has continually impressed following his move up to a 450 but he is facing stiff opposition from another MX1 rookie with Jake Millward (Chambers Racing Husqvarna) just one point adrift.

Next up is Estonia’s Harri Kullas (Cab Screens Deos Group Racing) who will be looking to repeat his podium performance from round two at Lyng with fellow Baltic rider Gert Krestinov (Phoenix Tools Kawasaki) also tipped to go well and both Brad Anderson (Verde Substance KTM) on the two-stroke and Mel Pocock (ASA Unlimited KTM) should also figure near the sharp end of the class.

It’s just as tight in the MX2 class where Alvin Ostlund (REVO Husqvarna UK) will carry the red plate for the first time. The Swede leads Conrad Mewse (Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee) by a single point but with the defending champion currently injured we need to look back to Dylan Walsh (REVO Husqvarna UK) who is currently third, 13 points behind his team-mate.

When it comes to outright speed Walsh just has the edge but the Kiwi will need to stay upright in both motos if he’s going to challenge for the win.

With neither rider having raced Blaxhall before, fourth-placed Josh Gilbert (Buildbase Honda) is in with a great shout of claiming his first-ever Maxxis overall but he’ll have to contend with veteran Martin Barr (Crescent Yamaha) who beat him on a tie-break at Blaxhall in 2018 and GP rider Bas Vaessen (Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee).

Blaxhall will also feature round four of the MX2 Youth series where Joel Rizzi (RFX KTM powered by PAR Homes) and Ike Carter (GL12 Husqvarna) are expected to renew their battle. Kyle McNichol (Manchester Motorcycles Husqvarna), Dominic Lancett (Verde Substance KTM) and Bobby Bruce (Crescent Yamaha) should all figure in the results as well.

Conrad Mewse sent this out to his fans on IG. “I am doing everything I physically can to get back on my bike as soon as possible! Huge thanks to my fantastic team @hitachiktmfuelledbymilwaukee
for all of their continued support – I will be back soon guys!! ?”

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I am doing everything I physically can to get back on my bike as soon as possible! Huge thanks to my fantastic team @hitachiktmfuelledbymilwaukee for all of their continued support – I will be back soon guys!! ? . . . . #oxygen #ktm #recovery #motivation #workinghard #mx #motocross #mxlife #mxgp #mx2 #myktm #hitachiktmuk #426

A post shared by Conrad Mewse (@conradmewse426) on May 15, 2019 at 10:00am PDT