With two rounds of the 2025 Penrite ProMX Championship complete at Wonthaggi and Appin, MotoOnline’s latest Countdown takes a closer look at some of the key early-season trends catching our attention.

Image: Foremost Media.

7. Todd and Duffy rebuilding:
While it’s not uncommon for racers to ride their way through injuries or back into form, it’s been inspiring to watch Wilson Todd and Regan Duffy rebuild their careers after major setbacks. 2024 was a difficult MX1 rookie season for Repco Honda Racing’s Todd, suffering a friction burn to his leg, then tearing his lisfranc while training for supercross. He’s still recovering from the latter injury and has to be careful about flexing his foot when racing, but he’s already exceeding everyone’s expectations – even despite fracturing his leg in addition just before Appin. Despite saying 2025 will be a ‘slow burn’, he’s already sixth in the standings and will continue improving with time. Meanwhile, Duffy (Raceline Husqvarna TDUB Racing) has returned after a year off the bike and is trying to regain the form he displayed in 2021 before his life-threatening incident. He’s set himself initial goals of top 10s, and he’s achieving that, finishing ninth at Wonthaggi. Early crashes at Appin hampered his results there, but he still maintains 10th in the MX1 class standings.

6. Yamaha-supported racers in the mix:
Levi Rogers has been quietly putting together a strong campaign in the opening rounds of ProMX in 2025, kicking things off with a P6 overall at Wonthaggi before backing it up with a top-five finish at Appin. The Caloundra Motorcycle Centre-backed rider has long been a consistent top-10 performer at national level, but this season has started on a high note – he now sits P5 in the MX1 standings with an impressive 8-6-6-6 scorecard through four motos. The same can be said for Bulk Nutrients Echuca Yamaha’s Seth Burchell. The reigning SX3 champion has made an impressive transition into MX2, already landing a third-place moto finish at Appin on his way to fourth overall for the round. It’s still early days in the season, but Burchell currently sits sixth in the MX2 championship standings and is the second-highest placed Yamaha rider in the class, behind only Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha’s Ryder Kingsford in P2.

Image: Foremost Media.

5. MX3 battle one to watch:
The future stars of the Penrite ProMX Championship have been lighting it up through the opening two rounds, and the MX3 class is shaping up to be one of the most exciting battles on the schedule. Leading the charge is Monster Energy WBR Yamaha’s Ky Woods, who has claimed three wins from four motos to kick off his 2025 campaign. While that may sound like outright domination – and it has been at times – Honda Racing Australia’s Kayd Kingsford has been right there, refusing to let Woods run away with it. At Appin, Kingsford took the overall with a 2-1 scorecard, edging Woods’ 1-2 despite tying on points for the round. After two rounds,

4. Cannon dominance continues:
It might seem hard to believe given her dominance in recent years, but Charli Cannon’s Wonthaggi performance suggests she may have taken things to an even higher level in 2025. The three-time MXW champion was in a league of her own as the ProMX Championship played host to the 2025 FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup. With Team USA rolling in with a strong line-up featuring Jordan Jarvis, Lachlan Turner, Mikayla Nielsen, Kayleigh Stallings, and Jamie Astudillo, Cannon looked to have a real challenge ahead. But once the gates dropped, it was all Cannon. She swept all three motos in commanding fashion, including a staggering one-minute 23-second margin in race two. Her flawless weekend not only underlined her individual brilliance, but also helped lead Team Australia to a dominant victory over Team USA, New Zealand, and Africa. It’s hard to see anyone stopping Cannon in 2025, but let’s see what happens when the gates drop for the MXW category’s second showing this weekend out in Gillman, South Australia.

3. MX1 riders knocking on the door:
While the spotlight has largely been on the Beaton vs Webster title fight, a handful of MX1 contenders are showing they’re ready to disrupt – what looked to be – the untouchable front-running duo. Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki’s Luke Clout has been the most consistent of the chasing pack, earning podium finishes at both Wonthaggi and Appin, and showing strong pace on Appin’s slick surface where he led in the early stages of moto one. Last year’s third-placed finisher, Nathan Crawford, also made his presence known at round two, leading much of Appin’s second moto before a late crash saw him slip to P4 in the moto and P4 overall. KTM Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs deserves recognition too – after a tough opening moto at Wonthaggi, the veteran rebounded with a P3 finish in moto two and was in the mix again at Appin before a first-turn crash forced a DNF. His championship hopes may have taken a hit, but Gibbs’ speed remains undeniable.

Image: Foremost Media.

2. MX2 opposition:
While Brodie Connolly is making an early push to control the 2025 MX2 title fight, and seemingly looks to be in a league of his own, both Ryder Kingsford and Alex Larwood are making it clear they’re not going to let the reigning champion cruise to his second consecutive crown. The pair have emerged as Connolly’s most legitimate threats through the opening two rounds and are proving they have both the speed and consistency to stay in the hunt. Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha’s Kingsford showed serious pace at Wonthaggi, keeping Connolly honest across both motos before settling for second overall. At Appin, Kingsford took things up a notch, leading part of the second moto before succumbing to Connolly before he was ultimately awarded the win following the defending champion’s controversial course-cutting penalty. Instead of what would’ve been a nine-point buffer, the penalty moved Connolly back to P3 in race two, moving Kingsford to within four points of his rival following two rounds. On the other side of the pits, NFAL Honda Racing’s Larwood has quietly built a strong foundation with a consistent 3-3-5-3 scorecard to start the season, sitting 17 points behind championship leader Connolly, and third overall.

1. Webster vs Beaton rivalry continues:
In 2024, Boost Mobile Honda Racing’s Kyle Webster and Monster Energy CDR Yamaha’s Jed Beaton went bar-to-bar all season long, ultimately tying on points in a championship battle that came down to the final moto. Now, just two rounds into 2025, signs are pointing to another gripping MX1 title fight between the pair. In the three motos they’ve completed so far, less than two seconds has separated them each time, with Webster narrowly getting the better of Beaton on each occasion. However, Webster’s DNF in the second moto at Wonthaggi has put him on the back foot early, now trailing red plate-holder Beaton by 16 points. One key shift this year is Webster’s improved one-lap pace. Beaton dominated last season’s MX1 Top 10 Shootouts, winning all but one across eight rounds, while Webster went winless in the time attacks. Fast forward to 2025, and Webster has already claimed a Shootout win at Appin, while missing out by just 0.218s at Wonthaggi. Despite the tight margins and growing intensity, the level of respect between the two remains clear – they race hard, but clean, and rarely put a wheel wrong when battling up front.