KTM Australia press release:

The 2018 KTM Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) in Penguin, Tasmania, saw KTM racers claim 10 of a possible 13 class championships in an exceptional effort during the prestigious week-long event.

KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team duo Regan Duffy and Jet Alsop led the charge for KTM’s juniors within the factory team, while a selection of highly-capable state and dealer-supported racers also made their mark at the Coastal Motocross Club.

Duffy stormed to the Junior Lites 15-year-old crown after winning four of five finals aboard his KTM 250 SX-F, despite a major incident in the 125cc 15yrs category on the penultimate day of competition. The Western Australian had won two of the opening three finals riding the KTM 125 SX, but eventually had to settle for seventh overall.

As for youthful Queensland talent Alsop, he won both the Mini Lites SW 9-U12 title on his KTM 85 SX and the 65cc 11-U12 overall on the KTM 65 SX in a terrific double championship with four final wins to his credit in total.

Fellow KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team riders Deegan Mancinelli and Jett Burgess-Stevens also delivered encouraging rides, as Mancinelli gained strength throughout the event for 13th in the 125cc 13-U15 class, as well as eighth in the Mini Lites BW 12-U14s. Burgess-Stevens was 13th in the same division after being in mix for a podium result, however a difficult second moto dashed his hopes.

Unfortunately Blake Fox, also part of the official team, was unable to take part in this year’s AJMX, currently recovering from recent leg injuries that put him out of the junior nationals for 2018.

KTM riders were stellar across the board with a haul of championships and podiums, as Noah Ferguson (Pro Motorcycles KTM) won the 125cc 15yo title, Benny Novak (Suttos KTM) the Mini Lites BW 14-U16s, Tayla McCutcheon (North Coast KTM) the Mini Lites BW 12-U16 Girls, Ryan Alexanderson (Motorex Queensland Junior Development Team) the Mini Lites BW 12-U14s, Kayden Minear (Mandurah City KTM) the 65cc 9-U11s, Cooper Ford the 65cc 7-U9s and Brodie Court (Motorex Queensland Junior Development Team) the 50cc 7-U9s.

Tam Paul – National Brand Manager, KTM Australia: “It was a phenomenal result with KTM riders achieving 10 class wins from a possible 13 for the brand. They scored great results from inside the factory team and also our state and dealer-backed riders across the nation. From a team point of view, the boys all performed very well, with Jet Alsop performing faultlessly to win two championships and Regan Duffy winning the premier 15-years Junior Lites class despite a massive fall on the 125. Plus, Jett Burgess-Stevens had a really good learning year in his first year on the big-wheel and was in the running for a podium aside from a DNF, while Deegan Mancinelli got stronger in the later finals for a solid result overall. We really missed not having Blake Fox there as we were confident that he would have performed highly, but we wish him well in his recovery. The event was really well-run by the Coastal Motocross Club and the track was excellent throughout the whole week. We had our technical services team on hand for the KTM riders competing, which was well-received as always while being very busy, and we had great support from our local dealer in North West Motorcycles. We’re really thankful for our racing partners in Motorex, Troy Lee Designs and Dunlop, their support is appreciated and certainly goes a long way within the program.”

Regan Duffy – KTM 250 SX-F/KTM 125 SX: “I went there to win both titles, but I had that big crash on the 125, so I was really happy to still win the Junior Lites championship. The track was great, probably the best dirt I have ever ridden and I just seemed to flow all week aside from the one hiccup. To come back from the crash and win the following day was the highlight for me, I managed to push through and it ended up paying off. To win this championship in my last year in juniors is a big accomplishment for me, it’s not an easy class to win and I am stoked to get it with the KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team.”

Jet Alsop – KTM 85 SX/KTM 65 SX: “I was stoked to win two titles as part of the KTM Junior Motocross Racing Team this year! I thought I might only get the one, but it turned out that I got the two and it was awesome to win those. It was a very fun week in Tasmania and great to catch up with a lot of my friends from all around Australia, plus my bikes were really good all week and helped me to get both championships. The track was so much fun to ride, I loved it because of the ruts and the jumps were awesome as well!”