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Consistent Kawasaki Debut For Luke Clout At ProMX Season Opener
Luke Clout debuted with Empire Kawasaki at Wonthaggi for the opening Round of the ProMX Championship on Sunday March 17th. Clout would show great speed and maturity, scoring valuable Championship points and recording race data with the team on the all-new 2024 KX450.
Clout would set his intentions early on the sandy and high speed Wonthaggi track, setting a blistering lap in the MX1 Pole Shootout, closing the session in 2nd position heading into the opening Moto.
At the Gate Drop of Moto 1, Clout would secure a great track position early, running in 3rd position for the opening ten minutes. As the Moto progressed, Clout would begin to lose flow on the rough Wonthaggi track, ultimately crossing the line in 5th place at the chequered flag.
In Moto 2, another great start would see Clout placed comfortably in the top 5 for multiple laps, but unable to sprint to his full potential. With the long game in mind of the 24’ ProMX MX1 Class Championship, he would play it safe, riding to an eventual 6th place at the finish line.
“The day started awesome with P2 in Superpole”, said Clout.
“I was feeling great with the new bike and team, but the track changed so much before our first race that we were caught a little off guard with the settings we had from qualifying. Once that got away from us I never quite found that comfort again from the morning sessions, but there’s a lot of positives to take away and I’m ready for a long Championship this season”, concluded Clout.
In the MX2 class, Reid Taylor would impress early in Moto 1 running as high as 2nd place showing great speed and intensity. After a late return to Motocross testing following his stint in India securing the Indian Supercross League Championship, Taylor would tighten up with arm pump in the opening Moto, dropping outside of the top 10. In Moto 2 a poor start would hamper his charge to the front, ultimately resulting in 19th overall on the day.
“I’m disappointed with how Round 1 turned out considering how much speed I had in the opening Moto. I haven’t spent much time on Motocross settings since returning from India Supercross and that cost us today. I tightened up and lost my flow out there, but we will rebound for Round 2 in a few weeks time”, said Taylor.
Empire Kawasaki now set their sights on Round 2 of the ProMX Championship, taking place at Horsham, Vic, Sunday April 7th.