Wakes Colne Motocross

13/04/2026

Grimshaw On Top At Wakes!
On Sunday April 12th, the Halstead DMCC hosted round One of the 2026 ACU Eastern
Centre MX championship at Wakes Colne. This season marks the 100th year anniversary of
the Halstead club which is a testament to the hard work of all officials and helpers involved.
With support from long term sponsors Stebbings Car Superstore and new sponsors
Rackhams Auto Body Centre, the season kicked into life in Essex under warm and sunny
conditions.
A stacked expert line up consisting of former champions, fast wildcards and some exciting
young British talent would provide great entertainment, as well as the junior championship
class and two support classes giving spectators a mouth watering 12 race schedule to start
the season off.
In the first Expert race, reigning champion Sam Nunn grabbed the holeshot ahead of Tom
Grimshaw (Apico Honda) and Travis Steels (Talk access Yamaha). By the end of the first lap
Grimshaw had made his way into first place with a nice pass on Nunn and by lap 5 Steels
also made his way past and into second. Luke Benstead would take a heavy fall and
unfortunately not take part in any more racing for the day. Grimshaw however was dominant
and cruised across the line ahead of Nunn in second and Josh Spinks in third. Steels would
drop down to fourth due to a yellow flag penalty and Bayliss Utting in fifth.
Race two of the Expert class would see Travis Steels quick out of the gate but couldn't stop
the inevitable pass which Grimshaw soon put on him to take the lead. Spinks also made his
way past Steels and into second as Shaun Southgate was battling hard in the top five
alongside fellow Honda rider Max Broadbelt. Grimshaw controlled the race and would take
the victory ahead of Spinks in second and Broadbelt in third. Steels finished in fourth and
Utting was again across the line in fifth.
In the final Expert race it was Max Broadbelt that was the next rider to try and take it to
Grimshaw from the start and looked to be showing good early pace. Grimshaw was
positioned just behind the race leader with Utting, Southgate and Spinks all close by early
on. After a close battle Grimshaw powered his way past Broadbelt to lead the race and
storm to a perfect clean sweep in the Expert class in fine style. Broadbelt was left to settle
for second place ahead of Bayliss Utting in third and Josh Spinks in fourth. Jake Rackham
finished in his best result of the day in fifth.
Grimshaw would take the Expert overall honours with 75 points, in second was Josh Spinks
with 60 points and in third was Bayliss Utting with 52 points.
In the junior championship it was Craig Down who impressively won all three moto victories
and would take the overall with 75 points, ahead of Jacob Roper in second with 62 points. In
third was Tyrone Tugwell with 56 points.
In the Support B class it was Edward Pegram on the top step with a 1-1-2 ahead of Kevin
Palmer in second with a 7-2-1 finish. In third was Zak Beards with a 5-6-4.
In the Support C class it was Shaun Tacey who took the honours with a 3-2-2 ahead of
Finlay Whitlam in second with a 6-4-1. In third was Alfie Hunt with a 4-6-3.
Full results available on speedhive.
Race report by Stefan Hicks
Images courtesy of Narna Medi

12/04/2026

The first Rd of the ACU Eastern MX Championship sponsored by Stebbings Car Superstore and Rackhams Auto Body Centre at Wakes Colne today. Track rode well and we had an early finish which was a bonus.
Thank you to all the Riders, Committee, Officials, Marshals and Helpers for making the day run smoothly. Wishing the injured riders a speedy recovery. Our next meeting is the 12th July.

08/04/2026

There are still a couple of expert places available, book in on the Acu sport80 website.

03/04/2026

27/03/2026

Calling Expert Motocross Riders – Limited Entries Available

The Halstead & District Motor Cycle Club (DMCC) invites Expert-graded motocross riders to enter the opening round of the Stebbings Car Superstore / Rackhams Auto Body Centre Eastern ACU Motocross Championship.

📅 Date: Sunday 12th April
🏁 Class: Expert
⚠️ Availability: Limited spaces remaining

Riders are encouraged to secure their place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

24/01/2026

You have until midnight on Saturday 31st January to renew your race number for the 2026 season. Numbers not renewed by then will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis from noon on Monday 2nd February.

15/01/2026

Gold 'ACU Approved' helmet sticker Q&A

15 January 2026

When we announced the ACU is cracking down on the sale of fake and unauthorised Gold helmet stickers in October (read HERE), we were pleased to receive lots of questions and comments from the motorcycle sport community.
As an organisation that encourages constructive dialogue and the opportunity to educate on important topics such as helmet safety, we have listened to your feedback and answered many of the questions that were posed.
We hope this Q&A brings further clarity and understanding about why our Gold stickers are fundamental to ensuring helmet safety and why it’s important all riders and organisers are aware of their responsibilities.

Q: What is the actual process for a scrutineer identifying whether a helmet meets minimum safety requirements?
A: “The Technical Official checks the helmet is in a sound condition, that no cracks or points of impact are visible, the straps are in tact, an ACU Gold sticker is in place, and that no modifications have been made to the helmet such as drilling bolts to fit a different type of visor. They also check the helmet type is on the ACU-approved list and can impound a helmet for any reason relating to safety or after an incident.”
Q: If I buy an Arai helmet from Holland and bring it back to the UK, is it only deemed safe when it has an ‘ACU Approved’ sticker on it?
A: “You can only use the helmet in ACU competitions when it has ACU approval by having the Gold sticker applied. This can only be done if the helmet has passed the ACU testing procedure and is on the list of ACU-approved helmets.”
Q: I had a brand-new Fox V3RS helmet out of the box with no sticker on it. How do I get it approved by the ACU for competitive use?
A: “Contact the ACU and see if the helmet has already been tested and is on the approved list. If it is, the helmet can be sent to ACU House to be inspected and a Gold sticker can be applied for a small fee. If the helmet is not approved, then the manufacturer will need to submit the helmet with the associated manufacturers’ paperwork for it to be tested."
Q: Isn’t this just another tax for riders to pay? I can’t imagine there’s a single ECE 2206 full face helmet with a ‘D’ buckle on the market that wouldn’t pass the ACU’s tests?
A: “A number of helmets with ECE 2206 accreditation fail the ACU test as the ECE 2206 is not a test for use at motorcycle competition. Therefore, the ACU test is greater than the ECE 2206 marking.”
Q: Why isn’t the ACU using hologram stickers like the FIA do in car racing to increase security standards?
A: “As we said in our original communication, the ACU is launching a new ACU Gold sticker hologram during 2026. This will be scanned for additional information about the helmet and will enable technical officials to place a block on the helmet if necessary – adding additional protection for riders.”
Q: Isn’t the ‘ACU Approved’ Gold sticker just a mechanism for it to continue profiting from its historic rules of the past?
A: “Absolutely not. The ACU takes great pride in ensuring helmets used in motorcycle sport competition are of a sufficient standard that should a rider have an accident and their head receives an impact, the helmet will provide good protection. A number of low cost helmets do not perform well in testing, and sadly some riders will try to use them. This testing and accreditation process ensures that risk to riders is reduced as much as possible.”
Q: Do the helmet manufacturers have to pay the ACU in order to get a gold sticker onto their helmets?
A: “The ACU covers the cost of testing the helmet, while the manufacturers have to cover the cost to ship the helmet for testing. When a helmet has passed the test and can be added to the approved list, the manufacturer will then pay for the Gold sticker to apply to their helmet.”
Q: If I have a Snell-rated helmet that doesn’t come with an ACU sticker, why shouldn’t I go to eBay and buy a sticker there? It’s cheaper than throwing a perfectly good helmet away.
A: “Most of the stickers on eBay are fake and we are working with ACU legal advisors to remove them from the marketplace. We are also taking sellers of fake stickers to court due to serious breaches of copyright, breach of trading standards and reducing the safety of the helmet testing process. Stickers are not expensive to buy from the ACU when the helmet has passed the test and is on the approved list. This gives the rider peace of mind that they have a legitimate helmet and sticker from a valid ACU helmet test.”
Q: I understand a helmet with an ACU Gold sticker is needed for ACU-licensed events, but do I need a Gold sticker for a track day?
A: “Yes, track days operate to ACU standards for technical matters so a Gold sticker is required for this type of activity.”
Q: Is it possible for the ACU to publish an approved helmet list?
A: “Yes the ACU is happy to provide an approved helmet list and this will be added to our website shortly.”
Q: If I’ve just had a helmet painted and the Gold sticker’s been removed, what’s the process for getting my helmet checked and validated?
A: “The ACU will need to ensure the helmet is on the approved list and that there have not been any material changes to the helmet. If the ACU is satisfied, then a Gold sticker can be applied to the helmet for a small cost after sending the helmet to ACU House for review.”
Q: Instead of using a sticker to prove a helmet meets certain safety criteria, why can’t a strap be used like in Europe as scrutineers can easily see if it’s been altered?
A: “The ACU is no different to other motorcycle federations in the world and the FIM is also going through helmet homologation and applying an FIM sticker to approved helmets. The ACU will recognise any helmet that has passed the FIM helmet testing process and these helmets will automatically receive ACU Gold sticker approval.”
Q: How does the ACU Gold testing standard compare to other standards nowadays? It feels outdated and well below the others out there.
A: “The ACU test is an advanced test beyond the ECE-2206. It tests for the fit on the head, impact, and a semi-hemispherical test. It checks that the helmet is suitable for competitive sport. The test adds a lot of value in terms of rider safety and will be continued going forward to ensure we protect riders as much as possible.”

15/01/2026

Please make yourselves familiar of this change from the ACU ----

I am writing to clarify the recent updates to the flag signalling regulations for the 2026 season, specifically regarding the use of the yellow waved flag and the waved medical flag..



Yellow Waved Flag

• Now to be waved only when riders are stopped on the course in a dangerous position.



Waved Medical Flag

• To be waved only when riders are stopped in a dangerous position and are being attended to by officials and/or medical staff.

• The waved medical flag supersedes the waved yellow flag.

• Marshals must continue waving the medical flag until:

o The section of the circuit is completely clear of the incident, or

o They are instructed to stop by an official in attendance.



These changes are intended to enhance safety and ensure that flag signals are used appropriately and consistently. Please ensure all marshals are briefed on these updates and that the revised procedures are followed during events.

09/12/2025

It's almost time to renew your number for 2026. If you want to ensure you keep the same number you rode with in 2025, you must renew it by 31st January 2026 at the latest. NO NUMBERS WILL BE HELD AFTER THIS DATE. Any numbers not renewed by 31st January will be made available on a first come, first served basis. If you have not renewed your number by this date, there is every possibility that you could lose it to another rider. There were over 700 numbers sold in each of the last 5 years so if you don’t want to lose your number, make sure renew it before 31st Jan.

In the past 9 years diesel, petrol and beer have all risen by over 30%, but the cost of reserving your number had remained the same, but for this coming season and going forward the cost has increased to £7.00. This ensures that the chosen charities (East Anglian Air Ambulance, Essex Air Ambulance & ACU Benevolent Fund) will receive just over £6.50 per transaction.

Numbers 1 –20 are kept for experts only. Number 1 is reserved for the Centre Champion. Since its introduction this scheme has enabled the ACU Eastern, on behalf of riders, to make donations of almost £45,000 to the chosen charities.

NEW NUMBERS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM MONDAY 2nd FEBRUARY.

RENEWALS ONLY - available from Noon on Monday 15th DECEMBER.