Charlie Richmond continues to show promising signs of progression on the international stage, with an impressive performance at his home round of the EMX125 championship. The young Brit handled the pressure of a home GP with maturity—battling inside the top ten and going bar-to-bar with some of the top talents in the class, including factory-backed riders. Richmond reflects on his weekend, shares his thoughts on the EMX series, discusses the British Championship, and looks ahead to the Junior World Championship and a challenging Lommel round as he continues to gain valuable experience.
GateDrop: Charlie, that’s your home GP in the books, I’m not even sure if you’ve raced here before but overall, a very positive weekend, can you just talk me through both of your races first of all?
Richmond: It was really good. The first race, I was running tenth for nine laps I think, and I faded back to fourteenth, it was alright but I lost a bit of rhythm towards the end. In race two, I ended up eighth, I couldn’t be happier. It was really good, I was getting faster every lap, I could see I was gaining on the others, so I was happy with it.
GateDrop: How did you find the track? Very very different, yesterday was so dry and fast, not many ruts but today they watered it which probably should have done before the first day, it got a bit more technical…
Richmond: I mean they should have prepped it like how it was today because it was a lot more technical today which is better, it’s slower for a start. Like yesterday it was just wide open, it’s just bumps and wide open.
GateDrop: I think this is the third round of the EMX125 series you’ve done this year, just how do you find the championship and the level, it’s all probably very new to you?
Richmond: Yeah it’s really new, the races are longer, the riders are different, the intensity is crazy. It took me a couple rounds, well until the last round in Germany to get going really, like I was just nervous and just struggled with the intensity.
GateDrop: The thing about it is the more of these you do you probably get more comfortable, I mean how comfortable did you feel in that second moto there running in the top ten?
Richmond: I just felt so much more confident, like especially at the start, I know I can run with them now.
GateDrop: You were battling with like Dani Heitink pretty much all weekend, I mean he’s a factory rider and he’s not slow, he’s fast, so did it feel good to be battling with guys like that?
Richmond: It feels really good, he’s a factory rider so it’s great.
GateDrop: The British Championship, how’s all that going for you? Obviously, Jamie Keith unfortunately got injured but even when he was there at Canada Heights it was a really good battle with him, so even to be running his pace you must have felt comfortable?
Richmond: It felt good, it’s not nice to see people injured, l would have liked to race him all year but that’s how it goes. I’ve got the red plate and hopefully we can bring it to the end.
GateDrop: How is the British Championship, I mean compared to this, I mean there’s only really three or four guys in the British, here there’s like 20 at least that pace?
Richmond: Yeah, there’s only like three, five guys at a max. I much prefer racing here because you get faster from it and it’s just, the British is kind of dying.
GateDrop: Paul Irwin started the British Championship, in terms of how he’s running it, is there many differences that you’ve noticed? Has he do a good job so far?
Richmond: It’s definitely getting better every year, it’s just good to have more riders, more faster guys that you can battle with.
GateDrop: I think your plans for the rest of the season, I think next is probably the Junior World Championship? Are you looking forward to that one? I think you raced at the deep sand last year in Heerde, this is going to be very different conditions…
Richmond: Definitely, it’s going to be hard pack that that is what suits me. I am looking forward to going there and hopefully doing a good job for Team GB. Hopefully we can take two good results like this weekend.
GateDrop: As for EMX125, I don’t know if it’s 100% but it’s likely you’ll probably race Lommel?
Richmond: Yeah, I’ll definitely be at Lommel.
GateDrop: I think you’ve maybe practiced there before but never raced there?
Richmond: Yeah I’ve practiced there before.
GateDrop: What are you expecting from a race day there?
Richmond: Just to score points really. Oh it’s going to be gnarly, it’s going to be gnarly but I’m looking forward to it because I haven’t done a sand round yet.
GateDrop: Justin Morris, he’s in your corner, what’s it like working with him? Obviously he’s been there and done that, how many years have you been working with him? Has it been a long-term thing?
Richmond: I’ve been working with him for five years now I think, since I got on the small wheels in 2020. He’s been good, he’s helped me out a lot, especially on my technique. He helps me with his general knowledge really, like line choice and the edges, just constantly using the edges.
GateDrop: I think you’re probably too old for the 125cc next year, I think you’re 17 so I’m guessing the plan will be to get on the 250 early, have a good winter and then probably just the British next year or are you still waiting to see?
Richmond: We’ll see how we go, but definitely will be racing the 250cc next year.
