Follow Racefeed for direct updates of the MX1 and MX2 races at the second round of the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship at Canberra, ACT.

Image: Foremost Media

Pirelli MX2 qualifying:
Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Rhys Budd set the pace early in Pirelli MX2 qualifying and was never headed after setting a scorching time of 1:28.968 – the only rider of the field to drop below the 1:30 mark. Delcon Civil Honda’s championship leader Kyle Webster finished qualified second-fastest, narrowly ahead of Queenslander Noah Ferguson (GasGas). Alex Larwood (WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing) and Jace Cosford (Yamaha) completed the top five. Positions sixth through to 10^th were filled by Levi Rogers (Yamalube Yamaha Racing), Jesse Dobson (Serco Yamaha), Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing), Nathan Crawford (Serco Yamaha) and Liam Andrews (WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing).

Thor MX1 qualifying:
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing’s Luke Clout has qualified the fastest in the Thor MX1 Top 10 shootout, at the second round of the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship at Canberra, ACT. Clout, Todd Waters (Husqvarna Racing Team) and Kirk Gibbs ( Terrafirma Equipment Sales Honda) all posted lap times in the 1:31 mark around the fast, hard-pack circuit. Red plate holder Regan Duffy (KTM Racing Team) and GasGas Racing Team’s Aaron Tanti rounded out the top five. Hayden Mellross (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing Team), Brett Metcalfe (Mongrel Boots Honda Racing), Maximus Purvis (WBR Bulk Nutrients Racing), Jai Walker (Honda) and Matt Moss (102 Motorsports Yamaha) filled the remaining positions in the top 10.

Pirelli MX2 race 1:
2021 Pirelli MX2 points leader Kyle Webster (Delcon Civil Honda) enjoyed a perfect jump off the gate and led the field through the first turn, followed by Noah Ferguson (GasGas) and Yamalube Yamaha pairing Rhys Budd and Jay Wilson. Serco Yamaha title contender Nathan Crawford’s YZ250F came to a stop early in the race with a spark plug issue, forcing him into a costly DNF, as Webster stretched his lead. Recovering from an average start, WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients’ Alex Larwood pushed through the pack, but tangled with Budd in a rutted right-hander and they both went down. Meanwhile, Wilson put in some good passes and worked his way into second place, but found himself in a lonely position, unable to close the gap on Webster, while stretching a comfortable buffer over Ferguson. Webster led Wilson past the chequered flag with a comfortable 14-second lead, with Ferguson riding strongly to third position. Dylan Wills (Husqvarna) and Budd rounded out the top five. Levi Rogers (Yamalube Yamaha Racing), Jayce Cosford (Yamaha), Jesse Dobson (Serco Yamaha), Korey McMahon (GasGas) and Isaac Ferguson (GasGas) completed the top 10.

Thor MX1 race 1:
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing’s Luke 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.

Pirelli MX2 race 2:
Noah Ferguson grabbed the holeshot of the second MX2 moto with Webster hot on his heels, jumping into the lead before the first lap was completed. Using his spare Serco Yamaha, Nathan Crawford held down third early on, before turning the screws on Ferguson and taking over second place at the midway mark. Behind him the battle ran hot between Wilson, Budd and Larwood, before Larwood crashed out and injured his shoulder. Budd and Wilson continued to engage in a torrid race-long battle before Budd made his way past his team-mate into third. Webster took the race victory and kept his perfect season intact, followed by Crawford and Ferguson. Budd finished fourth, and Dobson fifth after a late-moto pass on Wilson. Jayce Cosford finished seventh, followed by Korey McMahon, Jy Roberts, and Dylan Wills.

 Thor MX1 race 2:
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 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.

Thor MX1 race 3:
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.