# Mitchel Godden

Mitchel Stuart Godden is an English motorcycle rider. He competes in longtrack and grasstrack racing for Solos (1992) and more recently 500cc Sidecars (2015). He is the son of Don Godden who won the Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship in 1969.
Mitchel Godden followed in his fathers footsteps and started racing in 1992. He started on a 250cc (ex Jeremy Doncaster) Honda red Rocket and rode this for one season before using Godden works 350cc machine and then after a couple of seasons progressed to 500cc class. Godden later progressed to international racing becoming a specialists on German grasstracks and Dutch sandtracks.
In 2015 after 23 years of racing at the very top level Godden went in to 500cc Sidecar racing and achieved immediate success in the UK and the continent soon after. With his passenger, Paul Smith, he has won international events in Werlte, Ludinghausen, Schwarme, Herxheim, Osnabrook, Hertingen Berghaupten, Bielefeld, Rastede & Angenrod, (Germany) and Roden, Uithuizen, Joure, Stadskannal, Lopersum, Balkbrug, Staphorst & Eenrum in the Netherlands, and Tayac, StMacaire, in France amongst others
Using his vast track racing knowledge and engineering background Godden produces his own complete 500cc Sidecar machined known as Zircon Racing. The team Godden/Smith raced to an impressive 19 podiums from 22 starts in 2017, 18 podiums from 23 starts in 2018 and 21 podiums from 23 starts in 2019, and 15 podiums from 16 starts in 2022 including 8 first places, 21 podiums from 23 starts including 16 Gold medal positions in 2023, and the best yet 18 podiums in international events from 18 starts in 2024 including 10 first place Victories with most (16) events being fought out of foreign soil.
Godden/Smith finished 4th in their first attempt at the European title in Tayac France July 2017, 2nd in the 2018 FIM-Europe Championship in Werlte Germany July 2018, 3rd in 2019 FIM-E Championship in Eenrum Netherlands August 2019, 2nd in 2022 FIM-E Championship in Eenrum Netherlands August 2022, and 2nd again in the 2023 FIME Championship held in Bad-Hersfeld Germany. This was followed with second again in 2024 making an impressive new record in the sport although the gold medal still eludes their grasp.
The team are the only British team in history to hold 5 European championships medals and the only team in British history to win any championship medal(s) on foreign soil. Their tally of wins and podiums over the past 5 years arguably rates them as one of the most successful and consistent crews currently and cements their efforts into the sidecar halls of fame.
** 4x British Champions **
The team won their first British 500cc sidecar championship in 2021, after several near misses in the years before, taking the title with an unbeaten performance. This was followed by taking their second and successive British title in 2022 and the third in 2023. The impressive European form continued to make it the 4th consecutive title in 2024 with an unbeaten maximum ride.

## Promotion

In recent year Godden has also turned his hand to promotion. He started the charity Kart meeting at Buckmore Park as well as promotion and running of the Invicta International Grasstrack meetings at the Hop Farm and Collier Street 'The Kings of Speed' in 2008, 2011 and 2012. In 2016 he started the Pit Bike Winter Series at Iwade Stadium.

## Management

In 2013 Godden on behalf of the ACU took over the manager role of the Great Britain World Longtrack team. In 2013 he led the team to the bronze medal and 2015 he led the team to their only championship. His last year in the role was 2018.

## World Longtrack Championship
### Individual Championship

* 1999 4 app (16th) 18pts

### Team Championship

Rider
* 2007 Morizès – Second (with Paul Hurry, Andrew Appleton, Glen Phillips)
* 2008 Werlte – Third (with Richard Hall, Glen Phillips, Vince Kinchin)
* 2011 Scheeßel – Third (with Paul Cooper, Andrew Appleton, Glen Phillips)
Manager
* 2013 Folkestone – Third (with Richard Hall, Andrew Appleton, Paul Cooper, Glen Phillips)
* 2014 Forssa – Fifth (with Andrew Appleton, Richard Hall, David Howe, Glen Phillips)
* 2015 Mühldorf – First (with Andrew Appleton, Richard Hall, James Shanes, Glen Phillips)
* 2016 Mariánské Lázně – Fourth (with Andrew Appleton, Richard Hall, James Shanes, Glen Phillips)
* 2017 Roden – Fourth (with Andrew Appleton, Richard Hall, James Shanes, Edward Kennett)
* 2018 Morizès – Second (with James Shanes, Chris Harris, Zach Wajtknecht, Adam Ellis)

## European Grasstrack Championship
### Solos Finals

* 2004 Eenrum (14th) 4pts
* 2008 Siddeburen (10th) 11pts
* 2010 La Réole (12th) 9pts
* 2011 Skegness (8th) 14pts
* 2012 Eenrum (14th) 6pts
* 2015 Staphorst (11th) 6pts
* 2016 Folkestone (14th) 3pts

### Solos Semi-finals

* 2000 Semi-finalist
* 2003 Semi-finalist
* 2005 Semi-finalist
* 2006 Semi-finalist
* 2009 Semi-finalist
* 2014 Semi-finalist

### Sidecar Finals

* 2017 Tayac (4th) 7pts
* 2018 Wertle (2nd) 17pts
* 2019 Eenrum (3rd) 18pts
* 2022 Eenrum (2nd) 17pts
* 2023 Bad Hersfeld (2nd) 11pts
* 2024 Uithuizen (2nd) 10pts

## British Masters Grasstrack Championship
### Top Ten Finishes

* 2005 Northiam (9th)
* 2006 Wadebridge (7th)
* 2007 Long Marston (9th)
* 2008 Rhodes Minnis (4th)
* 2010 Rhodes Minnis (5th)
* 2013 Uddens (7th)
* 2014 Swingfield (6th)
* 2015 Corfe Mullen (9th)
* 2021 Swingfield (3rd)
Other Appearances: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2012.

## British Sidecar Championship

* 2016 Frittenden (Second)
* 2017 Ledbury (Second)
* 2018 Chelmsford (Third)
* 2019 Chelmsford (Disqualified)
* 2021 Ledbury (First)
* 2022 Frittenden (First)
* 2023 GTSA (First)
* 2024 - Frittenden (First)

## British Sand Ace Championship

* 2006 Guernsey (Champion)
* 2007 Guernsey (Champion)
* 2008 Guernsey (5th)
* 2009 Guernsey (Champion)
* 2010 Guernsey (Champion)
* 2011 Guernsey (Champion)
* 2012 Guernsey (Third)
* 2013 Guernsey (18th)
* 2014 Guernsey (5th)
* 2015 Guernsey (6th)

## Sources

* Grasstrackgb
* Polish Historia
* Family History
* Longtrack History