Image: Foremost Media

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing’s Luke Clout has claimed overall victory at the second round of the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship with an impressive performance at Canberra.

In the opening Thor MX1 race, Clout had the jump on the Thor MX1 field and got the holeshot, with a large group of the title contenders in hot pursuit.

Team-mates Brett Metcalfe (Mongrel Boots Honda) and Kirk Gibbs (Terrafirma Equipment Sales Honda) engaged in an intense battle, before they both fell into the clutches of Todd Waters (Husqvarna Racing Team), Hayden Mellross (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing) and red plate holder Regan Duffy (KTM Racing Team).

BBR 102 Motorsports’ Matt Moss suffered a big crash several laps in and suffered his second DNF in a row.

Up front, Clout maintained a 10-second lead over Waters for the remainder of the race, with a fast-finishing Duffy crossing the finish line in third.

Mellross and Gibbs completed the top five. Metcalfe, Jayden Rykers (Empire Kawasaki), Aaron Tanti (GasGas Racing Team), Jai Walker (Yamaha) and Jay Lamb (Yamaha) completed the top 10.

In the first of the two back-to-back races, Luke Clout again scored the holeshot, followed by Duffy, with Mellross and Waters in hot pursuit.

The teenager Duffy managed to get the hooks into Clout and kept close for most of the race, but a couple of small errors enabled Clout to stretch out a three-second lead that he held to the finish.

Mellross put in a late-moto charge at Duffy but ultimately settled for third in the shortened race.

Waters crossed the line in fourth and Metcalfe fifth. Purvis made a late charge to nab Gibbs for sixth, while Rykers, Lamb and Joel Wightman (Yamaha) completed the top 10.

Kirk Gibbs got the best jump off the gate in the second back-to-back race, leading Clout and Duffy into the first turn.

On the early laps Mellross found a way past Duffy, but an off-track excursion allowed the KTM rider back past.

Up front, Clout stalked Gibbs for a handful of laps before pulling the trigger with a great pass for the lead.

Gibbs refused to give up and shunted Clout off the track a lap later when their lines came together. From that point Gibbs wasn’t challenged as he took his first race win of the season.

CDR Yamaha pairing Clout and Mellross (who worked his way past Duffy for a podium finish midway through the race) finished second and third, ahead of Duffy and Waters.

Purvis settled for sixth, ahead of Metcalfe settled for seventh, ahead of Rykers, Tanti, and Lamb.

In the championship standings, Duffy retains the championship lead with 85 points, ahead of Todd Waters (78) and Hayden Mellross (73). Clout’s performance has seen him rise to fourth (72) in the standings, with Gibbs fifth (70).