WONTHAGGI’S high-flying status as the opening round in the Penrite ProMX Championship continues this year, with the spectacular track once again kickstarting hostilities in Australia’s premier motocross series.
All attention will turn to the Gippsland-based venue for an extended two-day round on the weekend of March 22-23 as it hosts the ProMX opener for the fifth successive year, featuring classes: MX1, MX2, MX3, MXW and MX85.
For reigning MX1 champion Kyle Webster, Wonthaggi is also his home round as he lives just up the road in Korumburra and he will once again be racing with Honda.
Last August, Webster and the Honda Australia Factory Racing Team extended their contract beyond this year, solidifying a long-term agreement.
“I have been with Honda for seven years and we have achieved some terrific results. Yarrive and I have a great relationship; we communicate so well and share the same goals. The bike is great, and the team is focused on winning. I appreciate the trust they have in me, and it’s mutual,” said Webster.
Webster leads the Australian Motocross Championship in the MX1 class and enjoyed a sensational 2024 with victory in the premier class and also winning the Motocross of Nations for Team Australia alongside with Jett and Hunter Lawrence. He’s now chasing a third Australian motocross title.
“My aim is to win, but nothing fazes me. I do my work during the week and feel well-prepared. It’s going to be a fight till the end, and I love it. I really love racing and battling,” said Webster last season.
He will be joined by Wilson Todd on the starting gates, who had an injury-riddled 2024 and he is keen to come back strongly.
“Last year was tough as two injuries kept me sidelined for over eight months,” Todd said.
“I appreciate the team sticking by me.
“I’ll be at Wonthaggi, but with less than three weeks on the bike, I’ll need to race myself back into fitness and speed.”
Brodie Connolly and Alex Larwood will again line up in Pirelli MX2, the former looking to continue his dominance from last year which saw him clinch the title by an astonishing 90 points.
“The team is great, training is going well, and I’ve got a new off-bike trainer who’s making a real difference,” Connolly said.
“I feel much better prepared for this season.”
Charli Cannon will continue in EZILIFT MXW as she prepares to chase an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship.
The 19-year old won all but one moto in 2024, exercising her authority as the rider to beat and made a stance as arguably the toughest competitor in ProMX.
“Last year we were strong, but I had weaknesses to address,” she explained.
“Fitness has been my main focus – I don’t just want to win in Australia, I want to be ready for any overseas opportunities.”
The biggest change to the line-up is in the Maxxis MX3 class, with Kayd Kingsford replacing Jake Cannon who’s off to contest the EMX250 Motocross European Championship. Finishing third in the championship last season, the 17-year-old will look to establish himself as a title contender and prove he still has what it takes to fight at the front of the field.
“I was pumped to get this opportunity,” he said.
“Honda’s MX3 program is proven – it won with Parker Ross and backed it up with Jake Cannon.
“Its MX2 success also gives me confidence that I’m on the best bike with a great team and I’m ready to chase this championship.”
Wonthaggi has not only become one of the blue-chip rounds in the ProMX Championship because of its spectacular layout but its picturesque surroundings, wide-ranging hospitality and service options across the region help to make it one of the most accommodating venues on the calendar.
As is the case with the start of every new season, the anticipation will be intense as all riders – some in new teams and surroundings – start with a blank canvas as the battle to become Aussie motocross champions begins in earnest.
Run by the Dandenong Motorcycle Club, the schedule includes practice, qualifying and racing all in two jam-packed days on Saturday and Sunday with action from Australia’s best riders.
The action and excitement aren’t limited to the track, with the chance to meet your favourite riders and grab a bargain in Trade Alley.
The 2025 ProMX Championship will be held over eight rounds and six months, starting in Wonthaggi and concluding at Queensland Moto Park (QMP) on August 2-3.
In between, the championship will visit Appin (NSW) on April 13, Gillman (SA) on April 27, Traralgon (Vic) on May 25, Warwick (Qld) on June 22, Nowra on July 6 and Toowoomba (Qld) on July 27.
Traralgon, Warwick and Nowra will be making their ProMX debuts in 2025, while Appin is returning after a one-year absence. Wonthaggi, Gillman, Toowoomba and QMP are all now ProMX Championship staples.
Presented by AMX Superstores the Penrite ProMX Championship is supported by the Victorian Government via its Significant Sporting Events Program and the Bass Coast Shire Council.
The Penrite ProMX Championships will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 22 -23 from 10am to 4pm at Wonthaggi Motocross Track, 220 West Area Rd, Wonthaggi.
Tickets available from bit.ly/3FtNTsw.
