One thing that soon becomes clear when talking to several riders about Arenacross, and how they prepare for it, is that many speak about a particular rider as the one who does it right. A rider who invests in himself, who digs into his own pocket to put in the time and the work to make himself better on the racetrack. That rider is currently the yardstick for many in the UK right now, as one of the most talented weâve seen for a long time. Looking to fill the one big gap left in his trophy cabinet, that rider is four-time British Motocross Champion, Conrad Mewse.
Over the last two seasons, which itâs easy to forget were his first on a top-class 450cc machine, Conradâs partnership with the mighty CRF and the Crendon Tru7 Honda team run by three-time World Champion David Thorpe has yielded Championship wins in almost every series heâs contested fully. After firing to the MX1 British title as a rookie in 2023, the unexpected regular addition of five-time World Champion Jeffrey Herlings to the series in â24 was the only thing that stood between Conrad and a second straight crown. Even then, the âMewse Missileâ stood up to be counted against âThe Bulletâ, widely renowned as one of the fastest riders of all time, and handed the Dutchman a few defeats in the process.
Conrad is one of the rare breed that is genuinely fast enough to race Motocross full-time, and he has done so from a very early age. Heâs dedicated to his craft, and that can take its toll;
âWith the sport that weâre in, and how much we have to put into it, you donât really have much downtime for anything else, you know? What do I do outside of racing? Iâm big into my training for it! I work with Paul Ryman, who won the Sprint Triathlon World Championship two years ago in his 35+ age group, so Iâve got a lot to look up to there with that sort of training. I was massively into football as a kid, and Iâm still a Manchester United supporter, but I prefer to play it than to watch! Like many Motocross riders, I canât sit still for five minutes, so following another sport is difficult. I canât really play much though, with the risk of injuries. When I do get free time, which isnât often, I spend as much time as I can with my girlfriend, go and look around a city, have some nice spa breaks. Weâve got our little miniature dachshund, called Wilson, so we go out for walks with him and thatâs nice to switch off when we can.â
Conradâs father, Stephen, raced at amateur level and passed on the bug to Conrad, who did race a pre-Arenacross indoor series on 65cc machines, but didnât carry on because he concentrated on outdoor racing, âThat paid off because I won a Junior World Championship!â. That title came in 2013, won at a single event at the circuit of Jinin in the Czech Republic. The same year, a 14-year-old Conrad decimated the North-West European Qualifiers, winning all but one race from eight contested, and then going unbeaten at the Finale to take the European 85cc crown to the cheers of excited home fans at the MXGP of Great Britain, held at Matterley Basin near Winchester. He moved full-time to Belgium as a teenager and became part of the factory Husqvarna team, known as a breeding ground for future World Champions. One of the riders he beat in 2013 was the 2023 & â24 MXGP World Champion, Jorge Prado. Like Prado, Mewse was a prodigious talent, but ultimately GP success has eluded him. So where does the now 25-year-old Somerset lad see the future of his career?
âIâm really happy doing what Iâm doing, the British Championship, Arenacross, selected races in the UK. Iâm competing in some great Championships and Iâm having so much fun doing it. MXGP is a bit of a sticky situation, a few riders are leaving, so I donât think thatâs where my future is, to be honest, although I still like to do as many rounds as I can, because it keeps the level up when youâre racing against the best riders in the world. I would like to do some AMA rounds [the National Championship in the USA], I would love to do some of them, thatâs something I need to speak to the boss about! I am just happy where I am, weâre racking up the titles and thatâs what itâs all about.â
For sure the calm authority that David Thorpe brings with his support of Conrad helps to limit the amount of pressure that he puts on himself, which has tended to be the biggest chink in his armour. He is a smooth, talented, flowing rider, with natural ability that only gets stunted by tension and unease. At full, uninhibited flight, Mewse is a joy to watch, able to switch on his electrifying pace seemingly at will, even within the tight confines of Arenacross, finding lines and combinations that not many can match.
After knocking himself out of last yearâs series by running over his own foot with his bike in the paddock, he definitely has his eyes on this yearâs prize;
â100% I want the Championship and nothing less than that. Arenacross is the only British title I havenât won, so thatâs the last one on my list to tick off. Iâve built an Arenacross track at my place to prepare for this, and if the weatherâs bad I can drive two hours to Wheeldon and practice there. Iâve also gone to Spain in December and will be out there between rounds banging the laps in! I was maybe a bit short in preparation the last two years, but last year I made steps forward, I was getting into the tracks a lot faster. Last year a silly little mistake cost me the title, but Iâm coming back for redemption and I wanna wrap that title up, itâs the last one on my list!â
Even pitted against indoor specialists with far more experience, his speed will stand out. Get cheering for Conrad Mewse if heâs on the case, because he could very well be the best British rider of the 2020s.
