Maitland, NSW will host Round 5 of the 2022 Penrite ProMX Championship presented by AMX Superstores (ProMX) this Sunday, June 26th.
Officially kick-starting the second half of the Championship, a huge number of competitors, teams, support crew, and race fans alike are expected to flock to the Lower Hunter Valley, NSW, to be a part of the ProMX action.
In the MX1 class, we have witnessed yet another potential momentum swing in the Championship, with the Arron Tanti coming into his own at the previous Round at Gillman in SA. Tanti finally put it all together, matching his blistering sprint speed with endurance and consistency to weather challenges from all of the Championship contenders in MX1, taking the second Moto victory at Gillman, the overall win for the Round, and opening up a 12-point lead at the top of the class standings with the Red Plate.
One thing is for sure, Tanti will feel at home in the familiar confines of the Maitland track and if there is any round he is able to capitalise on the momentum and set the narrative for the rest of the Championship, it will be right here at Maitland! Watch for Tanti from the start of the day when he throws down his patented sprint laps in the AMX Superstores Top 10 Pole Shootout.
It is the 2019 Champion of Todd Waters that has proved consistency is key, sitting in 2nd place in the Championship heading into Round 5. Behind Waters, Brett Metcalfe will look to capitalise on newfound confidence from a Moto win and overall podium at his home town race in Gillman.
Another compelling story from Gillman came with Dean Ferris, who quietly came into the round nursing the effects of a mid-week practice crash. It was not the dominance we witnessed at Wodonga, but a consistent day inside the top 5 that now leaves Ferris 23 points out of the Red Plate and undoubtedly looking to rebound and set the tone for the rest of the Championship. Kirk Gibbs also returned to form at Gillman with an overall podium, now sitting 5th in the Championship, Gibbs is another veteran who can factor into the podium battles at any time during the second half of the Championship.
In Pirelli MX2, Wilson Todd comes into the Round regaining full command of the Championship after a dominating performance at Gillman. Taking a perfect day with 1-1 Moto scores and edging out one of his closest rivals of Alex Larwood at his hometown race, Todd has really set the tone that it is his Championship to control as we commence the second half of the season. Todd now sits a whopping 61 points clear with the Red Plate, with the only rider to beat him to a Moto win in 2022, Bailey Malkiewicz, battling a knee injury from Gillman, it is time for someone to step up to the plate and challenge Todd’s dominance. Who will that be? Time will tell at Maitland this weekend.
In MX3, we have seen youthful exuberance and inconsistency shake up the Championship standings, with Kayden Minear closing the gap to just 1 point out from Cambell Williams. It is safe to say that Maitland will be a battleground for momentum in the Maxxis MX3 field and all eyes will be on Minear Vs. Williams to see what the youngsters can do to stake their claim on the Red Plate after leaving NSW on Sunday afternoon.
In further addition to the lineup of ProMX action, Maitland will also host the first of the Yamaha bLU cRU YZ65 Cup Rounds for the Championship. This incredible initiative by Yamaha Australia gives young riders competing on YZ65 machines the opportunity to compete on the same race track as their Factory racing heroes. Experiencing a once in a lifetime weekend pitting out of the bLU cRU truck, with unparalleled access to Yamaha’s professional MX race teams, each YZ65 Cup participant is rewarded with memories that last a lifetime.
