Release from 24.03.2025
Positives to take away from 2025 season-opener for the three-rider team
At his much-anticipated return to professional racing, Duffy achieved his personal goal of a top 10 result onboard the Husqvarna FC 450. The Western Australian qualified 13th-fastest and a start inside the top 10 of the opening moto saw him moving forward, running as high as P6 before settling for ninth. Moto 2 saw Duffy again start inside the top 10 and he put in a calculated ride to finish P8, netting ninth overall.
Regan Duffy: “I’m really happy with today. I came in with a completely different approach to the last time in 2023 when it was almost a celebration of being able to race. This time I want to do well – I’m putting in 100 percent on and off the bike, and doing everything I can. I had a realistic goal of securing a top 10 result this weekend, so to come away with ninth overall ticks that box nicely. This is a great platform to build off for the rest of the year.”
Race day at Wonthaggi started well for former MX1 champion Waters, posting the sixth-fastest qualifying time in the Pole Shootout, and then getting a solid start in the opening moto. Midway through the race, a crash forced him into the pits and he eventually finished in 26th. Facing a rough track for the second moto, Waters used his experience to rebound from the disappointment, working his way from an eighth-place start to finish fifth.
Todd Waters: “I finished P6 in qualifying and was feeling good in moto one. I was charging forward and made a few passes, but unfortunately came together with another rider and went down hard. I hurt my hand, so in the next moto, I settled myself down and rode it home in P5. It wasn’t a bad bounce-back, but I was disappointed with that first race and with the overall result. As a whole though, the team worked well, so we’re heading in a positive direction and looking forward to round two.”
In the MX2 class, Raceline Husqvarna TDUB Racing Team rider Budd endured a challenging day, despite having experienced a promising pre-season. After setting the 15th-fastest qualifying time, two consistent 11th-place finishes from his two motos saw him finish the day 10th overall riding the Husqvarna FC 250.
Rhys Budd: “It was a tough weekend. I came in as prepared as I could be, but we had some minor issues on Saturday we had to work through and that put me behind the eight-ball for qualifying. Qualifying didn’t go my way, so we stayed back and worked hard to get the bike to where we wanted it. The toughest thing is I came in really prepared and had some great pre-season races and proved I could be one of the guys. We've got some work to do between now and the next one, but we'll come out swinging."
Wonthaggi also saw Round 1 of the MAXXIS MX3 Class drop the gates on season 2025, where Husqvarna-supported racer Jack Deveson – a former Husqvarna Junior Racing Team rider – finished seventh overall onboard his Husqvarna FC 250.
Next Race: April 13 – Appin, NSW
Results MX1 Class – Wonthaggi
1. Jed Beaton (Yamaha)
2. Nathan Crawford (KTM)
3. Luke Clout (Kawasaki)
5. Kirk Gibbs (KTM)
9. Regan Duffy (Raceline Husqvarna TDUB Racing Team)
11. Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna TDUB Racing Team)
Standings MX1 Class after 1 of 8 rounds
1. Jed Beaton, 47 points
2. Nathan Crawford, 37
3. Luke Clout, 36
5. Kirk Gibbs, 31
9. Regan Duffy, 25
11. Todd Waters, 16
Results MX2 Class – Wonthaggi
1. Brodie Connolly (Honda)
2. Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha)
3. Alex Larwood (Honda)
4. Byron Dennis (KTM)
5. Noah Ferguson (KTM)
10. Rhys Budd (Raceline Husqvarna TDUB Racing Team)
Standings MX2 Class after 1 of 8 rounds
1. Brodie Connolly, 50 points
2. Ryder Kingsford, 44
3. Alex Larwood, 40
4. Byron Dennis, 36
5. Noah Ferguson, 31
10. Rhys Budd, 22