Teenage standout Ky Woods has soared at the 2023 Australian Junior Motocross Championship (AJMX) in the Northern Territory, capturing the 125cc 15yrs class title, in addition to finishing runner-up in the 250cc 15yrs category. GASGAS Junior Racing Team teammate Seth Thomas was fourth in the 85cc 12-U14yrs class, directly ahead of Bodie Court in P5.
Only arriving in the early hours of the morning on the opening day from the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Romania, Woods fought the brutally hot conditions as he powered to the second-fastest qualifying time in both classes.
After achieving dual class victories in the opening two races, Woods lined up the next day for a total of four motos, which resulted in another haul of moto wins and podiums, setting the New South Welshman up nicely for the fifth and final races in each class.
Fourth position in the final moto on his MC 125 was enough to clinch victory in the 125cc 15yrs championship, whilst a tumultuous outing in the final moto onboard the MC 250F ended in a seventh-place result, which was enough for P2 in the class.
Thomas would open his Northern Territory race week by posting the 14th fastest time in qualifying, before racing to a string of impressive heat race results, including a win in the third and final heat, to secure a place in the finals.
Despite suffering from illness throughout the week, Thomas would progressively improve as the days went by, with a 6-4-2 moto scorecard across the three final format enough to secure fourth place overall in the competitive 85cc 12-U14yrs division for 2023.
Charging to a fifth-place qualifying time, Queenslander Court put together a consistent week of racing throughout the heat races and into the finals, with a 5-6-7 scorecard on the technical Northern Territory circuit resulting in a hard-earned fifth place overall.
Ky Woods: “This week was tough and super-brutal in Darwin. I got in at 5:30am on the first day from Romania after competing in the world championship and managed to qualify in P2 for both my classes. The heat zapped me that day, though through the week it got better, and my results showed that. Opening motos, I won on both the 125 and 250, went home and recovered, and then came back the next day for two motos in each class, which was gnarly. I managed a 1-2 on both bikes for that day, which was Friday, and then Saturday I managed to go 1-1-4 on the MC 125, riding conservative in that final moto for the championship. On the MC 250F, I had a tough last moto and finished seventh for second overall. Bit disappointed in the 250 results, but overall, I’m happy to come away safe and get on the podium and had a great time competing this week!”
Seth Thomas: “This week was massive. Unfortunately, I was under the weather entering the event, though I did get better as the days went on. The Northern Territory put on a challenging event, as the track was rough, bumpy, tight, and slippery – it was like five tracks rolled into one. In the 85 12-U14 class, I went 6-4-2 for fourth overall, which put me fourth and I missed the box by three points, which is a bit of a disappointment. Overall, we learned so much on this trip about racing and never giving up! Massive thank you to all those who support me on my racing journey.”
Bodie Court: “It was a good week for me here up in the Northern Territory, the track was super-gnarly all week long, so it was about being smart and consistent with your laps – that was important. Really happy with how the bike worked, and fifth place was a good result for me at this year’s championship. Thank you to all those who support me!”
The AJMX also marked a successful outing for GASGAS-equipped youngster Nico Verhoeven, who sealed the 65cc 7-U10yrs title after dropping only a single moto win, along with fellow Queenslander Connor Feather, as he raced to a hard-fought 65cc 10-U12yrs championship victory, and Sidney Stephenson earned a runner-up podium in the 85cc (9-U12yrs) division.