Image: Foremost Media.

Penrite GO24’s Brett Metcalfe says he ‘chipped away’ all season for a strong end to the year, ultimately concluding the eighth round of the 2023 ProMX Championship at Coolum with a top-five finish in the final moto.

Metcalfe entered the 2023 season with lingering effects from a collarbone and shoulder injury sustained at the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) in 2022, impacting his pre-season and build-up to the Penrite ProMX Championship this year.

While Metcalfe stepped into the KTM Racing Team for AUSX last year, he competed with his own GO24 outfit for motocross, with 2023 marking his team’s second year of operation that also supports a selection of up-and-coming riders.

The number 24 built some momentum in the closing stages of the 2023 ProMX Championship season, chipping away to finish a strong fourth overall at Queensland Moto Park (QMP) and feature inside the top five in what was the final race at the iconic Coolum Pines MX track. He ultimately concluded the season seventh in the MX1 standings.

“I’m happy with the way we finished,” Metcalfe explained to MotoOnline. “Coming into it, I knew from the injury with the collarbone and I had some shoulder injury stuff going on that wasn’t diagnosed early on with it, so I took a lot longer and I didn’t have a good pre-season.

“You always think coming in you are on the mark, but I really wasn’t. I didn’t do enough testing, so we kind of chipped away at it all year. The new bike with KTM this year I chose to ride and it was a learning curve for us, the whole season, and we kind of got some pieces together at the end of the series here.

“A massive thanks to Sammy Moore, Franko, Jack Miller stepped up and helped out, but the whole Penrite GO24 team, everyone was behind it the whole year. My dad has been a massive asset for me, just helping.

“I’m probably around that fifth, sixth, seventh, but on a good day up to contend with the podium, on a not good day I’m a bit off that. That’s kind of what it was this year. But still happy and competitive, and I’m glad to be mixing it up still at the front.”

Metcalfe confirmed he will represent the Penrite GO24 team in the Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) later this year, as he then looks to take to the gate once more in 2024.

“To be honest, I consulted my dad a lot and we are still very close,” Metcalfe added. “That’s pretty special. Most children, you don’t go and buy a bike at five years of age and start a career on your own, you are supported by your parents or somebody that helps. I’ve still got that support, my mum is here this weekend, which is awesome, and my kids and dad. I consult with him a lot, and we kind of laid some things out.

“It was tough for me to commit, I didn’t really know if I had it in me at the time but it was like a three-year plan, and this is year two. So a goal in sight was year three.

“I’m going to be 40 next year, that was a goal for me to race until I’m 40. It’s crazy to say, but the body is wearing down yes, but I have taken such good care of myself throughout my career that I am reaping those rewards. I’m all in for next year, number 24 for 2024 man.”