Action was delivered thick and fast in Gillman’s third round of the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores, as Kyle Webster reclaimed the Thor MX1 red plate with a double victory – achieving that feat for the second time this season – at the popular, loamy South Australian venue.
While Webster was exceptional on his way to the 450cc overall, Honda Racing teammate Brodie Connolly kept his perfect season in tact with a dominant Pirelli MX2 performance, the New Zealander going 1-1 for the third time in as many weekends of racing this year.
There were yet more twists in the MAXXIS MX3 division, as Honda Racing youngster Jake Cannon was perfect today for his first win of 2024 ahead of new points-leader Kayd Kingsford, while in the Fox Racing MX85 Cup division it was Levi Townley and Seth Thomas who split wins in Adelaide.
With Boost Mobile Honda Racing rider Kyle Webster winning Wonthaggi’s opening round and CDR Yamaha Monster Energy’s Jed Beaton topping the Horsham podium and taking charge of the red plate in the process, all eyes were on the pair of Thor MX1 Championship protagonists entering Gillman.
While it was Beaton who qualified quickest and led the way in the AMX Superstores Top 10 Pole Shootout, moto one was all about Webster at the head of the pack, leading every lap on his way to a 0.775s win over a charging Beaton, while defending champion Dean Ferris (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) finished in third place. Fourth was Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team), directly ahead of Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team).
The second moto appeared to be Beaton’s to lose as he made his way to the front of the pack ahead of Webster early on, before a mistake set him back and enabled initial leader Webster to strike. The latter managed to hold on for his second win of the day, this time with only 2.343s separating them as the chequered flag flew. P3 this time out was Waters, followed by Kirk Gibbs (GASGAS Racing Team) and Ferris.
Those results handed Webster the overall round win directly ahead of title rival Beaton, while 2019 champion Waters made a welcome return to the overall podium – tied on points with Ferris, but getting the position on countback following his better result in moto two. In terms of the championship, Webster is a single point clear of Beaton following three of eight rounds, while Crawford is a further 24 points back in third position.
As he has been all season long, runaway Pirelli MX2 points leader Brodie Connolly was effectively in a class of his own at Gillman, qualifying on top of the timesheets early this morning and carrying that form into the motos.
The Polyflor Honda Racing rider sprinted to a 6.222s victory in the opening encounter over teammates Noah Ferguson (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) and Alex Larwood (Froth Honda Racing), with teenagers Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team) – who had a late mishap on his way to P4 – and Byron Dennis (GASGAS Racing Team) filling the top five.
Moto two was once again the Connolly show, powering away to a comfortable 9.816s advantage, but this time over Minear and Ryder Kingsford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing). An impressive ride from Japanese rider Haruki Yokoyama (Honda) saw him finish fourth, as Ferguson recovered from early trouble to claw his way back to P5 following a late move on Kaleb Barham (Yamalube Yamaha Racing).
Overall for the round it was Connolly who made it three-consecutive overalls, joined on the podium by Minear in his return to the top three, with Ferguson’s effort rewarded with third position for the weekend. Connolly is now a full 38 points ahead of Ferguson in the title race, with Kingsford another 10 points in arrears for P3.
It was only a matter of time until Terrafirma Honda Racing rider Jake Cannon emerged among the front of the MAXXIS MX3 pack and that’s exactly what he did in the first of two South Australian stops this season.
Cannon picked up his first moto win of the series after racing to a 9.624s buffer over Kayd Kingsford (WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing) this morning, who in turn edged Deacon Paice (KTM) for position. It was Kobe Drew (WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing) and Horsham winner Jet Alsop (KTM) who completed the top five.
This afternoon was even more commanding from Cannon, this time stretching out a 25.800s victory from Drew, while teammate Kingsford crossed the finish in third. Paice was fourth this time out, while incoming red plate-holder Koby Hantis (WBR Yamaha Bulk Nutrients Racing) took fifth position.
The round podium was topped by Cannon in a breakout ride, joined by Kingsford and Drew, which was enough for Kingsford to take charge of the championship lead and now three points ahead of Drew. Sixth overall at Gillman saw former leader Hantis slip back to P3 in the standings, eight behind Kingsford, while Cannon has climbed to P6.
In the second apperance of the Fox Racing MX85 Cup – doubling as a World Junior Motocross Championship (WJMX) qualifier series – it was young Kiwi Levi Townley (Yamaha) who won the opening race of the weekend, before GASGAS-mounted Seth Thomas went on to win the second and final moto.
As he did in the second moto at Horsham, Townley set the benchmark at Gillman by winning the first encounter by 5.323s after taking charge on lap three and finishing ahead of early leader Thomas, the pair well-clear of Cooper Ford (KTM), Mason Brown (KTM) and Nate Perrett (KTM).
This afternoon looked like it was going to be Townley with the runaway win again after building a huge lead at the front of the pack, until trouble saw him forced out with just a couple of laps remaining. That meant that Thomas made his way to the win despite an early mishap himself, ahead of Ford, Heath Davy (Yamaha), Brown and Levi Farr (KTM).
Thomas took the overall for the weekend ahead of Ford and Brown, with Townley having to settle for P10. In the series it’s Davy and Thomas tied on points at the top of the table, five points in front of Townley entering Maitland’s two-day, fourth round of the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship, presented by AMX Superstores on May 25-26.
