A new-look Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team has been launched on the Gold Coast this evening, uncovering the 2024 Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 of Todd Waters alongside the FC 250 race bikes of Rhys Budd and Jack Mather leading into next month’s Australian ProMX Championship opener in Wonthaggi, VIC, on Sunday, March 17.
Led by team owner/MX1 racer Waters, Raceline Husqvarna has taken another step forward entering its second season of operating the official Husqvarna Motorcycles-backed program in the Australian Motocross and Supercross Championships. The 34-year-old former national champion Waters will be targeting the very pointy end of the field when the gates drop and has been working closely with both Budd and Mather.
Budd’s signing was announced in December and the 22-year-old has been enjoying a strong pre-season since, benefiting from the guidance of Waters and eager to improve upon his fourth position achieved in last year’s final MX2 standings.
Alongside him, after finishing runner-up in MX3, highly-rated 18-year-old Mather will be applying pressure to the established MX2 class front-runners as he gains added experience and looks to make his mark as a rookie at the professional level.
Husqvarna Motorcycles Australia is once again excited to be partnering with Waters and his Queensland-based Raceline Performance effort, firmly focused on contending for titles across the MX1 and MX2 categories together in 2024. The ProMX Championship will span eight rounds over a five-month duration this year, with the Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team eager to keep building upon the lessons learnt throughout its inaugural campaign.
Todd Waters: “2024 is shaping up to be a great year for the Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team. We’ve got some great riders on board with Rhys and Jack, and I’m personally in a great spot. We’ve improved a lot as a team after learning from 2023, so we’re functioning really well. My riding in the pre-season has been great, I get to ride with Jack and Rhys every Thursday and teach them about testing because they’ve both never really done it before, and I love being able to pass on my knowledge. We’re ready to go, the boys and I are super-happy. I’m really confident in our team and program in 2024, it’s going to be a great year!”
Rhys Budd: “It’s been a really good start to 2024 with the Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team, we’ve had a few pre-season races and I’ve been lucky enough to pretty much win those races in both the 250 and 450 classes. Working with Toddy has been great, he’s awesome. He helps me out so much in every aspect, always asking about the bike and how we can improve in every area. The whole team is really fun to be a part of, the communication between all of us at the races has been awesome, so I’m pumped. I’m excited to get the ProMX Championship kicked off. I’m fit, healthy, and strong right now, and everything is going in the right direction, so we just have to keep clocking off the work in the gym and on the bike so we can go out and have a good season.”
Jack Mather: “We’ve had a really solid pre-season this year with the team. I’ve been mixing one day a week of riding and testing with Todd alongside my usual training with the Ford Dale Elite crew. We’re stepping up to the MX2 class this year, so I’m really excited about that. I’m in a great spot on this Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team right now alongside Todd and Rhys, I’m learning a lot from both of them, so I’m excited to get things underway here soon.”
Kyle Blunden (KTM Group Australia Motorsport Manager): “Todd and his team are riding the wave of great momentum in their second year of this project and have built an environment that empowers our riders to perform at their peak. We’re proud to have an exceptional line-up of riders in 2024, and we’re confident the team will make a significant impact in the ProMX Championship. The team has done a fantastic job and refined their approach in many areas. The constant pursuit of excellence is truly inspiring and I have no doubt you will see the results of his throughout the championship.”
