Image: Octopi Media.

Reigning four-time ProMX MXW title-holder Charli Cannon has described her AMA Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) season as ‘a learning curve’ following a convincing P2 result in the final standings, with the Queenslander targeting further gains and a more regimented schedule next year.

The 20-year-old entered the opening round of this year’s WMX series behind the eight ball after sustaining a finger injury during a training incident in the lead-up, with the Quad Lock Honda rider racing her way back into form over the six-round duration.

Multiple moto victories and second in points behind eventual champion Lachlan Turner (Altus Motorsports BLU CRU Yamaha) was a solid result for Cannon, all things considered, finishing runner-up and Budds Creek courtesy of 1-2-4 moto scores, despite a first turn fall in the final outing.

“I’m pretty disappointed with going down in that first turn, but it’s just a learning curve,” commented Cannon post-race. “I fought hard and was setting some good lap times, so I know I have the speed, and I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be here.

“It’s been a fun series, I know that I have a lot more progress to make, but to finish it off with second in the championship, I’m pretty happy with that. I’m excited to come back next year and have some more battles.”

Elaborating further during the championship press conference on Saturday afternoon, Cannon recollected her WMX season to date, eyeing a full-time move to the United States in 2026 as a pivotal piece to the puzzle.

“I learned a lot from this year, now knowing what to do, what not to do, and I’ll be able to take some really cool things out of it,” she continued. “Being based over here next year – if we can make it all happen – will help me a lot.

“I’ll have a good schedule and we have a plan for next year, which I think will better me massively. I came into this season not knowing if I could even ride – round one was one week post finger surgery, so the first three rounds were just about scoring as many points as possible.

“All-in-all, it’s a progress thing for me, and racing these girls more often to have that competition will make me better. I did what my plan was this year, I got a lot of experience and learning out of it, and I’m grateful to have been able to race against some awesome women and I’m looking forward to next year.”

Cannon has been heavily linked to a full-time United States transition for next season as part of the Martin Davalos-led Quad Lock Honda program, which is the sister outfit to the domestic Honda Racing team for whom she has competed with over the last two seasons. It’s unclear how this move will impact her participation in the MXW category.

In the final WMX standings, Turner took the title with 289 points, followed by Cannon on 258, and California’s Mikayla Nielsen in third on 240.