ProMX ’23: Penrite ProMX Championship heats up as series enters penultimate round at Queensland Moto Park

Published On: August 11, 2023Categories: News

The 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, makes its anticipated return to action this Sunday, 13 August, as the nation’s top Thor MX1, Pirelli MX2, MAXXIS MX3, and EZILIFT MXW contenders enter the penultimate round of the series at Queensland Moto Park (QMP) in a quest for national title glory.

Thor MX1

There’s been no shortage of explosive entertainment in the Thor MX1 category this year, as the red-plate has proven difficult to hold onto. After what was a dominant performance at round six in Toowoomba, Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha rider Dean Ferris enters QMP with a wave of confidence, as he captured the perfect day at Echo Valley and reclaimed the championship lead.

Seven points down in second position is Boost Mobile Honda Racing’s Jed Beaton, who has been the points-leader on multiple occasions throughout this year’s title chase. The Thor MX1 championship has been an elusive crown for the Yarrive Konsky-led Honda organisation, and Beaton has emerged as the team’s primary hope for this season.

Defending class champion and CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team ace Aaron Tanti sits at a 20-point deficit from the lead, and with teammate Luke Clout sidelined due to a broken arm sustained in a practice incident, Tanti now flies the flag solo for the famed Craig Dack Racing team as he chases his second-successive Thor MX1 crown.

Former champion Kirk Gibbs (KTM Racing Team) sits in fourth place with 31 points between he and Ferris, while series regulars Kyle Webster (Boost Mobile Honda Racing), Hamish Harwood (KTM) and Todd Waters (Raceline Berry Sweet Husqvarna Racing) look to finish out their 2023 campaigns strong.

Multiple storylines are in play at the top of the Thor MX1 title-race, which places great emphasis on the QMP round of the season as riders enter ‘crunch time’ of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship.

Pirelli MX2

The competitive spirit of racing has been on display throughout the entirety of the 2023 Pirelli MX2 Championship, as Terrafirma Honda’s Wilson Todd sits atop the class standings on 242 points. In second place is Todd’s arch-rival Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team), who has been a thorn in Todd’s side all season long, not allowing the defending champion to get comfortable for a single moment.

Crawford shadowed Todd throughout the entirety of the final moto of the Echo Valley round, and though he faces a 35-point deficit in P2, it’s evident that the number 199 is prepared to keep the pressure on Todd until the final chequered flag waves for the season.

New Zealand revelation Brodie Connolly has pieced together a strong rookie campaign, with the Polyflor Honda Racing rider sitting third in the standings as he chases a podium position on debut in the class. The pressure is mounting behind him, however, as Serco Yamaha’s Rhys Budd looks to replicate his round-winning form he achieved in Maitland, as well as GASGAS Racing Team’s Noah Ferguson, who has charged his way into P5 in the series following an early season injury.

There are battles aplenty in the Pirelli MX2 class, and no doubt they’ll resume and reach fever pitch as the championship inches closer to its conclusion.

Maxxis MX3

The MAXXIS MX3 Class has seen GASGAS-backed racer Byron Dennis post a string of calculated rides this season, using blistering pace at times along with a high racing IQ to sit 25 points clear atop the championship standings.

A hungry and extremely fast duo in Jack Mather (Raceline Berry Sweet Husqvarna Racing) and Yamaha’s Jake Cannon have each mounted attacks on the series leader at times, although have struggled to match the consistency of Dennis.

Fourth-placed Cambell Williams (Empire Kawasaki) has also shown flashes of speed throughout the season, and with two rounds remaining, all contenders for the MAXXIS MX3 Class will need to lay it on the line whilst keeping it upright as they dual for the coveted number one plate in the category.

EZILIFT MXW

Round seven of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship marks the welcomed return of the EZILIFT MXW Class, with the nation’s best female racers taking to the QMP circuit for the third round of the women’s category.

Undefeated in 2023, defending class champion Charli Cannon (Yamaha Yamalube Racing) has demonstrated again why she is one of the top young racers in the world, and with the championship entering her home state of Queensland, Cannon again will be the rider to beat for this year’s championship.

A trio of Honda’s occupy positions two through four, with Emma Milesevic, Madison Brown, and Madi Healey all chasing down the leader and looking to etch their names into the Australian motocross history books with a MXW title.

Bikes will be on track from 7:45am local on Sunday, commencing with Pirelli MX2 practice. Each category will have two motos, with the first gate drop of the day scheduled for around 10:00am.