Image: Foremost Media.

Honda Racing rookie Kyle Webster took his first career MX1 round win at a thrilling second round of the 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship at Mackay.

Webster’s celebrations were in stark contrast to defending champion (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) Luke Clout after he crashed out of the round early in the opening moto.

The first encounter saw Webster earn the holeshot, but was quickly shuffled back in the opening corners, allowing teammate Dean Ferris and Clout to lead the pack through the first two turns, with Matt Moss (BBR 102 Motorsports Yamaha) in third.

Ferris made a mistake on the big hip jump where he drifted wide, allowing Clout to take the lead on the opening lap. One lap later, the Honda Racing rider then slid out in a sweeping left-hander, allowing Aaron Tanti (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) by into second.

Shortly afterward, Moss crashed out and appeared to injure his leg, which promoted Webster into podium position, with Todd Waters (Husqvarna Racing Team) and Brett Metcalfe (GO24 KTM) rounding out the top five at that point.

Early leader Clout’s day came to a premature end when crashed hard into the face of the same jump he passed Ferris on, allowing his team-mate Tanti to take over the lead, with Webster and Waters filling the top three positions. Ferris pushed hard after his early mishap into fourth as the race neared the mid-way mark.

With 10 minutes remaining, Webster put on a surge, making a bold pass on Tanti for the lead, then continued to stretch out a handy lead. As the time wound down, Metcalfe found his way back past Ferris for fourth.

Webster controlled the remainder of the race to take the win from Tanti, with Waters third, Metcalfe fourth and Ferris fifth. P6 through 10 were filed by Kirk Gibbs (KTM Racing Team), Jayden Rykers (Empire Kawasaki) Lochie Latimer (KTM), Hayden Mellross (GasGas Racing Team) and Joben Baldwin (Honda).

Ferris jumped to the start of the second MX1 moto ahead of Gibbs and Tanti, with Metcalfe and Waters rounding out the top five during the opening laps. Tanti then pressured Gibbs for second, making a great pass on the factory KTM rider, and set off after Ferris.

Webster, who had an uncharacteristically bad jump off the gate, worked his way through the pack and passed Waters for fifth before 10 minutes had passed. Tanti slowly began to reel in Ferris as the race developed, while Metcalfe and Webster closed onto the rear wheel of third-placed Gibbs.

Webster made the first move, the Western Australian quickly dispatching of Metcalfe, before a Gibbs mistake in a rutted corner gifted him third position.

As the moto wore on and the track continued to get chopped up, Ferris continued to stay in control, while Webster gradually pulled himself onto the rear wheel of Tanti, then pulled the trigger when the tiring CDR Yamaha Monster Energy rider bobbled in an off-camber corner.

Tanti then gave up valuable positions to Gibbs, Waters, then Metcalfe as he faded on the final laps with another late mishap. Ferris held on for a memorable win in what is his comeback campaign, followed by his team-mate Webster, with Gibbs completing the race podium.

Waters, Metcalfe, and Tanti rounded out positions fourth through sixth, as Rykers, Caleb Ward (Honda), Lochie Latimer (KTM) and Joel Evans (Honda) completed the top 10.

With Clout’s demise today, last year’s 250 class champion Webster has jumped to top of the MX1 championship standings on 87 points, eight ahead of Tanti and with Waters in P3. The third round of the 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship will be held at Wodonga, VIC, on 1 May.

Detailed results