An undefeated first season in the Australian MXW Championship saw Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha’s Lachlan ‘Lala’ Turner add another title to her growing list of achievements, with the multiple-time American champion wrapping up the 2026 crown at Queensland Moto Park. In this Conversation feature, Turner reflects on her perfect season in Australia, adapting to life and racing in a new country, and the journey behind her latest championship.

Image: Foremost Media.

Lachlan – first up, everyone seems to have a different name for you – Lachlan or Lala. Do you have a preference?

I think right now I just answer to both, I guess. It used to be just only close people would call me Lala, and then, kind of now, everyone calls me Lala. So it’s whatever. It’s easy and it works.

You raced here once last year, and now you’ve spent a full season in Australia and won the MXW championship. What has the whole experience been like, both on and off the track?

It’s definitely a big change because, like, there’s kind of like a quiet time, I guess, because when I’m up and about, my freaking family and everyone in the US is just sleeping and it’s like noon here for them. And it gets you thinking, and then at least I have my mum over here. And, yeah, it’s just different, like, just acclimating and getting used to just a new schedule and a routine over here is different. Just get used to it, and it’s cool that I could just focus on, go to the track, focus on riding, and then once I leave the track, then I don’t have to focus on that. I don’t have to wash my bike, do anything. I leave that on the track. Like, I focus all that at that time and then once I leave, it’s like, great. Like, I didn’t have to think about it. And it’s just amazing because you kind of get burnt out when you have to do every single thing, every single day. That’s what I have to do at ClubMX, and I have to kind of do it all by myself because my dad’s working and my mum’s working. My mum cooks for me sometimes when she’s there, and my dad helps out most of the time when he’s there. And it’s just a whole different routine and I like it. I like having other people do that for me and, like, not having to worry about that when I leave.

You went undefeated throughout the championship. Looking back across the season, what do you feel you’ve learned most about your racing and yourself?

Yeah, my brother actually said something yesterday, just how you’ve become as a rider from the beginning of the year and now, it’s like a whole different thing. Like, it’s next level. He’s like, just your racecraft now. Like, you used to just charge into the first two laps, just going all out and then getting sketchy. He watched it on Saturday, and I was just waiting till the right time and just riding. Like, just not having to worry about just rushing the first two laps, because that’s when I made most of my mistakes my whole career. Even in the States, that’s what I was doing. I would crash, like, at Thunder Valley and Hangtown. But as I’ve been racing over here more and more, I definitely matured out as a rider and figured out a little bit more. Yeah, it’s a big change.

Image: Foremost Media.

You mentioned privately how different this championship felt compared to titles you’ve won in the US. What made this one so emotional for you?

The first year I won the championship in the States, it was at an amateur race at Ponca City, and I got their plaque. I didn’t even know – okay, I won. It was just a normal amateur race. Then last year it was on the podium, I won there, and then the 250 and 450 raced. It was kind of just a side race. This just gets me emotional because for three days straight, I had this pit in my stomach leading up to it, and then I had meltdowns all Saturday morning. Just everything about this championship is crazy.

It seems like there’s been just as much learning away from the track as there has been on it. Do you feel like you’ve grown in how you handle those situations as well?

Definitely. Even when I got taken out at Traralgon, I had to take that situation and just breathe. That was a big learning curve because my handlebars were messed up, everything was messed up, and I’d just got taken out. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what to do.’ But I handled that one well and just passed them back, I don’t even know what got into me – I was just like, ‘I need to win now.’ That knocked some sense into me. I went so fast after that. It was crazy.

At Traralgon you were taken out, but after that you seemed to find another level. What did you learn from that situation?

No, definitely, because those first two laps, I went all out. I’m, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m in first. I need to go, go, go.’ And I can’t go. It’s different. The last two rounds, I’ve noticed I need to chill the first two laps, find my lines, and then get going.

The fan support for you here has been huge. What has that interaction with the Australian fans meant to you?

It’s actually insane. At Conondale, after I won, the line was way down there. People just kept getting in line after line, and then it was the same yesterday. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m actually doing something.’ I don’t know, it gets me emotional because I was that little girl once, just waiting in line for a pro – a boy, because I didn’t really know what women’s motocross was. But yeah, it’s just cool to see that all the little girls are looking up to me and they actually see what we can do now. When they get older, they have something to push for.

Image: Foremost Media.

You were once the young girl waiting in those autograph lines yourself. Does that make it especially important for you to give every young fan that time?

Oh, definitely, because I know if I was that little girl and they were rude to me or didn’t want to sign something for me, I would go back crying to my mum and be like, ‘Why are they like that?’ But yeah, I try to sign every single one and take every single photo.

You’ve still got plenty ahead with the US WMX championship and the Darwin round of MXGP. How much work is still going in despite wrapping up this Australian title?

Yeah, definitely. I know people say this, but people don’t know how much work I put into doing this, and that is why I’m winning. I’m not just being like, ‘Oh, I’m going to go race this weekend.’ Right when Monday hits, I’m doing the same thing every single week. I still got a championship to win – another one.

Finally, now that the championship has had a little time to sink in, what would you say to the younger version of yourself who dreamed of being in this position?

I can’t believe you just did a literal sweep of this championship. New year, new [country], Australia – everything is new and you just did that. That’s so cool.