The weekend’s opening round of the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Hangtown saw a raft of popular Australian racers take to the track, only adding to the excitement of another thrilling series commencing. In this instalment of Rated, we evaluate their performances.

Image: Supplied.

Rider: Dean Ferris
Rating: B+
Rundown: After finally securing a ride with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, Dean Ferris made his long-awaited debut at Hangtown, the three-time Australian champion pushing through for 11-8 moto results, positioning him ninth overall in the 450MX class. It’s a strong platform for Ferris to build from and things are only going to get better from here for the popular New South Welshman.

Rider: Wilson Todd
Rating: B+
Rundown: Riding a borrowed KTM 250 SX-F, reigning Australian MX2 champion Wilson Todd stunned the competition with a pair of impressive results. It’s the first time we’ve seen Todd on a stage like Pro Motocross and he certainly rose to the occasion with 15-9 moto scores, crediting him 12th overall. The Queenslander will be back in action this weekend at Fox Raceway and we can’t wait to see what delivers.

Image: Supplied.

Rider: Hunter Lawrence
Rating: B-
Rundown: Hunter Lawrence’s American debut has been one of the most anticipated events of 2019 and he eventually made his opening Pro Motocross starts with Geico Honda on Saturday. Things didn’t quite pan out for the former MX2 World Championship contender, with his sights set on a top result, only to wind up outside the top 10 in P11 with an 11-12 scorecard. While not the result he was after – and overcoming an incident in moto one – it’s still a strong result considering he hasn’t raced since October last year and recently endured a pair of collarbone injuries.

Rider: Todd Waters
Rating: B
Rundown: Set to race the first three rounds of the season, Todd Waters made a motivating start to his brief US campaign at Hangtown. Piloting a Husqvarna FC 450 fitted with his Australian set-up, the Queenslander went on to record 12-13 race results, placing him just outside the top 10 overall in P12. Waters is another rider who has been keen on making his American dream come to life for years and he’s taken a strong stab at it to start with.