Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon closed out her 2026 WMX campaign in winning fashion at Ironman, with the Australian sweeping both motos to take the overall and lock down runner-up in the championship standings. In this Five Questions feature, Cannon reflects on a strong end to her second season competing in the United States and the experience gained along the way.

Image: Octopi Media.

Charli, what a great season, and you really showed some true speed this weekend on your way to 1-1. Can you talk about your day?

Yeah, I’m really happy with how this weekend went. I came into it with really nothing to lose, and I just wanted to show, you know, my true riding, which I feel like I haven’t really – it’s been on and off in the last few rounds. So, to get two holeshots and two moto wins, I honestly couldn’t ask for much more, and just really happy to end the season like this. Great way to end it off, for sure.

You had good results here last year, but it seemed like you really took a step forward. Were there any differences in the track that allowed you to reach that new level?

Honestly, I can’t really remember. I just knew last year was quite rough and deep, and I did not gel with it that well last year. But this year, I feel like I’m a different rider. I feel like a better rider, a stronger one. So, I just made sure my main thing was to find flow with the track and not stop and start, and find some good lines. I feel like I did that, and it really helped and showed with my results.

Was this a statement ride today to be able to sweep the motos?

I mean, my goal was to – I wanted to have a clean sweep this weekend. But, you know, anything could really happen on this rough track, and I just wanted to stay clean, get a good start, execute everything, and it just all worked out for me this weekend. So, I’m happy, and it’s just a good bit of a good confidence booster.

Image: Octopi Media.

You talked about needing to be more aggressive this year. How do you feel that played out in these final motos?

Yeah, I feel like I got better at that throughout the year. I mean, there’s a lot of talented female riders this season, and with a short moto, you know, you can’t really leave anything on the table early on. So, I felt like I was learning that and getting better at that every round, and, yeah, I feel like I ticked that box.

Between both the WMX series here in the US and your championship back in Australia for women’s racing, how much do you feel like it’s progressed in the last two or three years – what stands out to you?

Yeah, it’s amazing to see how far this class has come in the last two years. And by the end of this season, it’s honestly grown so much. We’re on, you know, live TV, getting the coverage from all around the world that we deserve. And it’s even greater to see all the international girls coming over and racing this series. Hopefully, we can bring the best girls all around the world to this series, and I think that will really grow it and put it on the map. So, that would be really cool to see. And, yeah, just more, you know, teams getting on board to supporting these women. It’s really healthy at the moment, this generation. There’s some very talented girls racing, and there’s a lot coming up as well. So, hopefully, we just keep on building, doing what we’re doing, and it’s looking healthy for the years to come.