Life's a beach for motocross aces

This weekend sees the seventh staging of the big Skegness Beach Motocross event, which has already gained a reputation of being not only one of the toughest, but also the most enjoyable events in the annual off-road motorcycle sport calendar.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Nov 2016, 23:19 BST
Updated 16th Nov 2016, 15:38 BST
Beach race action.Beach race action.
Beach race action.

Year on year the competitors return for more sand racing action and also entertain the thousands of spectators who watch the racing free of charge.

David Knight MBE, the three-times World Enduro Champion, has been forced to withdraw but fellow enduro star Nathan Watson (pictured) has been added to the entry list. Watson, the Red Bull Factory KTM rider, has certainly already proved that he knows the fast lines on the Skegness Beach, having won the event in both 2012 and 2013.

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In 2016 is he hoping for that title hat-trick, but he also intends to use this year’s event as preparation for the upcoming Red Bull Knockout Beach contest in Rotterdam.

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With his own race bike not quite ready for Skegness, his mount will be a specially prepared 350EXC-F KTM machine supplied by his private sponsor Richard Bellamy of Contract Furniture UK.

And to add some interesting extra little spice to Skeggy 2016, challenging Nathan will be none other than his dad, Rob Meek, a former Weston Beach race winner and legend from the 80s and 90s.

Also confirmed on the entry list are four of last year’s top five in the main solo race.

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Although Champion James Hutchinson will not be able to defend his crown due to injury, fellow Bikesport KTM rider John Robson, youngster Oliver Benton, Ryan Staveley and Richard McKeown will be there along with the likes of Matt Moffatt, Jake Edey, Ryan Crowder, James Wainwright and many others.

As usual, racing starts at 10am on Saturday with a clubman solo contest of a 90-minute duration followed by a two-hour combined quads and sidecars battle.

Then on Sunday, it’s the big one as a massive, star-studded entry tackles the gruelling, energy sapping three hour main solo race. Previous winners include Miko Potisek, Nathan Parker, Nathan Watson and Dan Thornhill.