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

MX1

Image: Foremost Media.

Luke Clout (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team) – Second:
I felt my riding has been heading in the right direction over the last few weeks and this round was just a confirmation of that. My starts were better and I was able to get some good track position early in the race and it felt good to be back up the front and fighting for race wins. There is still some work to be done but I’m happy with the progress we made since the last round and will continue to keep at it as I think a round win isn’t far away. Thanks to the team for a great weekend and being on top of everything. The boys work hard off the track and after the frustrating weekend at Wodonga, it’s good for both of us to bounce back and be on the podium.

Aaron Tanti (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team) – Third:
I’m just a little frustrated with myself as a few little mistakes later in each moto proved costly for me. I was able to get myself into a position to fight for the race win, only to fall or make a mistake and lose some time and positions, so while it’s good to be on the podium, my goal is to win races and rounds. The club did a great job with the track, and I really enjoyed how it was prepared. We now have a few weeks break before going to Gilman which has a different dirt to Maitland in that it’s softer and not as clay-based, so I’m excited for the change and keen to get a little higher on the podium.

Jed Beaton (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) – Fourth:
The sprint pace was there – that is a positive – we have some things we need to work on before the next round so we can run that pace for thirty minutes.

Kyle Webster (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) – Ninth:
I don’t know what cat I ran over but this season has not gone to plan. The bike and team are working well – we qualified first and I felt confident. The positives are that we have the pace and the bikes are competitive. I am going to be able to race the next round and I am going to focus on that.

Kirk Gibbs (KTM Racing Team) – Fifth:
A bit of a tough weekend for me here in Maitland, struggled to get comfortable on the track here, so not my greatest weekend. I did manage to get great starts and the last moto I was in the fight, which is promising. I’m focused on the positives, headed to South Australia for the next round, which is always good vibes, get back to work between then and now, and come out strong for the last four rounds.

Todd Waters (Raceline Berry Sweet Husqvarna) – 10th:
The weekend was a bit of a rough one for us, and finishing outside of the points on Saturday’s race was a disappointing result, but not something we could have helped. Today was just about trying to minimise that damage by banking some solid points. I feel we’re making some good progress and now I’ll aim to put some good races together and get some more podium results – hopefully moto wins – in these coming races.

Regan Duffy (GasGas Racing Team) – 16th:
Tough weekend for me in Maitland, struggled to find the flow all weekend long and the rain made it slippery, although did what we could as a team to get the best result we could. I’m excited to put in work between now and Gilman and come out strong in South Australia.

MX2

Image: Foremost Media.

Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) – Third:
1-5 moto scores here in Maitland for third overall, which is solid! I felt good on the bike all weekend and just had a small crash at the start of moto two, which put me pretty much dead last. Fought hard to get back into fifth which was a good charge, and happy to be on the overall podium, which is good for the team.

Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team) – 11th:
Hard day here at Maitland, struggled with my starts all day and just lacked a bit of intensity at the start of the motos. Late in the race I was good, my fitness is good, so full focus on Gilman now and stoked to see a bit of sand on the calendar.

Wilson Todd (Terrafirma Equipment Sales Honda Racing) – Second:
I am still not one hundred percent following my stomach virus. I’m working with a gastrologist and we have made many changes to my diet. I am feeling better but there is a way to go. The weekend was good, crashing never helps, but we extended our points lead in the championship.

Brodie Connolly (Polyflor Honda Racing) – 10th:
I did what I could to make it through the weekend. I was feeling average, very weak. I am far from happy with my results but I did what I could to maintain second in the championship. South Australia is next and I am excited to get back to full strength and race in Gilman.

Rhys Budd (Serco Yamaha) – First:
It’s awesome to finally get a round win and get this monkey off my back, I have been close a few times and been in the running to get a win but it’s a relief to finally get it done and stand on the top of the podium. I know it’s taken way too long to do that. I have always raced well here, and I had plenty of support in the pits, so it was awesome to get my first win in front of so many of my friends and family. The start to this year hasn’t been great but I’m going to use this as a turning point in the season and consistently get back up the front. The team have continued to work hard and now we all get a little reward and give everyone so extra motivation to keep it rolling.

Jesse Dobson (Serco Yamaha) – Fourth:
The weekend was good for me and one that I needed after the last round in Wodonga. I felt fast all weekend and had I not crashed in that first race, the round results might have been a lot better. But it’s nice to get back up the front and it’s a while since I have won a race. I got a great start, got to the lead, and just rode my own race. Thanks to Matt my mechanic and the entire Serco Yamaha team for the effort and support for the last few weeks and hopefully this is the start to get my season back on track.

Noah Ferguson (GasGas Racing Team) – Fifth:
Maitland was a good weekend, P6 in moto one with a small mistake, then moto two had some difficulties off the start and charged back to P4, which was good – I felt really comfortable on the bike in that moto! I’m recovering well from injury, getting a lot more bike time throughout the week, so should be strong by the time we get to Gillman. All in all, I’m happy with the weekend and excited to get back to 100 percent and finish this year’s championship strong.

Blake Fox (Raceline Berry Sweet Husqvarna) – 17th:
The weekend started well with a good qualifying time, and we found a few improvements with the bike that helped me, but I struggled with some things, personally. It was a rough track and I got a bit of arm pump, and I hit the gate at the start of the second moto, which cost me a good start. Looking at the whole weekend, it wasn’t the best, but I did manage to get points in both races, which is a first for my season and I’ll take that as a positive. I just need to fix a few things before the next round, so we can keep improving.