The countdown is just about complete, so this coming Sunday, 13th September, it’s time for the big one as the Cheshire Grasstrack Club hosts the eagerly awaited 2026 British Masters Grasstrack Championship. Featuring just about the very best 500cc solo and 1,000cc Right-hand sidecar competitors, this event looks all set to be an absolute thriller!
Words and Images by Mike Wood
Starting with the solos, Chris Harris will attempt to make it an incredible four consecutive title wins. Last year at Ledbury, ‘Bomber’ defeated Andrew Appleton, Darryl Ritchings, Jack Roberts, James Shanes, Alfie Bowtell, Mickie Simpson and Cameron Taylor in a final which took three attempts to complete. Although Appleton will unfortunately be missing this year’s event due to a recent shoulder injury, all of the other lads are scheduled to be on the start line. In 2026, although they haven’t enjoyed an abundance of appearances on the UK grass scene, Ritchings, Simpson, and particularly Shanes have managed to get plenty of rides in Europe. And Shane has certainly had a very productive campaign across the Channel, culminating in a great 3rd place at the recent European Grasstrack Championship final. Being a four-time previous winner of the Masters, Dorset-based Shanes in current form must surely be considered as a strong favorite for honors this Sunday! Meanwhile, having predominantly had outings on the shale in 2026, Roberts and Bowtell have generally scored big points and are both high-quality performers who should, along with Taylor, Ritchings, and Simpson, again be major contenders at the top of the Masters score charts come the final reckonings!
READ MORE: BRITISH MASTERS GRASSTRACK – ENTRY LISTS
This year’s Masters also throws together a very intriguing mix of experience and exciting young stars. In the experience corner, you have multiple British Champions, Tony Atkin and Paul Cooper, who have both remarkably never won a Masters title, whilst a very talented young stars challenge comes from the likes of Max Perry, Ashton Vale, Charlie Wood, Jordan Derrick, Dylan Huthwaite, Thomas Vining and Ollie Binns, the 2025 Youth Intermediate Champion. Of that group having already bagged the 2026 250cc and 350cc British Championship titles, what an incredible achievement it would be if Ashton Vale made it a treble and lifted the Masters crown. Let’s see what happens!
In the quality field, Simon Hammersley, Arran Butcher, Jamie Fenn-Smith, Ryan and Liam Ashcroft, Will Thurlby, Dave Mears, and Jake Breeze are also due in action. As per 2025, the Masters will also include the race to be crowned British Under-23 Champion. In that one, Mickie Simpson will be defending his crown with Perry, Huthwaite, Wood, Vining, Binns, Taylor, Vale, and Derrick as his challengers.
Over in the 1,000cc sidecars, Gareth Winterburn will be looking to claim his fourth Masters title. Last year down in Kent, Gareth took top honours with brother Billy in the chair. For 2026, though, Cornishman Frankie Courtney will be partnering Gareth with Billy, performing alongside Rob Bradley, a rider who has already bagged four Masters titles. With the 2026 season having been rather fragmented due to the extreme weather conditions and, in some cases, low entry numbers, attempting to gauge form in the sidecar class is rather difficult! However, when looking for potential final challengers in the 2026 Masters, you just can’t ignore the likes of seven-time champion Mark Cossar with Wayne Rickards as partner, 2025 Masters runners-up Terry Saunters/Liam Brown, Paul Whitelam/Richard Webb, and Colin Blackbourn/Carl Pugh, who are twice Masters Champions and 3rd in 2025. Having his last Masters outing before retirement, Neal Owen/Jason Farwell will also be looking to sign off in style!
Completing the 2026 Masters entry is an abundance of high-quality crews, which include Steve Smith partnered by Gareth Little, the double Masters Champions in 1983 and 1990, John Hand/Adrian North, Clint Blondell/Lewis Davies, Andrew Minnard/Michelle Minnard, Dale Fish/Jordan Fish, Will Penfold/Ricky Pay, Tom Cossar/Ryan Wharton, Stef Blyth/Morgan Blyth, Tom Marvel/Stephen Russell, Simon Beaney/Brook Fowler, and George Penfold with a passenger to be advised. Whatever the outcome of this class, you can be sure that with a Master’s title on the line, it’s going to be ultra-competitive and exciting!
So, make sure you get along to the Masters, which is being held at Lower Marsh Farm, Much Hoole, near Preston, PR4 5LH. Practice should start at 10.45am with the first race of 30 on the programme due to start at 1pm. Admission for the event is £20 for adults, £15 for concessions, with under-16s FREE. It’s going to be a cracking day for spectators, and on-site there will also be a bar and outlets serving both hot and cold food.
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