Generation Next
Ah, the joys of youthful exuberance! Remember those carefree moments of your childhood? Those seemingly endless summer days hanging out with your friends, laughing and playing, living in the moment with nothing on your mind weighing you down other than big dreams and a vivid imagination. Precious times indeed.
With that thought firmly in our minds, Arenacross are proud to be giving some of today’s generation of childhood dreamers a platform to make memories that will last a lifetime, not only for them but also to share with their families. It’s one of the most rewarding consequences of what Arenacross offers.
Just for a second, take yourself back to being a kid and the innocence of it all. Now imagine what it would be like to do something you love alongside your heroes and have 5,000 plus people encouraging and cheering you on. Imagine going to school on Monday and your mates or teacher asking you what do did at the weekend. “Oh, nothing much. I raced my dirt bike inside Wembley arena. I ripped a holeshot into the first corner, then crashed and was last but charged my way back through the pack and put on an awesome block pass on the last corner and won the race and the crowd went nuts! They were all leaning over the edge shouting and clapping, so I got off my bike and did a few moves and threw my goggles in the crowd. It was awesome.” – “Yeah, I’m sure you did! Now what did you really do?” would probably be the response if they didn’t know any better.
Having the kids racing is a big deal for Arenacross, and we know they all feel the same way. So, if you make your way out to an Arenacross (and we really hope you do) when the AX hosts Matt Crowhurst and Jeff Perrett ask you to show your appreciation and encourage these boys and girls, don’t be shy, show them some love whilst remembering the joy and innocence of your own memories. They are precious and worth cherishing, so with that in mind, play your part in someone else’s.
The Arenacross Youth classes
AX Minis
The youngest racers you’ll see in action tonight are the AX Mini riders. These are kids aged from 7 – 11 and they race 65cc two stroke motorcycles. Don’t be fooled by their size when you see them in the show opening ceremonies, these lot are proper little pocket rockets! For their age their skill set is incredible and it’s evolving and improving all the time by racing Arenacross due to the intensity and technicality of the track. Most of these kids will already have dreams and aspirations to be professional riders one day and at every opportunity they will be hanging out with the pro racers backstage and bring so much energy. We love that and can’t think of anything more inspirational for our next generation of Arenacross racers.
AX Super Minis
This is the next class up from the AX Mini class and where you really start to see the character, skill and application of the riders start to come through. This class is made up of riders from 11 –15 and they race 85cc two stroke motorcycles. In the AX Super Mini class we have a mix of wheel sizes; big and small. This is to accommodate the varying heights and growth spurts in the riders. Traditionally it’s a racer riding a big-wheeled model that will be up front and doing the winning as they’re a bit bigger and stronger, but don’t be surprised to see a small-wheeled rider in the mix for race wins and podiums.
AX Futures
Now things are getting more serious and emotional as you’d expect with kids in their mid-teens and soon to become young adults! Hormones are more on display and things get a little more aggressive out in track, fueled by the fact the racers know the industry is looking at them as potential pro riders in the near future. They’re fitter, stronger and faster and the pace and ferocity on track is close to mirroring the pros but with the obvious difference of more mistakes being made in their race craft, which makes for some awesome, nail-biting racing. The AX Futures class features riders from 14 – 18 racing 125cc two stroke motorcycles.
Brothers Gonna Work It Out!
Well, we couldn’t do a feature on brothers and not use a Chemical Brothers song reference somewhere. If you don’t know them, check them out and thank us later! What you WILL be enjoying at Arenacross are three sets of real brothers out there racing, often against each other, in the Pro class! And the three sets couldn’t really be much different from each other, with the long-serving AX stalwarts, the Bayliss boys from Berkshire, just two years apart, joined by Devonshire’s own Clayton clansmen, separated by five years, and a massive ten-year age gap between the gallant Greedy lads from the valleys of deepest Welsh Wales. All adding to the rich flavour of Arenacross 2025, the family atmosphere is personified by a trio of inter-sibling rivalries and that extra level of banter in the paddock!
Berkshire boys
Looking first at the family that’s been with Arenacross the longest, there is an old adage that the older sibling is a little more quiet and steady, while younger ones have to push themselves forward and are therefore often louder and more outgoing as a direct result. Not always the case of course, but you couldn’t get a more stereotypical example of that pattern than the Bayliss brothers, 31-year-old Matt and 29-going-on-9-year-old Chris! You can’t deny that Chris steals the show when they’re interviewed together, he is an absolute livewire and ready to completely sabotage any plans you had for nice, smooth PR. Of course, that makes such content all the better because you just don’t know what’s going to come out of his mouth!
In contrast, Matt runs his own carpentry business with five employees, and you can see how his more measured approach to life would suit such a position. Chris does similar work, but for movie and television sets – “I can’t tell you who I’ve been working for and where because it might get out online!” – and this work has been known to take him on several overseas trips, which must have been a real scream for anyone working onsite with him! It’s surprising that he hasn’t made it onto the screen himself.
Both brothers have loved indoor dirt bike racing from an early age. Blessed with a plot of land to practice on since they were children, the building of ramps and obstacles to jump from became second nature, and as soon as the opportunity arose to race on such jump-infested circuits, they were both all in! With Arenacross for almost the entire history of the series, they even teamed up to race the infamous Pitbike of Nations, a wild affair held the night before the Motocross of Nations – the biggest outdoor Motocross race on the planet – for Team GB, managed by the eternal Arenacross MC, Jeff Perrett! Let’s just say that these machines aren’t strictly inspected for engine performance, or even strictly officiated in any way, but it’s a lot of fun and these lads are at the heart of it!
The South-Western flyers
In contrast to the small age gap between Matt and Chris, there is no doubt that Joe Clayton, at 27 years old, is the senior sibling against his brother Ben, although the 22-year-old has caught up in terms of experience with the unfortunate injuries befalling his older brother. Another family with great facilities on their doorstep with the Wheeldon indoor MX centre within their grounds, it is small wonder that the Clayton kids can fly around the compact Arenacross venues.
Sadly, for Joe, he has faced a race against time to be ready for AX 2025. “In the summer of 2023, I broke both of my heel-bones [the calcaneus, basically the big ball on the back of the foot], and unfortunately, they weren’t little breaks, they were both completely shattered. It was quite horrific because I had bones coming out of the bottom of my feet, it sucked, I was in hospital for like five days, in a wheelchair for three months. It was rubbish, three or four surgeries, but I had got to the point where I was back riding, getting fit, and feeling like I’ve overcome this.”
“Then in September 2024, I was in Spain testing, and I didn’t even crash, I just landed a bit short and heavy from a jump, and I broke both of my lower legs. I was like ‘You are kidding me’! One of them is completely healed, like 100%, but the other one, the left, needed surgery, that’s taken a bit more time. I’ve been in constant physio trying to get it sorted, it’s got some metal in there and ten screws. It’s hard work to get back to racing, but I can deal with the pain OK, it’s just getting the movement back in my ankle that you need for Arenacross.”
Ben is hoping to move forward again withing the family-run AJP awning. “I’m back with Ben and Andrew Prosser’s team again, they’re great guys, and we’re on Gas-Gas machinery this year, which is more up to date than the Suzuki was last year.” Their close family atmosphere matches that of the Clayton brothers themselves, and for sure the quietest pair of brothers out there this year will urge each other on to greater things.
Welsh Wizards
There is also no doubt as to who the junior brother in the Greedy family is, although this in itself creates another twist on the dynamic. Ashley Greedy is well established in the Arenacross world, and if you’ve looked him up on YouTube then it’s highly likely that you will be familiar with his reputation. It’s something that both of the boyos bristle at slightly, mainly because Ash was banned from AX in 2023 after being judged to have pushed things a little too far, once too many.
More intriguing about the elder brother is his unique blend of off-road skills, being just at adept on the wide-open blasts and sandy dunes of beach racing as he is on a compact AX track. He won the famous three-hour Weston Beach Race back in 2019 and even hit the top 20 of the biggest event of that kind, the Enduropale du Touquet in France, coming straight from the AX in Birmingham the night before! “Why would you wanna go and do that?!” said brother Josh in the Welshest accent possible!
Sadly for Ash, the French “Championnat de Sables” runs over several weekends at the same time of year as Arenacross. This year Le Touquet clashes with Aberdeen and having missed the opening round of that Championship due to the clash with Weston anyway, the elder Greedy has decided to focus on Arenacross this year.
In contrast, Josh is graduating up to the Pro class after two straight years of battling for the Pro-Am title with their good buddy and countryman Sion Talbot. Josh narrowly lost out in 2023 in a final race showdown but won by a good margin in 2024 and declared his intent to move up and race the star men, including his own brother of course. Fired up to succeed and one of the youngest riders in the field for 2025, Josh may well spring a surprise or two. The pair finished second (Ash) and fifth (Josh) in the Weston Beach Race in October, and for sure the spirit between them will only add to their motivation under the lights.
The family owns a track in the USA, which they call “Area 33” after their usual race number (who gets to keep the number in AX is up for debate!), and Josh has been there preparing for the new season there. Is he getting ready to challenge big bro? “He’s getting older, and I’m getting faster, and he’s getting scared now. I think if I beat him I’ll put him into retirement!”
Ash is looking forward to Josh moving up, but with reservations; “Yeah there’s always a bit of tension between us when we’re in the same race, he’s up and coming and starting to get a lot faster than he used to be. There’s definitely a bit of pressure for me to keep beating him. If there’s a Head-to-Head then it’s gloves off, we’re all in then! And I’ve taught him everything he knows, so he’s had a good teacher, hasn’t he?!”
Who is most likely to…?
Just to truly measure the brothers up, we devised a little quiz to ask all six riders and find out what they really think of each other…
Get the holeshot?
MB: I would say Chris, he’s a good starter.
CB: Me, 100%, and I bet Matt said me as well! He knows I’m the best starter.
BC: Well, Joe’s on a Stark at the minute, so I’m gonna say him!
JC: Oh, me!
JG: Me!
AG: Me!
Get on the podium?
MB: I would say me, because I’ve had a couple more years’ experience, and I still like to think I can beat him come the end of a race.
CB: Me again!
BC: I think I’m confident this year. Last year I would’ve said him, but it’s gonna be close this year, I think!
JC: Definitely me!
JG: Before Ash, but me now!
AG: Me!
Try it on with a Fuel Girl?
MB: Ha haa, deffo Chris! He should be down there with the flame gun, probably push her out of the way! He just loves the show, doesn’t he! Playing up to the crowd!
CB: If you asked me that before this girlfriend, probably me, but I can’t say that anymore I’m happy now!
BC: He would definitely say me, but we’ve both got girlfriends so we can’t do any of that!
JC: I would probably say him, I’m pretty loved up. If I said me, my girlfriend would kill me!
JG: Ah, I shouldn’t say this, but Ash!
AG: Oh, neither…
Break the bike?
MB: Probably Chris. He’d probably break it before he gets on it. He’s not very mechanically minded, so he usually has to get my Dad to fix it so then he can ride it. And he’ll probably break it when he’s out there.
CB: Oh, definitely me!
JC: Oh my brother. He does no maintenance, so it’s broken before he gets on it!
BC: Oh, that’ll be me!
JG: Puh! Ash!
AG: Me again.
Case a big jump?
MB: I’d say me, to be fair, ‘cause Chris is really good at judging stuff and getting it right, somehow, and he’ll probably always do it first ‘cause he’s a… proper dimlow…
CB: Him! I’m more committed than he is!
BC: Oh, he’s just done his ankles at that, so I’m gonna say him.
JC: Yeah that’s probably me, because I have!
JG: Me!
AG: Josh!
Get the beers in?
MB: Chris? I don’t know really. We both quite like a beer after the races, so, either or!
CB: Well he obviously said me and I’ll say me as well! You could have saved on this phone call, y’know? All the answers that he would have said are correct!
BC: Oh that’ll be me, I think. He’s tighter than a duck’s ass!
JC: Oh, that’d be me, he’s tight! [On hearing Ben’s answer] No way!”
JG: Uhhh… Ash!
AG: Me.
Take out the other brother?
MB: Umm, he’ll probably try and take me out. He likes that, he’ll get in there.
CB: Me to take him out. He cares too much, and I don’t!
BC: Probably me on him, but it’ll be accidentally, probably!
JC: I dunno, that’s maybe 50/50, depends if he’s annoying me that day I guess. I think maybe him, maybe he’s a bit more aggressive.
JG: Ash would attempt but… he wouldn’t take me out, we’d go down together! I’ll drag him down! There’s no way I’m going down without him!
AG: That’s probably him, believe it or not! He wants to beat me, he’s coming in hot, put it that way.
Change a tyre quicker?
MB: Chris has never changed one in his life, so… he doesn’t even know where to start, won’t know how to take the wheel out, probably…
CB: Oh, him, 100%! I don’t even know how to put fuel in the bike!
BC: Oh, him, he’s better at stuff like that.
JC: Oh, me.
JG: Ha ha, definitely Ash! I can’t do tyres…
AG: Me.
Forget to pay his mechanic?
MB: Oh we’ve never done that! Dad doesn’t get paid, unless we win some money maybe! I would say Chris…
CB: That’s my Dad, I choose not to pay! Well, when we get to McDonalds he does alright, don’t worry about that…
BC: Oh, probably me.
JC: Oh that’d be me, he doesn’t even have one!
JG: Ash! No, I don’t know actually! We don’t pay for our mechanic! So both of us!
AG: That would be me, but he’s pretty bad as well, though!
Run out of fuel getting to the race?
MB: Definitely Chris, he’d just keep driving, forget to fuel it up…
CB: Again, it comes down to a mechanical thing so it would definitely be me.
BC: Oh, probably me as well.
JC: Oh, him.
JG: Uh…put down Ash, because he forgets to tighten up his sump plug! Put that one in, he’ll get touchy over that one!
AG: Me, probably.
Get to the start line late?
MB: I dunno! Sometimes I’m a bit lax with stuff, so it might be me.
CB: I am very blasé about a lot of things, but when it comes to wanting to be ready for a race, have my kit on ready, I do like to be organised in that area. Maybe not when I was younger, but now I like to be ready and warmed up before a race. I feel like I have to be prepped more now!
BC: I don’t think any of us would, because we’re quite OCD about getting in on time, but probably me if I have to pick one.
JC: Again, him.
JG: Me, I’ll still be in bed! If you know any anybody that would wake up five minutes before a race, get kitted up and still start it, that would be me! Like five to nine at an outdoor meeting and I’ll still be getting changed.
AG: Oh that’s him, straight up.
Win a Head-to-Head between you?
MB: It all comes down to who’s on the inside I guess, coming into that first corner, ‘cause it sets it up from there. I’d like to say myself, most people would say themselves I think.
CB: Yeah, me. Sit down, Matt, sit down… Get back in the stands where you belong, watching your brother… in the final!
BC: Well I would say him, because he did beat me a couple of years ago in Belfast!
JC: Me, for sure. When we did one in Belfast I think he felt bad for me because I had just got landed on by Jack [Brunell], so I think he was like, I won’t put up a fight you can kinda have this one!
JG: I can’t wait for it. I’ve got a plan already lined up for it! Up until now, him, but now… me!
AG: Me.
