Crendon Tru7 Honda’s Conrad Mewse delivered a standout performance at Preston Docks as he went bar-to-bar with five-time world champion Jeffrey Herlings across both motos in Round 2 of the 2026 Motul ACU British Motocross Championship.
The reigning British champion gave the Easter Sunday crowd a display of speed and determination, chasing down the Dutch star in both races. Although Herlings held firm at the front to take victory in each moto, Mewse’s pair of second-place finishes secured him second overall and saw him close to within just three points of the championship lead.
The battle between the two Honda riders began in qualifying, where Herlings edged Mewse for top spot, setting the tone for what would be an intense day of racing.
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In race one, both riders were forced to fight through the pack after poor starts, with Mewse emerging from the opening lap down in 26th place. Working his way forward, he climbed into second by lap eleven and set the fastest lap of the race as he closed in on the leader. Despite applying pressure late on, he was unable to find a way past Herlings, who held on to win by just over a second.
The second moto saw a much stronger start from Mewse, quickly moving into contention and climbing to second place after passing Adam Sterry early on. While Herlings built an early advantage, Mewse remained in pursuit throughout, repeatedly chipping away at the gap but never quite close enough to launch a decisive move.
With two second-place finishes, Mewse significantly reduced his championship deficit, underlining his return to form after a disrupted pre-season.
Mewse said: “I wasn’t too stressed after Hawkstone but the boys there were on a different level to me. It wasn’t a true reflection of what I’m capable of. Since then we’ve done a lot of testing, come back strong and I’m riding more like myself.
“It was a good race in the first moto. I felt solid, made some passes, and I’m feeling much more like myself.
“It’s one thing catch up to someone like Jeffrey but it’s another thing to get past him. We were both riding very hard so to make a pass would have meant finding somewhere I was a lot faster than him or for him to make a mistake. He’s so good, that chance never came.
“In the second race I had a lot better start and got into second then tried to keep him in my sight. I need to try to learn from him, latch on and go with his pace. Overall, without him here as a wildcard, it would have been a 1-1 finish and I’d be leading the championship. So I’m happy with how I’m riding.”
Mewse’s performance at Preston Docks signals a strong return to form and sets up an intriguing title fight as the 2026 season continues.
Images courtesy of Crendon Tru7 Honda
