KTM Racing Team rider Kayden Minear made a return to the MX2 podium in round three of the 2024 Australian ProMX Championship at Gillman today, finishing second overall following a standout performance in South Australia.
The 17-year-old starred on his KTM 250 SX-F by qualifying second this morning and then following a pair of fast starts and strong track position, he delivered 4-2 results across the pair of motos, which landed him second overall for the weekend. As a result, he's climbed to fourth in the championship standings in the mid-stages of the season.
Kayden Minear: "It was a very good day for me in second overall. I felt good in qualifying and also in the first moto, but had an unfortunate tip-over late in the race and that cost me some spots on my way to fourth. Second race, the start was a holeshot and always great, then I found my flow and brought it home for second, which was P2 overall. I'm really happy to get my first podium of the year and hopefully there are more to come!"
In the premier MX1 class, KTM Racing Team's Nathan Crawford was able to qualify in a solid third position on his KTM 450 SX-F. The opening moto saw him charge hard to a valuable fourth position, before an unidentified abnormality hindered his progress during final lap of the second moto after solidifying himself in third position.
Despite that drama on the final lap of the moto, Crawford was able to circulate the finish and salvage in seventh place, which was enough for sixth overall this weekend. It was a disappointing end to the round for the Queenslander, but he's retained third in the standings following three of eight rounds.
Nathan Crawford: "It was a very bittersweet day for me. I was fourth in practice and third in qualifying, but just felt a little bit off all day. I rode average in the first moto for the first 15 minutes, then put my head down to charge to fourth. We made some changes for the second moto and I was in third towards the end, but with three quarters of a lap to go we had an issue and I had to roll around to the finish. It's just super disappointing to almost get on the podium like that, but I'm happy to leave with some points and it's not all bad."
Also on track this weekend, KTM Junior Racing Team's Cooper Ford finished second overall in the MX85 Cup class at Gillman, recording 3-2 finishes across the pair of fast-paced motos on his KTM 85 SX.
Round four of the Australian ProMX Championship will be contested at Maitland in New South Wales, from May 24-25, in the first two-day race weekend of the 2024 season.