Maitland’s fourth round of the 2024 Penrite ProMX Championship will be without Dean Ferris for the remainder of the weekend after the defending MX1 champion was hospitalised this morning during qualifying.

The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy rider registered just three laps in today’s MX1 practice and qualifying session before a heavy crash spelt an end to his round altogether.

The number one was attended to by Racesafe before being transported to a local hospital, where he was said to be alert and responsive. It’s understood he’ll undergo scans on both his head and neck, while a hand complaint will also be investigated.

“Simon [Mass] from Racesafe said he was concussed – for how long I don’t know – so they’ve taken him to the hospital to do scans,” said CDR Yamaha team owner Craig Dack when speaking to MotoOnline.

“When I spoke to him, he was a bit scattered, but he remembered what had happened. As he started to come around and get his faculties, he said both or one of his hands had some problems. That’s about the severity of it from what we understand… he’s going to be okay, but it was a pretty heavy concussion and some [type of] hand injury.”

It’s a brutal blow to Ferris’ hopes of defending the MX1 crown, with this weekend’s round offering up three motos across a two-day format. CDR Yamaha Monster Energy teammate Jed Beaton will have priority gate pick for this afternoon’s moto one after taking out the Pole Shootout earlier today.