Multiple British motocross champion, World runner-up and GP winner, Tommy Searle is at the back end of his illustrious career and its more about having fun in these final days as a motocross racer than the day-to-day grind of Grand Prix racing or racing the big 450 machine. Moving down to the 250 class in the British motocross championship he is enjoying his racing a little more and trying to make the most of these final seasons, after having a career with so much success.

Searle will also line-up at the World Vets Motocross, at Farleigh Castle on July 20 and 21 and cannot wait to spend some time with old friends and former rivals and meet as many fans as possible. We caught up with Searle and asked about his 250 racing and also that exciting Vets event.

Find out more here about the World Vets Motocross: World Vets Motocross.

MXlarge: Tommy, I see your results on the 250 are not bad, but how have you felt on the 250 this year?

Searle: 250’s has been good. I didn’t expect to come in and smoke everyone, the competition is high, but its fun and that is why I decided to do it. I am always carrying an injury these days and the 450 was hard to race. I still race the 450, a lot actually, but doing the whole season is more fun on the 250 than the 450.

MXlarge: Tell me, for more than a decade, you have been the most popular British rider, and with your Youtube channel and other things you do, many people really love following you. How important is that for you?

Searle: It is just a difference aspect now with the Youtube. I edit a lot of the videos, shoot them, and it is a lot different now, and not like being 20 years old and charging around the World wanting to win races. People pay me for different reasons now, for my video reach and a wider audience, and it is a little bit of both. I still work hard, and train hard, and I don’t want to not do that and be tired in races or in danger of hurting myself. I have structured my program, I have my own sponsors now and I do a lot of different things, be it social media, the Youtube, but I am still at the races, but I know my future isn’t racing, not the long-term future. It is coming to an end soon. I am still enjoying it and it isn’t just focused on racing results.

MXLarge: I understand you and Jeffrey (Herlings) have a pretty good relationship now?

Searle: I speak to him a lot, which is nice, and we went to dinner when he was last over. He is still World level, and he is at the back of his career, but he can still win. It is hard and he is racing riders of a similar age, but he has faced a lot of adversity, and he still loves it and works as hard as ever. You can see that with some races he has won this year.

MXlarge: The World Vets Motocross, I know you have mentioned in the past you like these one-off events. What excited you about this one?

Searle: I have never ridden Farleigh before; this will be my first time. I am looking forward to it and I have spoken to Jamie Dobb about it. He is excited about it too and I have done other veterans’ races, but I want to do a few of them. This one has a different audience and that will be more family oriented. I will be racing a modern bike and the class I am is the modern bikes, which is nice. I am really looking forward to it and it adds some much for the British schedule. Being able to race Farleigh Caste, a track that has so much history in our sport, that is the biggest thing I look forward to.

MXlarge: A lot of big names racing it. Do you know many younger guys who will race it?

Searle: Yes, I do, and you don’t have to be older to race it, but I am 35 and a friend of mine is racing it. It will be nice having Tortelli racing and Dobber and so many others. It will be going with the family and over two races and a lot of racing, so it will be fun. Billy Mackenzie is racing it and of course he did so well in the British championship, and he was winning a race until Herlings passed him. He does a lot of the veteran races now and he takes it pretty seriously and it’s nice to see all these old faces enjoying themselves.

MXLarge: You are getting close to the end of your career, so these fun races are probably your future?

Searle: Yes, I enjoy riding, I enjoy the training, and, in the UK, we have some young guys coming through and I want to keep racing, but more fun events and not race full-time. Even the British championship races, the competition is still top ten riders and being older its hard, but these veteran races are just good fun, and you don’t have to push too hard, but can still race. I am really excited for this one, as it is a new one for me and as I said, I have never raced at Farleigh.

MXLarge: You have always attracted spectators and your British GP results have often been good, winning in 2007 and then again in 2012 in that classic against Herlings. What are your best memories of those two GPs?

Searle: Yes, I won in 2007, it feels like a lifetime ago. I remember that first one in 2007, it is hard to remember, and it feels longer than 20 years ago. I was still living at Jamie Dobbs house, and we went for a barbecue at his house after winning. I nearly won the one before in Ireland, but Tony (Cairoli) won, and I finished second. He then moved up to the 450 class for the British GP and that opened up my chances of winning it. There were a lot of us could have won it and none of us had won a GP yet and I went 1-2, I think. Matterley in 2012, I would say that was my best GP win ever. With Jeffrey there and the rivalry we had, and I came out on top in both races and that was the best race day of my life.