The Woodbridge DMCC hosted round two of the 2026 ACU Eastern Centre MX Championship at the stunning Blaxhall circuit on Sunday 26th of April. Backed by sponsors Stebbings Car Superstore and Rackhams Auto Body Centre, a 200 strong entry list and an action packed 15 race schedule awaited the gathering crowd who were basking in the Suffolk sunshine.
The mornings qualification session would see Honda rider Tom Grimshaw take top spot in the quest to extend his lead in the championship standings after a maximum points haul at round one. Bayliss Utting and Jake Rackham posted equally quick times and they would look impressive ahead of Tom Murphy and Callum Murfitt.
Race one of the Expert class would see Max Broadbelt fly out of the gate and grab the holeshot ahead of Grimshaw, Shaun Southgate and Jake Rackham. By the end of the first lap Grimshaw would make the pass on Broadbelt and into the lead as he looked to check out from the rest of the pack. Bayliss Utting started to make his way through the top five with some smart moves as he soon made his way onto the rear wheel of Murphy in third.
Broadbelt would keep Grimshaw in his sights, but would never get close enough to attempt a pass and Grimshaw would take the chequered flag for a comfortable victory. Max Broadbelt would finish in second place ahead of Utting in third, who eventually made his way past Murphy after he tangled with a back marker. Jake Rackham finished in fifth and Josh Peters in sixth.
In race two it was Tom Murphy who emerged with the holeshot and the early race lead ahead of once again Grimshaw, who had his starts on point all day. Travis Steels was in the mix early on alongside Utting and Luke Benstead. Murphy would hold onto the lead for only two laps as Grimshaw blasted his way past while Max Broadbelt would move up past Steels and into fourth. Grimshaw weaved his way through the lapped riders well while always in control of the gap back to Murphy and cruised home to take race two victory. Murphy finished in a solid second place ahead of Utting in third and Benstead in fourth. Travis Steels came across the line in fifth ahead of Rackham in sixth.
The final Expert race of the day would see Max Broadbelt claim his second holeshot of the afternoon with the likes of Grimshaw, Southgate and Bayliss Utting all close by. Grimshaw again seized upon the opportunity early on and moved past Broadbelt to take the lead.
Southgate was passed by Utting and then Rackham as he started to drop back after a fine start. Tom Murphy fought his way through after an uncharacteristically poor start and soon made his way up to the top five. Broadbelt soon came under pressure from Rackham on the final few laps as the two Honda’s went bar-to-bar in a thrilling end to the race. No one was a match though for Tom Grimshaw as he crossed the line to take a clean sweep of the expert class to remain unbeaten after two rounds of the 2026 season. Broadbelt would hold on to second place ahead of Rackham in third, Utting finished in fourth and Murphy in fifth. Luke Benstead capped a consistent afternoon with a sixth place finish.
The overall in the Expert class went to Tom Grimshaw with a maximum 75 points ahead of Bayliss Utting in second with 58 points and Tom Murphy in third with 56 points.
In the Junior championship class the overall honours were claimed by Caden Tomlin as he won all three races and carried on his strong start to the season, taking home the full 75 points. In second overall was Craig Down with 64 points and he looks to maintain his current top spot in the Junior championship standings. In third overall was Sam Rogers with 54 points.
The Support B class overall went to Malachi Stratton with a 1-1-1 ahead of Aaron Smith in second with a 3-4-2 result. In third was James Harper with a 2-2-8.
In the Support C class it was Matthew Cumming who took the overall with a 1-1-1 ahead of Liam Vant in second with a 2-3-3. In third was Charlie Starsmoore with a 6-7-4 finish.
The Support D class overall was claimed by Colin Stewart who carded a 1-1-1 ahead of Shaun Tacey in second with a 2-2-2. In third was Andrew Rooke with a 4-4-3.
The Woodbridge DMCC would like to wish all injured riders a full and speedy recovery and pass on their appreciation to all the marshals, officials and medics who worked tirelessly to provide a safe racing environment.
Race Report by Stefan Hicks
Photos by Narna Media