Follow the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship with direct MX1 and MX2 updates from the sixth round of the season at Toowoomba through Racefeed.

Image: Foremost Media.

MX2 qualifying:
KTM Racing Team’s Nathan Crawford has set the early pace at the Toowoomba round of the Penrite Australian ProMX Championship by claiming the fastest MX2 qualifying time. After controlling the session by almost a second over Terrafirma Honda Racing’s Wilson Todd, the series-leading Honda rider put in a solid last lap to close the gap to .101s. GasGas Racing Team’s Noah Ferguson also logged a fastest final lap to finish with a top three position, ahead of Rhys Budd (Serco Yamaha) and Kaleb Barham (Yamalube Yamaha Racing). Polyflor Honda Racing’s Brodie Connolly finished the session in sixth, while Haruki Yokoyama (Empire Kawasaki), Ryley Fitzpatrick (KTM), Blake Fox (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) and Ryan Alexanderson (KTM) filled the remaining top 10 positions.

MX1 qualifying:
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing’s defending champion Aaron Tanti set the pace in the first MX qualifying session, with a 1m49.018s lap-time, more than half a second quicker than Brisbane Motorcycles Yamaha rider Dean Ferris. CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Racing’s Luke Clout put in a strong final lap, to pip KTM Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs for third. Boost Mobile Honda team-mates Jed Beaton and Kyle Webster finished the session in P5 and P6, ahead of Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing), Hamish Harwood (Davey Motorsports KTM), Luke Zielinski (Yamaha) and Brett Metcalfe (GO24 Racing).

MX2 moto one:
Crawford charged from inside the pack to win the opening MX2 moto. Polyflor Honda Racing’s Brodie Connolly grabbed the holeshot, but it was short-lived as GasGas Racing Team’s Noah Ferguson quickly jumped into the lead and began pulling away. Crawford worked his way through the pack from P9 on the opening lap and onto the rear wheel of Ferguson, making the pass with 10 minutes remaining and tearing away to a 7.98-second victory. Ferguson and Wilson Todd (Terrafirma Honda Racing) finished inside the top three, ahead of Rhys Budd (Serco Yamaha) and Liam Andrews (Honda), who snuck past Connolly on the final lap. Positions seventh through 10^th were filled by Ryan Alexanderson (KTM), Haruki Yokoyama (Empire Kawasaki), Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team) and Kaleb Barham (Yamalube Yamaha Racing).

MX1 Pole Shootout:
Multi-time champion Dean Ferris snatched the fastest lap of the Top 10 Pole Shootout after a thrilling duel with Kirk Gibbs and defending champion Aaron Tanti. Ferris posted a 1m48.648s lap-time, eventually beating Gibs by 0.56 seconds, with Tanti a further 0.7s back. Red plate-holder Jed Beaton logged the fourth-fastest lap, ahead of his Boost Mobile Honda Racing team-mate Kyle Webster. Luke Clout finished P6, ahead of Hamish Harwood, Brett Metcalfe, Todd Waters and Luke Zielinski.

MX1 moto one:
Dean Ferris won the opening MX1 moto comfortably with a near-perfect performance. The experienced Yamaha rider grabbed the holeshot and was never challenged as he rode to a 13-second win. Jed Beaton started the race outside the top 10, made some valuable late passes to finish second, after Aaron Tanti who held P2 until the final lap, crashed. Tanti’s mistake saw Todd Waters round out the podium after a strong race, while Gibbs finished P4. Tanti crossed the line in fifth, ahead of Kyle Webster, Hamish Harwood, Luke Clout, Brett Metcalfe and Zachary Watson (Honda).

MX2 moto two:
Series leader Wilson Todd withstood race-long pressure from Crawford to take a wire-to-wire win in the second MX2 moto. On a drying track, Todd eventually took a 3.6-second win over Crawford, who settled for the round overall late in the race, while a hard-charging Noah Ferguson finished an impressive P3 after circulating on the cusp of the top 10 in the early laps. Connolly and Budd would finish fourth and fifth respectively, as Alexanderson, Barham, Yokoyama, Liam Andrews (Honda) and Minear completed the top 10.

MX1 moto two:
Ferris made it two from two with another comfortable win in the second moto. The Kyogle-based racer tore off the gate to claim his second holeshot of the day and lead the pack early, but a great pass by Tanti saw CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s defending champion inherit the lead. It was only temporary, though, as a Tanti mistake at the top of the circuit saw Ferris again take control of the race and claim the checkered flag by 15-seconds. Beaton finished the race in third after circulating in seventh early on, as Gibbs and Webster rounded out the top five. Finishing in the top 10 were Clout, Watson, Harwood, Metcalfe and Joel Evans (Honda).