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Empire Kawasaki's Luke Clout Demonstrates Race Winning Speed With Challenging Mistakes At ProMX R2 Horsham
The Empire Kawasaki Team took to the track for Round 2 of the ProMX Championship taking place at Horsham, Vic, on Sunday 7th April. With key momentum in testing and settings heading into the Round, Luke Clout was vocal about his comfortability on the 2024 KX450 and it showed on the track in MX1.
Clout would pick up where he left off al Wonthaggi in qualifying, setting fast times and ending the morning session in 2nd place on the 2024 Kawasaki KX450 heading into Superpole. Clout would again impress in Superpole, flowing well with the high speed and slippery Horsham track to finish the Superpole session in 4th place just over 1.1 second off pole.
As the gate dropped for Moto1, Clout would round the first turn in 3rd position and stay with the lead riders early. Working his way into 2nd position on lap 3, Clout would then set his sights on the race lead, which after a mistake from the race leader, he would seize control of the race on lap 5.
Managing lead track position well, Clout would charge with great consistency on the tough Horsham track until with just 2 laps to go, a small mistake would see him fall, ultimately leading to a 4th place Moto score at the chequered flag.
Out for redemption in Moto 2, Clout would almost take the Holeshot and settled into 2nd place track position early in the Moto. Unfortunately early in the race, a small impact would impact Clout’s back and the pain would subsequently slow his progress to the front of the field. Dropping from 2nd place to a frustrating 6th place Moto score and ultimately 5th Overall.
“It was a frustrating experience today”, commented Clout.
“I gave away the win in Moto 1 with just a few laps to go and then in Moto 2 I struggled with an issue with my back. I felt pain on every bump and I could hardly ride to my potential. Today should have been a podium for me, but that’s racing and I’m learning the process with my new team. Empire Kawasaki has been awesome and overall there’s lots of positives to take from the day”, concluded Clout.
In the MX2 Class, Reid Taylor continued to demonstrate solid speed on the 2024 Kawasaki KX250, starting the day with 9th place in timed Qualifying.
Moto 1 would be another case of speed vs mistakes for Taylor, as several small mistakes and crashes would lead to a frustrating 21st place Moto score.
In Moto 2, Taylor began to piece things together with a solid top 10 start and a consistent Moto that gave way to clean laps over flashes of speed and brilliance. Crossing the line in 10th place was a significant improvement on results so far and a base for Taylor to build from heading into Round 3, with a 17th Overall on the day.
“The 10th place in Moto 2 should not be close to my season best so far, but that’s what we are working with and it’s a positive to have pieced a top 10 Moto together after the mistakes I’ve been making”, commented Taylor.
“I feel the speed that I’ve demonstrated has me close to the front of the MX2 field, but I’ve had to focus now on executing and that 2nd Moto has given me something to build from moving forward into Round 3. Thanks to the team and all our sponsors, it’s a process and we are building”, concluded Taylor.
The Empire Kawasaki Team now move their focus to Gillman, SA, for Round 3 of the ProMX Championship taking place on Sunday 5th May.