Beaton extends ProMX lead as Honda keeps MX2 streak alive

2026 Australian ProMX Championship

Round Four – Toowoomba, QLD

Round four of the 2026 Penrite ProMX Championship at Toowoomba’s Echo Valley circuit delivered a pivotal day in the title chase, particularly in Kawasaki MX1, where Jed Beaton turned another clean sweep into a 40-point championship lead.

The Queensland venue was sunny overhead, but the circuit itself was heavy, rutted and muddy in sections, placing a premium on starts, patience and precision. Yamaha riders won seven of the eight motos across the MX1, MX2, MX3 and MX85 programs, but Honda’s MX2 program again had plenty to celebrate, with the Factory Honda Racing Team taking its fourth consecutive MX2 overall victory for the season.

Beaton was the clear headline act in MX1, edging Kyle Webster by just 0.009 seconds in Superpole before winning both motos. The result was made more significant by a costly opening-race incident for Webster, Dean Ferris and Wilson Todd, which removed Webster from contention in Moto 1 and left Todd battling through injury for the remainder of the day.

In MX2, Alex Larwood and Noah Ferguson shared the moto wins, but Kayd Kingsford’s pair of second places delivered the overall. That was a particularly impressive outcome given Kingsford underwent collarbone surgery only three weeks earlier. Larwood still leaves Toowoomba with the red plate, but his championship lead over Kingsford is now only nine points.

Hayden Downie was dominant in MX3, taking both race wins, while Hayden Draper’s 2-2 scorecard strengthened his championship position. In the Fox Racing MX85 Cup, Blake Bohannon completed a perfect campaign, winning again at Toowoomba to finish the series unbeaten.

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Kawasaki MX1

Beaton makes his break

The day’s first MX1 flashpoint came before racing began, with Beaton taking Superpole on a 1m55.125s. Webster was only nine-thousandths behind on 1m55.134s, while Dean Ferris was also in the hunt on 1m55.351s. Wilson Todd qualified fourth, ahead of Nathan Crawford, Todd Waters, Zac Watson, Aaron Tanti, Luke Zielinski and Connor Rossandich.

With Beaton, Webster and Ferris so closely matched, Moto 1 had all the ingredients for a proper front-running fight, but the race changed almost immediately. Tanti took the holeshot before a first-turn pile-up caught Ferris, Webster, Todd and Liam Jackson. Todd was able to resume, but Ferris and Jackson were out, while Webster’s race was effectively over.

The incident was a heavy blow for Honda. Webster had looked more comfortable than he has for much of the season and had been only 0.009 seconds off Superpole, but instead left the opening race with no points. Todd also sustained injuries in the crash, which affected the rest of his day.

Webster was clearly frustrated afterwards, saying track preparation needed to improve and that it “shouldn’t be slippery on one side and rolled in on the other.” Whether the incident could have been avoided or not is impossible to know, but from a championship perspective, the consequences were clear.

Tanti led the opening lap of Moto 1, but Beaton was in front from lap two and controlled the race from there. Crawford quickly settled into third, and the top three remained unchanged to the finish. Beaton won by 13.179 seconds over Tanti, with Crawford third.

Crawford’s speed was stronger than the final margin suggested. He set the fastest lap of the race, a 1m57.511s on lap eight, just ahead of Tanti’s 1m57.615s from the same lap and Beaton’s best of 1m57.730s. Waters was fourth, Watson fifth, Zielinski sixth and Rhys Budd seventh, while Todd recovered to eighth despite the opening-turn drama. Jacob Sweet and Rossandich completed the top ten.

Moto 2 gave Webster a chance to hit back. The Honda rider took the holeshot, but Beaton was ahead by the end of the opening lap and led every timed lap from there. Webster stayed close, and Crawford again had the pace to make it a three-rider contest, but Beaton responded when required.

Crawford held the fastest-lap benchmark for much of the race with a 1m57.431s on lap eight, before Beaton found a 1m57.257s on lap 13 to put the result beyond reach. Beaton won by 3.112 seconds over Webster, with Crawford only another 0.490 seconds behind in third. Tanti was fourth, ahead of Waters, Watson, Budd, Zielinski, Todd and Levi Rogers.

Beaton’s 1-1 scorecard gave him maximum points and lifted him to 195 in the championship. Webster remains second on 155, but the gap is now 40 points with four rounds remaining. Tanti is third on 146, ahead of Wilson Todd on 128, Waters on 122, Watson on 112 and Crawford on 109.

Waters’ 4-5 scorecard was a strong rebound after Gillman and good enough for fourth overall, while Watson’s 5-6 day gave KTM fifth overall and moved him to sixth in the standings.

Crawford’s 3-3 results delivered second overall on countback from Tanti and continued his recovery after a difficult opening round.

Beaton summed up the importance of the day neatly, saying it was important to keep momentum in his favour after Webster had won at Gillman. The Monster Energy CDR Yamaha rider also credited his team for finding a setup that worked across Echo Valley’s hills, ruts and altitude-related engine demands.

MX1 Race One

 

MX1 Race Two

MX1 Pole Shootout

MX1 Round Points

MX1 Championship Standings

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Pirelli MX2

Kingsford wins overall as Honda’s run continues

Honda Racing Australia has now won all four MX2 overalls in 2026, and Toowoomba might have been the most impressive yet, given the circumstances.

Kayd Kingsford was still only three weeks removed from collarbone surgery, but his 2-2 results were enough to secure his second overall victory of the season. It was not a spectacular scorecard in the way a double win would have been, but it was exactly the sort of measured day that wins championships.

“It was a really strong weekend,” Kingsford said. “I was happy with my speed and fitness considering everything that has happened these past few weeks. In race two I was honestly in control mode. I knew what was happening behind me and where everyone was.”

Moto 1 was a Honda showcase. Seth Burchell was sharp off the start, while Kayd Kingsford led the opening laps before Larwood moved through and took control. Larwood’s 2m00.265s on lap six was the fastest lap of the race, and he went on to win by 11.063 seconds over Kayd Kingsford.

Ryder Kingsford completed a Honda 1-2-3 in third, with Dylan Walsh fourth and Byron Dennis fifth for KTM. Haruki Yokoyama, Jayce Cosford, Jet Alsop, Ryan Alexanderson and Rhys Budd rounded out the top ten.

Larwood’s day then swung hard in the opposite direction in Moto 2. After dominating the opener, he crashed early in the second race and was left with a sore shoulder, eventually salvaging 12th. He still leads the championship, but admitted he had given away a lot of points.

“That was really disappointing after such a strong first race,” Larwood said. “I’m glad I still hold the points lead, but I definitely gave away a lot of points today.”

Ferguson was the rider who made the most of Moto 2. After a frustrating first race that included two falls and left him 14th, the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha rider charged to the front in the second outing. Kayd Kingsford led the opening two laps, but Ferguson was in front by lap three, setting the fastest lap of the race on the same lap with a 1m58.821s.

From there, Ferguson controlled the race and won by 10.417 seconds over Kayd Kingsford. Walsh was third, Reid Taylor fourth, Ryder Kingsford fifth and Dennis sixth, followed by Alexanderson, Souya Nakajima, Burchell and Alsop.

Kingsford’s consistency delivered the overall on 44 points, with Walsh second on 38, Ryder Kingsford third on 36, Larwood fourth on 34 and Ferguson fifth on 32. Dennis finished sixth overall on 31 points.

The championship remains tight. Larwood leads on 164, Kayd Kingsford has moved to second on 155, Dennis is third on 151, Walsh fourth on 147 and Ryder Kingsford fifth on 127. Ferguson is now sixth on 124 after his breakthrough Moto 2 win.

Walsh’s 4-3 day was another important step for KTM. He sits just 17 points from the MX2 series lead, while Dennis remains third despite describing Toowoomba as a day where the results did not fully match how he felt he was riding.

MX2 Race One

MX2 Race Two

MX2 Round Points

MX2 Championship Standings

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Maxxis MX3

Downie dominates, Draper banks points

Hayden Downie was the benchmark in Maxxis MX3 at Toowoomba, taking both race wins and both fastest laps in a breakout performance.

Seth Thomas was credited with the Moto 1 holeshot, but Downie was already in control by the end of the opening lap. His 2m04.303s on lap two stood as the fastest lap of the race, and he went on to win by 19.091 seconds.

Championship leader Hayden Draper finished second, with Seth Morrow third, Heath Davy fourth and Jackson Fuller fifth. Riley Burgess was sixth, ahead of Honda’s Heath Fisher, Jobe Dunne, Nate Perrett and Max Compton.

Moto 2 took a different shape early. Thomas again claimed the holeshot, while Fuller led the opening three laps before Downie moved ahead on lap four. Downie’s 2m02.008s on that same lap became the fastest lap of the race, and he went on to win by 15.011 seconds.

Draper again finished second and Morrow again third, producing a carbon-copy podium from Moto 1. Burgess was fourth, Fuller fifth and Fisher sixth. Thomas, Jack Deveson, Ryder Matthews-Taylor and Cooper Rowe completed the top ten.

There was also drama in Moto 2, with Davy and Mason Brown involved in a crash that brought medical attention, while Jack Ellingham was handed a five-position penalty for gaining an advantage under a medical flag.

For Draper, a 2-2 day was exactly the sort of championship management ride he needed on a day when Downie had the field covered. Draper now leads the MX3 standings on 174 points, 35 clear of Burgess on 139. Fisher remains third on 137, with Fuller fourth on 128 and Downie now fifth on 117.

Fisher was honest about his own weekend after finishing sixth overall. The Honda rider said he was not where he needed to be mentally or physically, lacked intensity, made too many mistakes and rode tense all day. He remains third in the championship, but Toowoomba cost him ground to Draper and allowed Burgess to move past him for second.

Fuller’s 5-5 scorecard was another solid outing for KTM, while Deveson’s day was mixed after a crash in race one left him fighting back to 16th before improving to eighth in Moto 2.

MX3 Race One

MX3 Race Two

MX3 Round Points

MX3 Championship Standings

 

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Fox Racing MX85 Cup

Blake Bohannon’s Fox Racing MX85 Cup campaign ended the way it began: with another pair of wins.

The Yamaha Junior Racing Team rider arrived at Toowoomba with command of the series and left with a perfect 150-point haul, having won every race in the 2026 MX85 Cup.

Brax Pollard took the Moto 1 holeshot, but Bohannon was in front by the end of lap two and never gave it up. He set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap, a 2m15.566s, and won by 26.768 seconds over Jayce Stocker. Maxi Harris finished third, ahead of Lewis-Jay Carafa and Archie Black. Koby Binnion was disqualified for outside assistance.

Moto 2 was less straightforward. Pollard again took the holeshot, and Bohannon led the early laps before a mistake in the sticky mud dropped him back to fourth. Harris and then Ethan Wolfe led while Bohannon recovered, but the Yamaha rider kept his composure and worked back to the front.

Bohannon set the fastest lap of the race, a 2m14.288s, on lap nine, the same lap he reclaimed the lead. He went on to beat Wolfe by 2.405 seconds, with Black third, Liam Millard fourth and Duke Sharobem fifth.

Bohannon finished the series on a maximum 150 points, ahead of Stocker on 111 and Millard on 100. Wolfe’s strong Toowoomba showing helped him finish fourth in the final standings, ahead of Black.

Bohannon will now turn attention to selected MX3 appearances, having received age dispensation to compete in the final rounds against the country’s leading 14-U18 riders.

MX85 Race One

MX85 Race Two

MX85 Round Points

MX85 Championship Standings

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Next stop — Appin

The 2026 ProMX Championship now moves to Appin in New South Wales on June 14.

Beaton has the strongest championship hand in MX1, but Webster’s Moto 2 rebound showed the Honda rider still has race-winning pace. MX2 remains the tightest of the major title fights, with Larwood, Kayd Kingsford, Dennis and Walsh all within genuine reach of the red plate. In MX3, Draper’s consistency continues to pay, but Toowoomba showed that Downie has the speed to disrupt the second half of the season.

At the halfway point, the title pictures are clearer, but far from settled.

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 2026 Australian ProMX Championship Calendar

• Round 1 – March 21-22, Wonthaggi, Victoria
• Round 2 – April 19, Canberra, ACT
• Round 3 – May 10, Gillman, South Australia
• Round 4 – May 24, Toowoomba, Queensland
• Round 5 – June 14, Appin, NSW
• Round 6 – July 12, Traralgon, Victoria
• Round 7 – July 26, Conondale, Queensland
• Round 8 – August 1-2, Queensland Moto Park, Queensland