Four-time champion Dean Ferris will embark on another MX1 title defence when the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship takes off this weekend at Wonthaggi, marking a full-circle moment as he reunites with CDR Yamaha Monster Energy and targets a record fifth crown.

The New South Welshman initially joined the CDR outfit in 2016 after returning from the MXGP World Championship, where he went on to win three-straight premier class titles in commanding fashion.

Ferris shocked the industry at the end of 2018 when he parted ways with the Victorian-based organisation to pursue overseas opportunities, despite not having a deal in place.

He eventually landed guest rides with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing in MXGP and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing in Pro Motocross, respectively, throughout 2019, while also making a sole appearance aboard a Raceline-prepared KTM 450 SX-F in the now defunct MX Nationals series.

Ferris then signed with Raceline onboard KTM machinery for the eventually-cancelled 2020 pandemic-affected season, before a serious back injury sustained in August of that year prompted the world class Kyogle rider to call time on his career for the first time.

He came out of retirement several months later, joining Yarrive Konsky’s Honda Racing team for an outdoor campaign in 2022, where he ultimately fell short of the title to then CDR Yamaha rider Aaron Tanti, before announcing at Coolum’s finale that he would once again hang up the boots.

The now 33-year-old backflipped on his second retirement in a matter of months before storming to his fourth premier class crown in 2023 in what was an independent effort with the support of Yamaha, ultimately signing a deal at the year’s end to line up alongside Jed Beaton beneath the CDR awning for the upcoming national championship.

“Going back to CDR will be great, I feel like Craig [Dack] will help me be even better,” Ferris told MotoOnline. “We had those really good years together, so I’m looking forward to us picking up where we left off and continuing our journey with more success.

“Craig has everything dialled, from head to toe as far as infrastructure goes and things like that, it’s a well-oiled machine there at CDR and like I said, I think it’ll help me go to another level.

“I had great support last year – I never really felt like a privateer. I had really good people helping me out along the way, but trying to do it the way I did, year in and year out, it’d probably wear thin for everyone that went out on a limb for me. We had an awesome year, so I think everyone is stoked that I got back to where I want to be.”

Wonthaggi will host Sunday’s ProMX championship season-opener, commencing the eight-round series that will span over six months in duration and marking Ferris’ official return to the factory team that he last lined up for at a national level over five years earlier.