Penultimate ProMX round at QMP sets scene for Coolum finale

2023 Penrite ProMX Championship
Round Seven – QMP

Queensland Moto Park played host to round seven of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, and Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha rider Dean Ferris proved to be the class of the field in the Thor MX1 category.

KTM Racing Team’s Nathan Crawford outlasted the opposition in the Pirelli MX2 class, and GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing’s Jake Cannon took top honours in the MAXXIS MX3 class.

In the EZILIFT MXW Class, Taylor Thompson raced to the top spot to secure her first overall for the year.

The 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship resumes next weekend for the final round of the series at the iconic Coolum Pines MX circuit.

Thor MX1

After a perfect Toowoomba round from Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha’s Dean Ferris, the competition needed to put a dent in the three-time class champion’s momentum. Jed Beaton (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) did just that as he topped the AMX Top 10 Pole Shootout timesheets to open the event.

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy rider Aaron Tanti qualified in second position, followed by the second Boost Mobile Honda Racing rider Kyle Webster in third. KTM Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs posted the fourth fastest time, whilst championship leader Ferris rounded out the top five.

The sight of Ferris launching out of the gates for the holeshot in the opening moto spelled problems for the rest of the field. The points leader stretched out an 11.6-second margin over second place Beaton by races end. Webster rounded out the podium in third place, while popular veteran Brett Metcalfe (Penrite GO24 KTM) took fourth ahead of Tanti in P5.

The second moto once again belonged to Ferris. The Queenslander overcame an early race fall to then pass all the main contenders, posting another statement ride as he enters Coolum in hot form.

Kyle Webster rallied to second place, followed by Beaton in third. Fourth went to Gibbs, who finished ahead of Metcalfe in fifth.

Ferris extends his championship lead to 15 over Beaton. Gibbs sits 49-points in arrears as the series heads to Coolum for the final round next weekend.  Aaron Tanti no longer has a chance to defend his #1 plate as he is now 54-points behind Ferris.

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Thor MX1 Round Points

Thor MX1 Championship Points

Pirelli MX2

The Pirelli MX2 Class was once again headlined by series rivals Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) and championship leader Wilson Todd (Terrafirma Honda).

Todd fired the first shot by topping the morning’s qualifying session ahead of GASGAS Racing Team’s Noah Ferguson, whilst Crawford notched P3. Shadowing his KTM team-mate was Western Australian Kayden Minear in fourth ahead of Rhys Budd (Serco Yamaha) in P5.

Todd launched out of the gates for the opening moto holeshot, however was joined immediately by Crawford and Polyflor Honda rookie Brodie Connolly. The trio went on to break away from the rest of the field.

Crawford piled the pressure on Todd and eventually broke through after the Terrafirma Honda man went down. From there, it was smooth sailing for Crawford, as he breezed to the opening moto victory ahead of a recovering Todd and Connolly.

Ferguson put in a hard charge to race into the fourth-place position, with privateer Reid Taylor (KTM) put in an impressive ride to round out the top five.

Crawford launched his KTM to the holeshot in the second moto and put together a consistent ride out front to secure the perfect 1-1 scorecard for the day.

Connolly kept Crawford in sight for a time before eventually crossing the line in P2, followed by Todd, who suffered from a poor start, to finish in third place. Ferguson posted another P4 result finding success on the hardpack QMP surface, whilst Serco Yamaha’s Rhys Budd finished in fifth.

Crawford’s 1-1 gave him 50 points and the QMP round overall. Connolly (P2) and Todd (P3) rounding out the podium as the pair finished on 42-points apiece.

Todd maintains the series lead but his buffer has now been trimmed to 27-points.  Connolly retains third in the series, 54 points from the lead.

Pirelli MX2 Round Points

Pirelli MX2 Championship Points

Maxxis MX3

The MAXXIS MX3 Class belonged to GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing Team youngster Jake Cannon. The Queenslander successfully navigated the technical QMP surface to post a perfect 1-1 moto scorecard for the overall.

GASGAS racer Byron Dennis had to fight hard through both motos after mid-field starts. Dennis managed a 3-2 moto scorecard for the round and now sits 25-points clear atop the series standings heading into the final round.

Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing’s Jack Mather continues to apply pressure to Dennis and will now take the fight for the MAXXIS MX3 Championship into Coolum.

Maxxis MX3 Round Points

Maxxis MX3 Championship Points

EziLift MXW

The opening EZILIFT MXW moto was won by defending class champion Charli Cannon, as she powered her Yamalube Yamaha Racing to victory ahead of GASGAS rider Taylor Thompson in P2. Honda’s Tahlia O’Hare finished in the third place ride.

The second moto provided the first slip of Cannon’s 2023 campaign, as she ran into difficulties that would see her bow out of the moto and leave the door wide open for a new round winner. Thompson capitalised to capture the race win and the overall with a 2-1 scorecard for the event.

Honda’s Tahlia O’Hare finished the round second with 3-3 moto finishes, and Honda’s Emma Milesevic braved illness across the QMP race day and finished in third position.

The EZILIFT MXW class tightened up immensely after QMP, with Cannon and Milesevic now tied atop the standings heading into Coolum with 100 points apiece, Madison Brown a further 12-points behind that pair and most definitely still in the mix.

EziLift MXW Round Points

EziLift MXW Championship Points