Image: Foremost Media

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team’s Luke Clout has taken over the 2021 Penrite ProMX Championship points lead after another impressive performance at the third round at Maitland, NSW.

Clout won two of the three Thor MX1 races to claim the round overall and the championship-leading red plate by three points.

Honda Racing’s Kirk Gibbs grabbed the holeshot of the opening Thor MX1 moto, but was quickly passed by both Clout and Matt Moss (Yamaha).

Clout controlled the race from the front to eventually take the checkered flag with a comfortable eight-second lead, while intense battles ensued behind him.

Moss was swallowed by the pack as a spirited battle broke out between defending champion Todd Waters (Husqvarna Racing Team), red plate holder Regan Duffy (KTM Racing Team), and Aaron Tanti (GasGas Racing Team).

Waters ultimately gained the upper hand and set off after Gibbs, but couldn’t find a way past him as laps ran out, with the duo finishing second and third.

Duffy finished fourth, ahead of CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s Hayden Mellross and Brett Metcalfe (Honda Racing Team).

WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing’s Maximus Purvis crossed the line in seventh, ahead of Tanti, Moss and Jake Moss (Yamaha).

Clout led the field through the first turn of the second MX1 race, with Gibbs and Tanti in tow. Duffy, Metcalfe and Waters held down in following spots.

Tanti muscled his way into second past Gibbs, but when Duffy tried to apply pressure to the Honda rider, he crashed and dropped to fifth behind Metcalfe. He remounted and managed to again get past Metcalfe before the checkered flag.

Clout won by 2.3 seconds over Tanti, followed by Gibbs and Duffy. Positions sixth through 10^th were filled by Metcalfe, Mellross, Purvis, Moss and Latimer.

Gibbs grabbed the holeshot in the third MX1 race and held that position right to the finishline, despite constant pressure from Clout.

A bad start saw Duffy towards the back of the top 10, while Waters came under pressure from Purvis, then Mellross as the race progressed.

As the final checkered flag flew, Gibbs took a narrow victory over Clout, while Tanti led a freight-train of Purvis, Mellross and Waters across the finishline.

Duffy finished seventh, ahead of Metcalfe, Latimer and Connor Tierney (FlooringSales SB Motorsports).

Detailed results