Considering the championship is on the line, there has been quite little fanfare in the lead-up to the Australian Supercross Championship final round to be held at Toowoomba in Queensland on 16 November.

Josh Hill leads the way with Matt Moss just five points in arrears and Jake Moss a further two. The premier Open class title is going down to the wire, but momentum seems to have stalled with the month-long layoff between Phillip Island and Toowoomba.

Of course – as Makker mentions below – the Queensland Supercross series has held many of the headlines in the past week or so, so chances are we will see anticipation rise for the ASX final next week.

Speaking of Hill, news broke this week that he will return to RCH Racing Suzuki in 2014, which will put him in a relaxed frame of mind upon return to Australia for Toowoomba. He’ll have to readjust to the production-spec RM-Z450 after testing the factory bike in the US recently, but overall we expect him to be as strong as ever.

To have a rider of his calibre competing in Australia (thanks to Hart and Hintington and InsureMyRide) is a real bonus for the sport on a domestic level, so full credit to all involved for getting Hill over here for the entire season.

I have a feeling the final round is going to be an absolute nail-biter!

Overnight in Europe Todd Waters was introduced as part of the Red Bull Ice One Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team at the EICMA international motorcycle show in Milan, Italy.

EICMA is one of the biggest events on the motorcycle schedule worldwide, so it would have been a real eye-opener for Waters to be there and introduced to the international press.

The Australian Supercross Championship will go down to the wire between Josh Hill (75) and Matt Moss (102). Image: Grant Reynolds/FiftySix Clix.

Motorcycling Australia announced on Monday that it will introduce Under 19s to the Australian Off-Road Championship next year, following in the tracks of motocross and supercross. Interestingly, the latter is supposed to switch to U18s in 2014.

Yesterday we tested with Cody Mackie out at Appin aboard the 2014 Honda CRF250R and CRF450R, and despite sitting out the final national rounds and supercross, he’s still and stylish and quick as ever. Stay tuned for reviews, images and film to come.

It’s an interesting time right now because although many riders are on the injury list as we speak, some of the more experienced guys like Mackie, Cheyne Boyd and Dan McCoy before he sealed the Motorex KTM deal are refusing to ride for free.

While opportunities are everything in this sport, those who have been around for longer aren’t willing to put it all on the line (especially with high expectations from team owners/managers) without being paid for their services.

And rightly so, in my opinion. It’s a dangerous, dangerous sport, and results are paramount, so without being remunerated properly it’s near impossible to live up to expectations. You can’t entirely blame the teams when budgets are so thin as we speak, but somewhere the line has to be drawn and riders are doing exactly that.

Anyway, that’s enough from me for this week. Over to you, Makker!

While the Australian Supercross Championship enjoys a bit of a break before the final hit-out at Toowoomba next weekend, a good number of top-level guys such as Jake Moss, Dan McCoy, Taylor Potter, Brenden Harrison and Nick Sutherland kept their eyes in by racing the first of the two-round Queensland Supercross Championship at Robbie Marshall’s on Saturday.

With the second round to be held at Leyburn this weekend, series promoters Marshall and Rob Haworth cleverly positioned their events where they’d benefit the riders the most. And from all accounts, Robbie Marshall’s event on the weekend was a raging success.

Todd Waters was introduced by Husqvarna at EICMA overnight in Italy.

Pro Open winner Jake Moss told me it was the best supercross race he’s ever been to, with the way it was organised, the atmosphere, the fact there was good prizemoney paying back to fifth place in both senior classes, and the way Robbie was eager to work with the racers and took all their feedback on board.

If this weekend’s second and final round is anywhere near as good as the first, it’ll lay an awesome foundation from which they can build on again next year.

Interestingly, the Queensland Moto Park was designed to hold a Motorcycling Queensland supercross race, and hopefully the two Robs and MQ can reach a decision next year to extend the series to a three-round affair.

I spoke with Mossy a couple nights back after his win and it was interesting to hear how his plans for 2014 are unfolding.

Reading between the lines it sounds like he’s got something in the mix and was talking to at least one team fairly seriously, but he wasn’t willing to let out any more information, no matter how hard I tried to bribe him!

Moss’s results this year have been consistent and solid, and under the right tent and with his trainer Dan Reardon by his side, I think he’ll be a massive threat in 2014.

Well, that’s it from me this week. Make sure you tune back next Wednesday for more rumours and rumblings from around the traps.

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