AMX History pays tribute to the late Joel Evans who was seriously injured at the Gillman round of the Penrite AusProMX Championship on Sunday 27 April 2025. The 30-year-old Queenslander was rushed to hospital but sadly passed away that night.

Joel Evans was born in 1994 in Kingaroy, Queensland, and began racing motocross at a young age, introduced to the sport on a Yamaha PW50 and growing up in a family deeply involved in motocross. He raced as a junior at the South Burnett Junior Motorcycle Club in Kingaroy, his hometown, and contested many Queensland junior motocross events, including the South-East Queensland Junior MX series, and was recognized as a standout talent from the region.

Joel made his senior debut in the 2010 Australian Motocross Championships, competing in the Under 19’s class. In 2019, he finished third in a moto at the 2019 ProMX round in Wonthaggi, the highlight of his career, and was second overall in the Queensland MX Championships. The following year he turned professional and has since been a regular top national competitor.

Four years earlier, in 2015, Joel won the Queensland MX2 Championship, then suffered a severe crash at the Murray Bridge round of the MX Nationals, breaking his C5 and C6 vertebrae and initially being left partially paralysed. Despite doctors fearing he would never walk again, he made a remarkable recovery and returned to national competition in 2016, securing top-20 finishes in the MX2 class for BBR Yamaha Racing.

In the 2025 Penrite ProMX Championship, Joel was riding a Kawasaki KX450 and after Round 2 in Appin (NSW) on 13 April, he was placed 11th overall. In Moto 1 at Gillman (SA) on 27 April, he finished 12th. Moto 2 was abandoned following his crash.

Joel Evans will be remembered as a resilient and respected competitor, known for his sportsmanship, dedication, and support for junior riders and local clubs.