Racing News |
EMPIRE KAWASAKI ON THE PODIUM IN THE FINAL ROUND
EMPIRE KAWASAKI RACERS ALL FINISH IN THE TOP 10 PROMX STANDINGS AFTER COOLUM FINALE
Empire Kawasaki racers Haruki Yokoyama, Cambell Williams and Taylah McCutcheon have all finished the 2023 Australian ProMX Championship inside the top 10 of their classes after an eventful final round at Coolum, QLD.
A podium performance at Coolum secured McCutcheon ninth overall in the MXW championship points, despite missing half the series with injury. McCutcheon and her 2023 Kawasaki KX250 blasted through the sand to the second-fastest qualifying time, setting the tone for the rest of the weekend.
Two great starts in the motos rewarded her with an impressive runner-up position in the opening race, followed by a third-place finish in the second. As a result, McCutcheon finished the weekend second overall and leapt up the series leaderboard to finish inside the top 10.
“I’m really happy to have finished the season strongly and to finish on the podium at the two rounds I’ve raced is very satisfying," she reflected. "It was a difficult season, being injured for the first half of the MXW championship, but to finish inside the top 10 overall is rewarding."
“Coolum is such a gnarly track, but I’m stoked with how I rode today. I got great starts in both races and felt strong all weekend, which was a really positive way to end the series.”
In the highly-competitive MX2 class, Yokoyama and his 2023 Kawasaki KX250 wrapped up the series in 10th overall, improving one position in the standings, despite a challenging outing in the Coolum sand.
After qualifying in 21st, the former All-Japan national champion struggled to find the right bike setting for the two motos. Despite this, he moved through the pack in both outings, to finish with 17-13 results, concluding a hard-fought motocross campaign with a 16th overall finish.
“I struggled both days and I couldn’t find the right suspension set-up for the track this weekend. My bike was a bull and I felt like I just had to hang onto it!" Yokoyama said.
“The competition is really high, and even though I’m running the same settings that I have for the past three years, I haven’t really done a lot of testing on this type of track and we didn’t have the right settings today."
“Now I’m focused on supercross. This will be my second year of supercross in Australia and I have some different set-ups for my Showa suspension organised. I’m excited about it – it should be a good season.”
In the talent-packed MX3 class, Williams completed his championship bid with a fifth overall in the final standings.
Aboard the powerful 2023 Kawasaki KX250, Williams qualified third-fastest in his group and sixth overall when the two groups were combined.
Mid-pack starts to both his races made it difficult to move forward around the rough, sandy Coolum circuit, and Williams finished the day with a 12th in the opening moto, before an improved P8 result in the second outing. He finished the day ninth overall.
“I didn’t make it to Coolum last year with injury, but it was cool to race here this weekend," Williams said. "It was an exciting day and I ended up top-five in the championship, which isn’t really ideal in my last year in MX3."
“We’ve had some health issues that I’m going to get fixed in the next couple of weeks, then I want to bring the whole package to supercross, hopefully, win the SX3 championship, then look forward to racing in the MX2 class next year."
The Empire Kawasaki team will be back in action at the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship in Adelaide on October 7.
2023 ProMX Rd8 Coolum, QLD
MX2 results:
1. Wilson Todd 2. Nathan Crawford 3. Noah Ferguson 16. Haruki Yokoyama (Empire Kawasaki)
MX3 results:
1. Byron Dennis 2. Jack Mather 3. Seth Burchell 9. Cambell Williams (Empire Kawasaki)
MXW results:
1. Charli Cannon 2. Taylah McCutcheon (Empire Kawasaki) 3. Tahlia O'Hare