Release from 21.07.2024
Aboard his Husqvarna FC 450, Waters set the seventh-fastest lap during the Top 10 Shootout, and then rounded the first turn of the opening MX1 moto toward the front of the pack. After an eventful race where he challenged for as high as P3, Waters ended up finishing fifth.
After a flying start to the second moto, former champion Waters climbed into P2 early on. However, as the track got increasingly demanding, he opted to play it safe and again crossed the line in P5 to wrap up the day fifth overall. He's still P5 in the standings with two rounds remaining.
In the MX2 class, Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team teammates Rhys Budd and Jack Mather ended the day eighth and 11th, respectively.
Budd finished ninth in both motos on his Husqvarna FC 250, positioned seventh in the title-race. Alongside him, pro class newcomer Mather took a pair of 10th-place scores for P11 today, and he sits 11th in the championship.
Todd Waters: "Toowoomba’s always super-challenging for me, as I’m not a hard-pack rider. I’ve been working hard on the bike and feeling more comfortable on it, but I didn’t get the best start to the first moto. I caught up to third and I felt I had speed, but I couldn’t make any passes happen. In the second moto, I got a good start and was in P2, but the track was baked and it was just scary at that point – I didn’t have the extra push the front guys were running. Overall, we’re making progress, and I had some fight this weekend. I’m looking forward to the last two rounds, getting myself further up there and battling with the guys up front."
Rhys Budd: "Today started decently and I was sixth-fastest in qualifying, but the times were quite close towards the front. I struggled with the starts and wasn’t quite comfortable getting off the mesh today, but somehow I managed to come around the first turn near the top-five in each moto and felt pretty good for the first couple of laps. I just had a couple of tip-overs early in the motos, which made it hard, and I ended up fighting just inside the top 10 in both races. We’ll get back to work and get ready for Gympie."
Jack Mather: "Today was pretty solid. The starts weren’t great, but I was able to fight through the pack to two top 10s on what ended up being a very technical track. I’m happy with my riding, so I’m looking forward to a track we’re more familiar with at MX Farm."
Next round: Sunday, August 11 – Gympie, Queensland
2024 Australian ProMX Championship – Toowoomba, QLD
MX1 round six results:
1. Jed Beaton (Yamaha)
2. Kyle Webster (Honda)
3. Nathan Crawford (KTM)
4. Caleb Ward (Husqvarna)
5. Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team)
MX1 championship standings:
1. Kyle Webster (Honda) 299
2. Jed Beaton (Yamaha) 292
3. Nathan Crawford (KTM) 250
4. Kirk Gibbs (GASGAS) 219
5. Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) 193
MX2 round six results:
1. Brodie Connolly (Honda)
2. Reid Taylor (Kawasaki)
3. Jayce Cosford (Yamaha)
4. Kaleb Barham (Yamaha)
5. Alex Larwood (Honda)
8. Rhys Budd (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team)
11. Jack Mather (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team)
MX2 championship standings:
1. Brodie Connolly (Honda) 269
2. Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha) 215
3. Noah Ferguson (Honda) 213
4. Kayden Minear (KTM) 210
5. Jayce Cosford (Yamaha) 182
7. Rhys Budd (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) 175
11. Jack Mather (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) 113