Wins, Losses & Lessons – Factory Honda Takes Positives from Round 6!

Round 6 of the 2026 Australian ProMX Championship at Traralgon delivered everything, wins, podiums, setbacks and valuable lessons, as Factory Honda experienced a weekend that reflected the highs and lows of professional motocross.

Rain, wind and changing conditions challenged riders throughout the weekend, with the circuit demanding precision and consistency.

“We had rain, wind and everything in between. The club did a great job preparing the circuit, but because they had to keep the track sealed the track didn’t break down as much as we expected. There were fewer lines and less opportunity to make passes, so patients was required,” said Team Director Yarrive Konsky.

The weekend also marked the public debut of Factory Honda’s new partnership with Toyota, with the team’s fleet of Toyota Tundras on display alongside striking new race graphics that attracted plenty of attention throughout the paddock.

MX1 title contender Kyle Webster proved his outright speed had never disappeared despite spending the past month recovering from a torn rotator cuff and shoulder dislocation suffered while racing in America.

Qualifying fastest, Webster controlled the opening moto before leading for most of the race, only to surrender victory in the closing lap as his lack of recent riding and conditioning began to take its toll.

Race two saw another impressive charge after an early fall. Webster fought back to the leading group before another mistake relegated him to fourth. His 2-4 results left him tied on points for second overall, eventually finishing fourth on countback while maintaining second in the championship standings.

“I honestly don’t know whether to be happy or frustrated,” Webster admitted. “The speed was incredible, we absolutely had the pace to win this weekend, but after only riding once in the past month I simply didn’t have the strength when I needed it. I’ll manage the shoulder over the final two rounds and focus on securing second in the championship. The bike is capable of winning, I just need to eliminate my mistakes.”

Nathan Crawford’s Factory Honda debut couldn’t have been much stronger.

His fourth and second-place moto finishes earned him second overall for the weekend, but the results only tell part of the story.

“I haven’t been this close to beating these guys since moving into the MX1 class,” Crawford said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this competitive.”

Konsky believes the improvement has been immediate.

“Last season Nathan was finishing over a minute behind the leaders and two to four seconds a lap slower. This weekend his fastest laps were within the same second as the race leaders, his best sectors were within one or two tenths, and he finished less than ten seconds behind the race winner. To achieve that after just two weeks together is a huge step forward for Nathan and for our team.”

Crawford now sits fourth in the MX1 Championship.

Factory Honda enjoyed another outstanding weekend in MX2.

Alex Larwood claimed victory in both motos to further strengthen his championship lead, while teammate Kayd Kingsford finished second in both races to complete another Honda one-two overall.

Ryder Kingsford also showed impressive speed, finishing third in the opening moto before an aftermarket component failure forced a DNF in race two.

Larwood knows the championship fight is far from over.

“Kayd is riding exceptionally well and there are still 100 points available. I can’t afford to make mistakes because he’ll capitalise immediately. We’ve made huge improvements with the bike this season, but everything has to be perfect if we’re going to win this championship.”

Kayd echoed those sentiments.

“Every race I’m learning more about the bike, race craft and myself. It’s my first MX2 season, so the results are encouraging, but I want to win. My speed and fitness continue to improve and I know we’re getting closer.”

Despite his misfortune, Ryder remained optimistic.

“I feel like I’m getting stronger every weekend. Unfortunately we had a mechanical issue in the second moto, it happens and it certainly wasn’t anything the team did. The goal now is to finish the season with a couple of podiums, hopefully a round win, and then turn our attention to Supercross.”

MX3 contender Heath Fisher showed plenty of determination despite carrying injuries sustained during a training crash earlier in the week.

His 4-6 moto finishes extended his advantage over third place in the championship, with Fisher remaining second overall.
“The results don’t really reflect how difficult the weekend was. I hit the ground pretty hard during the week and simply didn’t have my normal sprint speed or energy. I’m just grateful to have got through it. We’ve increased our buffer over third place and first is still within reach, but now my priority is getting back to full strength before the final two rounds.”

2025 Women’s Champion Charli Cannon once again demonstrated why she is regarded as one of Australia’s toughest competitors.

After qualifying fastest, Cannon crashed heavily in the opening moto, injuring her shoulder and leaving the circuit with a suspected scapula injury.

Despite the pain, she remounted, fought back into contention and salvaged second place before lining up again for race two.

With her shoulder heavily strapped, Cannon battled through the pain to secure second overall for the weekend.

“I felt really good in qualifying, but mistakes continue to cost me. I’m not sure exactly what I’ve done to my shoulder, it definitely didn’t feel right. The team physio did an incredible job getting me back on the bike and now we’ll wait for scans. La La is riding extremely well and we’re both pushing each other to become better riders. To fight for wins you need to be one hundred percent and at the moment I’m not.”

The team also want to congratulate Seth Morrow on his first overall win in MX3.  Morrow has been riding with backing from Honda Australia for two seasons and his results continue to impress.

With a two-week break before Round 7, Factory Honda will return to testing while several riders contest selected state championship events.

For Konsky, the weekend reinforced the team’s philosophy.

“This weekend summed up racing perfectly. We had victories, podiums, crashes, injuries, mechanical issues and some enormous positives. We continue to learn, continue to improve and continue building. Every championship campaign has moments that test you. The important thing is how you respond, and I couldn’t be prouder of the effort shown by every rider and every member of our team.”

Factory Honda now turns its attention to the final two rounds of the ProMX Championship, with championship victories still firmly within reach across multiple classes.