Arenacross, Presented by Dirt Store, will once again open-up the world of AX to the youngest competitors possible as five- to seven-year-old racers will hit the track on Electric E5 machines that silently fizz around the circuit in great style!
The young terrors will be able to take on the full course on their tiny machines with 10 to 12-inch wheels, and many will have experience in this kind of racing around smaller circuits such as SX Worx in Sheffield and the Clayton family’s Wheeldon Off-Road Centre in Devon.
This form of youth racing is becoming increasingly popular, with clubs and associations forming across the UK for racing on electric balance bikes for kids of just three years old and upwards! The benefits of the silent bikes are obvious, and it is becoming an affordable and credible gateway into Motocross for many youngsters and families who would have never looked at the sport before.
READ MORE: ARENACROSS NEWS
The mini electric class was first introduced to AX fans in 2023, with highly-tipped young rider Austin Edwards the first Champion. Runner-up that year was Roy Townley Jr, always loudly cheered, and Roy took the AX-E5 Championship in 2024. He has now graduated to the 65cc Mini class for the 2026 season, as has Rafe Harwood, who won the Amped to Manchester race in last year’s AX Tour, and trains with former AX star Joe Clayton.
The entry list for this year’s Tour is filled with riders from all four corners of the British Isles, including one rider each from Wales and Scotland, four from Northern Ireland, and the rest from all over England. Cooper Swan, son of Jeff Perrett’s former commentary partner Callum, took a Supercross win in the Netherlands in January and has certainly got some speed. The #50 rider might have a familiar Northern Irish name, as Martin Barr, son of AX Pro favourite Martin Barr, is also among the rider list, so for sure there will be a nervous father looking on in his own riding gear from the sidelines!
As always with riders so young, it’s tough to pick a favourite, but each of them will be keen to show their skills in front of the packed Arenacross grandstands!
All 14 riders entered will have two practice sessions behind closed doors in the daytime, as well as their first race, before staying up well past their bedtime for the second race, during the evening show itself. For sure the lack of sound from the bikes will be made up for by the encouragement of the crowd and the trackside announcers, so this brilliant part of the evening show is a very welcome addition to the Arenacross experience!
Arenacross is the UK’s premier indoor motocross championship, delivering a fast-paced, family-friendly live show packed with elite racing and unforgettable atmosphere. Tickets are on sale now — and this is one story you’ll want to witness live. Visit www.axworldtour.com
AX E-Minis – Rider List
Stanley Peay
Ortus Alexander Simons
Oscar Duckworth
Oscar Morris
Rafe Harwood
Harley Beckett
Erin Deazley
Finlee Pope
Preston Killoran
Roy Townley
George Hutchings
Maxx Korszewski
Jack McGrath
Words and Images by AX World Tour
