At just 18 years old, Darci Whalley has already started making her mark on the adrenaline-fuelled world of motocross.
A reigning champion in Queensland, the Calliope competitor has spent years chasing the dust trails of her idols — this weekend, she raced before a crowd more than 30,000 motocross fans.
Racing among the world’s best had long seemed a distant dream, until Motorcycling Australia named her one of just 25 Australian wildcard riders selected to compete on the global stage at the MXGP women’s world championships.
Darci Whalley competed in the championships in Darwin at just 18 years old. (ABC News: Roxanne Fitzgerald)
The event, hosted in Darwin, marks the sport’s return to Australia for the first time in more than two decades.
“A top five finish would be the best thing,” she said.
Battling scorching heat and a demanding track, the world’s top motocross riders descended on the Top End this weekend for the championship’s final round.
Albert Watego and his daughter Ailani enjoyed watching the competition. (ABC News: Roxanne Fitzgerald)
Spain’s Guillem Farres returned to the MXGP in Darwin after racing Supercross. (Supplied: Infront Moto Racing)
It’s the Formula 1 of motocross — the best in the sport, the fastest bikes and a championship broadcast to more than 100 countries with a potential audience of over 700 million.
Australian motocross veteran and former national champion Todd Waters has spent years in Belgium, missing several MXGP circuits, but he’s returned older and wiser.Â
With a coveted wildcard entry under his belt this year, he’s embraced the chance to test himself in Darwin on what he called a “world class track”.
Belguim’s Amandine Verstappen, the 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup winner, hopes to finish among the top five in the Women’s World Championship in Darwin. (ABC News: Roxanne Fitzgerald)
“I haven’t raced in a world championship for many years … so I’m kind of not in their league anymore,” Waters said.
“I’m just going out there, enjoying the grand prix being in Darwin … and a home crowd — to have Australians backing you and knowing who you are is really cool.”
He battled nerves, a complex 1.6-kilometre track made mostly of sand, 30-metre jumps and a 90-metre start straight — but Waters said the scorching heat “took its toll”.
The MXGP attracted more than 30,000 motocross fans from across the country. (ABC News: Roxanne Fitzgerald)
“A big shock to us is how hot the tarmac is around us to get to the track, so by the time we get up there, we are boiling,” he said.
“But we’re eating ice, we have hydration supplements and ice baths.
“Every race is nerve-racking … I guess if I wasn’t nervous it would mean I didn’t care, but as soon as I put my googles on it’s fully focused on that first turn and trying to get in the lead.”
From winning his first Australian Junior Motocross Championship at 12, to racing in Eurpope on the world stage, Todd Waters was selected as one of this year’s 25 Australian wildcards. (ABC News: Roxanne Fitzgerald)
For Cooper Holroyd from Sydney, the Darwin heat proved to be a brutal challenge. (ABC News: Roxanne Fitzgerald)
After a high-stakes season marked by unpredictable weather and a globe-spanning calendar — from Argentina to China — David Luongo, chief executive of Infront Moto Racing, was excited to see the sport return to Australia.
“The motocross championships has to go global, [in] the last years we increased the races outside of Europe, we [took it] to South America, Asia … and Australia is the biggest off-road market in the world,” he said.
“It’s very important for us to be there … you have amazing fans, and the industry, backing the motorsport and a lot of riders.”
Organisers have confirmed the event will return to Darwin in September next year.
Joel Dinny and Jye Anderson, from Melbourne, enjoying some drinks while watching the action. (ABC News: Roxanne Fitzgerald)