The official ACU Apico 2-Stroke Festival British 125cc 2-Stroke Championship has been running under the umbrella of the annual Kent-based Apico 2-Stroke Festival since the event’s inception back in 2017.

Now, with the Championship in its eighth year, a groundbreaking collaboration has been formed with the Fastest 40 to enhance the reach of the series and extend it to eight rounds. Six rounds will coincide with the Fastest 40 Championship, kicking off at the iconic Hawkstone Park, while the sixth and seventh rounds will be a Saturday/Sunday double header at the Apico 2-Stroke Festival, incorporating the Red Bull Pro Stroke National, at Sellindge MX, Kent, over the weekend of the 17^th and 18^th of August.

The pre-season status of the class proved this partnership to be a popular one, with riders quickly registering their interesting and securing their entries for the season.

The ACU Apico 2-Stroke Festival British 125cc 2-Stroke Championship schedule is;

Round 1 – March 30th – Fastest 40, Hawkstone Park

Round 2 – April 20th – Fastest 40, Foxhill

Round 3 – May 11th – Fastest 40, Preston Docks

Round 4 – June 1st – Fastest 40, Landrake

Round 5 – July 6th – Fastest 40, TBA

Round 6 – August 17th – Apico 2-Stroke Festival, Sellindge MX

Round 7 – August 18th – Apico 2-Stroke Festival, Sellindge MX

Round 8 – September 7th – Fastest 40, TBA

The Apico 2-Stroke Festival has a long-standing relationship with leading off-road media outlet MotoHead which will serve to guarantee in-depth exposure for the British 125cc 2-Stroke Championship and its competitors.

Furthermore, Dave Willet, the promoter of the Apico 2-Stroke Festival is also the Team Manager for the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship and the FIM Coupe de L’Avenir. He will be in attendance for all the British 125cc 2-Stroke Championship rounds, keeping a close eye on all competitors as they showcase their skills on the track.

“This alliance between the Apico 2-Stroke Festival and the Fastest 40 is hugely important for the UK motocross scene,” said Willet. “The EMX Style format for the 125cc class where youth and adult riders are combined, yet scored separately, will help to develop younger talent. We believe the challenge of competing against more experienced riders will motivate and prepare them for a career in the sport.”

The Auto Cycle Union (ACU) has confirmed its partnership with Dave Willet of the X-Bladez Club and will collaborate with him and his crew on projects planned for the Kent-based Sellindge MX and other facilities.

The ACU is committed to facilitating seamless operations and fostering a conducive environment for all motorcycle sport activities. The organisation will support Willet and his associates in their endeavours to operate premium practice and training days and become ACU-registered coaches.

Willet and Co played a pivotal role in successfully placing a number of the UK’s talented youth motocross riders on the world stage last year, firstly in Romania at the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship and then in Belgium for the Coupe de l’Avenir.

While Willet was the front man, it was thanks to the efforts of his valued team, sponsors and, of course, the parents who shared their wealth of experience in race craft and training, to support the young racers. They all worked together to develop the youngsters’ on and off-bike talents and encouraged them to act in a professional manner while representing their country. This clearly made an impact with the ACU.

Sonia Goggin, the ACU’s Motocross Commission Co-ordinator said; “We look forward to supporting Dave and his support network every step of the way, to achieve outcomes that benefit the sport in the UK.”

Commenting on this important step forward, Willet added; “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with the ACU for our new plans. This partnership aims to achieve outcomes that will greatly benefit the off-road sport community.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide facilities that will introduce new concepts, making it easier for beginners to enter the sport. Additionally, we will be offering a variety of training opportunities under ACU affiliation.

“We are confident that this collaboration will bring positive changes to off-road sport in the UK, and we can’t wait to get going.”

Pictured: Dave Willet and team are passionate about nurturing the UK’s motocross fraternity.

In line with many organisers of large scale events, the Apico 2-Stroke Festival featuring the Red Bull Pro Stroke National heavily relies on the support of both local and national partners in order to successfully run its race meetings.

As plans for the 2024 Festival at Sellindge MX in Kent start to take shape, long-term partner Ovenden Plant Hire has renewed its relationship with promoter Dave Willet for the eighth edition of the event.

“It’s amazing to have Ovenden continue its support.,” said Willet. “The firm has been with us from the very beginning. Ovenden is a family-owned, Kent-based company with over 45 years’ experience in plant hire, haulage, contracting, and much more and the team behind it truly loves motorsport. It’s fantastic to have them on board in 2024. They’ve been such an integral part of making this event possible, and we couldn’t have done it without them. They’ve literally helped shape the event and venue.”

The 2024 Apico 2-Stroke Festival will be held over the weekend of the 17^th and 18^th of August at Sellindge MX, Kent which is located between Ashford and Folkestone.

Pictured top: 2019 Apico 2-Stroke Festival – #15 Bradley Wheeler, ACU British Open 2-stroke Champion and #91 Nathan Watson – who was picked for Team GB in the Motocross of Nations that year.

Image credit: Adam Duckworth Photography.

The Red Bull Pro Stroke National is set to be back with a bang in 2024, bigger and better than ever.

Running alongside the Apico 2-Stroke Festival weekend at Sellindge MX track in Kent, on Sunday the 18^th of August, the Pro and Pro-Am event will see both MX1 and MX2 riders race against each other at the same time, on the same track. While this will make an epic spectacle for spectators, the competitors will have the reassurance of both classes being scored separately.

Festival promoter Dave Willet believes the Red Bull Pro Stroke National provides an important platform for UK racers to test themselves and put themselves in front of heavyweights within the sport. For example, Conrad Mewse deputed on a KTM450 against Tommy Searle in 2022, and upcoming young gun Billy Askew stepped up as a youth rider to compete against the adults and won the MX2 class, highlighting his skills to Red Bull in the process.

Willet outlined his thoughts; “While, like most, I am a believer in the 125 2-Stroke class as a stepping stone into Europe, it would be rash to discount MXGP as the pinnacle of the sport. Our aim is to offer a way to help develop our riders and the sport in the UK to help younger riders get on the world stage.

“Also, in 2023 the Red Bull Pro Stroke National was up there in terms of offering big prize money, perhaps the biggest for a single event in the UK. That’s important too and is an incentive that will continue.”

Pictured: Billy Askew at the 2023 Apico 2-Stroke Festival. Image credit: Adam Duckworth Photography.

The ever-popular annual Apico 2-Stroke Festival has sealed a deal with the newly-renamed Fastest-40 Championship, previously known as the MX Nationals, to include and enhance the official ACU Apico 2-Stroke Festival British 125cc 2-Stroke Championship.

The 125cc 2-Stroke class has been a passion of the Apico 2-Stroke Festival organiser Dave Willet, a former 125cc 2-Stroke British Champion and avid campaigner, for the ‘almost-forgotten’ MX two-stroke category.

Willet launched the 2-Stroke Festival in 2017 with unwavering support from off-road parts and accessories distributor Apico Factory Racing, and it has increased in rider and spectator popularity.

The Festival format has expanded from its original two-day event to a new three-day format planned for a weekend in August 2024. And now the 2024 Apico 2-Stroke Festival partnership with the Fastest-40 will see an eight-round, ACU-sanctioned British 125cc 2-Stroke Championship. The Festival at Sellindge in Kent will include a Saturday/Sunday double-header, providing two rounds of the series. The Fastest-40 will run the other six rounds on a nation-wide basis.

The idea of the series is to provide an open platform for all 125cc two-stroke riders, whether they are youngsters with aspirations to shine on the world MX stage, novice riders getting out on the track for the first time or veterans getting back in the saddle.

Fastest-40 Championship organiser Paul Irwin explains: “I’m really excited to be working on this concept with Dave Willet.

“Our goal is to create a championship for 125cc two-stroke riders as a stepping stone to the official FIM European EMX 125 series. Riding a 125cc machine can be incredibly challenging, but we believe that introducing this championship series will help ease the transition up to the European series.”

Dave Willet, Apico 2-Stroke Festival promoter, added: “I’ve always believed that 125cc two-strokes should be given more exposure, with the potential for more talent to be discovered and developed. I’m really happy that Paul and I have come together to create a clear path for the next generation of riders.

“With our combined resources, I’m confident we can make a real impact in the UK and Europe.”

Further details will be posted soon.

Pictured: Paul Irwin (left) and Dave Willet (right) shake on the new collaboration.