In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out in the third round of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship at Wodonga.

MX1

Image: Foremost Media.

Jed Beaton (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) – First:
This weekend was really challenging and the team worked really well. The testing that we have done has paid off – I’m really getting comfortable with my bike and team. The goal is to win the championship, but the truth is that I did not know when those wins would actually come. I haven’t really been chasing it – I have been patient. We still have some work to do. I learn more about the team and bike every time that we go out. This is my first year with Honda and I am so pumped to claim the series lead ahead of round four.

Kyle Webster (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) – Seventh:
It is a bitter pill to swallow. I had a forty-second lead in moto one, then a small mistake cost me the race. Moto two was not much better – I crashed twice and finished fifth. This year has been challenging to say the least, but there are a lot of races to go and I will give it my all. I have to get into the huntc

Kirk Gibbs (KTM Racing Team) – Third:
I’m obviously really happy with the podium and the end result, but it was a tough day today – the conditions were crazy and it really was just about survival. Overall, I’m satisfied to come out of here with some good points and land on the podium after being so close at Appin, so we’re excited to take this thing on to Maitland in a few weeks’ time.

Todd Waters (Raceline Berry Sweet Husqvarna) – Second:
My day turned out awesome. I’m stoked that things went my way today – I was able to get good starts and keep out of trouble. With races like this, it’s all about staying upright and being smart with my riding. The track and conditions were really demanding, but even though I’m still way off the pace of where I need to be, I’m stoked on my performance and to put in two solid, consistent motos. We’re still testing and developing the bike as we go, but starting to move in the right direction. All in all, it was a really good round for the team and we’re excited to keep improving before Maitland.

Regan Duffy (GasGas Racing Team) – Eighth:
I’m stoked to get my first top 10 since I’ve been back – that’s a little goal ticked off now, so we’ll keep working towards the next one! The second moto was good, we were heading towards that top-five mark and then I threw it down… I think I had a total of nine crashes today, which made things difficult. All in all though, I’m really happy to bounce back after a difficult second round and we will keep working to move forward from here.

Maximus Purvis (WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha) – Fifth:
Conditions today were tough, and it wasn’t about being the fastest rider on the track. It was about being smart, looking after your bike and staying out of the mud and bad lines. For the most part, I did that pretty well today. The team was good and for my first race on the new model, they did a great job of getting me set up in short notice. We have a few weeks before Maitland and I have also raced there in the past and done pretty well, so hopefully we can keep improving and aim for the podium in coming rounds.

Matt Moss (WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha) – DNF:
Today didn’t go the way we had hoped and everyone had worked hard for. I had been able to get some bike time in since the Appin round and felt confident coming in, but the weather turned nasty and made it a real hard slog for both the riders and the bikes. We will load up and go again at Maitland.

MX2

Image: Foremost Media.

Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) – First:
It was a bittersweet day in Wodonga today for round three of the championship. We had a DNF in the opening moto, and then came out and won the second moto, which was obviously really good, though it makes the non-finish a really hard pill to swallow. Happy to regroup with the first place in the second moto though – I’m in good shape, the bikes handling well and getting good starts – so yeah, time to knuckle down for Maitland.

Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team) – Second:
Really good round out here at Wodonga, and I felt awesome on the bike all day. I’m just so happy with my first MX2 podium! The mud definitely made it tricky, although good starts helped me out a lot today. Had some great battles in the second moto, but yeah, the 250 SX-F is so good, the KTM Racing Team has been so helpful and I’m excited to see how we go in the next one.

Wilson Todd (Terrafirma Equipment Sales Honda Racing) – Third:
The overall position is not where I want to be, but I am happy to leave with the series lead. I’m racing back to full fitness and feel that we are almost there. We have three solid weeks ahead and I am really looking forward to Maitland in May.

Brodie Connolly (Polyflor Honda Racing) – First:
I knew that I did not need to win the second race – the team told me on the pit board. The track was challenging and there was no need to take any chances. This marked my first race win and overall. I just could not be happier – I truly appreciate the team taking a chance on me.

Alex Larwood (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – 11th:
Today was a tough day for everyone and I’m pretty happy to get through both races with reasonable points and in good shape health wise. I have qualified well at the rounds so far and had one decent race, so I’m still looking for the complete day but I feel it’s coming and I’m headed in the right direction. Thanks to the team today as everyone had to chip in and work hard to get the bikes turned around from each time on the track. It was a hard slog for everyone at the truck, but the bikes were great both motos.

Jayce Cosford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Eighth:
It was an up and down day for me with a really good first moto but I made things hard for myself in race two. I rolled the dice on an inside start gate as I saw some other riders get a good start from there but I wasn’t able to make it work and suffered as a result. It’s something to learn from. The first moto was awesome and this was my first real mud race at this level. In the past as privateer, I probably wouldn’t have raced as I don’t have the money or the ability to reprepare a bike again but I showed I can get around and just need to make a couple of smarter decisions to make the most of my speed in conditions like this. Thanks to Joel, Nash and Mike for putting in the hard yards. The bikes were a mess after each race but they got them and our gear back into shape and through each moto with no problems.

Noah Ferguson (GasGas Racing Team) – 11th:
Qualifying for me was decent after I put together a lot of laps and logged P6 in the muddy conditions. From there, moto one was crazy, with lots of crashes and I had a bad start, which wasn’t ideal. I benefited from a better start in moto two, ticked off the laps, and did what I could from there. I believe I have the speed, although I just need to clear this injury, which is the main thing, and we will be able to keep improving the results at upcoming rounds.

Blake Fox (Raceline Berry Sweet Husqvarna) – 22nd:
Today was a tough one for me. I started the first moto with a crash in the first turn, so I pulled in and got some new goggles, and slowly worked my way back to 14th, which wasn’t bad considering. I had another bad start to the second moto and had a big crash. My bike was covered in mud and a bit bent up, so it made for a difficult race. There were some positives to take from today, so I’m looking forward to somewhat of a home round at Maitland next month.