Posing a challenge to Penrite ProMX MX1 class heavyweights Kyle Webster and Jed Beaton is not an easy task, particularly when the duo achieved a staggering 81-point margin over third position in last year’s final standings. Nevertheless, some will argue they’re up for the challenge, and we’ll look at who they are.

The conversation opens with last year’s third-place rider, Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team). Now sporting the number three onboard his KTM 450 SX-F this season to reflect last year’s championship result, 2025 marks Crawford’s second term with the orange outfit in the premier ranks, with expectations undoubtedly shifting towards title success.

For Crawford, the elevation to being KTM’s premier class rider comes with the appropriate pressure, and though the Queenslander has shown speed throughout his career, delivering such performances consistently has proven to be his kryptonite.

A storied organisation globally, KTM’s last domestic MX1 crown came with Kirk Gibbs in 2015, with almost a decade between then and now. Therefore, while podiums are welcomed, the goal for Crawford is to deliver a championship and break the drought.

Speaking of Gibbs, the South Australian veteran returns to the KTM Racing Team after one season with the now-defunct GasGas Racing Team outfit. At 36 years old and with 18 professional seasons in the books, Gibbs is always steady, always fast, and always in the mix, and will also be chasing another number one plate.

With an eight-year age gap between he and defending champion Webster, has the ship sailed on the number five’s championship years? In all honesty, probably. However, for Gibbs to have the best possible chance, using his experience to deliver consistent finishes may be his only option.

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It’s interesting to note the structure that the wider KTM-led group has taken in ProMX this year. As mentioned, the doors on the official GasGas team have closed – instead shifting to four bikes in orange – and Husqvarna remains on the grid through Todd Waters’ independent Raceline Husqvarna TDub Racing Team. This has allowed two riders to form the KTM effort in the MX1 ranks, with a consolidated program and championship focus for the Austrian manufacturer.

Next up on the list of contenders is Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki’s Luke Clout. After capturing the 2021 MX1 title, the road following his maiden premier class crown has been anything but smooth, with injuries and a high-profile team change creating a period of turbulence in the New South Welshman’s career.

Speaking in a recent interview with MotoOnline, Clout made it no secret that supercross is his preferred discipline, with an indoor-only deal already in his peripheries. Viewing outdoors as more of a ‘chore’, so to speak, the days may be limited to one more, full-fledged outdoor campaign.

The same cannot be said for outdoor specialists Webster and Beaton, who don’t seem to lack any motivation in pounding laps on a broken down track as the afternoon sun sets, which may be too much for Clout to overcome at this stage in his career. Nevertheless, the ever-confident 30-year-old is always ready to battle, seeing no rider above his potential.

As for the wildcards, the sister Monster Energy CDR Yamaha and Honda Racing machines of Maximus Purvis and Wilson Todd at the forefront of this list.

Purvis was a late addition to the CDR squad following the newly-signed Aaron Tanti suffering an injury in the off-season, and has already shown front-running potential by claiming last season’s final MX1 pole shootout award at Queensland Moto Park, and effectively ending Beaton’s streak.

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Both explosiveness and excitement are in Purvis’ corner, with the highly-rated Kiwi possibly the man for the job, or at least someone prepared to hold it as wedged as the front-runners, and see where he ends up. It’s a fascinating proposition.

As for Todd, the four-time national MX2 champion revealed this week he’s only just returned to riding, and that 100 percent health is still a ways off. Having spent 11 months off the bike – and missing invaluable seat time in his rookie MX1 campaign – Todd effectively starts from scratch, and as a result, will likely not be in the mix until later in the season if he can heal back to full strength.

As for 2019 MX1 champion Waters, returning Victorian Jack Simpson (Winner Triumph Racing), and former race-winner Regan Duffy (Raceline Husqvarna TDub Racing Team), these riders can no doubt offer moments of brilliance on any given race weekend, but ultimately, don’t feature on either Webster or Beaton’s radar.

Worth a mention for the pair is their training regime, with defending champion Webster and arch-rival Beaton both key members of the Victorian-based Beaton’s Pro Formula program. The scenario is unique, as the two are each other’s main competitors on weekends, and training partners throughout the week.

This set-up sees the two alpha-males of the class further strengthening their skillset, and the domination of the results sheet from last year speaks for itself. Therefore, it’s up to the rest of the field to find a way to match this intensity, as iron is sharpening iron on a daily basis inside the Beaton’s Pro Formula camp operated by the elder of the Beaton brothers, Ross.

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Adding to the difficulty, Wonthaggi is a happy hunting ground for both the number one and 14, so it’s likely that, for the rest of the field, getting out of the southern Victorian venue with a fighting spirit will be the first step in the quest of dethroning the two.

Both Webster and Beaton were the class of the field last year, and only seem to have gotten stronger as their respective careers progress. Is it realistic that they will be challenged this year by the rest of the field? No. At least, not for the championship. There’s simply too much power and precision in their arsenal, and it doesn’t seem that any one rider has made enough gains to bridge the 80-plus points deficit from last year.