The pathway between Honda Racing Australia and the US-based Quad Lock Honda team has been evident for several seasons now, but without firmly establishing a feeder system. It raises the question whether Kayd Kingsford should have bypassed ProMX MX2 altogether in favour of instead fast-tracking his career to SMX Next – and we think so.

As it stands, Quad Lock Honda has a stacked 450 roster of Joey Savatgy, Shane McElrath, Christian Craig and Dean Wilson – at least part-time – with injured Kiwi Brodie Connolly its sole 250 class entry, and high-profile Australian Charli Cannon featuring as a WMX title threat outdoors.

Image: Foremost Media.

The team’s premier class contingent has actively formed part of both its World Supercross and AUSX Supercross programs in recent years, while two-time MX2 number one Connolly and four-time MXW champion Cannon, of course, have been provided opportunities in America after establishing themselves above their peers locally.

This is where 18-year-old Kingsford comes into play. After clinching both the ProMX MX3 and AUSX SX3 titles last season with Honda Racing, the decision was made to have him graduate to MX2/SX2 in Australia alongside title prospects Alex Larwood and new recruit Ryder Kingsford. Three riders for a domestic MX2 team in a series that isn’t exactly booming? Too many.

Both Larwood, 22, and the elder Kingsford brother Ryder at 21 years of age, have also been linked to SMX Next starts as soon as this year, but realistically – despite no age limit in the development program, as such – they should be following Connolly’s example by winning multiple pro-level championships here and earning their place as actual professionals in the US.

Image: Foremost Media.

It is the younger Kingsford who should in fact be on the SMX Next radar and it should have happened from the beginning of 2026 after making a one-off appearance at Ironman last year, finishing 11th. Forget MX2 in Australia at this point, because spending the next year or two at home will place him in the same predicament that Larwood and Ryder Kingsford are already facing, being too old to be taken seriously as ‘amateurs’.

Now, whether or not it’s even viable for Konsky to invest in taking an Australian teenager to SMX is a whole different question, but it is one that makes sense considering the amount of exposure generated through five rounds of Supercross (A2, Houston, Daytona, Birmingham and Philadelphia), as well as two Combines in Pro Motocross (RedBud and Ironman), and a pair of World All-Stars races during the playoffs (Columbus and LA).

Image: Foremost Media.

Like Cannon, who this year is based in America and is also travelling home on occasion to defend her MXW championship in ProMX, Kingsford could have been located in the US through a large portion of Supercross, while returning home for select national MX2 races simply to build experience in the pro ranks. He could look to do the same next year, but would effectively be one year behind where he could have otherwise found himself.

Already, if you look back to Wonthaggi and Kayd Kingsford’s debut in MX2 where he qualified in fifth position and went 2-7 for fourth overall, only four points outside of the podium, you can tell that he’s a special kind of rider. And in those cases – think Cole Davies, for one – you are best off going overseas sooner, rather than later.

It’s relatively unclear what the future holds for any of Honda Racing’s current MX2 trio – the Kingsfords and Larwood – under the leadership of Yarrive Konsky, but what is obvious is that all three are there with the same objective in mind, to eventually gain a place at Quad Lock Honda. As a rider, it’s the ultimate attraction to the red corner, but in reality and for each of them, the challenge has only just begun.