After 272 racing laps, 16 races and 8 rounds, the points for the premier MX1 class were all locked up in the 2024 ProMX Championship with a countback required to determine the winner.
CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team’s Jed Beaton and Honda’s Kyle Webster both finished on 382 points in the closest championship chase in MX1 history, and it came down to the rider with the most-round wins to claim the title. Beaton had three, Webster had five and was awarded the championship.
But Beaton left it all out on the track and the final race ended up being a nail-biting affair as both riders took it down to the wire. Beaton entered the final round 14 points down and needed a minor miracle to make up the points given the domination of the duo this season.
Webster fell during qualifying and suddenly Beaton smelled blood in the water. The equation was simple, if Beaton finished 1-1 for the day, Webster needed a 3-5 result to win the championship.
Race one only added to the drama. Beaton sliced through the pack and charged into the distance to take the race win. Webster crossed the line in third and now the points were back to a nine separating. A fifth in race two and it’s a tie with a count back to Webster, a sixth-place finish for Webster and its championship to Beaton.
The gates fell, and the final moto of the championship thundered into turn one with Webster and Beaton leading the way. Two laps in and Beaton was in control and roosting away. But the field was starting to bunch up behind Webster. Firstly, Luke Clout found a way past, dropping Webster to third. Then Kirk Gibbs related Webster to fourth. A handful of laps later, Maximus Purvis smashed his way past and Webster was right on the bubble with Todd Waters looming behind him.
As the race teams scrambled to understand the situation and what needed to happen on the track, the tension in the crowd was obvious. This was a fight for the win.
Beaton was gone and claimed the race win, while Webster rallied late to maintain his fifth place and as a result, clinch the championship on a count back in one of the most exciting days racing Australian motocross has scene.
“It’s disappointing that I didn’t get the championship win and I could look back and find a heap of things that could make a difference, but in the end, this is how we finished and I feel I can hold my head high,” Beaton lamented.
“I knew I was up against it, but I wasn’t going to roll over and winning races was my only hope, so that’s what I did.
“Congratulations to Kyle, he has been a great rival this year and he had to work for it today, so well done to him and his team.
“Thank you to everyone at the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team for their efforts this year. As a group of people, we never stopped trying to be better and we fought it out until the end,” Beaton concluded.
The 2024 ProMX Championship will go down as a memorable season for CDR Yamaha and one that Craig Dack will look back on fondly.
“I’m gutted that we came so close, but just couldn’t get the championship but at the same time proud of how CDR has performed this championship. We had several changes behind the scenes and two new riders, to which the team adjusted well, and kept our focus on performing each weekend.
“Jed has done a great job and I know he has left no stone unturned to be better at every round and I think out working relationship will only continue to grow.
“Thanks to our major partners and sponsors for their generous support of CDR and also to Motorcycling Australia for bringing the championship together,” Dack concluded.
