Interview: Conrad Mewse – British Arenacross round 2 winner Belfast


Conrad Mewse led the main event from start to finish in Belfast for night two of Arenacross action, even if the back markers in the final few laps made things a bit more complicated for Mewse who had night one winner, Searle, trying to chase him down in second.

Mewse blitzed the opening laps in the main event then made some smart moves through the back markers to take the win and his first with Crendon Honda in only his second race for his new team and looks to be taking to the bike, and to Arenacross, like a duck to water.

We caught up with Mewse after to get his take on his successful weekend:

Conrad, big red debut this weekend, a second a first, you must be over the moon with how it’s went for you!

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Yeah, it’s been amazing. Fantastic weekend here in Belfast, it was great. It’s my first weekend obviously in Arenacross, I was getting more and more used to it every session, super happy with the team and the bike, it’s incredible. Over the moon, thanks to everyone that made it happen, all the fans that came out, overall, it was a fantastic weekend and I couldn’t be happier.

The main event you took off and put in three or four really hot laps, tripling out the section before the whoops, and then at the end you came into six or seven back markers, Bayliss passed you back – I don’t think he knew you were leading! That must have been stressful!

Yeah! I said that to the guys, it was a bit crazy with the lappers. I don’t think there was any blue flags, it got a bit crazy but if I had to go through them, Tommy had to go through them as well so it was for both of. Yeah, got caught up a little bit but managed to hold on, the last two laps went so fast I didn’t even realise that was the finish line when I went over it because I was so in the mix with the back marker. But overall, a fantastic weekend, I couldn’t have asked for any better.

Word is you have been flying in Spain and you have shown you’re pace indoors as well, you are not having too much problem adapting the 450 Honda from the looks of things!

No,definitely not, it’s a fantastic bike, it’s the most comfortable I have ever felt on a bike so I am really happy. The team have done a fantastic job, the set-up of the bike is incredible, shout out ot technical solutions suspension, it is spot on all weekend.

Looking ahead to outdoors, you are doing the full British championship, but you are looking to do some GPs as well?

Yeah, the plan is I still want to do some GPs, some European ones which me and the team agree with. i certianly don’t want to step away from that just yet. I certainly want to give it a try on the Honda as well because I feel like I am riding really well on it at the minute, I’m really happy.

It looks like it could be you and Tommy at it all year if you are going to be at it like this indoors and then outdoors as well!

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Yeah, I think for sure Tommy is going to be great this year but there is also going to be other fast riders, Josh (Gilbert) has been riding amazing outdoors. We have been training in Spain all winter together, pushing each other so yeah,I think the team is in a really good place. For sure there will be other competition as wel. The MX1 class is stacked this year, it will for sure make for some interesting racing.

The 450 , do you feel it suits your style better? You are pretty tall and can use the power as well as being aggressive when you need to be?

Yeah, that’s it. It was always quite difficult on a 250, I am quite tall and I had to cut down a lot of weight and try and be as light as possible to compete with them guys off the gate. It’s nice on the 450 now, I am happy and I am in a good place, it really suits my riding style, I like to ride smooth and very technical. So yeah, over the moon, and I can’t wait for the outdoors to start as well.

Interview: Jonathan McCready

Image: Nigel McKinstry