Spring has sprung (with a vengeance this year!) and as we move towards the long sunlight evenings of May, society moves away from the TV and starts to enjoy the outdoors during the midweek evenings.
Long walks, a nice evening run, perhaps a bit of football, or if that all sounds a bit too active,e there’s always the trustworthy beer garden!
But if you’ve got petrol running through your veins, it also offers the opportunity for a bit of sneaky mid-week moto.
For the weekend warrior, there’s possibly a bit of the inner rebel channelled when taking the bike out during the evening. Clock off from work an hour early and load the bike and kit for a bit of practice or racing. Besides, if riding during the week is good enough for the likes of Conrad and company?…
This time of year sees practice tracks busy in the evening, and for something a bit more competitive, a bit of midweek racing. Some long-established UK events offer just such an outlet for riders and spectators, and in a little corner of Mid Wales, a popular midweek motocross celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025, as the Rhayader Evening Motocross at Cwmythig Hill returns on May 28th.
The little market town of Rhayader is a pleasant location to be. A regular stream of visitors enjoys the beautiful scenery of the Elan Valley, whilst the remote green lanes are a mecca for off-road enthusiasts.
The nearby ‘Tom’s Farm’ enjoyed legendary status in the late 90s, stories of the venue being perpetuated yet further during that time by the nascent days of internet forum pages.
Legend spread of a true ‘pay & play’ venue, simply pass a few quid to the elderly farmer and enjoy hundreds of acres of undulating Welsh terrain. Off-road enthusiasts from far and wide, on two and four wheels, with the ‘widow-maker’ centrepiece gill punishing bikes and riders that failed to treat the massive climb with respect!
The passing of the landowner, coupled with increased planning regulations meant the legend of Tom’s Farm came to an end, but whilst that was going on, a more organised off-road venue a few miles away was just getting into its stride.
Situated on the outskirts of Rhayader, the Cwmythig Hill venue was first purchased by the Rhayader Motor Club in 1986. In an area where enduro is king, it was a welcome boost to have another new motocross track in the area, looping up and down the steep hills on the hardpack Welsh soil.
For the first few years, the track consisted of a fairly basic venue for local racers, however in 1995 the club made the decision to improve and expand the venue into something a little more spectacular.
Fearsome hillside leaps, a spectacular tabletop finishing jump and a downhill leap into a 180-degree ‘wall of death’ style bowl corner led to a striking hillside circuit, in the style of a French international venue.
And somewhat similar to the entrepreneurial French promoters, what better idea than to stage a midweek spectacular for the crowds to enjoy?
Starting in 1995, the then titled ‘Welsh Open Motocross Championship’ was a three-round mini series, taking place exclusively in the midweek during the long evenings between May and July.
Initially contested by local riders, Clive Morgan of nearby Builth Wells took the opening title, with Midlands star Steve McMillan taking the title in 1996.
After that, the AMCA ‘Goat’ Gary Davies started his long association within the event, the Shropshire / Welsh border farmer taking the first of his two wins in 1999, following on from Rikki Priest and a young up and comer from Northern Ireland by the name of Gordon Crockard, who won during his 1998 breakout year.
Crockard’s victory heralded the first true coming of age for the event. With crowds going into the thousands, a healthy prize-fund and even Sky Sports TV coverage, the event began to attract some of the UK’s top pros in the new millennium.
The 10 race format (which still continues to this day) saw Expert, Clubman and Novice riders competing in a sharp, action packed format, with the ‘Dash for Cash’ final race allowing the top riders an extra payday as light started to fall.
The short races meant that top amateur riders had something of a leveller against the professionals, which made for action-packed racing as the crowds cheered their local heroes.
Brad Anderson made the event his own with five title wins, whilst Welsh honour was continued with Glen Phillips, Mark Jones and Jamie Lewis adding their names to the honour list. Craig Pratley took a title win, whilst Ray Rowson kept the local fans from just over the border happy, the Shrewsbury flyer taking the championship during his imperial 2008 season.
At the time of Rowson’s victory, the event was in good health. Sadly however Mother Nature was to deal the event a rough hand, with the following years seeing mixed weather, and several events with very low crowds due to heavy rain.
The work had simply got too much, and it was felt the time was due to give the event a rest, and so after Brad Anderson’s final title in 2011, which was another rain affected championship, the midweek motocross was put on hiatus.
Cwmythig Hill remained a popular motocross and enduro venue, yet the balmy late-spring races became increasingly missed by riders and race fans. So for 2019, fresh impetus saw the event return, this time as a standalone one-night format. A new generation of riders was treated to the spectacular hillside with Shaun Simpson taking the win, although the renaissance was short-lived as the Covid lockdown led to the event’s cancellation in 2020 and 2021.
The momentum of that great return was not diminished however, and the ‘third coming’ in 2022 saw another Welsh winner with Adam Sterry, before Harri Kullas became the first non-UK winner in 2023, with Conrad Mewse making his debut last year and taking victory.
Attending the event is a unique experience. For all but the most local spectators, the track is accessed from one of the local B-roads leaving Rhayader. The hillside faces away from the road and is largely hidden from view, and arriving early, it would be difficult to guess the scale of the venue.
However, once past the entrance gate and descending the access road down to the paddock, the circuit emerges into majestic view. A sea of motorhomes and trucks fills the hardstanding paddock area, with spectators lining the hillside and gathering around the impressive new circuit buildings, built to accommodate Cwmythig Hill’s use as the headquarters for the Enduro GP of Wales.
The Rhayader Motor Club haven’t rested on their laurels for 2025, with renowned circuit builders ‘Shape and Scape’ giving the track a further makeover.
The rural location and low admission prices make it a popular event for the locals, with quite a large number of non-regular race fans coming along to meet friends and enjoy the action. The high number of local riders in the supporting programme mean that quite often the crowd is backing the local stars in the support races equally as much as the pro riders, whilst for those local stars a rare opportunity to race in front of thousands of spectators!
Whilst quite rural, the track is an easy journey from the Midlands, South West along with the motocross hotbeds in north and south Wales, so regularly attracts thousands of spectators before the pumping sound system heralds an evening of fast paced race action.
The 2025 event looks set to be a great way to mark the 30th anniversary of the event’s creation. Rhayader Motor Club have opted to retain last year’s ticket prices, just £10 for adults with under 14s free. If you’ve never been before, it might just be the ideal opportunity to take a midweek road trip into Wales and check out the action!
Conrad Mewse is already signed up to attempt to retain his title from last year, with further signings to be announced in the next two weeks!
Keep abreast of the latest news by following ‘Rhayader Motor Club’ on Facebook.
Tickets will be available on the gate, whilst advance tickets can also be purchased by >>CLICKING HERE<<
Keep your eyes peeled for a full race preview, including top names to look out for later this month!
Words by Chris Czora – Images by Rhayader Motorcycle Club