One thing that soon becomes clear when talking to several riders about Arenacross, and how they prepare for it, is that many speak about a particular rider as the one who does it right. A rider who invests in himself, who digs into his own pocket to put in the time and the work to make himself better on the racetrack. That rider is currently the yardstick for many in the UK right now, as one of the most talented we’ve seen for a long time. Looking to fill the one big gap left in his trophy cabinet, that rider is four-time British Motocross Champion, Conrad Mewse.
Over the last two seasons, which it’s easy to forget were his first on a top-class 450cc machine, Conrad’s partnership with the mighty CRF and the Crendon Tru7 Honda team run by three-time World Champion David Thorpe has yielded Championship wins in almost every series he’s contested fully. After firing to the MX1 British title as a rookie in 2023, the unexpected regular addition of five-time World Champion Jeffrey Herlings to the series in ’24 was the only thing that stood between Conrad and a second straight crown. Even then, the “Mewse Missile” stood up to be counted against “The Bullet”, widely renowned as one of the fastest riders of all time, and handed the Dutchman a few defeats in the process.
Conrad is one of the rare breed that is genuinely fast enough to race Motocross full-time, and he has done so from a very early age. He’s dedicated to his craft, and that can take its toll; “With the sport that we’re in, and how much we have to put into it, you don’t really have much downtime for anything else, you know? What do I do outside of racing? I’m big into my training for it! I work with Paul Ryman, who won the Sprint Triathlon World Championship two years ago in his 35+ age group, so I’ve got a lot to look up to there with that sort of training. I was massively into football as a kid, and I’m still a Manchester United supporter, but I prefer to play it than to watch! Like many Motocross riders, I can’t sit still for five minutes, so following another sport is difficult. I can’t really play much though, with the risk of injuries. When I do get free time, which isn’t often, I spend as much time as I can with my girlfriend, go and look around a city, have some nice spa breaks. We’ve got our little miniature dachshund, called Wilson, so we go out for walks with him and that’s nice to switch off when we can.”
Conrad’s father, Stephen, raced at amateur level and passed on the bug to Conrad, who did race a pre-Arenacross indoor series on 65cc machines, but didn’t carry on because he concentrated on outdoor racing, “That paid off because I won a Junior World Championship!”. That title came in 2013, won at a single event at the circuit of Jinin in the Czech Republic. The same year, a 14-year-old Conrad decimated the North-West European Qualifiers, winning all but one race from eight contested, and then going unbeaten at the Finale to take the European 85cc crown to the cheers of excited home fans at the MXGP of Great Britain, held at Matterley Basin near Winchester. He moved full-time to Belgium as a teenager and became part of the factory Husqvarna team, known as a breeding ground for future World Champions. One of the riders he beat in 2013 was the 2023 & ’24 MXGP World Champion, Jorge Prado. Like Prado, Mewse was a prodigious talent, but ultimately GP success has eluded him. So where does the now 25-year-old Somerset lad see the future of his career?
“I’m really happy doing what I’m doing, the British Championship, Arenacross, selected races in the UK. I’m competing in some great Championships and I’m having so much fun doing it. MXGP is a bit of a sticky situation, a few riders are leaving, so I don’t think that’s where my future is, to be honest, although I still like to do as many rounds as I can, because it keeps the level up when you’re racing against the best riders in the world. I would like to do some AMA rounds [the National Championship in the USA], I would love to do some of them, that’s something I need to speak to the boss about! I am just happy where I am, we’re racking up the titles and that’s what it’s all about.”
For sure the calm authority that David Thorpe brings with his support of Conrad helps to limit the amount of pressure that he puts on himself, which has tended to be the biggest chink in his armour. He is a smooth, talented, flowing rider, with natural ability that only gets stunted by tension and unease. At full, uninhibited flight, Mewse is a joy to watch, able to switch on his electrifying pace seemingly at will, even within the tight confines of Arenacross, finding lines and combinations that not many can match.
After knocking himself out of last year’s series by running over his own foot with his bike in the paddock, he definitely has his eyes on this year’s prize; “100% I want the Championship and nothing less than that. Arenacross is the only British title I haven’t won, so that’s the last one on my list to tick off. I’ve built an Arenacross track at my place to prepare for this, and if the weather’s bad I can drive two hours to Wheeldon and practice there. I’ve also gone to Spain in December and will be out there between rounds banging the laps in! I was maybe a bit short in preparation the last two years, but last year I made steps forward, I was getting into the tracks a lot faster. Last year a silly little mistake cost me the title, but I’m coming back for redemption and I wanna wrap that title up, it’s the last one on my list!”
Even pitted against indoor specialists with far more experience, his speed will stand out. Get cheering for Conrad Mewse if he’s on the case, because he could very well be the best British rider of the 2020s.
