The road to the Championship arrived at Coolum for the final round of the 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores (ProMX). A huge crowd welcomed riders and teams to the picturesque holiday setting on the Sunshine Coast, with a contrasting race track of deep and treacherous sand that kept riders on the edge all weekend.

With the Championship on the line across the THOR MX1, Maxxis MX3, EZILIFT MXW and VMX classes, it was a weekend of non-stop on-track action and Championship glory in the deep sands of Coolum.

THOR MX1

Red Plate holder Aaron Tanti, on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team, entered Coolum with a comfortable advantage over his rival, HRC Honda Racing Australia’s Dean Ferris. However, with qualifying and two Moto’s to get through, it was not a sealed deal until Tanti delivered under pressure on race day. 

In Moto 1, Wilson Todd would claim the holeshot, continuing his momentum from setting the fastest time in the AMX Superstores Top 10 Pole Shootout earlier in the morning. As Todd began to sprint away from the field, there was a freight train of Factory riders battling for the podium spots early on. Husqvarna Australia’s Todd Waters would blitz through the field from outside of the top 5 into 2nd position early on, closing in on the race leader in the process. 

In the Championship battle, Dean Ferris ran in 3rd position, whilst Tanti rode a smart race and stayed out of any possible complications to his Championship run, electing to circulate in 6th position for the majority of the Moto. 

Todd would claim the Moto 1 victory, with Todd Waters in 2nd and Dean Ferris in 3rd, with Aaron Tanti crossing the line in 7th at the chequered flag.

In Moto 2, it was the HRC Honda Racing Australia teammates of Kyle Webster and Wilson Todd who would battle on the first lap from the gate drop. Webster would emerge from the first lap battle with the lead and begin to break from the field early. 

Todd Waters would again surge through the field, passing into 2nd position and then into the lead at the 10-minute mark of the Moto. But it was not over, as Todd caught Webster, the HRC teammates worked together to catch a slowing Waters, with Webster reclaiming the lead with four minutes to go. Wilson Todd tried to follow suit, however Waters would cross rut in the sand and run wide, pushing Wilson off the track and to the ground in the back section of the track. 

At the chequered flag, it was Webster taking victory from Waters in 2nd and Todd remounting for 3rd. 

1-3 Moto scores would give Wilson Todd his first overall victory in THOR MX1, whilst the Championship belonged to Tanti who crossed the line in 6th position, one behind Ferris, to claim the title. 

THOR MX1 Overall Podium

1st – Wilson Todd

2nd – Todd Waters

3rd – Kyle Webster

THOR MX1 Championship Standings

1st – Aaron Tanti

2nd – Dean Ferris

3rd – Todd Waters

Pirelli MX2

The Pirelli MX2 Championship may have been decided at QMP, but there was no shortage of riders looking to make a claim on the top step of the podium at Coolum. 

KTM Australia’s Nathan Crawford picked up where he left off a week ago at QMP, taking the holeshot in Moto 1 and establishing solid track position early in the Moto. As Crawford pulled away, New Zealand wild card Hayden Smith on the GAS GAS 250 two stroke factored into the front pack early, running in 2nd. SERCO Yamaha’s Jesse Dobson would pass Smith for 2nd, however a nagging shoulder injury would reappear for Dobson forcing him out of the Moto by the halfway point.

Jayce Cosford on his Yamaha YZ250f was having another incredible Moto, moving into 2nd position following Dobson’s exit with the Yamaha duo of Yamalube Yamaha’s Rhys Budd in 3rd and SERCO Yamaha’s Bailey Malkiewicz in 4th respectively. 

As Crawford claimed the Moto win, the Yamaha riders would remain in the same order in the final laps to close out the Moto, as GAS GAS Noah Ferguson fought through to 5th position at the flag.

Moto 2 saw a repeat holeshot from Crawford who again, began to sprint away from the field early. Dobson returned to the front after his first Moto DNF running impressively in 2nd place, but it was not Dobson’s day as a big crash at the 10-minute mark would end his 2nd Moto and his run at 3rd place in the Pirelli MX2 Championship standings. 

In the final Moto of the season, we saw the emergence of WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha’s Levi Rogers. Rogers would close on Crawford and make the move to seize control of the Moto and open up a comfortable lead to the chequered flag, with Crawford in 2nd and Malkiewicz in 3rd for the Moto. Budd crossed in 4th and Empire Kawasaki’s Haruki Yokoyama finished in 5th. 

Pirelli MX2 Overall Podium

1st – Nathan Crawford

2nd – Bailey Malkiewicz 

3rd – Rhys Budd

Pirelli MX2 Championship Standings

1st – Wilson Todd

2nd – Rhys Budd

3rd – Bailey Malkiewicz

Maxxis MX3

Red Plate holder and 15-year-old phenom, Kayden Minear on the KTM Australia machine entered Coolum on the verge of claiming his first Championship title in Maxxis MX3. After a quiet but consistent few rounds of racing for Minear, the renowned sand specialist from WA looked to make a statement at Coolum in Moto 1. 

As Husqvarna Australia’s Brock Flynn took the holeshot in Moto 1, Minear would execute an impressive pass for the lead on the big double jump following turn 2. However, in turn 3 Minear would carry too much entry speed, losing the front end and going down. As Minear scrambled back to his bike, Flynn would retake the lead, from KTM privateer Myles Gilmore in 3rd.

Later in the Moto, it was Flynn’s turn to crash whilst leading as he ploughed the front end in the deep sand, going over the bars. Gilmore would take the lead and not look back, taking the chequered flag from Flynn in 2nd and Ryan Alexanderson on his KTM in 3rd. Minear would fight back to 5th position and enter Moto 2 with a comfortable lead in the Championship chase.

Moto 2 put any nerves and doubt aside that Minear was ready to win, taking a huge holeshot with impressive speed early. As the Moto progressed, Minear would succumb to a late race charge from Flynn with two laps to go. At the chequered flag it would be Flynn with the Moto win, from Minear in 2nd and Myles Gilmore in 3rd. 

Flynn would claim the overall victory on the day as Minear would claim 3rd overall and his first Maxxis MX3 Championship crown. 

Maxxis MX3 Overall Podium

1st – Brock Flynn

2nd – Kayden Minear

3rd – Myles Gilmore

Maxxis MX3 Championship Standings

1st – Kayden Minear

2nd – Ryan Alexanderson

3rd – Jack Mather

EZILIFT MXW

In the EZILIFT MXW class the storyline was the dominance of Yamalube Yamaha’s Charli Cannon versus the returning Taylah McCutcheon from injury, on the HRC Honda Racing Australia machine. In the first Moto, McCutcheon grabbed the holeshot as Cannon got held up in the gate. With Cannon fighting through traffic on the opening two laps, McCutcheon would seize the opportunity to sprint from the field and open up a small margin as Cannon found her way to 2nd place by lap two. The lead duo would battle until lap five, where Cannon’s speed and fitness overcame the resilience of McCutcheon who fought hard to stay closer to Cannon than any other MXW competitor has this season. 

At the chequered flag, Cannon took victory with a comfortable margin over McCutcheon in 2nd. Emma Milesevic braved a return from injury to claim a solid 3rd in Moto 1 on the HRC Honda Racing Australia ride, with Kawasaki’s Megan Rutledge in 4th and Ride Red Honda’s Maddy Brown in 5th. 

In Moto 2, Cannon was determined to not be challenged and round out the season with a perfect string of Moto victories. After a brief holeshot and challenge from McCutcheon, Cannon would take control of the Moto and open up a massive buffer over her competitors to claim the final Moto win of the season. McCutcheon would finish 2nd, with a resurgent Maddy Brown in 3rd. 

Charli Cannon claimed the EZILIFT MXW championship crown and the overall victory on the day with another 1-1 Moto score. 

EZILIFT MXW Overall Podium

1st – Charli Cannon

2nd – Taylah McCutcheon

3rd – Maddy Brown

EZILIFT MXW Championship Standings

1st – Charli Cannon 

2nd – Emma Milesevic 

3rd – Maddy Brown

VMX

30-39 Class

In the VMX 30-39 class it was a case of split Moto victories between Ryan Hardman and Beau Ralston that would decide the overall and Championship on the day. After winning Moto 1, Hardman would suffer an unfortunate mechanical issue that would see him DNF the Moto and derail both his chain and Championship hopes. Ralston would capitalise with a win in Moto 2 and with a constant 2nd place in the opening Moto, he would be crowned overall winner and 30+ Champion at Coolum in the VMX class. Oliver Smith and Charles Brett round out the Championship podium in 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.

VMX 30+ Overall & Championship Podium 

1st – Beau Ralston

2nd – Oliver Smith

3rd – Charles Brett

40 + Class

In the VMX 40+ Class, it was America’s Mike Sleeter who would dominate proceedings on his GAS GAS. Taking 1-1 Moto scores on the day, Sleeter was not challenged as he ran times highly competitive in the younger 30+ class. Behind Sleeter, it was Ashley Erbacher who would take 2nd position and Travis Regeling in 3rd. 

VMX 40+ Overall & Championship Podium 

1st – Mike Sleeter

2nd – Ashley Erbacher

3rd – Travis Regeling