In the tightest title fight in Australian motocross history, Honda Racing’s Kyle Webster claimed the 2024 ProMX MX1 crown.
In dramatic circumstances, Kyle Webster has wrapped up the 2024 ProMX MX1 championship on countback from a determined Jed Beaton.
After experiencing a big crash yesterday and hurting his hand, Webster was in damage control all day. With Beaton finishing 1-1 in the two final motos of the year, the pair tied on 382 points, with Webster taking the title by winning more races this year.
The excitement started early on when WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha’s Maximus Purvis broke Beaton’s AMX Superstores Top 10 Pole Shootout streak. The Kiwi stunning the field by posting a 1m47.729s lap-time, more than half a second quicker than Empire Kawasaki’s Luke Clout.
GASGAS Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs logged an impressive final lap to claim P3, edging ahead of Beaton by 0.26s, with Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) claiming P5.
There was plenty of action in the opening MX1 moto, as Beaton took the win and closed the gap on the championship leader. Clout took the WP Holeshot, but a surging Purvis carved past him for the lead in the opening laps. Several laps later, Purvis then suffered a huge crash, allowing Clout to briefly retake the lead.
Beaton fought his way from P6 on the opening lap to eventually pass Clout and ride away to an 8.6-second win, with Clout second and Webster bravely riding through the pain to finish P3.
Wilson Todd (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) did a great job of protecting Webster from a late, hard charge from Gibbs to hold onto P4 and ensure Webster maintained some handy points going into the final moto, while Gibbs would finish P5.
With everything to play for in the final moto, Webster grabbed the holeshot, but Beaton wasted no time getting past and stretching out a commanding 8.9-second lead by the time he crossed the finish-line.
Riding through the pain, Webster found himself going backwards as Clout, Gibbs and Purvis overtook him, but he gritted his teeth and stayed ahead of Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) to secure Honda’s first MX1 championship in decades – and a first under the management of team owner Yarrive Konsky.
A hard-charging Gibbs claimed second, with Clout third, and Purvis fourth. For the round, Beaton took a perfect 50 points, with Clout second and Gibbs third.