KTM Racing Team’s Nathan Crawford and Noah Ferguson have maintained their front-running podium form in the 2025 Australian ProMX Championship, earning a pair of runner-up results at Toowoomba’s seventh and penultimate round of the season.

Despite facing a rain-soaked, heavy clay circuit, Crawford’s day got off to an excellent start by recording the second-quickest lap in MX1 qualifying, achieving comfort quickly onboard his KTM 450 SX-F at the undulating Echo Valley venue.

In Moto 1, the 28-year-old Queenslander was able to negotiate the demanding conditions with precision, steadily working his way forward from fifth to second by the time the race reached its conclusion, keeping pressure on the race leader.

Come Moto 2, Crawford launched to the holeshot and was then engaged in an intense multi-rider battle at the head of the field. A mishap during the race’s middle stages saw him concede a couple of positions, before a spirited charge saw him climb to P2 and score a haul of valuable MX1 points. With one event remaining, Crawford is now positioned second in the standings, 16 points outside of the lead.

Nathan Crawford: “I felt solid from lap one in the mud this morning. The track was extremely technical and I was competitive all day. I let the overall get away from me in the last race when I tipped over, but was able to recover back to P2 again. Despite that crash, I think that was some of the best racing I’ve done in a long time, so I’m taking the positives. I’ve got one more chance for the win next weekend at QMP and I’m looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, MX1 teammate Kirk Gibbs finished his day sixth overall. After setting the fourth-fastest time in the Top 10 Pole Shootout, Gibbs and his KTM 450 SX-F negotiated the technical circuit to finish fifth in the opening race. A crash late in the second moto saw him drop down the order to cross the finish in P8. Heading into the final round, Gibbs is placed sixth in the championship points.

Kirk Gibbs: “It wasn’t a bad day today, especially considering the track conditions. I felt good in the first moto once I settled into the pace and found some good lines, and then the second moto was a lot better. I was starting to catch the riders ahead of me, and I thought I was in for a shot at a top-three, but unfortunately, I went down. It was frustrating, as that was potentially going to be one of my best rides of the year. I’m now more determined than ever to put my best foot forward next weekend and finish the year on a positive note.”

In the MX2 category, Ferguson was in contention throughout the day, as he charged to a second-place overall finish overall. Equipped with the KTM 250 SX-F, he made a strong start to Moto 1, quickly establishing himself at the front of the pack and leading the majority of the race on his way to an eventual runner-up score.

After showcasing immense pace once more in Moto 2, Ferguson led the field through the first turn. After losing a position early on, the Queensland-based rider stayed in touch with the leader for the entire encounter and finished with another hard-fought P2 result to seal second on the podium. Heading into the final round, the in-form Ferguson remains third in the series.

Noah Ferguson: “I had a lot of fun out there today. I put two solid motos together, which I’m happy with. In the first moto, I led 22 minutes of the race and lost the lead near the end, which was a bit deflating, but I still took a lot of confidence out of that race. In the last one, I was going at it with [Brodie] Connolly again all moto. Getting caught up in lapped riders cost me some valuable time, but that race was a good one!”

It was a more challenging day for MX2 teammate Byron Dennis. After posting the second-fastest qualifying time with his KTM 250 SX-F, he claimed a P14 finish in the opening encounter. An improved second moto saw him work his way from P8 early to finish fifth, which resulted in ninth overall on the day. With one round remaining, Dennis sits fifth in the MX2 standings.

Byron Dennis: “My day got off to a great start with a really good qualifying session, but a bad start to the first moto had me trying to make up a lot of ground. A fifth in the second moto was a bit better, but it was disappointing to come away from Toowoomba with ninth overall, especially after it started so well. We’ll go again next weekend at QMP.”

Next Race: August 2-3 – Queensland Moto Park, QLD

Results MX1 Class – Toowoomba
1. Kyle Webster (Honda)
2. Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team)
3. Wilson Todd (Honda)
6. Kirk Gibbs (KTM Racing Team)

Standings MX1 Class after 7 of 8 rounds
1. Kyle Webster, 273 points
2. Nathan Crawford, 257
3. Jed Beaton, 257
6. Kirk Gibbs, 179

Results MX2 Class – Toowoomba
1. Brodie Connolly (Honda)
2. Noah Ferguson (KTM Racing Team)
3. Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha)
9. Byron Dennis (KTM Racing Team)

Standings MX2 Class after 7 of 8 rounds
1. Brodie Connolly, 335 points
2. Ryder Kingsford, 285
3. Noah Ferguson, 259
5. Byron Dennis, 223