In the fourth and penultimate chapter of this year’s SAMX Championship, the 2024 SA Motocross Championship descended upon Ceduna’s West Coast Motorcycle Club for a weekend of intense racing. As the Championship nears its climax and the competitive spirit intensifies, many racers faced the unique challenges of the West Coast track for the first time. With unpredictable tight margins separating class leaders and potential upheavals in the points standings, the weekend promised to play a pivotal role in the final sprint to the finish line.
Full results of the weekend:
Article images courtesy of Eric McConnochie. Reach out if you want to purchase any of these Championship action shots.
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Sunday 28 July
Pro MX 1 & Pro MX 2
Continuing the fresh rivalries from Round 3 in Robe, Ceduna hosted a fiery showdown as the Pro MX1 premier class approached the Championship’s final leg. Siegah Ward, with a firm grip on the overall class win, maintained his dominance with a clean sweep of wins for the weekend. His Pro MX1 win is nearly secured, though the South Coast finale remains a chance for potential upsets. Shane Carpenter put up a strong fight but finished as the MX1 runner-up.
In MX2, second-placed contender Noah Fergusson missed Ceduna, allowing Wil Carpenter to extend his lead with a clean points sweep for the weekend. Zac Hoffrichter battled hard to secure second place, while Matthew Quin was in contention for third until a final heat crash ended his chances for extra points.
Women All-Powers
Defending champion Amy Bartsch is well on her way to another Women All-Powers Championship, showing strong form with a clean sweep of firsts across all heats. Championship second-place holder Emma Haylock couldn’t close the gap and settled for second with second-place finishes in all heats. Gemma Gers started strong in Heat 1 but fell to fourth after a mistake in Heat 2, with Lexy Hayes taking third.
Expert All-Powers
The 2024 Expert Championship lead is heating up, with current leader Aaron Van Zetten holding a 22-point advantage. Lucas Brerton, hot on his heels, secured the Round 4 win with a mix of first, second, and third-place finishes. He heads into Round 5 trailing Zetten by just a few points. Liam Buckley claimed second place for Round 4 with wins in Heat 2 and Heat 3, while Cody Loffer secured third with a consistent scorecard of 4, 3, and 2.
150/250cc 13-U16Yrs
Noah Rochow continued his winning streak, dominating the 150/250cc 13-U16Yrs class at Ceduna with a perfect weekend. Kye Little narrowly claimed second place over Campbell Cadd by just 2 points. Little’s results were second, fourth, and second, while Cadd finished with a fourth, second, and third.
Clubman
If the pressures of leading the Clubman Championship were affecting Ian Ellis, he didn’t show it. With a clean sweep of firsts, he now holds a commanding 44-point lead. Jayden Hank secured second place with consistent performances of second in both heats and fourth in the final, finishing just 4 points ahead of Harry Guy, who had results of third, fifth, and second.
Vets 35-44Yrs & Vets 45+
In the Vets 35-44 years class, David Murphy claimed top honours after a competitive weekend. Nigel Walsh secured the runner-up spot with consistent performances in Heat 1 and Heat 3, and a strong challenge in Heat 2.
For the Vets 45+ class, Championship leader Charlie Hollis continued his dominant run, despite Darren Averay closing in with a strong opening heat. Hollis finished with a 2, 2, 3 scorecard, while Averay settled for second and Heath Boundy rounded out the top three.
Saturday 27 July
100-125cc 13-U16Yrs
Heading into the final round of the Championship, Joshua Whitehorn emerged as the new front-runner in the 100-125cc 13-U16Yrs class. After an exceptional weekend, he secured both the round win and the Championship lead, ahead of Dylan Gromball. Jayke Hansen took the round runner-up with two third-place finishes and a second, narrowly edging out Gromball by just 2 points.
Great Southern Security 150/250cc 12-U16Yrs Girls
Emily Lambert solidified her Championship lead with a perfect weekend, taking first place in all heats. Danielle Churchett claimed second place for both the round and the Championship with consistent second-place finishes. Maddi Bahnisch narrowly edged out Ava Sparrow for third by just 2 points, setting the stage for an exciting Round 5.
85/150cc S/W 12-U16Yrs
Round 4 featured a fierce competition between Dylan Gromball and Declan Smart. Each heat came down to a final lap sprint, with Gromball managing to hold his own for the round win and continuing his dominance in the 2024 Championship. Xavier Freeborn took third place, closing the gap to just 15 points behind for Championship third.
Great Southern Security 85cc 11-U16Yrs Girls
Lacey Thompson and Maddi Bahnisch kept the crowds guessing in a close contest. Bahnisch took an early lead with wins in the first two heats, but Thompson responded with a Heat 3 victory. Despite this, Bahnisch took control of the Championship lead ahead of the final round. Matilda Ryan secured third place for the round and continues to hold bronze overall.
85/150cc S/W 9-U12Yrs
The 85/150cc S/W 9-U12Yrs class kept spectators entertained with tight racing. Ollie Paech claimed the round win by just 2 points with a scorecard of 2, 2, 1, ahead of Bodhi Austin and current Championship leader Riley Mullen. Riley narrowly holds onto the Championship lead by 6 points over Ollie.
65cc 10-12Yrs
Riley Mullen continued his stellar Championship run with another gold star weekend, taking the 65cc 10-12Yrs class win despite tough competition from Bodhi Austin and Lachlan Murdoch. Lachlan secured the round silver with a third, second, and second-place finish, edging out Championship second-place contender Bodhi Austin by just 2 points.
65cc 7-9Yrs
Kobe Smart and Bailey Thompson engaged in a fierce battle for heat points. Kobe took the early lead with a win in Heat 1, but Bailey claimed first in Heat 2. Thompson secured the final heat win and the round gold despite challenges, while Kobe finished second overall after a fifth-place finish in Heat 3. Ollie Brombal rounded out the podium in third, facing strong competition from fourth-place finisher Olli Morgan.
50cc 7-U9Yrs
With Championship leader Carter Williamson not competing in Round 4, Oliver Thredgold seized the opportunity to take the lead. Thredgold won the first two heats and faced a tight battle with Leo Williamson in the final race, ultimately securing the round win and taking the lead into Round 5.
Charging up for the grand finale of the 2024 SA Motocross Championship, preparations are underway for a standout showdown at South Coast Motocross Club on September 14th and 15th, 2024. Entries will open soon through Ridernet, so be sure to secure your place for the final round of the Championship.