Round five of the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship at Murray Bridge proved to be a tough one for some, with the South Australian circuit jumping up and biting some of the country’s best. But in the end, it was Kyle Webster and Alex Larwood who claimed the top spots on the MX1 and MX2 podiums, respectively. We’ve compiled the direct takes from riders in this Quotebook feature.

MX1

Image: Foremost Media.

Jed Beaton (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team) – Second overall:
A bit of a frustrating day all around today for both me and the team. I had good pace in superpole but wasn’t able to produce that consistently enough in the motos when I really needed it. Kyle [Webster] rode some great races and he was just that bit better than me today, so I need to go back and figure out what I need to do for the final few rounds to really take it up to him. It’s not all gloom and doom as I’m determined to fight this thing to the end and desperately want to win this championship for myself and the team. The next round is at Toowoomba in a few weeks, and it is a track that I have done well at in the past, so I’m confident going into that event that I will have a good weekend and make up some points in the championship.

Kyle Webster (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) – First overall:
It’s awesome, honestly, everything is going well. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, there are still three rounds remaining, but we can feel confident that we are doing all the right things.

Lars Van Verkel (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) – Sixth overall:
What a great experience. The track was brutal and challenged me. I am grateful for the opportunity to compete in Australia.

Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) – Fourth overall:
It was a so-so day for fourth overall. I started off second in the first qualifying session and I was really stoked with that, but in the first moto I had an average start and was battling in a pack I didn’t feel I belonged in. I tangled with another rider and went down and had to fight back to fifth. I put my head down and got a much better start in the second moto and raced to third. Unfortunately, I had a bit of a hiccup with a split lane and got a one position penalty, but we were still 5-4 for fourth overall, so it was a solid, but average weekend for me.

Kirk Gibbs (GasGas Racing Team) – Third overall:
Today ended up being good, although I was off the pace in Superpole and didn’t get the best gate pick as a result. I had a good battle with Brett Metcalfe in the first race, but I didn’t have any goggles – I don’t know how, but some dirt got under the roll-off, so I had to take them off and fight it out. I got a clean start in the second moto and got the holeshot, then held on for another P3 finish to end the day on the podium. It’s been five years since I’ve won a round and I’m hoping I can bridge the gap a bit more when the series heads to Queensland! The two front-runners are killing it, and I’d love to beat them at some stage, but I’ve got to enjoy these moments.

Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) – Seventh overall:
The track was awesome here today – really brutal and really technical. My starts weren’t there, but we’re making progress with a new training program I’m on, and I’m starting to feel a bit better on the bike. This weekend I felt there was progression and we’re moving forward, even if the results didn’t show it as much. I’m happier, I’ve got a plan and we’re working hard for it. The next three rounds are Queensland-based, and I want to get my starts dialled so I can run up front and show what I’ve got, because I’m currently not fast enough to come back to the front from where I’m currently starting. My bike’s in a good place and I’m enjoying riding it, so it’s now up to me to step up.

MX2

Image: Foremost Media.

Brodie Connolly (Polyflor Honda Racing) – Second overall:
It was great to be back feeling like my old self. Moto one was great, and moto two was also great for different reasons. I crashed on lap one and had to come back from near last. I got to second in two or three laps, but Alex [Larwood] was riding great and I didn’t want to push it. We still have a lot of racing, and I am chasing the championship.

Noah Ferguson (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) – Sixth overall:
I tweaked my back this past week and the track was brutal this weekend. I did what I could to stay in the championship hunt. Sixth wasn’t great today, but it’s all I had.

Alex Larwood (Terrafirma Equipment Sales Honda Racing) – First overall:
Wow, just wow. It’s been a challenging road to get here, but I am loving it. The bike, the team, I can’t say enough. Everyone is so positive. We will put our heads down and keep working – I need to be doing this more often.

Jayce Cosford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Eighth overall:
I still struggled with my qualifying and even my moto one where I just didn’t have enough speed to match the front guys. Moto one I had an okay start and was moving forward but then crashed and dropped a heap of positions and then had a small tipover a little later in the moto. Race two was much better as I had a good start and was in second place on the opening laps. I lost a bit of flow in the middle part of the race and then picked it back up only to stall it and lose a few more spots. Eighth isn’t great, but it was good to run up the front for a while and be in the race.

Ryder Kingsford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Fifth overall:
I am feeling pretty sore now. My toes are swollen, and I am generally sore all over, the only fortunate thing was it was my rear brake foot, not the gear level so I was able to ride with it. I got hit pretty hard and went over the berm. The bike was bent up as I could feel the subframe was twisted and the bars weren’t perfect, but I just got back into the race and did what I could. I felt I rode pretty well all day, so happy with how that went and the team did a great job of getting my bike turned around for moto two. I will get my toes looked at, then look to get things back on track at the next round in Toowoomba.

Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team) – Third overall:
After my crash in the first moto I definitely feel very sore and I think tomorrow’s going to be a struggle to get out of bed. I’m just grateful I’m not injured, that I could race the second moto, and finish on the podium today. I’m happy that even after my crash I still ran really good lap-times, and to finish the day third overall. I feel really comfortable on the bike at the moment and I’m just excited to keep racing.

Rhys Budd (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) – Fourth overall:
I had a very consistent day and it was much better than the past two rounds. I’ve been dealing with some issues that made it hard to ride, but we’ve fixed that through the break and came out swinging this weekend. It hurts a little bit to finish fourth on countback when I was tied on points for third, but to be back in the mix, in the fight, was good for me and I needed that for my confidence. The team’s stuck with me through this process and I’m glad to be back in the mix. We’ll keep building and work to get back on the box! We’ve got three rounds to get it done.

Jack Mather (Raceline Husqvarna Racing) – 14th overall:
My day started off good, with a P7 in qualifying, but in moto one I didn’t have the greatest start. I was picking my way through, working towards the top five, but unfortunately I went down and wasn’t able to finish the moto. I bounced back to finish P9 in moto two, but it was tough being quite sore. To push through like that, I’m pretty happy.