British ACU Supermoto and Superlite Championships

Cadwell Park 

Report and Images by David Gowshall

5^TH -  6^TH November 2022

The Norasport / ACU British Supermoto and Superlite Championship meeting at Cadwell Park, which takes place annually, is a two-day action-packed motorsport event with highly competitive close racing and is usually the penultimate attraction at the Lincolnshire circuit.

My visit was restricted to Sunday only, and on arrival at the circuit I was greeted by thick fog making racing and photography equally difficult.  After visiting Cadwell Park’s excellent café for a sausage bap and a warming cup of coffee, the fog had cleared a little, but the track conditions were still decidedly damp.

I was visiting a Supermoto event for the first time so had done some research on the “tinterweb” the previous evening, learning that Supermoto is motorcycle racing on a circuit that generally alternates between three types of track - motocross, road racing and flat track, using motorcycles specifically designed for that purpose, Supermotos.

Supermoto was originally conceived in the USA as something like an all-star game, in which the best riders from the three separate genres of motorcycle racing could temporarily leave their normal race class to come together and compete for the title of best all-around racer.



However, Supermoto, following it’s inception, rapidly became a distinct genre of its own and riders in the other classes do not routinely cross over into Supermoto.

The series is run at a number of circuits around the country, normally associated with go-karting, and a couple of rallycross venues at Blyton Park and Pembrey.

For those familiar with Cadwell Park the 10^th and final round of the Supermoto championship is all tarmac on Saturday. The races are run on the original “Woodlands” circuit. On Sunday it’s still virtually all tarmac but using an extended circuit. This includes Coppice and Charlies bends and a short section of Park Straight, before utilising a short and steep downhill link road which could be described as off road and which re-joins the main circuit at Mansfield Corner.



Taking part in the weekend’s event were all the Supermoto regulars including 2021 Champion Chris Hodgson (#74), Jamie Duncan (#7) and Jay Smith (#33) who were separated by a handful of points prior to the weekend’s racing. The recently crowned 2022 British Superbike champion Bradley Ray (#28) and fellow superbike rider Storm Stacey (#79) were also out on track riding as “guests”. 

The riders are placed in three categories, for Novices (Class C), Clubman (Class B) and Elite (Class A).  Each class races separately but there is a clever two up/two down system in place which results in the riders finishing 1^st and 2^nd in their class being promoted to the next higher category race. The riders placed in the last two places in their class are then relegated to the next lower category race.

Up and coming riders therefore receive recognition for their efforts and gain more experience as they go along during the weekend.



The racing comes thick and fast and assisted by the “two up/two down’ system, is very competitive. 

Riding styles vary widely too, with some riders favouring a feet down method when cornering, some knee down and some both feet and knees up.

It all adds up to a unique and highly skilful form of motorsport, which I found very entertaining and fun to photograph.

Equally fun are the Superlites, which compete at the same meeting, complementing the Supermoto racing perfectly.



These four wheeled vehicles appear to be a real handful, particularly in the damp conditions, with drivers having to apply opposite lock at virtually every turn to keep the cars heading in the right direction!

As with Rallycross, which I am more familiar with, each driver has a Joker lap, although in this case the lap was made shorter rather than longer, with drivers not required to negotiate The Chicane located between Mansfield Corner and The Mountain.

This seemed to create some issues for drivers unfamiliar with approaching the left-hand corner at the bottom of The Mountain at extra speed, and there were several trips on to the grass as a result.

There was also a number of deliberate excursions across the grass, which necessitated the placement of some strategic straw bales by the marshals, who were kept busy throughout the day.

As a result of the murky conditions which were certainly challenging for photography throughout the day, I was forced to leave mid-afternoon with the light rapidly fading and conditions deteriorating fast, feeling disappointed after what had been a very entertaining day, and which, hopefully, I will be able to enjoy next year.



The later races still scheduled took place in virtual darkness and just to add to the difficulty level, heavy rain.

Despite the appalling conditions, Storm Stacey had an outstanding weekend, winning every Class A Elite race, usually celebrated by some huge “wheelies”.

The next and final action of the year at Cadwell Park will come in the form of rallying and the end of season Firework Display on the 20^thNovember. As always, the PistonClick team will be there to capture the action.

You can see more of David’s work on his website.

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