Round 5 of the Australian Motocross Championship has concluded, and the Murray Bridge club and track exceeded expectations for both fans and riders. The brutally rough track provided challenging racing that separated the riders.
Honda’s factory riders excelled, qualifying 1st in all classes and securing 6 race wins and 4 second-place finishes, resulting in 3 overall victories and 2 second-place overall finishes across 4 classes. It was an outstanding display of skill and performance.
MX1
Boost Mobile Honda rider Kyle Webster claimed his fourth overall round win and his 8th race win. His relentless pursuit for victory was evident as he faced pressure from his closest rival for most of the race.
“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,” said Webster.
His Boost Mobile Honda teammate Lars Van Berkel finished 6th overall on the day. Traveling from Holland, this was a new experience for him, one he will treasure.
“What a great experience. The track was brutal and challenged me. I am grateful for the opportunity to compete in Australia,” said Van Berkel.
MX1 overall championship position:
Kyle Webster: 1st
MX2
Australian junior champion Alex Larwood achieved his first overall MX2 professional round win, overcoming setbacks and injuries that had previously held him back. Honda believed in Alex despite his challenges, including a broken leg in round 1. After being sidelined for 8 weeks, Alex returned and showed his speed in round 3, improved in round 4, and put on a brilliant display to win his first overall this weekend.
“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,” said Larwood.
Larwood’s teammate Brodie Connolly took second with 1-2 finishes, extending his championship points lead on his Polyflor Honda.
“It was great to be back feeling like my old self. Moto 1 was great; Moto 2 was also great for different reasons. I crashed on lap 1 and had to come back from near last. I got to 2nd in two or three laps, but Alex was riding great and I didn’t want to push it. We still have a lot of racing, and I am chasing the championship,” said Connolly.
Boost Mobile Honda rider Noah Ferguson had a trying weekend, racing through injury and doing what he could to salvage points.
“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. 6th wasn’t great today, but it’s all I had,” said Ferguson.
MX2 overall championship position:
Brodie Connolly: 1st
Noah Ferguson: 3rd
Alex Larwood: 6th
Women’s MX
Charli Cannon dominated all races, showcasing her excellence on board her SCT Logistics Honda. There are hopes that Charli can compete overseas later this season in a round of the Women’s World Championship.
“It was great to be back racing against Australia’s best women this weekend. The track was tough, and I rode conservatively in the second race. I hope we can get overseas later this year to race against the best women in the world. All the work we are doing is to prepare for that opportunity,” said Cannon.
Women’s MX overall championship position:
Charli Cannon: 1st
MX3
Mongrel Boots Honda rider Jake Cannon rode two mature races as he continues to claw back points in the MX3 title fight. Jake went 2-3 to finish 2nd overall, moving him to 2nd in the championship. The weekend wasn’t what he or the team wanted, but lessons were learned, and they are confident it will make us better in the final three rounds.
“Qualifying went well, and race 1 was solid. I had to come through the pack to earn that position. Race 2 was horrible; we went the wrong way with the bike and learned a lot. I am pumped to have made up a lot of points in the championship. Everyone knows the fight we have had to get back up there,” said Cannon.
MX3 overall championship position:
Jake Cannon: 2nd
Team Director – Yarrive Konsky
“The team did an amazing job; the championship is far from over, and we need to maintain our commitment to local races and testing. There are 150 points available across the MX1, MX2, and MX3 classes, and 100 points in the Women’s. We can’t let up. The selfless efforts by so many to get us here inspire us to keep working forward, and we are happy to reward everyone involved with these stellar performances,” concluded Konsky
