QMP Set To Host Round 7 As The Road To The Championship Begins For ProMX
Queensland Moto Park (QMP) will host Round 7 of the 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores (ProMX) this Sunday August 14th. Hosting the first of two epic back to back weekends of ProMX Action in Queensland, the road to the Championship truly begins at QMP, where riders will look to firmly stake their claim and solidify their chances of Championship glory before heading to Coolum for the final Round of the Championship just one week later.
Queensland race fans have patiently waited all season long for their chance to witness the exhilarating track side action of ProMX.
The fast and natural terrain setting of QMP will not disappoint, with riders, teams and industry alike all excited to hit the track in the Queensland winter sun and soak up the atmosphere the Queensland Rounds have to offer. A record crowd is expected at QMP, located under two hours of both Brisbane and the Gold Coast hubs of Australian Motocross riders and fans.
In the THOR MX1 class, heading into Round 7 we see CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s Aaron Tanti with the Red Plate and a 29 point lead of HRC Honda Racing Australia’s Dean Ferris in 2nd place in the Championship.
Ferris and Tanti battled fiercely at Coffs Harbour with Ferris ultimately emerging victorious for Round 6 with 1-1 Moto scores. Tanti sacrificed a few points to Ferris at Coffs and so the question we must answer: Is Dean Ferris too close for comfort for Tanti with two Rounds to go?
Ferris is a previous three time Champion in THOR MX1 and knows how to get the job done. A deficit of 29 Points is not easily bridged and Aaron Tanti is extremely fast, confident and capable of delivering the results needed to maintain his Red Plate at QMP this weekend and next weekend at Coolum; two tracks where he is known for his trademark speed.
One thing is for sure, QMP will set the stage for the Championship finale and for Ferris, winning out is his only option, where Tanti has the advantage of managing his advantage starting when the gate drops at QMP.
Amazingly, we see the veterans like Husqvarna Australia’s Todd Waters and GO24 KTM’s Brett Metcalfe sitting tied for 3rd position in the Championship just 5 points behind Ferris.
Starting with Waters, the Queensland based rider will be extremely comfortable at QMP where he has spun many laps of testing over the years. Could the super consistent Waters step up to challenge for race wins at QMP? It’s certainly not out of the question to see the 2019 Champion return to the top step of the podium.
Brett Metcalfe has shown incredible first race track position and speed at many rounds this season, If “Metty” can have a consistent showing at QMP, he and Waters will go down to the wire for the podium placings in the Championship.
KTM Australia’s Kirk Gibbs showed great determination and speed after surgery leading into Coffs Harbour and we expect the same for the QLD based Gibbs at QMP.
In Pirelli MX2, Red Plate holder Wilson Todd is within just three points away from claiming the Championship #1 plate coming into Round 7. With the incredible speed and dominant level of riding over his competition that Wilson has displayed this season, it is realistic that he will be crowned Pirelli MX2 champion following the opening Moto of the day at QMP.
This scenario has led to an interesting development where we may in fact see Todd jump up to the CRF450R and compete in THOR MX1 potentially at both QMP and Coolum. He has been testing with the HRC Honda Racing Australia team and although not confirmed at this date, the rumour mill and excitement is building within the pits and industry alike that this could happen before the end of the 2022 Championship. Watch this space!
Behind Wilson Todd, there are the usual suspects of Pirelli MX2 riders all looking to take their shot at podium placings at QMP.
With just 21 points separating the Yamalube Yamaha rider of Rhys Budd in second place in the Championship and the Serco Yamaha riders of Jesse Dobson and Rhys Budd siting third and fourth respectively, it is still all to play for as the three youngsters battle it out for podium placings and momentum into the final Round at Coolum.
Empire Kawasaki’s Haruki Yokoyama and Gas Gas Australia’s Noah Ferguson will continue to play into the podium battles, as standout rides from Jayce Cosford and Caleb Barham at Coffs Harbour will no doubt add to the momentum and confidence of these riders battling for the lead positions at QMP.
The emergence of KTM Australia’s Nathan Crawford at Coffs Harbour as a legitimate race winning contender at his very first gate drops of the 2022 season as he returned from injury further adds to the excitement of how the Pirelli MX2 class action will unfold at QMP.
As with all things Pirelli MX2, the action will be non-stop as battles, crashes and passes will reign supreme at the fast QMP track.
In Maxxis MX3 it is KTM Australia’s Kayden Minear who has shown race winning speed on his day and Championship winning consistency.
he will start Round 7 with the Red Plate and with a 19 point lead over Husqvarna Australia’s Jack Mather. Minear will look to return to the top step of the podium at QMP, while Honda Racing Australia’s Cambell Williams is still in the Championship fight in third.
We have Race and Round winners such as the KTM duo of Ryan Alexanderson and Connor Towill, Ride Red Honda’s Ty Kean and Husqvarna Australia’s Brock Flynn to name only a few of the contenders in Maxxis MX3.
As always, the door is wide open for upset performances, season first wins and podiums for the next generation of Australian Motocross talent on display at QMP in Maxxis MX3.
In a further addition to the incredible line up of ProMX action, QMP will also host the 2nd Round of the Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup Rounds for the Championship.
This incredible initiative by Yamaha Australia gives young riders competing on YZ65 machines the opportunity to compete on the same race track as their Factory racing heroes.
Experiencing a once in a lifetime weekend pitting out of the bLU cRU truck, with unparalleled access to Yamaha’s professional MX race teams, each YZ65 Cup participant is rewarded with memories that last a lifetime.
Get your tickets for QMP here and don’t miss any of the action
