Winner of last year’s HydroGarden Weston Beach Race, Todd Kellett, has had a positive off-season and is looking forward to racing in the opening round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship at Culham MX Park, which takes place on Sunday 12th March.
Kellett, who is a part time barber, took some time out after the ultra-gruelling Weston-Super-Mare three-hour race, but he’s back and ready for action at the old-school Culham circuit. The 19-year-old Somerset rider has not competed in many races so far this year other than his winning ride at a local event a few weeks ago, but the number 98 is looking to build on his 10th overall result in the Maxxis British MX2 championship last season, which included some top six finishes.
“After the HydroGarden Weston Beach Race I raced the week after before having around seven weeks off. I went to Spain for a week and tried to ride as much as possible. The weather hasn’t been kind to us in the UK for riding, but I’m happy with the bike, and happy with my fitness, so it should be good,” said Kellett.
“I’ve been doing a fair bit of riding but leading into the race it’s been more relaxed, mostly because of the weather, and if the work hasn’t been done before, then I don’t think it will happen on one weekend. I’ve done a lot a work and I did the South West Premier race, which has been a nice little warm-up, but other than that I’ve been ticking over ready for the Maxxis British Championship.”
The MX2 racer, who has support this year from Husqvarna UK, St Blazey MX and his personal sponsor Stuart Hodder, believes he has a strong set-up and has an open mind in terms of the results he’s looking for. He’s competed at Culham a number of times before and expects the track to be technical this weekend, but the Husqvarna-ace is looking forward to getting behind the gate and kicking his season off.
“You never know how anyone has wintered until you get to the race. Everyone thinks they’ve had a good winter, but we will soon find out after race one. I’m in a good place, and I know everyone else will be just as strong. I’ve done a lot of work on the pushbike and with my trainer Liam Annetts from LA Personal training in the gym. I’ve been enjoying it,” continued Kellett.
“I’ve raced at Culham quite a few times over the years. I like the track, it’s going to be really rough and really gnarly – it’s certainly going to be a track that separates the men from the boys. I don’t mind it like that, but the approach is got to be for solid results and to keep it rubber side down. This weekend we will find out a lot more about the bike, especially with how it compares to the other bikes, and we can go from there. There’s new people coming in, and other people that have gone, so it’s difficult to judge what’s possible until we get going.”
The Kellett family is well known in the motocross industry, and Todd’s emotional HydroGarden Weston Beach Race win was certainly a highlight of last year. His part-time work as a barber is well supported by his family, who will be there cheering him on this weekend.
“I guess the work is part time (laughs) I’m a barber working for my mum, but racing does take over. I do as much as I can – my family are really supportive, it’s a big family thing, we are all die-hard motocross fans,” concluded Kellett.
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