News 17 Aug 2023

450 transition a possibility for Todd in 2024

Domestic focus underlined for start of next season.

Image: Foremost Media.

Defending Australian MX2 champion Wilson Todd is on the cusp of clinching a fourth title in the category, and the North Queensland-based rider has outlined that he has the option to stay onboard the CRF250R next year or move to the premier class.

Todd, 25, has a wealth of experience in the quarter-litre category, winning two national titles before heading overseas to compete in the MX2 World Championship onboard a Kawasaki.

After ageing of the class on the world stage, Todd returned home and clinched a third MX2 title last year in dominant fashion with Terrafirma Honda Racing, before competing in the SX2 category of the World Supercross Championship (WSX) and Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) with Yarrive Konsky-led outfit.

For 2023, Todd was originally slated to contest 250SX West in Monster Energy Supercross and then the SX2 category of WSX with Fire Power Honda, prior to returning home for the Australian Supercross Championship. That plan was altered when injury and ongoing health issues struck Todd – who competed at Anaheim 1 and San Diego – with a newfound domestic focus outlined in Australia.

With his continued success domestically in MX2, many eagerly await the transition of Todd full-time to the premier class. That said, he did step up to MX1 last year for the final two rounds of ProMX, qualifying fastest at both Queensland Moto Park and Coolum before notching the 450 class overall win at the final round of the season.

Todd will remain onboard a CRF250R for the Australian Supercross Championship later this year with Honda Racing, however, has outlined that the outfit has offered him the flexibility to pick his capacity for next season.

“I don’t think I will race overseas at the start of the year, maybe a bit later in the year and do [international] motocross or world supercross towards the end of the year for next year,” Todd explained to MotoOnline. “Just not the start of next year, I kind of need a break – I’ve been going for three years flat.

“I haven’t had any time without a motorbike, it has always been go-go-go, championship, championship, so I kind of need at the end of this year to forget about motocross for a little bit, then I will probably just race the Australian stuff at this stage next year.

“It could be either [250 or 450], Yarrive said I could ride whatever I would like. But I don’t know, I should think about it I guess and maybe wind some people up.”

The final round of the 2023 Penrite ProMX Championship takes place at Coolum this weekend and after a 2-3 scorecard for third overall last time out at QMP, Todd holds a 27-point advantage ahead of KTM Racing Team’s Nathan Crawford.

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