We have Aussies scattered across the world, making us proud in their two wheeled disciplines. Ed has us covered with his monthly Aussies Racing Abroad International race news for Aussies...

Aussies Racing Abroad | With our Aussies showcasing their skills overseas on-track and off-road, this column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their chosen classes. Aussies racing from MotoGP to AMA Motocross and King of the Baggers.

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP

Jack Miller mixed the highs with the lows at the two Misano rounds in MotoGP this month. Getting the ball rolling with a pair of eighths in the Sprint and the race, many positives could be extracted from his efforts here. Despite the result not being what he wanted and the Aussie suffering tyre issues, he was left content and pleased with the strides made on the bike. Onto the second Misano, and this one proved a far more demanding test, as a vibration issue cost him, thus scuppering his chances of a desirable outcome.

“I tried to push a couple of times, but I almost fell off more than once”…

“I got away to a decent start, but by the third lap, I reached my maximum pace and that was all I had. Then we had a vibration issue. I tried to push a couple of times, but I almost fell off more than once. We have some work to do. It was a hard day and a bit disappointing. We tried some things to fix it this weekend, but we need to go back and have another look to find the maximum of the tyre and try to improve,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, on an upbeat note, it’s been confirmed Miller will remain in MotoGP for 2025, with him set to join Pramac Yamaha after being linked with a host of teams in recent months.

Senna Agius – Moto2

Having kicked off his September with an 11th at Misano one, where he knew he could do better, Senna Agius did exactly that at the second stop at the famous circuit by securing seventh. The fact he wasn’t feeling 100 percent and had to fight through made this achievement all the more impressive.

“To be honest, I had a tough night and came to the track this morning with a not-so-good feeling. So, at the start of the race, I struggled a bit to concentrate, but I was able to make some good overtaking manoeuvres and found my rhythm,” he explained.

“To come back today and score good points for the championship is super good”…

“I’m happy to be back in the top ten after being outside in a few races, which was a bit frustrating. But to come back today and score good points for the championship is super good. I thank my guys because they gave me a really good bike this weekend and I think the work we put in was rewarded today. So, thanks to everyone and let’s go to Indonesia.”

Ready to continue along his upward trajectory, it’ll be intriguing seeing how he fares in Indonesia, with both he and the team eager to keep building.

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3

Young star on the rise Jacob Roulstone was satisfied with his first outing at Misano, claiming a confidence boosting 12th, in a race where he showed strong pace even though he was still physically underdone from his spill at Aragon. The rookie frustratingly couldn’t replicate his encouraging outing the second time around, for crashes early in the weekend meant he had to valiantly fight through the pain barrier thereafter.

“We clearly need to reflect on the last rounds, heading to Asia, as some improvement is required”…

“It is a disappointing race for us, the feeling was not right, straight from the start. We had gained back a bit of confidence in qualifying, but it is a shame to end the weekend like this. Sorry to my team, Herve and everyone who supports me. We clearly need to reflect on the last rounds, heading to Asia, as some improvement is required. Again, thank you to my team for all the work, because I gave them a lot of extra work and hours spent in the box after my crashes, so I want them to know that I appreciate everyone they did,” he reflected.

Keen to regroup, recover and refocus, expect him to come out swinging at the next stop on the calendar in Lombok.

Joel Kelso – Moto3

A sixth in qualifying and a sixth in the race was a terrific way for Joel Kelso to breathe life into his October, as the BOE Motorsports ace continued to show his class.

“After a tough Friday with some difficulties, I thought the weekend was going to be an uphill battle. But we worked hard, took a gamble in Q1 and found the pace to put me at the sharp end in P6. It was a solid recovery effort by both myself and the team. Now, we can reflect on where to make those small improvements so we can come back even stronger in two weeks’ time,” Kelso insisted.

“Overall positive weekend. Of course, we wanted a bit more”…

Another uplifting effort then followed for Kelso, as he maintained his momentum in this stacked class by clinching seventh after going P10 in qualifying. “Overall positive weekend. Of course, we wanted a bit more, although onwards and upwards for the Asia Tour,” he stated.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike

Remy Gardner’s quality Magny Cours body of work saw him demonstrate his skill, speed and determination. Illustrating he could match it with the heavy hitters and hold his own in the battle, his ninth in the Superpole race and sixth in race two were real highlights.

Heading to Cremona primed for success, it wasn’t to be for the #87 although his comeback from 18th in race one to ninth deserved plenty of praise. Enduring a forgettable Sunday, where he was forced to retire in the Superpole race and crashed out in race two, Gardner will quickly shift his attention to the next round.

“Let’s move on and we’ll try to have a better weekend in Aragon next week”…

“A Sunday to forget. In the Superpole race a tyre issue forced us to retire and we couldn’t progress more. Then, in race two, we tried to make another comeback as happened in race one, but the feeling was not great and although I tried everything I could to secure decent points, I ended up crashing in the latter stages. Let’s move on and we’ll try to have a better weekend in Aragon next week,” he commented.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport

While the duo of WorldSSP rounds were challenging for the talented Aussie, there were still some positives to take away. Grabbing two 11th place finishes in France, Bayliss then fell through no fault of his own in the opener at Cremona before claiming 14th in the second.

Grateful for all the team does and not far off bringing everything together on the weekends, if he can avoid adversity and let his riding do all the talking, watch for him to translate his speed into results sooner rather than later.

Tom Edwards – World Supersport

A seventh-place finish in race one and an 11th in the second stanza at Magny-Cours were excellent results for Tom Edwards, with these enough to propel him to the top of WorldSSP Challenge in both outings and first in the championship standings.

“I managed to be the WorldSSP Challenge winner in both races and to secure some valuable points”…

“I’m happy with how this round went as I felt comfortable again aboard the bike. I managed to be the WorldSSP Challenge winner in both races and to secure some valuable points in the standings, following a brace of difficult rounds. I’d like to thank the team for allowing me to recover the right feeling with the bike as well as for their hard work, which put me in the right condition to do well. Now I feel very confident for the remainder of the season,” he asserted.

Edwards then took the WorldSSP Challenge win in race one at Cremona before enjoying a decent second effort, which meant he left the round with a seven point lead in the title chase.

Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike

Having had three weeks off the bike due to a hand injury, the Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki star ventured to Oulton Park ready to duke it out. Beginning the weekend by slotting straight into P1 in Q1, this was a fantastic sign for O’Halloran.

Enter the races, and the “O’Show” produced a manful ride despite not quite having the speed to go with the leaders to bag an admirable 10th. Then, a sixth in race two was a phenomenal outcome, with the experienced Australian’s toughness, racecraft and relentless mentality rising to the fore.

Although he slid out in the third encounter, all in all, it was an inspirational performance by O’Halloran, who sits ninth in the championship with two to go.

Josh Brookes – British Superbike

Josh Brookes roared out of the blocks at Oulton Park to launch to second in qualifying and scorch to an eye-catching fourth in race one. Annoyingly, the weather took a turn for the worse on Sunday, which severely hampered his chances for carrying on his fine form.  Still, Brookes pushed on in the brutal rain to lock in a 16th and a 10th, with his ride in the latter especially striking, as he charged through the field with gusto in the shortened race three.

“Well, I don’t even know where to start with this weekend! It’s been super positive in many ways, certainly our strongest round of the season but unfortunately, we’re not coming away with the prizes to reflect that. We were strong in the dry conditions straight from FP1. Qualified second, missed out on pole by 0.040, led Race 1 and battled for the podium until the end,” he commented.

“I’m really happy to have been back in podium contention this weekend”…

“After heavy rain all day on Sunday, race two was delayed, I really struggled in the wet conditions and ended up going backwards. This meant for race three we started back in 17th. However the weather had eased, I got a good start and was in the top 10 by the second lap. I had made my way up to second and was closing the gap to the leader. When the rain started again, I had a big crash and lost the rear at Druids. The race was red flagged, due to conditions and the team worked incredibly to get the bike re-built in six minutes and me back into the re-started race. I had to start from the back of the grid, but worked my way up to 10th in the five-lap sprint! Obviously, I’m really happy to have been back in podium contention this weekend, so hopefully we can take this momentum to Donington in a couple of weeks’ time. A big thanks to the whole FHO Racing team for their hard work, especially in race three.”

Troy Herfoss – King of the Baggers

Troy Herfoss’ fine form persists in the King of the Baggers. Notching a win and a second in the penultimate round in COTA, Herfoss will head to the finale with a legitimate chance of reigning supreme, which would be a remarkable achievement given this is his first campaign in the series.

“What a weekend in Texas. Happy to be leaving COTA still in the hunt for the Championship”…

“What a weekend in Texas. Happy to be leaving COTA still in the hunt for the Championship after taking the win in race two today, and gaining much needed points in race one yesterday with second. Bring on New Jersey Motorsport Park. Huge shout out to my team for working so hard especially in the heat it was crazy,” he recalled.

Off-Road
Jett Lawrence – SMX

Jett Lawrence made it back-to-back SuperMotocross world titles, wrapping up the championship in Las Vegas with a masterful display to go 1-1 and collect the $1 million prize. Winning two of the three rounds, just like he did in 2023, there was no stopping the gifted 21-year-old, who amazingly returned from injury to flex his muscles on the big stage.

“It means a lot to the team and my family. It makes it extra special with Hunter getting second—I always want to see him do good”…

“It means a lot to the team and my family. It makes it extra special with Hunter getting second—I always want to see him do good. I got a good start, and he was right there—I couldn’t make any mistakes. The injury in the outdoor season wasn’t ideal, but I think I actually needed it for a little break. It’s great to get the ’25 bike its first championship; I think this just shows how much input we had in developing the bike and how good it is to race,” he told the HRC website.

Hunter Lawrence – SMX

Hunter Lawrence ensured it was a sensational SMX series for not just him and his brother, but also his Team Honda HRC team, by finishing second behind Jett. Demonstrating his comfort at the elite level yet again in his rookie crusade on the 450, this was a wonderful way to sign off on his U.S racing exertions for 2024.

“One of my goals before the season started was to be in the podium conversation every weekend”…

“One of my goals before the season started was to be in the podium conversation every weekend,” declared the #96. “Supercross was a bit of a battle at the beginning; we got better towards the end of that season, and I felt like I was a contender in all of Motocross. I was most happy about picking up some of the characteristics from my 250 career: staying consistent, being on the box, running up front. I think I was the best version of myself tonight, and I’m really excited to see what this version of Hunter looks like in another year.”

Next up for the immensely talented Lawrence brothers is the prestigious 2024 Motocross of Nations in October, where they’ll be joined by ProMX champion Kyle Webster, in their quest to bring home Team Australia’s first ever Chamberlain Trophy.

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