18,000 at Hawkstone MX

A crowd of close to 18,000 saw the International Motocross at Hawkstone Park at the weekend.

Rinaldi Yamaha rider Cedric Melotte dominated the MX2 races. He won both MX2 races and took third in the Super Final class against the 450s.

In the MX1 class Stefan Everts showed why he is an eight times world champ, winning the first MX1 race.

Reigning British champ, New Zealander Josh Coppins fell on lap four, dislocating his right shoulder. But he hopes to be fit for the first British Championship this weekend (March 13) at Canada Heights.

The last race of the day saw the best 18 finishers from MX2 and best 20 from MX1 racing head to head. Joel Smets was sitting comfortably at the front until an error allowed the chasing Everts underneath him. The two battled to the flag and only 1.5 seconds split them – but it was Everts who came out on top.

The first World Motocross Championship round takes place at Zolder in Belgium on April 3.

MX2 Race 1 Results Cedric Melotte, Mike Alessi, Mike Brown, Carl Nunn, Brad Anderson

MX2 Race 2 Melotte, Nunn, Brown, Anderson, Wayne Smith

MX1 Race 1 Stefan Everts, Joel Smets, Jussi Vehvilainen, James Noble, Yoshitaka Atsuta

MX1 Race 2 Smets, Everts, Vehvilainen, Paul Cooper, Atsuta

International Grand Final Everts, Smets, Melotte, Nunn, Cooper, M Alessi, Noble, Tom Church, Atsuta, Brain Jorgensen