Mitchel Godden

Mitchel Stuart Godden (born 13 February 1975) is an English motorcycle rider. He competes in longtrack and grasstrack racing for Solos (1992-2016) and more recently 500cc Sidecars (2015-Present). 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, Altrip, Rastede, Angenrod, Neuhasslau,(Germany) and Roden, Uithuizen, Joure, Stadskannal, Lopersum, Balkbrug, Staphorst & Eenrum in the Netherlands, and Tayac, La-Reole, StMacaire, in France, Zolder in Belgium amongst others. In total the team have won an incredible 50 International event victories catapulting them into the history books of one of the greatest 500cc sidecar teams and without doubt the most successful from the UK ever. A remarkable achievement in a relatively short career in this sporting class.

In 2025 Team Godden / Smith became the first ever non Dutch team to win the KNMV Dutch open Sidecar Grasstrack Championships. An event dominated in recent years by the sidecar legend William Matthiessen from the Netherlands.

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 LTON championship Victory. The team consisted of Glen Phillips (c), Andrew Appleton, Richard Hall, and James Shanes. His last year in the role was 2018 with his team collecting world championship silver in Morizès France.

Mitchel has been drafted back into Team GB management on behalf of the ACU in 2025 and amazingly his team of track racing riders won FIM GOLD in Vechta Germany. Team GB’s second victory in this competition since its inception in 2007.

The 2025 team of Chris Harris, Zach Wajtknecht, Andrew Appleton, & Cameron Taylor were the top scoring team and went on to max score in the final race for gold.

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) 2025 Vechta – First (with Andrew Appleton, Chris Harris, Zach Wajtknecht, Camoneron Taylor )

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 2025 Haunstetton (2nd) 11pts

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)

2025 Lebury (Fourth)

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)