Release from 25.06.2023
After qualifying ninth around the hillside Echo Valley circuit, Waters and his 2023 Husqvarna FC 450 in a Heritage livery for retro round launched from the gate of the opening MX1 moto and among the leading group of riders. As the race wore on, the 2019 MX1 champion came into his own and he continued moving forward, finishing with a well-earned third-place result.
Another good start to the second encounter saw Waters again right in contention for a podium position, but he was forced to retire after experiencing a big crash mid-way through the race that winded him and damaged his bike. Waters now sits in eighth in the championship hunt with two rounds remaining.
In the MX2 class, Fox and his 2023 Husqvarna FC 250 set a good pace early with the ninth-fastest qualifying time, and he was rewarded with a great start that had him positioned inside the top three early in the opening moto. He finished the day with 14-18 results from his two races and is now placed 17th in the championship standings.
MX3 saw Jack Mather charge to a race win in the opening hit-out, then finished fifth in the second moto after being penalised two positions. He remains second in the MX3 championship, heading into the penultimate round of the ProMX series set for Queensland Moto Park on 13 August.
Todd Waters: “It was interesting day. Toowoomba has quite a hard, skaty surface, so it didn’t form up as technically as it normally would. This sort of track isn’t usually up my alley as I’m not a hard-pack rider, but I was stoked to come through from outside the top five to finish third in the first moto, and to pass some of the front-runners. In the second moto I had another good start and was sitting in fourth, then I made a huge mistake down one of the hills, went over the bars, over the berm, bent my bike up, tore the seat off, and really winded myself. I didn’t finish that race, which was disappointing, but looking at the big picture, I feel like things are improving and I’m getting back into that athlete mindset. We’ll keep chipping away and try and finish the season strongly.”
Blake Fox: “I had a really promising start to the day with a good qualifying and an awesome jump off the gate in the opening MX2 moto. I finished the day in 16th overall with a P14 and P18 results, but there are still some positives to take from Toowoomba. We’ve now got a six-week break, so the aim is to work hard and focus on getting some good results at the final two rounds and wrap up the championship on a positive note.”
2023 ProMX Championship – Toowoomba QLD
MX1 round results:
1. Dean Ferris (Yamaha) 50
2. Jed Beaton (Honda) 42
3. Aaron Tanti (Yamaha) 38
4. Kirk Gibbs (KTM) 36
5. Kyle Webster (Honda) 31
11. Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) 20
MX1 championship standings:
1. Dean Ferris (Yamaha) 221
2. Jed Beaton (Honda) 214
3. Aaron Tanti (Yamaha) 210
4. Kirk Gibbs (KTM) 190
5. Luke Clout (Yamaha) 172
8. Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) 146
MX2 round results:
1. Nathan Crawford (KTM) 47
2. Wilson Todd (Honda) 45
3. Noah Ferguson (GASGAS) 42
4. Rhys Budd (Yamaha) 34
5. Brodie Connolly (Honda) 33
16. Blake Fox (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) 10
MX2 championship standings:
1. Wilson Todd (Honda) 242
2. Nathan Crawford (KTM) 207
3. Brodie Connolly (Honda) 188
4. Rhys Budd (Yamaha) 176
5. Noah Ferguson (GASGAS) 153
17. Blake Fox (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) 44
MX3 round results:
1. Byron Dennis (GASGAS) 44
2. Jack Mather (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) 41
3. Liam Owens (Husqvarna) 38
4. Jake Cannon (Yamaha) 35
5. Cambell Williams (Kawasaki) 31
MX3 championship standings:
1. Byron Dennis (GASGAS) 230
2. Jack Mather (Raceline Husqvarna Berry Sweet Racing) 205
3. Jake Cannon (Yamaha) 176
4. Cambell Williams (Kawasaki) 169
5. Kobe Drew (Yamaha) 149