Shackleton top 5 moto score while Whalley makes ProMX debut at QMP

It was another big step forward for the recently crowned National Junior MX Champion Seth Shackleton over the weekend as the young gun Western Australian rider rode his BCP Factory Honda Junior Team CRF250R to an impressive 5th place in moto 1 of the MX3 class at the penultimate round of the Pro MX Championship in Queensland. The 15 year old would storm his way through the field from outside of the top 20 in moto 2 to end up finishing a solid 12th place, securing a well deserved 7th overall on the day.

“I’m really happy with that first moto,” said Shackleton.

“I know my strength at the moment comes in the deep sand so this kind of track is normally something that would throw me a bit of a curve ball. I was terrible in practice and qualifying but a good start in the first moto and I found myself moving from fifth up to third for a while there. I was a bit slow on picking up on some of the good lines late in the moto but other than that I’m real happy with my flow in that one. Second moto I got an average start but just kind of stalled my charge once I got to 12th and got stuck at that pace. I can’t wait for a bit of sand at Coolum for the final round.”

Shackleton’s speed in the sand is undeniable and as a junior with another year ahead of him in 2024 prior to turning senior in 2025 the eighth and final round at Coolum provides a great opportunity for the sand groper to earn his first Pro MX podium in MX3 at such a young age.

“Seth is quite a bit ahead of our early 2023 expectations but he just seems to love new challenges being thrown at him,” said Team Manager Lee Hogan.

“When we pick a particular technique or aspect of his racing to go away and work on he’s just relentless. Seth and his dad Brad work so closely together basically every day and even while they’re over on the west coast we study up on videos and put plans in place. They’re so good to work with and its a pleasure watching Seth’s rapid rise!”

Shackleton’s team mate Darci Whalley chose to turn senior the moment she claimed third place recently at the National Junior Championships in Darwin. Making her eligible to race the EziLift WMX Women’s category over the weekend at QMP! It was a baptism of fire for the young Queenslander on such a tricky and technical circuit but she stood high and performed well with a score card of 8-8 in motos one and two for a solid 8th overall out of 21 of Australia’s best senior women.

“That was just so much fun racing against the girls I’ve looked up to for so long,” said Darci.
“I was quite happy with how I went but the track was so brutal and took a bit of getting used to. I’m looking forward to doing more in the future.”

The 8th and final round of the Pro MX Championship will be held this coming weekend on the 19th and 20th August at the picturesque Coolum circuit on the Queensland Sunshine Coast!