Aussie MX round 4- Echo Valley

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ProMX championship rolls into Toowoomba for round 4 today at the legendary Echo Valley track.

Watch live here https://auspromx.com.au/live/ or replays on SBS.

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LP31
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5/23/2026 7:08pm

Hope its prepped better than years past. I went to watch my mates son race and it was rut cross.

When I raced it was hard packed and awesome.

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CPR
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5/23/2026 7:25pm
LP31 wrote:
Hope its prepped better than years past. I went to watch my mates son race and it was rut cross.When I raced it was hard packed...

Hope its prepped better than years past. I went to watch my mates son race and it was rut cross.

When I raced it was hard packed and awesome.

Unfortunately that seems to be the way it goes now; ripped and watered deep, muddy in the morning and rut cross all day. People seem to scared of hard pack and dust.

However I will say it’s a difficult place to get the prep just right.

4
Bearuno
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5/23/2026 8:25pm Edited Date/Time 5/23/2026 9:53pm

Watching it right now, with that 1st turn prang.

Yup, the plow and (over) water thing, with then the ruts drying to concrete, is A Thing .

But, Fluffy Loam, is but a Dream, in most places.

You know, sometimes, QLD does get something right = Echo Valley - I'll see my way our now, as the Queenslanders get all 'huffy' at me....... 😁 At least you're not Bloody KiWiS ( but, you're bloody close to that level of Rat Baggishness) 🤓

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mxbmx
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5/23/2026 9:52pm
LP31 wrote:
Hope its prepped better than years past. I went to watch my mates son race and it was rut cross.When I raced it was hard packed...

Hope its prepped better than years past. I went to watch my mates son race and it was rut cross.

When I raced it was hard packed and awesome.

CPR wrote:
Unfortunately that seems to be the way it goes now; ripped and watered deep, muddy in the morning and rut cross all day. People seem to...

Unfortunately that seems to be the way it goes now; ripped and watered deep, muddy in the morning and rut cross all day. People seem to scared of hard pack and dust.

However I will say it’s a difficult place to get the prep just right.

You were saying?

1

The Shop

jps256
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5/23/2026 11:01pm

Even the local club day tracks overwater every round its fustrating. Like every round is a mud round

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CPR
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5/23/2026 11:11pm Edited Date/Time 5/23/2026 11:12pm
LP31 wrote:
Hope its prepped better than years past. I went to watch my mates son race and it was rut cross.When I raced it was hard packed...

Hope its prepped better than years past. I went to watch my mates son race and it was rut cross.

When I raced it was hard packed and awesome.

CPR wrote:
Unfortunately that seems to be the way it goes now; ripped and watered deep, muddy in the morning and rut cross all day. People seem to...

Unfortunately that seems to be the way it goes now; ripped and watered deep, muddy in the morning and rut cross all day. People seem to scared of hard pack and dust.

However I will say it’s a difficult place to get the prep just right.

mxbmx wrote:

You were saying?

So predictable sadly. Parts of the track were still slippery snot at the end of the day, and there’s been no rain in Toowoomba, so no excuses for that, just poor management.

P.S. was some good racing regardless though.

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DadBod86
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5/24/2026 2:20am

Toowoomba local here, while I complain about the wet nature of the prep, it’s on the edge of the city and the neighbourhood doesn’t appreciate the fine red dust blowing over their houses.. so it’s either water it to death or lose the track…

4
DadBod86
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Some MX2 action

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CPR
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5/24/2026 5:08am
DadBod86 wrote:
Toowoomba local here, while I complain about the wet nature of the prep, it’s on the edge of the city and the neighbourhood doesn’t appreciate the...

Toowoomba local here, while I complain about the wet nature of the prep, it’s on the edge of the city and the neighbourhood doesn’t appreciate the fine red dust blowing over their houses.. so it’s either water it to death or lose the track…

Fair call, and it’s difficult with clay, once it hardens up there’s no getting it back. However they really over did it in some parts of the track imo.

1
SydAus
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5/24/2026 7:07pm

Unfortunate that over watering the first turn has now changed the MX1 championship for 2026.  Taking nothing away from Beaton who is looking very strong but Webster was still in the fight leading into Toowoomba.  Dean Ferris was looking good for podiums; Wilson Todd was finally finding his feet at the pointy end. How is it that track preparation can be so wrong when that track has been running for so long. They know which sections hold water — especially turn one.

3
5/24/2026 8:58pm
SydAus wrote:
Unfortunate that over watering the first turn has now changed the MX1 championship for 2026.  Taking nothing away from Beaton who is looking very strong but...

Unfortunate that over watering the first turn has now changed the MX1 championship for 2026.  Taking nothing away from Beaton who is looking very strong but Webster was still in the fight leading into Toowoomba.  Dean Ferris was looking good for podiums; Wilson Todd was finally finding his feet at the pointy end. How is it that track preparation can be so wrong when that track has been running for so long. They know which sections hold water — especially turn one.

Webster going full send destroyed it for himself, and Beaton had only lost one moto all year anyway, 

5/24/2026 9:37pm
DadBod86 wrote:
Toowoomba local here, while I complain about the wet nature of the prep, it’s on the edge of the city and the neighbourhood doesn’t appreciate the...

Toowoomba local here, while I complain about the wet nature of the prep, it’s on the edge of the city and the neighbourhood doesn’t appreciate the fine red dust blowing over their houses.. so it’s either water it to death or lose the track…

Theres a water flow / spring that runs from the top of the track below Carrols bar down to the bottom off Mattahorn. Why the even rip those sections so deep is what amazes me. This is where the rutted sections really form.

1st corner up to the first uphill jump doesn't need to be ripped so deep 

I also think they need some watering truck of some sort.

Its still a magic place though. 

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SydAus
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5/25/2026 12:22am
SydAus wrote:
Unfortunate that over watering the first turn has now changed the MX1 championship for 2026.  Taking nothing away from Beaton who is looking very strong but...

Unfortunate that over watering the first turn has now changed the MX1 championship for 2026.  Taking nothing away from Beaton who is looking very strong but Webster was still in the fight leading into Toowoomba.  Dean Ferris was looking good for podiums; Wilson Todd was finally finding his feet at the pointy end. How is it that track preparation can be so wrong when that track has been running for so long. They know which sections hold water — especially turn one.

scott_nz wrote:

Webster going full send destroyed it for himself, and Beaton had only lost one moto all year anyway, 

Doesn’t make sense - full send from a gate drop??  He had no where to go.

Last Braaap
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5/25/2026 2:46am
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Just to show the venue location in a big picture
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CPR
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5/25/2026 2:56am
DadBod86 wrote:
Toowoomba local here, while I complain about the wet nature of the prep, it’s on the edge of the city and the neighbourhood doesn’t appreciate the...

Toowoomba local here, while I complain about the wet nature of the prep, it’s on the edge of the city and the neighbourhood doesn’t appreciate the fine red dust blowing over their houses.. so it’s either water it to death or lose the track…

Theres a water flow / spring that runs from the top of the track below Carrols bar down to the bottom off Mattahorn. Why the even...

Theres a water flow / spring that runs from the top of the track below Carrols bar down to the bottom off Mattahorn. Why the even rip those sections so deep is what amazes me. This is where the rutted sections really form.

1st corner up to the first uphill jump doesn't need to be ripped so deep 

I also think they need some watering truck of some sort.

Its still a magic place though. 

The drainage there has changed a lot over the years; there was once a dam on the side of the hill over from Skyline, there was a trench dug across the downhill below the Matahorn to take water across the track, and then there was the flat track/ car circuit that steered flow away in different directions. But that spring has always been a constant.

The track is still one of the best in Australia, yet it’s only a mere shadow of what it once was.

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Bearuno
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5/25/2026 4:22am

Is it the Locals that are doing this Watering, or, does the MA bring in their own 'mob'? Though, I can't imagine MA would pay for that level of Travelling Circus

If it's the bloody locals, well, you'd think they'd know how to do Perfect Watering for Their Track.

But, so often it seems they are deliberately taking the piss. 

In years (long)  past, when I was heavily involved with track prep - course marking etc,  with my Club, I'd so often stop drongos from standing by the track, just drowning it, with a full flow hose. Introducing them to the concept of 'Spraying / Misting' to keep dust down, not f**king create bloody swamps. Sometimes, I think people don't realize we are the driest continent on Earth, and we need to use water wisely.........

1
1 day ago
SydAus wrote:
Unfortunate that over watering the first turn has now changed the MX1 championship for 2026.  Taking nothing away from Beaton who is looking very strong but...

Unfortunate that over watering the first turn has now changed the MX1 championship for 2026.  Taking nothing away from Beaton who is looking very strong but Webster was still in the fight leading into Toowoomba.  Dean Ferris was looking good for podiums; Wilson Todd was finally finding his feet at the pointy end. How is it that track preparation can be so wrong when that track has been running for so long. They know which sections hold water — especially turn one.

scott_nz wrote:

Webster going full send destroyed it for himself, and Beaton had only lost one moto all year anyway, 

SydAus wrote:

Doesn’t make sense - full send from a gate drop??  He had no where to go.

i had only seen the side on shot and thought it was Webster that went down first, i have just seen Jackson Richardsons video showing it wasnt him that went down first, 

chump6784
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1 day ago
Bearuno wrote:
Is it the Locals that are doing this Watering, or, does the MA bring in their own 'mob'? Though, I can't imagine MA would pay for...

Is it the Locals that are doing this Watering, or, does the MA bring in their own 'mob'? Though, I can't imagine MA would pay for that level of Travelling Circus

If it's the bloody locals, well, you'd think they'd know how to do Perfect Watering for Their Track.

But, so often it seems they are deliberately taking the piss. 

In years (long)  past, when I was heavily involved with track prep - course marking etc,  with my Club, I'd so often stop drongos from standing by the track, just drowning it, with a full flow hose. Introducing them to the concept of 'Spraying / Misting' to keep dust down, not f**king create bloody swamps. Sometimes, I think people don't realize we are the driest continent on Earth, and we need to use water wisely.........

It's the mentality that mx had to be gnarly and tracks need to be technical. 

When i would race Toowoomba for sunshine state series rounds they ran the vets, 50's, 65's and 85's on Saturday them junior lites, mx2 and mx1 on Sunday. 

The Saturday track prep was good. Ruts formed but not crazy deep. When racing finished on Saturday the sprinklers were turned on and Sunday morning was absolute slop.

Then there are tracks like kingaroy where they water so heavy in spots that there are 2 lines, right next to the track markers on each side of the track, everything in the middle is a swamp. 

If you say anything you are a sook and not hard enough, i don't miss racing that shit 

4
wicksy85
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1 day ago

The nationals normally organise their own guys to prep with help from the club, but MA has majority of say on how it should be prepped.

Its one of the reasons Gum Valley isnt on the calender, Pro MX Committee are a pain to work with, next to now profit for the club and track prep.

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jps256
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1 day ago

Whatever happened to a water break half way through the day to keep dust down?

wicksy85
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11 hours ago
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jps256
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11 hours ago

It happens everywhere, promoters/clubs panic before raceday and flood the piss out of it. Straight line ruts and bog/slop holes not only provide shit racing its also more dangerous. Frustrating and its happening at every level. Just get some moisture in the ground and have watering breaks throughout the day ffs

1
10 hours ago

I think Tooombawomba sprinklers run off town water so they can't just water whenever they want.

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jps256
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5 hours ago

I think Tooombawomba sprinklers run off town water so they can't just water whenever they want.

More reason to water it less. What happened to a hardpack race

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CPR
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5 hours ago

What an absolute cluster fuck.

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