The 2026 Arenacross Tour is all set for its second and third rounds this weekend at Belfast, and it’s not just the flying Pro Riders that are looking forward to banging bars again in the SSE Arena, as the Pro-Am class is super close at the top of the table with the possibility of a four-to-six rider battle for each race win across the weekend!
The Pro-Am races have incorporated the previous Futures class for the 2026 season, and it resulted in some superb racing with not just riders of all shapes, ages, and sizes, but also a wide array of just about every kind of motorcycle available, as electric Stark machines fought with 450 and 250cc four-strokes as well as a handful of barking 250 two-strokes and even the odd buzzing 125!
Out in front of the points chase is the number 26 of Louis Brookes, the 18-year-old from Shropshire on a cool gun-metal grey Stark Varg, who cleaned up in the first race behind closed doors but had to come back from a mid-race crash to salvage second place under the lights of race two. Louis was very pleased with his results from Birmingham: “I was glad to change my gate from the qualifying heat for the first Main Event where I got the Holeshot and managed to avoid the carnage! I put some strong laps in early and got myself a solid lead. Race 2 was a little more challenging! I had to charge through the pack and when I was going for a pass for the lead I wasn’t patient enough, went in a little too hot and ended up tucking the front! I just got my head down again, making some good passes through the field, but had to settle for second place in main event two.”
Louis is looking forward to running the series leader’s red plate in the SSE Arena: “I’ve had good success at this arena before. I’ve made some solid improvements to my bike during the week off, improving the balance which I was struggling with in Birmingham. I feel the dirt suits me here as it’s a looser soil, making it easier to move around on the track. Hoping for some more good results!”
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Former Pro-Am Champ Josh Greedy took second overall, claiming that round one was like “a rollercoaster” as he bounced back from a tricky opener to win race two!
“It was my first proper race in over a year due to me blowing my knee out in December 2024 and having to take a full season out for recovery. I started the day very nervous, but qualifying went all OK, as expected shaking the cobwebs off! First main was almost a disaster of a start, Louis jumped the first jump on a slight angle leaving me with no room. He tagged my front wheel and I was just a passenger from there, I was facing 90 degrees the wrong way, but somehow Josh Taylor managed to avoid me and cause carnage for himself! After that I just had a lonely race in 3rd. The last Main Event was perfect. Another mega start, Holeshot and led start to finish. For Belfast, well the cobwebs are off, it’s the last round and it’s close at the top, so it’s head down now!”
Just five points back from Josh is two-stroke hero Neville Bradshaw! A former Motocross of Nations rider for South Africa, he was last seen in Arenacross back in 2024, in the Pro ranks. When asked why he was in the Pro Ams for 2026, his answer was short but sweet: “I’m 42 years old, on an eight-year-old two-stroke Yamaha 250, and last time I went in the Pro class I ended up in hospital for eight weeks!” With his barking two-stroke only just cleaned up from the Boxing Day Wild N’ Woolly Motocross, Nev is enjoying AX more this time around. “I work full-time in the week, I can’t train like the Pros do, so I am now in the right class. This weekend was a lot of fun!” Nev, who has Irish ancestry enabling him to ride for Team Ireland in the Vets MXdN several times, is truly looking forward to Belfast and for sure he should get a hero’s welcome!
Belfast will also be a homecoming for 17-year-old Lewis Spratt from County Omagh, and he’s one of the leading riders from the Futures class to be battling with the older guys! Sixth in the Championship, and for once not having to deal with a ferry ride to get to a major race, he is fired up for his home round: “I just wanted to qualify for the main races, but I didn’t make life easy for myself in the Qualifying Race with a crash in the whoops and just scraping into a qualifying position! I was on the back of the grid because of the bad heat race but I just got the head down, made smart moves and ended up eighth. Race 2 I had a better gate pick and had a very good battle the whole way through coming away with a top 5 which I was really chuffed with!”
“I can’t wait to get Belfast underway, I think the crowd there is the best in any Arenacross venue and having the home crowd really helps me knowing that they are behind me. It’s also cool being able to bring family, friends, and sponsors, including Jet Products, Ireland’s No. 1 Yamaha dealer! I hope to bring a bit more whoop speed with me to Belfast and I’ll make sure to give it my absolute all and give the home crowd the show they deserve!”
The Pro AM class could go right to the wire in 2026. Yet another reason to get down to the SSE Arena this Friday and Saturday!
Pro Am Standings
Words and Images by AX World Tour
