KTM Racing Team contender Nathan Crawford has broken through for a first MX1 moto victory at the second round of the 2024 Australian ProMX Championship in Horsham, Victoria, on his way to a spectacular second position overall.
Crawford finished the day with 1-2 results across the pair of premier class races and tying him on points for the overall, credited second on count-back following the final encounter.
Calm, cloudy weather greeted the racers to the hard-packed Horsham circuit, where Crawford and his 2024 KTM 450 SX-F were immediately on-pace, qualifying second-fastest in the Top 10 Super Pole Shootout.
Crawford rocketed off the start in Moto One, rounding the first turn just behind the leader. Frenzied racing ensued as he was involved in a three-way battle for the lead, ultimately gaining the upper hand in the closing stages to pull clear and claim victory by 1.5 seconds.
In the second moto, Crawford found himself inside the top three early on once again, before working his way into an eventual P2, where he finished the moto and round. His solid results have seen him jump to third in the MX1 point standings following two of eight rounds.
In the MX2 division, KTM Racing Team’s Kayden Minear put down a qualifying lap that was good enough for the seventh gate-pick, then when the gate dropped on the opening moto he found himself in ninth position through the first series of turns.
Minear and his 2024 KTM 250 SX-F made short work of the riders ahead, with a series of quick passes seeing him move to P4, where he remained for the rest of the moto.
After a sixth-place start to the second moto, a rock lodged itself in Minear’s rear brake, but he continued to work hard around the demanding circuit, eventually crossing the line in ninth for P6 overall for the day.
KTM’s success wasn’t confined to the MX1 and MX2 classes, as KTM Racing Team-supported Queenslander Jet Alsop claimed the overall victory in the MX3 category.
Alsop was involved in one of the most intense battles of the day for the opening moto win, just getting pipped for the victory in the final corner. He charged to another top three result in moto 2 to leave with a 2-3 result and P1 overall ahead of KTM-mounted Deacon Paice.
Alsop is now tied for second in the MX3 standings, just six points outside of the lead.
The third round of the 2024 ProMX Championship will be contested in Gillman, South Australia, on May 5.
Nathan Crawford: “I finished second overall on the day, splitting moto wins and ended equal on points. I’m stoked to get my first MX1 moto win – that felt really good! This MX1 class is stacked, but I felt strong all day, my starts were good and the day went really smoothly. I was top of the times in practice for a long time until the last lap, then in Superpole I finished second, then went 1-2 in the motos and tied on points for the round win. This has me really excited for the next round at Gillman!”
Kayden Minear: “Today was an up-and-down day. I finished P4 in the first moto and was really happy with how I rode. In the second moto I got off to a good start, but unfortunately got a rock stuck in my rear brake. Overall though, I’m very happy with my riding and I’m taking lots of positives from today. I’m happy with where I’m sitting in the championship coming into Gillman.”