Gates are set to drop for the opening round of the 2026 Penrite ProMX Championship this Sunday in Wonthaggi, with a blank slate facing all riders as they begin their respective title campaigns. In this Input feature, a selection of competitors share their thoughts ahead of round one.

Image: Foremost Media.

Dean Ferris (Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki):
Well, I’m a four-time champion, and I think I have the ability to go for five [this year]. But yeah, mate, for satisfaction, [I just want] to ride really well, use my experience, lean on all, you know, my strengths, and then see where it brings me towards the end of the season. I don’t get too caught up on the tracks, honestly. I’m one of those guys who’s not really picky. So obviously, I’ve probably ridden the tracks a bit more in Queensland because you do a Sunny State here and there, and it’s just easier driving to them. But there are also a few tracks like Canberra, which I haven’t been to for a while – so it’s kind of exciting to go do that.

Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team):
The pre-season was pretty rough – none of it really went to plan. [I’m] having a fair few dramas at the moment, but I don’t know. I feel like I’ve prepared myself as an athlete to the best of my ability, and yeah, just sort of rolling with the punches at the moment. I can’t really give you an answer on what satisfaction is going to look like at the end of Queensland Moto Park [QMP], but I just want to get back to riding well, and yeah, just sort of focused on trying to figure out how we get there at the moment – so that’s all I’ve got for you.

Dylan Walsh (KTM Racing Team):
Yeah, it’s a new season for me, being on the 250 with KTM Australia – it’s exciting. I’ve had a good pre-season, so I can’t really complain, but I’m just looking forward to racing new tracks, and, you know, just doing a bit of the tour of Australia. By the time we get to a QMP, it should be good to wrap this thing up. I’m only really satisfied to win. Like, yeah, I’m only here to win, so everyone will say the same – we all work towards the same goal. The team put a lot of work in, so the expectations are just to win.

Image: Foremost Media.

Jayce Cosford (JPM 360 Developments Kawasaki):
Yeah, we’ve got a big season ahead – a lot of changes coming into 2026. I’ve moved brands to Kawasaki, so everything is really new for me – all the new people and brands, sponsors, and everything like that. [We have a] new bike and I’m really excited to…yeah, to keep building through the year. I’ve come in pretty behind the eight ball, just coming off an injury last year, so I’ve had very limited time. We’ll just get through this weekend and then build through the year, and yeah, hopefully we’re sitting in that top five by the end of the season.

Alex Larwood (Honda Racing):
I think I’d be satisfied if I had the number one [plate] on by QMP. I think this year I’m probably going to take a little bit of a different approach. You know, I really want to mark my step and show everyone that I am a title contender from the start. So yeah, hopefully we can start with that and get on a roll. I think I’ve had a number of years of learning in this class and knowing what’s right and what’s wrong, so I feel like this year I can hopefully put it all together and yeah, get that number one.

Aaron Tanti (Monster Energy CDR Yamaha):
I’m super excited for the 2026 season. I was saying to a couple of the guys, I literally haven’t been at round one of ProMX since 2023. So it’s been a long time since I’ve actually been doing this series in full – between injuries and being away and stuff like that. So I’m super excited. I finished the end of last year quite strong and built back after the major injury I had last year, and yeah, the pre-season’s been good. I mean, I think I’ve had a week off where I sprained my knee, so I took a week off. Other than that, pretty much every training session I was at and did a couple of races in there, so two pre-season races to try and get that race time under my belt again because that’s all I’m really chasing, and that’s what’s going to make me better right now. I feel good on the bike, my body’s healthy. Everything’s gone smoothly. But, yeah, overall at QMP, I guess it’s a hard one for me to say since I was a former MX1 champion – that’s where I want to be, but I’ve got to be realistic, and I haven’t done this series for over two years now. I’d like to be battling for podiums week-in-week-out. I think that’s where I can be, I safely can say my speed and everything like that is definitely good enough for podiums, and just try and be consistent. Stay away from any injuries, and just be consistent again and see where that puts us.

Image: Foremost Media.

Todd Waters (Raceline Husqvarna TDUB Racing):
Everything’s pretty exciting – we’ve obviously got a stacked class, like our 450 class. [Kyle] Webster and [Jed] Beaton are on fire. Webster obviously won the championship, Beaton gave it to him and unfortunately got injured. But that pair is in a league of its own. Obviously, I guess in this off-season, we’ve all been trying to close that gap between those boys. We’ve got [Aaron] Tanti back, and we’ve also got my favourite rider in Dean Ferris back – like he definitely helps me train hard. As soon as I heard Dean was coming back, my ears pricked up, and I started doing some 10km runs, so it was awesome. That’s my favorite part about racing is the competition, and we’re pretty old, Dean and I, so for the sport, I don’t know if it’s that great but, who cares? Dean and I still race, and we raced here when we were 16 – that’s what’s exciting for me personally, it lights a bit of fire, and I like going racing. Our Raceline Husqvarna TDUB Racing Team is all set to go. We’re set up with our bikes, we’ve welcomed Reid Taylor to the program this year, and we did some AUSX Supercross with him last year, and he showed very promising speed. He was in a podium place before he came together with a rider and broke his wrist, so that was unfortunate, but we’re here at round one and ready to go. The bikes are good, the team is good. We’re excited. And more than anything, there’s no rain here at Wonthaggi, which is a first. I’ve been racing for years, so results aren’t…you know, win, lose – it’s not for me anymore. It’s about me battling hard and giving everything that I’ve got, and that’s what I really struggled with last year. The balance of business and a young family, I’ve got three businesses going, and I struggle to turn up and show… to bring the racer, Todd Waters. So that’s what I’ve been working on. I just want to grit my teeth and go racing. It’s a ceiling height that’s come down on me that I’ve never had in my career, and they say it’s age. I don’t believe it’s age. It’s just I’ve got a lot of distractions. So I’m trying to clear my mind with those and just go empty-minded so I can give it some gas.

Kyle Webster (Honda Racing):
I’m really looking forward to the year – we’ve had a solid pre-season. We’ve had a really, really good crew and, you know, it’s been – it’s been solid. So I’m just looking forward to getting this thing rolling. I think it’s going to be another solid year of tight racing, but it’ll be good. I think, you know, the goal is always the same, to try and win. If we can be at the pointy end by QMP and in the hunt, that’ll be a good spot. So that’s the goal – the goal is always to try to come out on top.