Tyler Collingwood
It was a rough opening weekend for the rookies in the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship. Not one rookie was able to crack the top ten overall at a very rough Pala Raceway. Let’s take a look and breakdown how some of the rookies performed at Round 1!
Julien Beaumer – Red Bull KTM
Moto 1 – 13th
Moto 2 – 9th
Overall – 11th
Grade – B+
Julien had a pretty strong weekend for what seemed to be a rough weekend for most of the new guys. This is about where I expected Beaumer to finish. I thought he may run a little higher up in the top ten, but overall a strong ride by the KTM rider. He was able to get some good starts and didn’t have to fight from the back. On a good note, Julien went to Instagram to say he did not ride 100% all weekend and was fighting to get comfortable. Pretty impressive for someone who wasn’t comfy on the bike. If true, once Beaumer finds his flow, could he be a top five guy?
Mark Fineis – Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha
Moto 1 – 14th
Moto 2 – 11th
Overall – 12th
Grade – A
Mark caught me by surprise this weekend. I thought he may not be ready for the pro ranks and maybe needed one more summer to get ready and then go full SX/MX pro in 2025. Mark rode his ass off and proved to a lot of people he belongs out there AND belongs towards the front. His starts were on point and he managed his races super well. With a 12th place finish at round 1. he already met what I thought would be a season high for him. Fineis said he’s a racer and wants to be back racing. He did that this weekend.
Daxton Bennick – Monster Energy Star Yamaha
Moto 1 – 20th
Moto 2 – 14th
Overall – 17th
Grade – D+
Bennick did not have his best outing at Fox Raceway. I expected a lot more out of the Star Yamaha rider. He was running towards the front in Moto 1, not sure what happened, but Dax fell back and would end up 20th in the first moto. Daxton just seems to be missing something. I’m not sure what it is. Maybe confidence? He had an up and down SX rookie season, so maybe a good moto is all he needs to boost his confidence and get him to his full potential. I know 17th isn’t the best he can do so let’s hope he can get it turned around.
Casey Cochran – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
Moto 1 – 15th
Moto 2 – 21st
Overall – 19th
Grade – C
Not the best, but not the worst weekend for Casey. Unfortunately Casey was caught up in two first turn crashes and had to fight from behind both motos. Dead last to 15th is hauling the mail. It’s hard to judge how this round could have turned out for Casey, but things happen and that’s racing. Casey showed some good speed and confidence on the bike, so hopefully next week he can get the starts and we can see what he has to bring to the table.
Lux Turner – AEO KTM
Moto 1 – 17th
Moto 2 – 35th
Overall – 20th
Grade – B
Every week Lux seems to be getting better and better. In the first moto, Turner was even towards the top ten fighting for position and would trickle back to 17th. It’s good to see him battling with a few of the other factory rookies and beating some. Lux’s confidence seems to be high and he plans to keep this train rolling!
Evan Ferry – Wildcat MX Team
Moto 1 – 32nd
Moto 2 – 37th
Overall – 37th
Grade – D
Evan had very little time on this bike after leaving his factory spot at Triumph Racing. He then was on a KX for a few weeks before announcing he would join Wildcat MX. He had like a week to get his GasGas dialed in, but this bike shouldn’t come as a stranger as he was on a GasGas last year for Loretta’s. Evan started out well in moto 1 and was in the top 20 before he fell all the way back to 32nd. The second moto wasn’t better as he would finish 37th. I’m still not sure what to think about this kid. He has speed, but it just seems like it can never be pieced together and he has a hard time finishing a race. It’s a long outdoor season and hopefully we can see some better results out of Evan.
Main Image: Octopi Media
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