Image: Octopi Media.

A 12th-place finish in 250MX moto two capped off a promising Pro Motocross debut for Kayden Minear at Thunder Valley on Saturday afternoon, drafted into Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing for select outdoor rounds in the lead-up to Loretta Lynn’s.

Fresh off his 1-1 performance at the SMX Next Motocross round during the Hangtown Classic, Minear made his first professional appearance this past weekend, with his capabilities evident in Colorado.

The Western Australian qualified 12th and was 14th after the opening lap of the first moto. He continued to push and, despite a couple of tip-overs early in the race, he rode on to an 18th-place result.

In moto two, the 18-year-old got a much stronger start, running 10th on the opening lap and battling for a top 10 result, ultimately finishing in 12th position for 16th overall.

“It was a very positive day,” Minear reflected. “My first pro race in America, so there were a lot of nerves going into it. You would’ve seen that in the first race, as I tipped it over three times in the span of two laps. So that was a bit disappointing.

“In the second moto, I got a much better start and was running around the top 10. Then I ran a bit tight through the middle of the moto, but I made a late comeback. In the end, it just wasn’t enough – we’ll do some testing with the team and be back at High Point.”

Minear looks to continue to build as he gets more seat time at a couple of rounds of Pro Motocross before the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch towards the end of next month.