Image: Foremost Media.

A smooth, clinical riding display by CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team’s defending champion Luke Clout saw him claim a convincing double-moto victory at the opening round of the 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship at Wonthaggi, Vic.

Clout and his team-mate Aaron Tanti were both able to capitalise on mistakes from Honda Racing’s local favourite, Kyle Webster, to finish 1-2 on the day.

Webster scored a huge holeshot from Luke Clout and Kirk Gibbs (KTM Racing Team) in the opening Thor MX1 race and rapidly began to pull away, with Aaron Tanti (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team), Dean Ferris (Honda Racing), Todd Waters (Husqvarna Racing Team) and Matt Moss (102 Motorsports) holding down the remaining top seven positions early.

On the second lap Webster crashed, and fell to ninth, before Gibbs also made a mistake while in second, allowing Tanti and Waters to fill the top three positions, with Moss and Lochie Latimer (Yamaha) in fourth and fifth.

As Clout pulled out a five-second lead at the mid-way mark in the moto, Webster went to work, steadily picking off riders and moving past Waters into third as the clock continued to wind down.

Further back, Brett Metcalfe (GO24 Racing) moved his way into fifth ahead of Latimer, but all eyes were on Webster as he passed Tanti, and began eating into Clout’s seven-second lead.

A mistake by Clout around a lapper allowed Webster to close on to the back of the Yamaha rider, but then Webster again crashed in a rutted corner, handing Clout an unassailable 10-second lead at the chequered flag. Tanti finished third ahead of Waters and Metcalfe. Latimer, Gibbs, Moss, Jayden Rykers (Empire Kawasaki) and Hayden Mellross GasGas Racing Team) claimed the top 10 positions. Former champion Dean Ferris finished a disappointing 17^th.

Webster again scored a great holeshot off the start of the second MX1 moto, followed closely by Tanti and Gibbs, with Clout further back in seventh.

Clout moved his way into fifth, but struggled to get past Gibbs, finally making his way past near the mid-way mark of the race.

Waters followed suit a lap later, shuffling Gibbs back to sixth. Clout and Waters then passed a fast-starting Metcalfe and began closing the gap on Tanti.

At the midway mark Gibbs also got by Metcalfe for fifth, with Mellross, Rykers, Ferris and Dylan Wood (KTM) holding down the top 10 positions.

Clout then began to heated battle with his team-mate, Tanti, which allowed Waters to close within striking distance.

The defending champion then clawed his way past Tanti, before Webster suffered a spectacular crash when he tucked the front wheel in a rutted corner.

The crash handed the lead to Clout and promoted Tanti and Waters onto the podium positions.

Webster remounted but surrendered fourth to Gibbs and finished a frustrating fifth. Metcalfe crossed the line in sixth, ahead of Mellross, Rykers, Ferris and Matt Moss (102 Motorsports Yamaha).

The second round of the ProMX Championship will be held at Mackay, Qld, on 10 April.

Detailed results