The Desmo450 MX to make its debut in the Flat Track World Championship with the VRX Dirt Store Ducati Race Team

VRX Management Ltd are delighted to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Ducati UK for a two-rider entry into the 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship.

The Race Team will be represented by current British Flat Track Champion Tim Neave and rising talent Ashton Boughen as they compete in the series over ten rounds across eight different countries.

The partnership is the result of many months of careful preparation with long-term aspirations of success in one of the world’s fastest growing motorcycle disciplines.

VRX Management are best known for their administration of the Great Britain Speedway Team, an arrangement which has been in place since 2018 and has produced FIM Speedway of Nations Gold medals in both 2021 and 2024.

Now VRX are proud to team up with world-famous Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, who will be entering the Flat Track World Championship for the first time with the Ducati Desmo 450 MX. 

VRX is also partnering with Dirt Store one of the UK’s leading suppliers of off-road apparel, parts and equipment, and they will be providing full support for the team as title partners.

On the rider roster, 30-year-old Neave is the current ACU British Flat Track Champion and finished sixth in the World Championship last year, having finished fourth overall in 2024. He has also competed in the British Superbike Championship. 

Boughen, 18, previously raced for Yamaha Europe in MX, where he is a former British Youth Champion, and after Speedway outings in recent years he will now be making his debut in the Flat Track World Championship.

The series gets underway in the Netherlands at Roden on May 9, with ‘home’ events taking place for manufacturer Ducati at Terenzano, Italy on May 30th, and for the team and riders at King’s Lynn in the UK on August 29th. The final two rounds are at Argentinean venue Totoras in October.

Fabrizio Cazzoli, Managing Director Ducati UK
"Ducati UK is delighted to extend its congratulations to the newly established VRX Dirt Store Ducati Race Team as they embark on this exciting new chapter.

We are proud to see the Ducati Desmo 450 MX showcased in an environment that differs from its traditional cross setting. As the very first flat track team to utilise this model, this initiative highlights the remarkable versatility and adaptability of the Ducati platform.

This project represents an important milestone, demonstrating how the Desmo 450 MX can perform across diverse disciplines while maintaining the performance and engineering excellence synonymous with the Ducati name.

We wish the Team every success for the season ahead and look forward to following their progress closely."

Rob Painter, Managing Director VRX Management Ltd
“We’ve kept a very close eye on the growth of the FIM Flat Track World Championship in recent years, and we have also attended various events in the series to gain a full understanding of how the series operates.


The opportunity to partner with an iconic manufacturer such as Ducati, who themselves are excited to see their recently launch Desmo 450 MX racing in the FIM Flat Track World Championship for the first time, is one we were very keen to take, and we are delighted it has come to fruition along with the vital support from Dirt Store.

We know there is a great deal to learn when entering a new discipline, so to have the experience of Tim Neave on board is another huge positive and can only aid our development. We also want to help him achieve his own aspirations in what is a really competitive series.

Ashton Boughen has already shown his talent on a motorcycle in various disciplines, and whilst this will be a new challenge for him, we’re confident he will thrive in this environment, and we look forward to seeing him progress.

We’re hugely excited about the year ahead, and we can’t wait to present the new VRX Dirt Store Ducati Race Team at the opening round in Roden.

I would like to thank Ducati’s Paolo Ciabatti, Fabrizio Cazzoli and Sara Falzolgher for their trust and support in this new project."

Dan Giffard, Dirt Store Founder
“Dirt Store is one of the UK’s leading online off-road retailers. Originally launched in 2023, Dirt Store provides riders of all abilities with the latest and greatest off-road products. 

Founded by avid riders, Dan and Nick, Dirt Store’s overarching aim is to develop the off-road motorsports community and push the sport to new audiences. From the amateur levels, to the pinnacle of professional racing, Dirt Store has supported riders across various motocross, enduro and speedway events. 

The partnership with VRX Dirt Store Ducati is the retailers first step into flat track racing, and the team at Dirt Store are excited to be branching out into another new discipline.”

FIM Flat 2026 Track World Championship
Round 1 – Roden, Netherlands, May 9
Round 2 – Terenzano, Italy, May 30
Round 3 – Teterow, Germany, June 27
Round 4 – Donji Kraljevec, Croatia, July 4
Round 5 – Scheessel, Germany, August 22
Round 6 – King’s Lynn, UK, August 29
Round 7 – Vasad, Hungary, September 12
Round 8 – Pardubice, Czech Republic, October 3
Round 9 – Totoras, Argentina, October 24
Round 10 – Totoras, Argentina, October 25

For more info please visit www.vrxducati.com 

Photo credit: Roberto Tomba