As the current American WMX number one, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Lachlan ‘Lala’ Turner’s arrival in Penrite ProMX with the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha team. In addition to her title defence in the US, the 19-year-old is contesting the entire Australian championship in 2026 and we were able to Check In with her this week about coming to AUS.

Image: Supplied.

Okay, Lala Turner, welcome back to Australia. I say back because we did see you here in Supercross with Lux [Turner], but now all eyes are on you. Congratulations getting that ride with the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha team, so firstly, just take me through the feeling of what it’s been like to come back over here and be a part of that team.

It’s amazing. I get treated like a pro and all of the pro things and I get a be on a pro team and it’s amazing, like, they just took me under their wing and showed me what it’s like to be on a positive team and like a team who – they’re really grateful to have me and they like, just don’t put me under everybody else. They’re like, I forget that word, but…

The spotlight’s on you. When did, you know, we seen you over here with Lux throughout supercross, when did the discussion sort of start happening to say, ‘Hey, do you want to come back over here?’ How did that happen?

Yeah, it actually started when I first came over here in March and the Yamaha team saw me ride. They were, like, ‘What do you think about coming over next year and riding?’ And I’m like, ‘That would be a dream come true!’


That’s awesome. And then you sort of, that was the plan from there when Lux come over, you got to spend a bit more time with the team, and that’s when you were like, ‘Okay, this is this is going to happen’ – is that when you got the deal done? 


Yeah, definitely. We had to sort out my American team and get it sorted so I could do both, race in America and Australia. So we got that sorted and then I came over here to watch my brother race and he was doing good, so then it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, we got a brother/sister duo on the same team.’


It’s kind of weird, like you’re the American version of Charli and Jake Cannon, which is interesting because obviously you race Charli both here and in America, but you’re quite good friends as well. Just quickly, how’s that go being good friends off the bike, but probably the biggest competitor to eachother on the track?

Yeah, we’re just good friends off the bike, and then on the track, we just give it our best, and whoever comes out on top is whoever comes out on top. Off the track, we’re pretty good friends, so yeah, I like it. 


In the year last year, you again were the MXW champion there in the US, that championship went down to the wire. Take me through that feeling of getting that championship further adding your name in the books.

I was so pumped! Like, I was kind of out of it, because it’s surreal until it actually happens. We came into the second moto and one of the Yamaha people were like, ‘Yeah, you don’t even need to race… You could just go roll around’ and that’s after when I broke my back. 
The first moto, I was really injured and yeah, he’s like, ‘You don’t even need to really race the moto, you just need to go do a lap and then you have it in the bag’ and I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t want to win like that – I want to show them who’s the best.’ So I just went out there and just put the pain behind me and then when I got off the track, I was hurting and then after that, I took a while off because we found out it was broken. I broke it again.

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That’s incredible. 
To date now, has that been the greatest moment being able to get that championship?

Yeah, it’s been so sick going back-to-back. Now I gotta go and try to get three in a row, which is so sick.

This year as well, we’ve got to ask you this before we get back to Australia, but you girls are going to be competing in the SMX this year and I understand you’ve had a little bit of time on the Supercross track at Club MX. 
Tell me, how’s that been going for you?

I actually have never ridden Supercross yet. 
The plan is actually to get on it as soon as I get back from this race this weekend and we’ll see how it goes and just start stacking up days and just see how it goes, really, take my time on it.

Hey, it’s something that Lux can lend a hand there, we’ve seen what he’s been doing in American Supercross this year and he’s definitely been gaining momentum. 
So to have you on the Supercross track there as well, is SMX, that’s something you’re looking forward to?

Oh yeah, I’ve been wanting to for years now and it’s finally like come to a thing that we’re doing it and it’s just so sick because I was gonna do it, planning on doing it either way, even if there wasn’t gonna be a women’s round eventually. It’s cool that they have a women’s round and see all the women do it and it’s gonna be fun. 


When you think about women and racing, I had this conversation with someone yesterday, the last 12 months to two years, it’s really gained momentum and I feel you and Charli are the ones that are really lifting the sport and bringing it up. You could almost call yourself a pioneer in the way of women’s motocross at the moment, so take me through that feeling of being that person and just seeing the gains and what you’ve been able to see around the sport growing as well.

It’s definitely really cool because I was still on Superminis and we just found out there was a WMX race, like a series again, and we didn’t even think of anything of it – we were just like, ‘Okay, we’ll do it.’ And then the next year, they’re like, ‘We’re actually gonna have it at pro races.’ It kept growing and it’s just super-cool to see how far it has come.

Even here in Australia, we’ve really seen the growth and I think that’s a direct representation of what you and Charli, and the rest of the girls, are doing in MXW so it’s great to see. Bringing things back here to Australia, you’ve been here a couple of weeks now and you spent some time with the team. How’s that been, getting on the bike and then just shaking things down with the team and just that experience so far before this weekend?

The experiences has been amazing. They really brought out the red carpet and showed me what the team is supposed to be like in, like, how encouraging they are just makes my day. They’re never down and they’re always pumped, they’re just bringing everybody up and it makes me happy to be on a good team and the bike is super-fast. I get to feel right at home, really just super-comfortable on the bike and it’s cool.

Image: Supplied.

We got to see some photos of the [Team USA themed] bike and I really think you’ve probably got the best looking bike. What did you think when you saw the bike for the first time, were you blown away?

Yeah, I was blown away, like, it looks so sick. 
It looks like the MXoN USA bikes from Star. It looks so sick. And in the Oceania we can run the blue backgrounds, so it went smoothly onto the graphics.

You’re going to see the wealth of knowledge that Mike Ward and Scott Bishop and the team there – all the mechanics – have, plus this weekend you are going to be the team captain for Team USA. Take us through that feeling and just how you’re feeling coming into the event. 


I’m feeling really excited. Last year was my first time at the Oceania Cup, and last year, we had a different team captain. She’s sadly not here this year, but I get to be the team captain this year and show the girls, amp them up and show them what we’ve come here for.

You’ve beat Charli on your own home soil, and you’re now in Australia. 
How cool would that be or how important would that be for you to beat Charli on her own soil?

It’d be amazing, like, that’d be so sick, but I’m gonna just go out there and try my hardest and see where I come out.

You got to ride Wonthaggi last year, so thoughts on that track?

Yeah, last year I thought it was super-sick, like walking the track and first time out on an Australian track. I just didn’t know what to expect and it turned out really cool – even on the race day, it was really rutty and cool.