Honda Racing has completed a historic sweep of 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship titles in extraordinary circumstances, as Kyle Webster (Thor MX1) and Jake Cannon (MAXXIS MX3) joined Brodie Connolly (Pirelli MX2) and Charli Cannon (EZILIFT MXW) on the top of their class podiums.
In the tightest title fight in Australian motocross history, Boost Mobile Honda Racing’s Webster claimed the MX1 crown on countback after his arch-rival Jed Beaton (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) was able to draw level on 382 points by dominating Sunday’s racing.
Across all classes, race fans were treated to some of the most intense action of the entire 2024 season around the fast, technical QMP circuit, bringing a thrilling conclusion to this year’s eight-round series.
THOR MX1
In dramatic circumstances, Kyle Webster has wrapped up the 2024 Australian MX1 championship on countback from a determined Jed Beaton.
After experiencing a big crash yesterday and hurting his hand, Webster was in damage control all day. Beaton finished 1-1 in the two final motos of the year, and the pair tied on 382 points. Webster took the title by winning more races this year.
The excitement started early when WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha’s Maximus Purvis broke Beaton’s AMX Superstores Top 10 Pole Shootout streak. The Kiwi stunned the field by posting a 1m47.729s lap time, more than half a second quicker than Empire Kawasaki’s Luke Clout.
GASGAS Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs logged an impressive final lap to claim P3, edging ahead of Beaton by 0.26s, with Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) claiming P5.
There was plenty of action in the opening MX1 moto, as Beaton took the win and closed the gap on the championship leader. Clout took the WP Holeshot, but a surging Purvis carved past him for the lead in the opening laps. Several laps later, Purvis then suffered a huge crash, allowing Clout to briefly retake the lead.
Beaton fought his way from P6 on the opening lap to eventually pass Clout and ride away to an 8.6-second win, with Clout second and Webster bravely riding through the pain to finish P3.
Wilson Todd (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) did a great job of protecting Webster from a late, hard charge from Gibbs to hold onto P4 and ensure Webster maintained some handy points going into the final moto, while Gibbs would finish P5.
With everything to play for in the final moto, Webster grabbed the holeshot, but Beaton wasted no time getting past and stretching out a commanding 8.9-second lead by the time he crossed the finish-line.
Riding through the pain, Webster found himself going backwards as Clout, Gibbs and Purvis overtook him, but he gritted his teeth and stayed ahead of Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) to secure Honda’s first MX1 championship in decades – and a first under the management of team owner Yarrive Konsky.
A hard-charging Gibbs claimed second, with Clout third, and Purvis fourth. For the round, Beaton took a perfect 50 points, with Clout second and Gibbs third.
Pirelli MX2
Championship winner Brodie Connolly refused to rest on his laurels at QMP, dominantly winning both Pirelli MX2 motos. While he won the opening race, there was plenty of action behind the Polyflor Honda Racing rider as racers vied for valuable series points.
Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Ryder Kingsford took the holeshot, but came under Connolly’s pressure early on. Kingsford determinedly hung onto P2, finishing 3.6s behind New Zealand’s Connolly, and two seconds ahead of a hard-charging Alex Larwood (Froth Honda Racing), who recovered well from an early error.
KTM Racing Team’s Kayden Minear made a last-lap pass on Noah Ferguson (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) to claim P4 and snatch an extra couple of crucial points in the championship fight.
In the final MX2 moto of the season, Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Jayce Cosford was awarded the holeshot, but Connolly pushed himself into the lead within a handful of corners and continued to push the pace, stretching out a 9.5-second lead before the final chequered flag fell.
Cosford put in a solid race to finish a lonely second, as Minear got the better of Larwood and Kaleb Barham (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) to finish third. Larwood and Barham finished their season with a P4 and P5 result.
Flanking Connolly on the round podium were Minear and Larwood, while Connolly finished the championship on 369 points, with Minear second (279) and Kingsford (271) third.
MAXXIS MX3
A third overall was enough for Mongrel Boots Honda Racing’s Jake Cannon to successfully claim the MAXXIS MX3 championship, as Ky Woods put together a perfect 1-1 scorecard to win the final round from Deacon Paice.
Yesterday’s top qualifier Woods (GASGAS) continued his run of hot form with a good win in the opening moto. KTM rider Jackson Fuller jumped to the front of the pack and led about half the moto, before Woods used some great momentum through the rollers to take the lead and eventually win by 5.6 seconds.
Behind Fuller, Kayd Kingsford (WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha) and KTM-mounted Paice had relatively quiet races on their way to P3 and P4 respectively. In comparison, leader Cannon had an eventful moto, tumbling from fourth to 10th early on, then digging deep to charge back to a P5 finish.
Cannon still earned good points over his nearest title rival Koby Hantis, as the WBR Bulk Nutrients Racing rider fought from outside the top 20 to finish P9.
Fuller again got the jump off the gate for the second MX3 moto, but slid out soon afterward and let Woods by for the lead. Woods won by 5.2 seconds from Paice, with Cannon doing more than enough to claim the MX3 title with a third-place finish.
Hantis did everything he could to bring the fight to Cannon, but had to settle for P4, as Kingsford completed the top five. In the final championship standings, Cannon stood on top with 324 points, with Hantis second (316) and Kingsford third (287).
EZILIFT MXW
Drama in today’s final EZILIFT MXW moto saw Empire Kawasaki’s Taylah McCutcheon steal the round win. On track, SCT Logistics Honda Racing’s Charli Cannon crossed the line first, but a start-gate infringement cost her the moto and round win, and her goal of a perfect season.
Honda rider Madi Simpson grabbed the holeshot and led through the early turns, before Cannon jumped her way into the lead. Cannon took the win on track, but ultimately McCutcheon was awarded the race win after working her way past Taylor Thompson and Simpson, claiming the round victory on countback in the process.
Husqvarna-supported Thompson was awarded P2 for the moto, with Cannon relegated to P3. Early leader Simpson completed her season with P4 result, followed by Tahlia O’Hare (KTM) in fifth.
For the round, McCutcheon stood atop the podium on countback from Cannon, with Thompson just one point further back in third.
Cannon wrapped up the championship yesterday, and today’s racing confirmed Thompson and JGR Yamaha Offroad Team regular Danielle McDonald would finish second and third in the overall standings.
KTM Group MX65 Futures
As young Yamaha rider Blake Bohannon won the KTM Group MX65 Futures title, Sidney Stephenson (GASGAS) won the last moto of the three-round series and took round honours.
Stephenson grabbed the holeshot, but Mason Ezergailis (KTM) took over leading duties for most of the race, before Stephenson was able to swing past late in the session to then win by 4.37 seconds.
Yesterday’s race-winner, Bohannon held down fourth for most of the race, but made a late pass on Ethan Wolfe (Husqvarna) to finish third, as Kye Sproule (KTM) crossed the line in P5.
For the third time in as many rounds, the round points were decided on countback, with Stephenson’s second moto win seeing him take honours from Bohannon, while Ezergailis took the final spot on the podium.
Bohannon topped the series standings with 139 points, ahead of Ezergailis (116) and Sproule (112).
Photos: Foremost Media, Goba
Full results can be viewed ‘HERE’