Shane Carless claims 2025 Weymouth Beach Race victory – Race Report, Interviews & Results

Attracting its best entry numbers so far and, in the opinion of many, also seeing the biggest spectator attendance, it’s very fair to say that the 2025 AMCA Weymouth Beach Race was a massive hit with Motocross fans and locals alike!

Race Report and Images by Mike Wood

This super event always seems to deliver the goods with immaculate organisation by the Purbeck MXC in conjunction with the Weymouth and Portland Lions Club, raising big sums of money for local charities whilst also offering people the chance to watch some great motocross action for FREE. An added entertainment bonus this year was the appearance after a 10-year break of the famous Weston Beach race gorilla Andy Hobbs on his trusty red Honda quad. As expected, the gorilla was as mischievous as normal and delighting the massive crowd with all of his usual antics!

Although the event runs with military-like precision, the one element Purbeck can’t control is the behaviour of the sea tide. And this year it stubbornly refused to retreat as quickly as expected, thus forcing a delay of some 30 minutes before the 330-plus riders could eventually go into action. So, with practice eventually completed, it was time to go racing as legendary Weymouth Beach race starter Jim Shipton, along with Town mayor Caroline Nickinson, lowered the flag to signal the roar of the opening moto of the day.

First up was the Juniors Unlimited contest sponsored by Caroline Racing, and it was Archie Trimby who was quickest to fire his engine into life before leading the thunderous charge of over 100 gladiators down the seafront before braking hard and negotiating turn one. Trimby then controlled the entire moto from the front as Oli Wickers moved up from an early 5th spot to get up into 2nd. From lap four onwards, Wickers chased Trimby all the way, completing a total of eight circuits. Also on the same lap total were Jamie Aitken, Henry Crawford, Joshua Ian Lacey, Joshua Crewe, Kieran Woods and James Harris.

Juniors’ moto two, and it was pretty much the same riders in the top end mix, but on this occasion, Wickers led from start to finish. Having won Moto One, Trimby had a lot more work to do this time around, down in 20th spot early on. Within one la,p he had got back to 9th before eventually reaching 2nd on the fifth circuit. At the front, though, Wickers was gliding to the win as Crawford, Aitken, Woods and Crewe produced another super ride as Freddie Leniham, Mark Gale, Terence Marsh and Jason Morgan rounded off the top ten. In the overall verdict, Wickers and Trimby were level on 97 points apiece, but it was the former who would take victory courtesy of his better moto two placing, as Crawford completed the top three, a position he also earned courtesy of a better second moto ride after scoring 88 points, the same total as Aitken.

In the opening Seniors moto sponsored by Dirtworx Motocross and Enduro, Ashley Bowden, who has been training hard in France and Belgium, sharpening up his sand racing skills and speed, then put that valuable practice into very good use by leading the pack away. By lap three, though Jordan Pyne and Jack Alderton had pushed Bowden back to 3rd. In a determined fashion, Bowden then fought back to get up into 2nd and follow the winner, Pyne, home. Also completing high-point scoring rides in this Seniors bash were Alderton, Morgan Deakin, Callum Radford, Kyle Banks, Barney Thurgood, Luke Smith, Daryl Biles, and Nathan Smith.

On his super-fast Honda, Bowden then led the second Seniors moto all the way from Pyne, Alderton, Biles, Radford, who is off to France this weekend for another Beach racing event and Deakin. Incredibly, just like the Juniors contest, the Seniors’ moto two result meant that there was a tie at the top for the overall verdict. Both Bowden and Pyne had finished the event locked together on 97 points apiece, but courtesy of that moto two success, it was Corsham and Thornbury MX competitor Bowden who claimed the win with Alderton 3rd.

As normal, the Weymouth Experts entry list produced an intriguing mix of talent and plenty of potential winners, all eager to sign off their 2025 campaigns by scoring glory. One very interesting name joining the fray late on for this year’s contest was former Red Bull KTM team rider, 28-year-old Dutch ace Davy Pootjes, who has not only competed on the GP scene but also been a podium taker in the series.

Having stepped back due to injury, Pootjes was tempted back to racing by the SAS TPC KTM team and even after just 11 weeks back on a bike, competed in the final three rounds of the ACU Motul British Championship. So, arriving at Weymouth, Pootjes, having never previously competed in a Beach motocross event, was now to have his credentials tested by some very serious opposition. For starters, there was the fast FUS Marsh MX Honda duo of Shane Carless, a brilliant 4th the previous week at Weston, AMCA and Acerbis Champion James Dodd, Josh Coleman, Charlie and Syd Putman, Josh Waterman, James Bates, Corey Hockey, Lee Truman, Jamie Skuse and plenty of other quality performers.

Openly admitting his disappointment at not getting on the Weston podium, Shane Carless was simply on fire in the opening Weymouth Experts moto sponsored by Mid-West Racing. Initially leading the charge, Shane was passed by Charlie Putman, but after doing the chasing for a couple of laps, the FUS rider then went into overdrive. From lap five to completion, he took full control before going on to record a victory by a big 46 seconds.

Taking a fantastic 2nd in this one was James Bates as Dodd and Pootjes were next up after picking themselves up from a heavy collision when having to take evasive action to avoid a fellow rider stranded on the crest of a jump! That coming together dropped the battling duo initially down to 7th and 8th, respectively. Pootjes then fell again, dropping further down the leaderboard to 15th before finally storming back to 4th.

In what was a fast, very frantic encounter, Josh Coleman got home in 5th from Jacob Bowden, brother of Senior’s winner Ashley and having a great ride, whilst next home was the early leader Putman, Harvey Cashmore and Charlie Hucklebridge, who was riding despite still suffering from injuries sustained just a week earlier at Weston.

Experts’ moto two and Putman made a dream start, quickly fabricating a nice advantage at the front as the FUS boys Carless and Dodd gave chase with Lewis Pyne, Bates and Coleman next up. Showing his vast experience of competing at the top level, Carless then gradually reeled Putman in before hitting the front on lap eight, but this contest was far from being settled. Showing great determination, Putman hit back to again lead, but Carless, desperate to bag a Weymouth overall victory, was having none of it! The Welsh ace stretched the throttle wire to regain the advantage, and there he now remained with Putman 16 seconds in arrears at the flag with Dodd 3rd.

Competing on a 350cc engine with some power disadvantage, Pootjes still produced arguably the ride of the moto this time around. Finding himself down in 36th place, the SAS TPC KTM pilot recording lap times matching the leaders, then came all the way back to earn a super 4th from Pyne, Tyler Westcott, Corey Hockey, Lee Truman, Josh Waterman, on a new, stock Honda he had picked up just days before the event and Bates.

So, after his disappointment of not making the Weston podium, Carless, who had technically retired from racing and had only decided to get back aboard a bike and go beach racing just three weeks earlier, had now claimed the Weymouth overall win from fellow FUS rider Dodd and Dutchman Pootjes.

Making a return to Weymouth action for the first time after breaking his leg at the Dorset beach blast back in 2022, Veterans Over 40’s winner Darryl Bolter certainly enjoyed his visit on this occasion and featured in a couple of great scraps for top honours with last year’s victor Jim Davies. Regularly, Bolter and Davies have locked horns at UK EVO Championship meetings, with Bolter recently having claimed the 125cc title.

At Weymouth, though, both riders were mounted on modern, big four-stroke mounts. In the opening moto sponsored by Kenny Clothing, BRP Imports, it was Honda-mounted Davies who led the GasGas of Bolter. With very little to choose between these aces, they were then brought crashing down in a particularly nasty incident. Flying over a jump, they were confronted on the blind side by a fallen rider and unable to take evasive action, both fell. Thankfully, all three competitors were able to rise to their feet and quickly resume their racing. Regaining composure and rhythm, it was Davies who was to then race onto the win from Bolter, Richard Meakin, Darren Banwell, Paul Burn, Matthew Ward and John Gill.

In moto two of the Vets Over 40’s contest, Davies was again the pacesetter, but on this occasion, Bolter was immediately right on his tail. After just three laps, Bolter hit the front, and although Davies gave chase, there was to be no catching the UK EVO Champion as he scorched to victory. At the chequered flag, Bolter was an incredible one-minute clear of his rival as Meakin, Burn, Banwell, Casey Jones, Gill, Ward, Matthew Wells, and Mark Morris SNR were next up. So, with Davies and Bolter finishing on 97 points apiece, it was another Weymouth tie for the overall verdict, with Bolter’s moto two win the deciding factor.

With Weymouth 2025 done and a cheque to the value of £1,800 handed over by Purbeck MXC to the Weymouth and Portland Lions Club, attention already turns to next year. The date for your diary is October 10th/11th.

Results

Experts Overall

Vets Overall

Seniors Overall

Juniors Overall