The fifth round MX Nationals this weekend is set to be a scorcher on and off the track at Canada Heights in Kent, and to make sure that the riders are hydrated Gatorade have stepped forward to provide a hydration station for riders in the pit box.
Once more Gatorade will be on hand to support and educate riders throughout the weekend on the best ways to keep hydrated when racing. DuckSmart will be supporting the event with holeshot prizes, too!
Although MX2 regulars Adam Sterry, Ben Watson and Steven Clarke won’t be present this weekend, the standard of racing will still be very high. The battle for the championship is heating up between Bryan Mackenzie and current red plate holder Neville Bradshaw, and Steven Lenoir will be looking to make up some points after missing a round earlier in the year. After switching to the Heads & All Threads Suzuki team, Jordan Booker will be looking to build on his recent form, but Lewis Tombs, James Harrison, Luke Norris, Rob Davidson and Jake Millward will be nipping at his heels.
It will be an action packed weekend in the MX1 class, as Nathan Watson will be looking to use the knowledge gained from his recent GP adventure to build his series lead. Kristian Whatley, Brad Anderson and Graeme Irwin will all be battling Nathan for the top spot. Jamie Law, Shane Carless, Martin Barr and Ray Rowson will be looking to get more bike time and break into the top five, as will the privateer trio of Tony Craig, Patrick Major and Gary Gibson.
Sonny Oliver will be looking to continue his development this year, which has seen him rise from a support rider through to racing the pros, which has contributed to not only a confidence boost, but also more speed for Sonny. The Buildbase Honda duo of Elliott Banks-Browne and Nez Parker will both have a late fitness test, as they are trying to recover from injuries.
Some of the best racing over the weekend will come from the very competitive Under 16 class. Monster Energy Cup entrant Dylan Woodcock leads Team Green into action along with Lewis Hall; they’ll go up against the KTM’s of Brett Pocock, Michael Phelps, Jack Bintcliffe, Joe Cadwaller, Oliver and Xavier Cook, Dee Jay Walker, Bradley Flagg and the returning Aaron Booker, who has recovered from the injury he sustained at round one.
There will be a whole host of wildcard entries, including EMX85 rider Taylor Hammal, Powerband Racing’s Christopher Mills and MJW Kawasaki rider Preston Williams. We have had some fantastic racing so far from this group of up and coming British riders, and we expect the bar to be raised once more on the fantastic Canada Heights track.
Liam Knight and Josh Gilbert will go head to head again in the MXY2 class at Canada Heights; Josh will want to keep consistent and extend his championship lead. Don’t think that these two will have it all their own way - Mitchell Lewis and Jay Hague will be pushing them. Joe Clayton, Joe Jefferies, Will Keogh, Billy King, Callum Ford, John Waghorne, Callum Whaling will be right behind them, battling it out for spots in the top ten.
Although the 2 Stroke class is low on entries, the MX Nationals team is hoping a few late wildcard entries will help boost the numbers. Damon Strydom will be looking to tighten his grasp on the championship lead, with Lewis Gregory away on European duty and Ty Kellett out. Jordan Moyle, Seb Osbourne and Scooter Webster will be pushing him all way. 47-year-old Richard Brown will be looking for a top ten this weekend, too!
The popular Clubman class will have a full forty-man line up, with regulars Daniel Townsend, Tony Cadman, Justin Robinson, Jake Thompson, Adam Ford, Ash Cotterell, Harvey Huckstepp, Jamie Dawson, Jason Beard, Oakley Harrison, Simon Cosgrove, Matt Lavender, Josh Mayo, Robert Spill and Simon Chamberlain taking part. We also have a couple of fast ladies in the class, the smooth Britney Cuthbert and superfast Lauren Collingwood will be giving the guys a run for their money, undoubtedly!
The MX Nationals have been blighted with injuries, with over forty-five registered riders currently injured, something that is becoming all to familiar at the moment in motocross. Get well soon to Guy Langmead, who got injured last week. It is also great to see that Todd Kellett and Lewis Trickett both got back on the bike earlier this week.