A gritty performance helped KTM Racing Team’s Kayden Minear achieve his second MX2 overall podium of the year in the fifth round of the 2024 Australian ProMX Championship at Murray Bridge.
Minear managed to finish fifth after crashing heavily in the opening encounter at the high-speed South Australian circuit, putting in an inspired charge to finish the moto with a remarkable top-five result.
That set him up for a podium challenge in the second race, where despite still feeling the effects of his crash, the Western Australian teenager rode his KTM 250 SX-F to third position, which landed him P3 overall. Minear currently sits fourth in the MX2 championship standings, just 10 points outside of the top three.
KTM Racing Team MX1 contender Nathan Crawford put in a determined showing at Murray Bridge to finish the day with a hard-earned fourth overall, despite being penalised by one position following the final moto of the weekend.
After setting the second-quickest time in regular qualifying and then sitting P6 after the Pole Shootout, he rode his KTM 450 SX-F to a final tally of 5-4 results across the two motos. Crawford remains third in the MX1 point standings with three Queensland-based rounds remaining, beginning with Toowoomba on July 21.
Kayden Minear: “After my crash in the first moto I definitely feel very sore and I think tomorrow’s going to be a struggle to get out of bed. I’m just grateful I’m not injured, that I could race the second moto, and finish on the podium today. I’m happy that even after my crash I still ran really good lap-times, and to finish the day third overall. I feel really comfortable on the bike at the moment and I’m just excited to keep racing.”
Nathan Crawford: “It was a so-so day for fourth overall. I started off second in the first qualifying session and I was really stoked with that, but in the first moto I had an average start and was battling in a pack I didn’t feel I belonged in. I tangled with another rider and went down and had to fight back to fifth. I put my head down and got a much better start in the second moto and raced to third. Unfortunately, I had a bit of a hiccup with a split lane and got a one-second penalty, but we were still 5-4 for fourth overall, so it was a solid, but average weekend for me.”
2024 Australian ProMX Championship – Murray Bridge, SA
MX1 round results:
1. Kyle Webster (Honda)
2. Jed Beaton (Yamaha)
3. Kirk Gibbs (GASGAS)
4. Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team)
5. Brett Metcalfe (Kawasaki)
MX1 championship standings:
1. Jed Beaton (Yamaha) 252
2. Kyle Webster (Honda) 245
3. Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) 210
4. Kirk Gibbs (GASGAS) 188
5. Todd Waters (Husqvarna) 162
MX2 round results:
1. Alex Larwood (Honda)
2. Brodie Connolly (Honda)
3. Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team)
4. Rhys Budd (Husqvarna)
5. Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha)
MX2 championship standings:
1. Brodie Connolly (Honda) 222
2. Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha) 192
3. Noah Ferguson (Honda) 190
4. Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team) 180
5. Rhys Budd (Husqvarna) 151
