A brutal third round of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, is in the books following a rain-soaked, challenging outing in Wodonga on Sunday, April 16, where Jed Beaton (Thor MX1), Brodie Connolly (Pirelli MX2), and Jack Mather (MAXXIS MX3) took the overall victories in the national categories.
Thor MX1
There was no denying returning international Jed Beaton in the Thor MX1 ranks at the Victorian venue, the Boost Mobile Honda Racing rider working his way to an impressive 1-2 scorecard. That result also handed him the red plate for the first time in his homecoming to Australia.
Beaton navigated the conditions best in moto one to take the chequered flag a remarkable 1m18.567s ahead of the chasing pack, followed by 2019 champion Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) and multiple New Zealand champion Hamish Harwood (CML Davey Motorsports KTM).
Moto two again saw Beaton take control from the outset, but it was a late charge from three-time MX1 champion Dean Ferris (Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha), who was a non-finisher earlier in the day, that earned him the final moto win of the weekend. He edged Beaton, with 2015 title-winner Kirk Gibbs (KTM Racing Team) taking P3.
Overall for the round, Beaton captured a well-earned victory ahead of Waters, while Gibbs was in third position. In terms of the championship, Beaton leads by 14 points ahead of Gibbs and Ferris, who ended up P6 overall this afternoon. Defending champion Aaron Tanti (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) was 15th today, dropping from first to sixth in points.
Pirelli MX2
New Zealander Brodie Connolly (Polyflor Honda Racing) has firmly placed his hat in the Pirelli MX2 ring to declare himself as a threat for the championship, racing to a milestone overall victory just three rounds into his first full season of Australian competition.
Connolly put forward a commanding performance to lead qualifying this morning and then went on to win the opening encounter by almost a full minute. He led Jayce Cosford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) and Wilson Todd (Terrafirma Honda Racing), but the big news was a non-finish for title challenger Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team).
The second race of the afternoon saw Crawford rebound to top the moto ahead of teammate Minear and Connolly, which resulted in Connolly landing a first-career overall victory ahead of last year’s MX3 class champion Minear and Todd. It’s still Todd who leads the points, now by eight over teammate Connolly, with Minear third.
MAXXIS MX3
The MAXXIS MX3 class overall belonged to Jack Mather (Husqvarna), using consistency in 2-1 finishes to secure the overall in the most gruelling of conditions.
It was Byron Dennis (GASGAS) who qualified quickest to commence proceedings early on in the day, before Queensland charger Jake Cannon (Yamaha) rose to the occasion in moto one with the win ahead of Mather and Fred Taylor (GASGAS), while Dennis crossed the line in P4.
The afternoon’s second and final outing saw Dennis cross the line first from Mather after making a move in the closing moments, however, a two-position penalty applied saw Mather instead credited P1. That sealed the latter the overall from teammate Liam Owens, who was P3 in moto two, and Dennis. Mather holds a six-point advantage in the standings.
MX85 WJMX Qualifier
Wodonga also saw the first of two highly-anticipated MX85 WJMX Qualifier events take place alongside the Penrite ProMX Championship, with some of the sport’s most talented youngsters showcasing their capabilities in a bid to secure a place in the upcoming Junior Motocross World Championship event.
It was Noah James (Husqvarna) who qualified atop the time-sheets, while moto one saw Seth Thomas (GASGAS) win from Jack Nunn (GASGAS) and Lachlan Vincent (KTM). The scheduled second moto didn’t eventuate as a result of the track conditions, meaning that the order from moto one doubled as the overall.
Round four of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, will take place at Maitland in New South Wales on May 6-7, which marks the first two-day event of the season.
