The 2026 Penrite ProMX Championship rolled into Appin for round five on June 14, and while the weather delivered some of the toughest conditions of the season, it was business as usual for Monster Energy CDR Yamaha’s Jed Beaton.
On a deeply rutted and physically demanding circuit, Beaton delivered another dominant performance, sweeping both MX1 motos, topping Superpole and setting the fastest lap times as he tightened his grip on the championship with three rounds remaining.
The Victorian looked comfortable from the outset, handling the deteriorating conditions better than anyone and claiming his fourth clean sweep from five rounds this season.
“I’m super happy for the team this weekend with a 1-2 finish,” said Beaton. “It was a tough track out there, and I was just trying to find those lines to allow me to get into a flow and stay smooth.”
Beaton’s teammate Aaron Tanti continued his strong run of form to finish second overall, while MotoCoach Elite Racing Honda’s Nathan Crawford completed the podium.
The difficult conditions proved costly for defending champion Kyle Webster. Still dealing with a shoulder injury sustained during a recent American Pro Motocross round, Webster could only manage 4-4 moto scores. The result sees Beaton extend his championship lead to 54 points, with 245 points to Webster’s 191. Tanti now sits just one point behind Webster on 190.
Only seven riders completed the same number of laps as Beaton in the opening MX1 moto, highlighting just how brutal the conditions became throughout the day.
Behind the podium trio, Webster edged out Zachary Watson, Todd Waters and Ryan Alexanderson in moto one, while Rhys Budd continued his impressive transition to the premier class with eighth.
Budd improved again in Moto Two, finishing fifth ahead of Alexanderson, Watson and Levi Rogers.
In the championship standings, Crawford’s consistent performance moves him into a tie for fourth with Waters on 149 points, while Watson, Wilson Todd and Luke Zielinski remain firmly in the mix.
LARWOOD HOLDS MX2 ADVANTAGE
The MX2 riders arguably copped the worst of the track conditions in their opening outing, with deep ruts and deteriorating surfaces creating a survival test.
Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha rider Noah Ferguson capitalised to claim a convincing moto one victory after passing early leader Kayd Kingsford.
Alex Larwood, Ryder Kingsford, Byron Dennis and Seth Burchell rounded out the top five, although the brutal conditions meant riders were being lapped well before the race reached its conclusion.
Moto two produced one of the rides of the day.
Kayd Kingsford looked set for victory after taking control early, but Larwood charged from seventh position to steal the win and potentially score a crucial result in the championship battle.
Privateer Reid Taylor impressed with third place ahead of Ryder Kingsford, Dylan Walsh and Dennis, while Ferguson slipped back to seventh after running as high as second.
Larwood now leads the MX2 standings on 209 points, 10 clear of Kingsford. Dennis remains third on 182 points, followed by Walsh, Ferguson and Ryder Kingsford.
FULLER BREAKS THROUGH IN MX3
The Maxxis MX3 class delivered some of the closest racing of the day, with KTM Factory Racing’s Jackson Fuller claiming his first moto win and first overall round victory of the season.
Fuller’s 1-4 scorecard was enough to edge out Heath Fisher and Hayden Downie for the overall honours.
Both motos produced thrilling finishes. Fuller defeated Riley Burgess by just over one second in moto one, while Downie narrowly held off Fisher by less than half a second in moto two.
Draper maintained control of the championship despite finishing fifth overall on the day, while Fisher’s strong performance moved him into second in the standings ahead of Burgess.
Other riders to feature strongly included Seth Morrow, Jobe Dunne and Max Compton, who impressed with fourth in the opening moto.
Draper now leads the MX3 championship on 209 points, with Fisher moving into second on 179, ahead of Burgess, Fuller and Downie.
FUTURES STARS SHINE
Despite the challenging conditions, Ryder Madafiglio and Hudson Francis once again proved the benchmark riders in the KTM Group MX65 Futures category.
The young riders faced some of the toughest conditions of the day, but continued to showcase the depth of Australia’s next generation of motocross talent.
The 2026 Penrite ProMX Championship now heads to Traralgon for round six on July 12, where riders will continue their push towards the business end of the season.
Be the first to comment