The pace of GasGas Racing Team’s Noah Ferguson was once again on display at Queensland Moto Park but bad starts proved costly in his bid for a third consecutive MX2 overall podium.

Ferguson, 20, has shown strong form throughout the second half of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship, scoring P3 round results at both Gillman and Toowoomba.

Starting the seventh round of the season in fine form, Ferguson qualified second fastest at QMP, just over a second from pole-setter and championship leader Wilson Todd (Terrafirma Honda Racing).

A poor start in race one saw Ferguson well outside the top 15 on the opening lap, but the MC 250F rider was able to claw his way forward throughout the encounter to finish fourth, 3.924s shy of third-placed Brodie Connolly (Polyflor Honda Racing) at the checkered flag.

Ferguson’s start in race two again left him with work to do, and he progressed through the field to complete the moto once more in fourth position, landing P4 overall on the day.

“I struggled with my starts today!” Ferguson recalled. “All things considered, I’m happy given that I started outside the top 20 in each moto and charged my way up to fourth… I feel like that says a lot about my speed and fitness. Just disappointed in my starts, because I’d love to be up there from the beginning to see what I can do, but we’ll regroup and give things a good shot in Coolum.”

The final round of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship takes place at Coolum this weekend, and Ferguson enters the event fifth in the standings and confident after a strong showing at a recent club event at the venue.

“I’m coming in quite confident,” Ferguson said to MotoOnline. “I love Coolum, I could spend a few years in Melbourne and still come back there and know Coolum like the back of my hand.

“I’m just turning up next weekend and just taking it week by week. Look, made a good day out of a bad day here at QMP and we turn up to Coolum with some good vibes.”