Big name stars set for HydroGarden Weston Beach Race

Scott Redding, Dave Thorpe, Jonny Walker and Robbie Maddison head an all star rider line up set to embark on the famous Hydro Garden Weston Beach race on 7^th to 9^th October.

Redding and co. will be joined by 800 other riders all bidding to finish the infamous three hour race which takes place on the beach at Weston Super Mare and is played out in front of 70,000 spectators.

For Redding it’s his chance to let his hair down between MotoGP races where he competes on the Pramac Ducati. Redding is an accomplished motocross rider, but is under no illusion just how hard the challenge will be.

He said: “Weston is something I’ve thought about doing many times in the past, but it always seems to clash with our end of season flyaway races, so it’s not been possible before.

“But this year the dates have fallen just right, so I get my first chance to take on the beach race. I’m not sure what to expect to be honest. I ride motocross a lot as part of my training, but not so often on sand tracks I definitely need to get in a bit more practice on sand before heading down to Weston but there’s no way to really prepare yourself for three hours of racing!”

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Three time 500cc world motocross champion Dave Thorpe remains an all time racing legend having stamped his authority on the sport in the 1980’s. He currently runs the Buildbase Honda British Motocross team as well as the Dave Thorpe Off Road and Adventure Centre.

Never a man to do things by half, Thorpe and his right hand man Stephen Sword, a past winner of the Weston Beach Race, have taken advantage of new technical rules that allow bigger capacity bikes to enter and will enter this years race onboard Honda Africa Twins.

“It’s a unique event for the UK, as there is nothing quite like Weston. I’ve seen it grow, and I love how it’s all about the people; you can have a world champion racing against a normal club rider, it’s a huge spectacle to watch and of course the start is a real eye opener.”

“We looked into it and decided to race the Africa Twin. Sure, as a race team we have our riders that are looking for a win, so we will try not to get in their way, but for Stephen and I it’s about showcasing the Africa Twin and having some fun. Clearly we won’t be out there to win, as we will be just trying to survive. The first hour will be fun, the second hour will be a challenge and the third will be hard work. We’ll just be aiming to stay on and enjoy it,”

Factory KTM extreme enduro rider Jonny Walker is only just back to top level competition after re-breaking his leg earlier in the year. Walker has won some of the worlds toughest races including Erzberg Rodeo, Red Bull Romaniacs, Red Bull Sea to Sky, Hells Gate and The Tough One – but he’s never raced Weston.

“I’ve done a bit of research; I rang Knighter (former World Enduro champion David Knight) up when I agreed to do it to ask him for some advice. I don’t know if he told me the truth or a bit of bullshit!, but I’m also going to catch up with Shaun Simpson before the race and a few other people. KTM UK is going to help me, and I’m riding the two-stroke, which is my usual bike. It looks like a race you need to know a lot about, with how the track changes, and I’ve been watching a lot of videos.”

Another big name star attending his first ever Weston Beach Race is Robbie Maddison. The Australian has made a career out of performing some of the most spectacular and extreme stunts. Some of his most famous displays include back flipping over Tower Bridge, jumping on and off the Arc de Triomphe in Las Vegas, jumping off a ski jump, and ridding a wave in Tahiti aboard a specially adapted water bike. He’s regarded as the modern day Evel Knievel, but none of this will prepare him for Weston Beach Race. 

In addition to the racing Dougie Lampkin and quad riding Kangaroo Kid will be entertaining the crowds with displays throughout the weekend.

For more information go to: www.westonbeachrace.com