This Wednesday evening, May 28th 2025 sees the gate drop for the hotly anticipated Rhayader Evening Motocross. The event celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025, with the spectacular Cwmythig Hill circuit a scenic backdrop for some fantastic race action. With low ticket prices, a fully packed race schedule and plenty of headline-grabbing pro riders, the event is a spectator hit with many thousands lining the hillside.
Words by Chris Czora
Those who are in the know will tell you this is an event not to be missed, so if you’ve not been before, why not check it out!
Thanks to a fantastic level of support from local businesses, along with headline sponsors PAR Homes, Bodenham Enterprise Park and Steve Rowlands & Sons, the organising Rhayader Motor Club boast an impressive line up of riders in the Pro class.
Headlining the entry list is Conrad Mewse, who makes his return to the Mid Wales hills after a debut victory last year.
Currently leading the British Championship and sitting in a good run of form, Mewse enters the night as the pre-event favourite. However the short, fast-paced races mean that anything can happen on the night, with some heavy hitters on the domestic scene also lining up.
Foremost amongst them is Mewse’s team-mate on the Crendon / Tru 7 Honda team, Jamie Carpenter. Always a fast rider to look out for, Carpenter makes his Rhayader debut, and will certainly be hoping to gain the team’s bragging rights!
Tommy Searle makes his return after narrowly missing out on victory last year. He was a huge fan favourite on his last visit, and with the Triumph machines running well at Rhayader in enduro spec, could Tommy be the first rider to win the motocross event on a British bike?
Welsh hopes will be upheld by Chambers Racing’s Adam Sterry, the MXGP star making a rare return to home soil. He was up at the sharp end last year, and will be hoping to join the list of ‘home’ winners at the event. Since the event’s return to the calendar a few years ago, Taylor Hammal has been an ever-present, and he once again lines up in 2025 looking for a good result.
Leading amateur riders Ed Briscoe and Luke Dean are stepping up to the Pro ranks, it’ll be interesting to see how they stack, up with other names to watch including Dan Thornhill, Martin Barr, Brad Todd, Steven Clarke and Lewis Hall, whilst local aces Jayden Ashwell and Charlie Griffiths also bolster the line up. A strong Expert gate accompanies the Pros, local star Sam Davies will certainly have the home support, with amateur stars Jonathan Roderick Evans and Zac Stealey amongst those to look out for, Stealey continuing a tradition of Shropshire based riders who have competed at the sharp end of the event in the past, with Gary Davies and Ray Rowson amongst the list of former winners.
The headline Pro / Expert race is accompanied in the race programme with a heavily subscribed Clubman / Veteran race, along with a Novice & Ladies class.
The veteran class sees Jamie Powell as one of the names to look out for. The Mid-Wales former motocross ace has excelled at enduro in more recent times, but lines back up behind the start gate on Wednesday, whilst Carl and Craig Searles also take their positions, look out for the ‘Searles 2 Dakar’ entrants, the two brothers continuing their preparations for the Dakar Rally in 2026.
The Clubman class sees local star Jason Rowlands making a return to the event, whilst leading North Wales AMCA riders Joe Sargent and Matt Jones headline a number of top Welsh amateur riders from the region looking for some good racing including Benito Sidoli and Tomos Jones.
Rounding things off will be the ever-popular Novice group, whilst Factory Image Racing have stepped up with prize money for the Ladies, Ria Truman amongst the names to watch for at the time of writing.
The Cwmythig Hill circuit is a real spectator favourite, and the venue has undergone a further makeover, both on and off the circuit.
Renowned track builders Shape ‘N’ Scape have been working their magic on the track to boost things up to 11, a huge tabletop finish line jump and some gnarly technical sections to test the riders and thrill the crowds. The improvements are not restricted to the riders either; with the venue preparing to host the Enduro GP of Wales, further improvements have been made to the infrastructure, including extensions to the hard-pack spectator area and a dedicated parking zone for disabled and OAP patrons to enjoy the action.
Full catering facilities will be available, and also a trackside bar if you want to catch a beer with your mates and check out the racing! And in anticipation of the forthcoming Enduro GP of Wales, spectators will be able to book tickets and get exclusive merchandise for the Grand Prix event in August.
Practice starts at 5:30pm with the Pro/Expert race kicking off the action at 6:30.
The night sees a non-stop programme of ten races, each race group having three races each. And once that’s done, the event has a grand finale with the ‘Dash for Cash’ a ten minute sprint race for Pro and leading Experts all competing for a healthy cash prize!
Easy money if you grab the chequered flag… but in such a short race that holeshot can be vitally important.
Former racer and top South Wales DJ Francis Brad will be in attendance to boost the race atmosphere with some pumping tunes, he’s got a summer residency in Corfu but is sure to pop back to Rhayader before he gets on the plane!
In an attempt to make the event wallet-friendly for spectators, entry prices have been retained at just £10 for adults, with under 14s being admitted for free.
Tickets can be bought at the gate. However, online tickets can be pre-purchased, with a free event programme for those who book online. Check out the link at https://www.rdmcc.co.uk/event/evening-motocross/
Cwmythig Hill is located on the B4528 St.Harmon Road, approximately 1 mile away from Rhayader, postcode LD6 5BU. The track is signposted from the main A470 at Rhayader town centre.
