Round 3 of the 2024 SA Motocross Championship, presented by Three 3s Apparel and Merchandise & Great Southern Security, marked an exciting new chapter as Robe Motorsports Club hosted riders from across South Australia and beyond. With the Championship entering its final stage and points battle intensifying, the sand track at Robe provided the perfect backdrop for high-stakes racing.
Full Results of the Weekend:
Capturing the premium racing action over the weekend were Josh Reynolds and Eric McConnochie. As always, they have all the SAMX Round 3 action shot memories available for purchase.
Article photos thanks to Eric McConnochie.
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Sunday 30 June
Pro MX1
The premier classes MX1 & MX 2 were combined, creating fresh rivalry battles as Championship points remained at the forefront of competitor’s minds. In the end, it was Siegah Ward’s weekend that strengthened his grip on the 2024 Championship with a clean sweep of wins across all heats. Despite some promising challenges, his streak proved too strong for his closest rival, Mitch Norris, to overcome. Norris’s consistency secured him second place in MX1, ahead of Matt Clark, who put up a fantastic fight but ultimately finished third in the round.
Pro MX2
Adding to the Mx 2 field intrigue, Mitch Norris emerged as the MX2 winner after narrowly edged out the current MX2 Championship second-place rider, Wil Carpenter, with Caleb Walker rounding out the podium in third.
Women All-Powers
Reigning Women All-Powers Champion Amy Bartsch entered the round with just a 1-point lead over Emma Haylock. Despite facing intense pressure, Bartsch secured the round win, while Haylock consistently finished in second place. Jessica Bennett started strong with a third-place finish in Heat 1. Although she faced a setback in Heat 2, she locked in her focus to take third in the final heat, ultimately finishing third in class for the Robe outing.
Expert All-Powers
Returning from an absence in Round 2, Denzel Woulfe delivered an exceptional performance at Robe. From the opening laps, Woulfe asserted his dominance, completing a clean sweep of wins and securing first place overall for the weekend. Aaron Van Zetten battled through a tough field, earning second place overall with consistent performances across the heats. Lucas Brereton looked poised for a round silver with strong finishes in the initial heats but a mistake in Heat 3 relegated him to 14th, settling for the round third place overall.
150/250cc 13-U16Yrs
Noah Rochow continued his Round 2 clean sweep with dominant wins across the weekend heats, finishing each race with over a 15-second gap to the field. The battle for second and third was much tighter, with Cambell Cadd and Kye Little exchanging positions in Heats 2 and 3. Both riders ended up tied with 62 points, but Cadd claimed second place for the round due to his higher finish in the final heat, leaving Little in third.
Clubman
Harry Lashford looked like a man on a mission from the opening heat, grabbing early points and aiming to cause an upset in the Championship standings. Heat 2 threw a spanner in his clean sweep plans with a 6th-place finish, allowing the consistency of Ian Ellis to take control at the front. Despite a second-place comeback in Heat 3, Lashford could not close the gap on a flying Ellis. He settled for second in the round, with Ellis taking the overall win and Harry Guy coming away with a 3-4-3 scorecard across his heats. Ellis was all smiles as he took over the Championship hot seat with the round victory.
Vets 35-44Yrs & Vets 45+
In the Vets 35-44 years class, Warren Carroll entered with a strong Championship lead ahead of Bradleigh Thompson. After a heat 1 down-to-the-line charge, Thompson claimed the early edge with Carroll just 0.574 seconds back. Thompson’s Heat 2 win put him in contention for a clean sweep until Carroll gained the upper hand in the final race. Carroll took the round win, with Thompson continuing to close the gap on Carroll’s 2023 reign, and Craig Hepburn securing third for the round.
In the Vets 45+ class, Charlie Hollis continued his 2024 Gold standard run with a clean sweep of wins across the three heats. Championship second overall rider Darren Averay finished with a 2-2-3 scorecard, while Anthony Slade and Heath Boundy fought for the final podium step. Boundy took the Heat 1 edge, but Slade’s Heat 2 win allowed him to take third overall for the round.
Saturday 29 June
100-125cc 13-U16Yrs
With top Championship contenders Jayke Hansen and Noah James missing the Robe SAMX trip, Joshua Whitehorn seized the opportunity to make his move. Despite stiff competition, Whitehorn held off Dylan Gromball and Cambell Cadd to claim the round win, with Cadd taking the round silver and Gromball rounding out the top three.
Great Southern Security
150/250cc 12-U16Yrs Girls
Emily Lambert extended her Championship lead with a fantastic weekend outing at Robe, securing wins across all heats. Charlize Waldhuter’s clean run of second-place finishes elevated her to second in the Championships, while Danielle Churchett finished third for both the round and overall standings.
85/150cc S/W 12-U16Yrs
Dylan Gromball and Declan Smart delivered a closely matched showdown, with Dylan taking the first two wins and Declan winning the final heat. Dylan continues to lead the Championship, with Declan closing in. Caleb Churchett’s consistent third-place finishes earned him third for the round, while Xavier Freeborn had a mixed weekend, finishing ninth overall for the round.
Great Southern Security
85cc 11-U16Yrs Girls
With a history of matched competition between Lacey Thompson, Matilda Ryan, and Maddi Bahnisch, Robe did not disappoint. Lacey Thompson secured the overall round victory with a 1st and two 2nd-place finishes, just 2 points ahead of Matilda Ryan and 4 points ahead of Maddi Bahnisch.
85/150cc S/W 9-U12Yrs
With Championship points leader Mason Ezergailis missing the Robe round, Riley Mullen took advantage and claimed the Championship lead with a 1st, 3rd, and 1st-place finish. Ollie Paech secured second place for the round with a 3-1-2 scorecard, ahead of Bodhi Austin, who had a strong weekend amidst the on-track rivalries.
65cc 10-12Yrs
From the first gate drop, Riley Mullen, Lachlan Murdoch, and Bodhi Austin put on a thrilling show, with just 2.883 seconds separating the top three. Riley’s early wins in Heats 1 and 2 gave him the overall win by the narrowest of margins, with Lachlan Murdoch and Bodhi Austin rounding out the podium.
65cc 7-9Yrs
Championship leader Kobe Smart held off challenges throughout the weekend, including a dramatic Heat 2 sprint where he edged out Bailey Thompson by just 0.347 seconds. With two first-place finishes and a third, Smart maintained his Championship lead, with Bailey Thompson and David Bamford finishing second and third, respectively.
50cc 7-U9Yrs
Oliver Thredgold continued to improve, taking the round win ahead of Championship leader Carter Williamson. Despite the close competition, Carter retained the Championship lead. Nash Lamb narrowly held off Hudson Hitch for third place in the class.
With bags and gear already packed, the 2024 SA Motocross Championship is set to heat up for Round 4 action as riders, teams, family, and friends prepare for a trip to West Coast Motorcycle Club in Ceduna on July 27th & 28th. Get a jump start on planning your visit and witness all the action in the final stretch of the Championship for 2024!