Due to a change of support and budget, the XBladez team has reassessed its involvement with the Arenacross series and made the tough decision to withdraw from the 2018 Tour. XBladez has been associated with, and has heavily supported, AX over the past three years and had ambitious plans going into its fourth series. As a result, the Team Try-Out Days, scheduled for later this month, will unfortunately now be cancelled. This is a temporary measure though, and the team fully intends to pick up and run with this initiative at a future date.

Dave Willet, the driving force behind XBladez and its Arenacross involvement said: “I’m truly disappointed that we won’t be attending the series as we’ve had huge success in the past and personally, I get a real buzz from it. This decision wasn’t an easy one to make, but it’s healthiest for all involved.

“In previous years, we’ve invested heavily in the series, always with the hope that one day we’d see a little return on that investment. We honestly believed we’d reached that point and so wanted to give something back and provide British riders with a real opportunity to up their game and be part of a professional outfit. We don’t want to do something if it can’t be done properly and, with the change of fortune, we’re not in a situation to give it our best shot. We’re deeply sorry for the 82 riders who took the trouble to apply, and also the sponsors already involved.

“We remain positive though and will be back soon with news of our other projects such as the UK’s only Apico Two-stroke Festival. Never say never!”