Preview: 2025 Arenacross World Tour | Round 2 Manchester

The race to Abu Dhabi for the Arenacross World Tour Finals is all set to resume as the final qualifying round heads to Manchester’s AO Arena on Saturday 22nd February.

International racers such as former Arenacross champions Thomas Ramette (SR75 World Team Suzuki) and Cedric Soubeyras (DRT Kawasaki) will be gunning to secure their spot on the start gate at the plush Etihad Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on the now confirmed date of Saturday 5th July.

Jorge Zaragoza OUT | Michael Hicks IN:

They’ll also be joined in Manchester by American Arenacross racer Michael Hicks who will be stepping in to replace Jorge Zaragoza for the Stark Future Racing Team. Zaragoza took the opening qualifying round victory in style with a wire-to-wire win but unfortunately has recently picked up a knee injury ruling him out of Manchester. Hicks is putting together a solid season in AMA Arenacross, currently lying third in the AX Pro championship with some main event wins under his belt and he’s also leading the electric bike X Pro championship, so has had plenty of successful seat time on the Stark Varg coming into Manchester and his first taste of Arenacross outside of the U.S.

Further international racers like Adrien Escoffier (D.A.D / AWP KTM), Yannis Irsuti (Stark Future Racing). Joan Cross (Substance JPR KTM) and Charles LeFrançois (Armor Vision / St. Blazey) will also be in the mix along with all the British riders who have been racing the Arenacross British championship over the past five rounds.

Dean Wilson (Armor Vision / St.Blazey Honda) will not only want to go undefeated in the British championship, but he’ll also want to win the World Tour qualifying final at Manchester after finishing third in the opening round behind Zaragoza and Soubeyras. As will Conrad Mewse (Crendon Tru 7 Honda Racing) who would love to end his AX British championship campaign on top of the box.

AX Pro World Tour Standings post Round 1