Aussies Racing Abroad | June 2026

We have Aussies scattered globally, making us proud fans from OZ. Ed has us covered with his monthly Aussies Racing Abroad International road and off road race news for Aussies...

Aussies Abroad June 2026 | With many Australians showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines both on-track and off-road, our latest column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their chosen classes.

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP

Jack Miller opened his June on the front foot at Balaton Park by grabbing a direct route into Q2 and planting himself 12th on the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He converted that promise into a solid 14th in the Sprint, revealing the hotter conditions and a back‑and‑forth scrap with Ai Ogura disrupted his rhythm and made tyre management a real challenge. Even so, he produced one of his sharpest Sunday performances of the year, charging to eighth in the main race while smartly managing the rear to wrap up an encouraging weekend.

Pic: Jack Miller FB

“We managed to stay out of trouble at the start and put ourselves in a position to fight for points right from the opening laps,” Miller reflected.

“From there, it was all about managing the race as well as possible. I had to be quite careful with the rear tyre, especially on corner exit, and spent much of the race trying to protect the soft tyre and make sure it lasted until the chequered flag. We were still missing a little bit compared to some of the riders around us, particularly when accelerating out of the corners, but overall it was a stronger weekend and another step in the right direction for us.”

Pic: Jack Miller FB

Attention then shifted to Brno, and Miller endured a tougher weekend at the office, largely due to issues feeling comfortable with the bike.

Starting 18th in the Sprint, Miller spent the bout boxed in by a dense midfield pack but still admirably wrestled his way up to 14th. His Sunday run proved more difficult, with the Australian stuck in traffic for most of the distance and eventually taking 16th after gaining two spots to close out a head-scratching round. “Another tough race for us. I didn‘t really make any major mistakes and felt like I got everything out of the package we had today. I tried to stay with Toprak, but every time I pushed a little harder on the brakes or tried to carry more corner speed, I was right on the limit,” he lamented.

“He was able to pull away gradually, especially in the tighter sections. The way he can stop the bike in those chicanes is really impressive, and there are definitely things we can learn from that. Physically I felt good throughout the race and was able to push at my maximum from start to finish. The commitment and effort were there every lap, which is the positive I take away from today. At the same time, it‘s difficult because we know there is still work to do. We‘ll analyse everything carefully, keep working and focus on finding the next step forward.”

Pic: Intact GP

Senna Agius – Moto2

Senna Agius built speed across the first two days in Hungary, rising to fifth in free practice before nailing a superb third in qualifying to put himself on the front row, a feat that was made all the more impressive given he missed this event last year through injury. He then backed it up with another tremendous ride on Sunday, converting that pace into a smart and measured performance, for after slipping one spot off the start, he became the only rider able to stay in touch with the leading pair from lap two onwards, all while fending off a charging David Alonso. Agius managed both tasks brilliantly, as he held firm to claim a well‑earned podium.

“Of course I’m very happy to be on the podium! At this stage of the season, it’s absolutely vital to be consistent, and I see this as a sort of redemption for last weekend, when I felt I deserved third place. It’s always nice to be back on the podium, so a big thank you to my team. They’ve done a fantastic job, because you may not forget that this was my first race weekend here at the Balaton Park Circuit,” Agius stated.

Onto Brno and Agius matched the pace of championship leader Manuel Gonzalez to begin the weekend with fourth on Friday morning before taking fifth in practice to secure a straightforward path into Q2. He then delivered another strong lap in qualifying to lock down P5, underlining once again that the 21‑year‑old Australian would be firmly in the mix.

With that speed established, Agius headed into Sunday full of confidence, but his race took an early twist when a knee slider frustratingly came loose on lap three. Even with that distraction, Agius kept his composure, maintained his level and fought his way to a determined fourth.

“Fourth place isn’t quite what we deserved today, because I felt like I could have won with this bike, and the top riders weren’t far ahead of me. But on the third lap, I lost a knee slider. With my long legs, everything’s been banking in the corners, and the bike almost threw me off. I really had to stay calm to maintain a consistent pace. Now we’re entering a phase where we can score good points for the championship in every race, and that’s really important for us,” Agius explained.

Joel Kelso – Moto3

Joel Kelso had a challenging Hungarian GP, with him qualifying 10th after struggling to piece together a clean lap in Q2. The race was equally demanding, as the Australian brought the bike home in 12th and admitted the circuit never truly suited the package.

“A tough one for sure. We knew this style of track wasn’t going to suit our bike, but we dug in, got through the weekend, and took away some valuable lessons,” Kelso insisted.

Pic: Joel Kelso Racing FB

A week later, Kelso delivered a fine response, for he clinched seventh on the Brno grid and felt there was still more potential to unlock in his push to fight at the front. Despite early contact costing him vital time in the race, he impressed with a spirited recovery ride to eighth to extract plenty of positives from the weekend.

“Not the result we were chasing today, but there are still plenty of positives to take away. The opening laps weren’t ideal after making contact with another rider, which cost us valuable time and made it difficult to latch onto the front group. Another step in the right direction, though. We’ll keep building and come back stronger. Bring on Assen,” he posted.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike

Remy Gardner kicked off his weekend at Misano with a productive FP1 focused on race setup and tyre work before ending the session 10th. Gardner’s Saturday took a tougher turn as he qualified 13th and initially looked set for a top‑10 challenge, but after a strong opening and decent mid‑race pace in the first race, a late drop in grip saw him lose control and crash out of 11th with three laps to go.

Following a strong warm‑up, Gardner then produced a gritty run to 13th in the Superpole race having had a rough start that dropped him back early, then launched from 13th on the grid in race two to deliver a composed ride that earned him eighth to cap off his weekend on a high note.

Pic: Remy Gardner FB

“It’s a good way to end the weekend. Overall, I think we did solid work at the team’s home round. Unfortunately, the Superpole race didn’t go well on the first lap, and I had to recover, but in the long race the feeling was much better, and I was able to push. I tried to go for more in the end, but we can be satisfied with the progress we made and the way we reduced the gap compared to yesterday. Now we move on to the next one. Thanks to the team for all the work this weekend and to everyone who came to support us,” Gardner told the Yamaha website.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport & BSB

Oli Bayliss continued his eye-catching run of form with another assured ride at Misano to secure his fourth top‑10 finish in the last five races. Launching rapidly from eighth on the grid, he stayed glued to the leading group and positioned himself to attack in the closing laps. A late pass on Alessandro Zaccone for sixth saw him run slightly wide at Turn 16, allowing Mattia Casadei to slip through, but the Australian swiftly regrouped and sustained his pace to the flag. With Jaume Masia’s last‑lap crash reshuffling the order, Bayliss was ultimately rewarded with seventh, which was another crucial result in a consistently building crusade.

Pic: Oli Bayliss FB

Bayliss’ race two never quite came together. Starting 11th, he didn’t get the jump he wanted but clawed his way into the thick of the top‑10 fight. A mid‑race incident then derailed him, sending him backwards and forcing him into recovery mode. He kept persisting to the end but crossed the line 16th in what was a disappointing finish after a quality Saturday.

“Not our best day today, after a positive warm-up I thought we could have a good race, though as in the past we have struggled a lot in the hot conditions, and I felt a bit like a sitting duck in the race. Now a bit of time off for the team while I go to the BSB rounds in between. Thanks to everyone,” Bayliss said.

Off-Road
Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross

Jett Lawrence has hit the ground running on his return from the foot injury that sidelined him for the entire AMA Supercross season, and he now sits atop the 450 AMA Pro Motocross title standings. While the ailment is still troubling him and he’s not yet back to his absolute best, his results have been a testament to his class and fitness. He’s already reigned supreme at two of the four rounds and landed on the podium at the other two.

With Jett currently holding a narrow lead over his brother Hunter, all eyes are on the brewing battle between the dynamic duo and young hotshot Haiden Deegan, as the championship charge gathers momentum.

Pic: Jett Lawrence Fans FB

“Hunter got one back on me today, but it’s really cool, us brothers going back-and-forth winning. My ankle didn’t hurt; it was more just the riding ability – I can’t use it that much. I’d love to be using both of my legs, but today it had to be a lot more on my arms, which made it a little bit difficult. But it’s still getting better and better. It’s about trying to be smooth and working with the track. Obviously, today I wasn’t as good, but it was still good enough to go 2-2. Hunter was just riding really well, it doesn’t happen very often that someone kind of pulls away, but I just didn’t feel good on the track all day. I tried taking some of his lines, and he still gapped me. We’re looking forward to this off-weekend, doing some testing, relaxing a little bit, then coming back to Redbud,” Jett acknowledged following High Point.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross

Hunter Lawrence continues to show exactly why he’ll be a major title threat in AMA Pro Motocross with an outstanding start to the campaign. He quickly put his AMA Supercross title loss to Ken Roczen in the rearview mirror by coming out swinging at the opener with a dominant 1-1 overall.

Since then, he’s added a second at Hangtown, a third at Thunder Valley and another commanding double‑moto victory at High Point. Now just two points behind Jett at the top of the standings, the championship battle between the Lawrence siblings is shaping up to be something special as the season unfolds.

“You always show up and try to do your best, and this weekend I wanted to go back to base. That was what I was after, and it gave me the feedback, connectivity and trust that I needed – I was happy with that. Me and Jett are two from two against each other in the first four rounds. I really wanted to kind of stop the momentum. I feel like in Thunder Valley, my riding and speed were good enough to win; I ended up having some very uncharacteristic crashes throughout the day that were just frustrating because I don’t make those mistakes normally. Now I have another goal for the next four rounds. The work doesn’t stop,” Hunter remarked after High Point.

Jake Cannon – EMX250

Although logging a pair of sevenths at rounds six and seven were solid outcomes, Jake Cannon’s recent spell will be most fondly remembered for his two consecutive EMX250 victories in Italy and Germany to flex his muscles in the ultra-competitive category.

Sealing his first overall victory in Italy with a 2-2 scorecard, it was admirable how he fought through less‑than‑ideal starts to put himself in contention in both motos. His race craft and consistency proved enough to secure the round win, and he described the moment as an unreal reward for the hard work, setbacks and hours spent on the bike.

Cannon backed up his Italian breakthrough with another overall triumph in Germany after a dramatic and weather‑hit weekend. He charged to fourth in moto one after catching the leaders late, only to fall while attempting a final‑lap move for second. Heavy rain then transformed moto two, but Cannon rose to the challenge with a fast start and an intelligent ride to second. That result was enough to secure the round win, capping a wild weekend with a brilliant overall.

“I can’t be happier. From last year to this year, it’s a big step. I’m continuously growing, and I think it’s good for me, the championship, and also the team. Me and Fran [Francisco Garcia] are putting on a clinic at the moment. I keep working towards a race win, I don’t know how that hasn’t come yet, but there are a lot of second places, so first is coming. Overall a good weekend, I’m happy for the team, I’m happy for myself, the confidence is growing, so it’s good,” Cannon recalled.

Read our previous Aussies Racing Abroad columns here…

Liam Owens – EMX250

The undoubted highlight of Liam Owens’ June was his terrific second overall at Latvia, where he produced a valiant effort to overcome illness heading in.

“After qualifying P4 for the gate, I fought my way from P14 to P3 in race one. In race two, I moved from P5 into the lead before finishing P2. Overall P2 and my first EMX podium of the season. After being sick all week leading up to the race, I’m proud of the fight and grateful to the team for their nonstop effort,” Owens expressed.

Sadly, the talented youngster’s progress was halted by a nasty crash in Italy after colliding with another rider to bring his weekend to an abrupt end. It has since been confirmed that he suffered a shoulder injury with fractures in three places and will be out for around six weeks while he recovers, as this is a significant setback after his promising run that also saw him finish second in moto one in Italy prior to his injury.