Scott Redding will be swapping his 270BHP Ducati MotoGP bike for something with slightly less power and much knobblier tyres when he takes on the HydroGarden Weston Beach Race on Sunday 9th October.
The 23-year-old British MotoGP star is no stranger to the dirt, as motocross forms part of his winter training program, but this will be the first time he's taken on the infamous Weston dunes course over which more than 800 riders will contest this year's solo race.
Redding is the latest addition to what is already a star-studded line up. The Pramac Ducati rider will be racing against some of the biggest names in the off-road world, including Robbie Maddison, Jonny Walker and the current UCI DH Mountain Bike World Champion, Danny Hart.
But Redding, twice a podium finisher in MotoGP and a multiple race winner in Moto2, is confident he can hold his own in a race that is notoriously demanding on both rider and machine.
"Weston is something I've thought about doing many times in the past, but it always seems to clash with our end of season flyaway races, so it's not been possible before," explained Redding.
"But this year the dates have fallen just right, so I get my first chance to take on the beach race. I'm not sure what to expect to be honest. I ride motocross a lot as part of my training, but not so often on sand tracks I definitely need to get in a bit more practice on sand before heading down to Weston but there's no way to really prepare yourself for three hours of racing!"
"From what I've seen of the beach race it's a fantastic event that attracts all levels of rider and I'm looking forward to making my debut there this year. See you on the beach!"
"We are really excited to welcome Scott to the HydroGarden Weston Beach Race for the first time this year," declared Gareth Hockey, Director of RHL Activities.
"Many of the big names from the off-road world have tackled the beach race in the past, but Scott will be the first MotoGP rider to take on the challenge of Weston and I'm interested to see how he will fare against his counterparts from the off-road racing world such as Jonny Walker. He's a fit lad, so the physical demands of the race will hold no fears for him, and you don't land a MotoGP ride unless you're fiercely competitive."
For more information, entries and tickets please visit
www.westonbeachrace.com