CLOUT CROWNED MX1 CHAMP

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team rider, Luke Clout, has been crowned the winner of the 2021 ProMX Championship after Motorcycling Australia (MA) declared the series complete with the current Covid restrictions preventing further rounds proceeding.

Clout, aboard a YZ450F in the premier MX1 division, overcome some major hurdles at the opening round of the championship before barnstorming his way through the next two rounds, winning four motos in succession and finishing second in the other, to snatch the points lead at the end of the third round.

Unfortunately, in the days after Round 3 at Maitland, Covid gripped the eastern seaboard of Australia and riders based in NSW and Victoria were thrown into lockdown, unable to move from their house for the next three months. The ongoing Covid situation is the reason for the declaration of the ProMX Championship after three of its 10 rounds, meaning Clout was awarded the championship win by three points over Reegan Duffy with reigning (2019) champ, Todd Waters, in third.

“It’s strange to think that I have won a championship while sitting on the couch, but I guess everything about 2020 and 2021 has been strange,” Clout admits. “It’s not the way I want or would like to win it as I am a racer and I just want to be out on the track challenging myself against the other riders, but I truly believe that I had put in the work; that the CDR Yamaha team provided me with the best bike, and that this championship was going to be mine.

“This is the first MX1 championship of my career and regardless of the shortened series, I’m proud of it. As a team, we had to overcome challenges from Round 1. We had to rebound quickly to get back in the championship hunt at Canberra, so everyone combined to get the job done by the end of round three we were back in front.

“Thank you to everyone on the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team and all of our great sponsors and partners. It’s easy to see why the team has such continued success and I can’t thank them enough for the work they put in,” Clout went on to say.

The dominance shown by Clout in the shortened series showed he rightly deserves the ProMX crown. He also took out the prestigious Manjimup 15,000 event in WA a few months back. The improvement in his riding since returning to CDR Yamaha has impressed team owner, Craig Dack, who enjoys another national championship with his team.

“Luke raced with us in 2019 before heading to the US for the 2020 season,” Dack explains, “but I can see he has returned a more dedicated and determined athlete. He now has more focus and takes his role in racing seriously. And as a result, this championship victory wasn’t a surprise to me.

“Coming off a moto DNF at Round 1, to get back the championship lead two rounds later was an amazing achievement and a real test of his mental strength to fight when his back was against the wall.

“He put the work in, surrounded himself with the right people and executed his role brilliantly. He deserved the 2021 ProMX Championship because he earned it with hard work and dedication.

“Winning in MX1 championship doesn’t come easy and Luke’s name can now sit alongside the likes of Darryll King, Jay Marmont, Josh Coppins and Dean Ferris, who have all won motocross championships with us in the past 20 years. Hopefully, it’s just the start of many more to come with Luke and CDR Yamaha,” Dack went on to say.

Clout will return in 2022 to defend his MX1 championship with the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team and is already looking forward to getting a more regular season under way next year.

“I have really missed racing and it’s been so frustrating not being able to do the things I enjoy doing due to the Covid pandemic. Hopefully, the 2022 season things get back on track and a return to a normal season. I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike and beginning preparations for next season as soon as possible as I have several months up built-up energy from sitting around the house. The CDR Yamaha team will be ready to go, and we can continue to improve on what we did this year,” Clout says.

Clout’s teammate, Hayden Mellross, was in fifth place at the end of the third round after a consistent opening to the championship and well within striking distance of the lead group when the championship ended. Only 19 points separated the top five riders in the MX1 class, with Mellross looming large in the rear-view mirror of the four riders in front of him.

“Coming off a couple of major injuries the last 18 months, I was just beginning to find my feet with speed and fitness before the season was shut down. It’s a disappointing way to finish the year as I felt that I was on the upswing and had plenty more in the tank for the remaining rounds, but it was beyond anyone’s control and we just have to move on,” Mellross laments.