Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

Multiple Australian supercross and motocross champion Jay Marmont is expecting to improve on Jimboomba’s eighth place result after enduring a challenging night in his return to racing at the opening round of the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship.

The New South Welshman claimed fourth in his heat race, although an incident with Todd Waters in the opening laps of the main event saw Marmont suffer a heavy crash in the whoop section, forcing him to regroup and recover the lost positions.

“I came together with Todd Waters in the whoops and it put me over the handlebars,” Marmont explained. “It was a pretty big crash actually. I went from there, and came back through the pack – I was almost a lap down at the start but I just plugged away at it and came through and got up to eighth which was good points, and it was somewhere to start from.”

The Husqvarna rider will utilise the four-week break prior to Toowoomba’s second round to work on key areas and seek further developments in his race day intensity.

“My speed was good, I just lacked a little bit of intensity, but this gives me a few things to go home and work on so I can come back a bit stronger at the next one, and keep plugging away at the championship.”

“A bit more seat time will help, which I knew was going to be the case. The top eight in the 450s are pretty solid, so if I could have stayed up there and given them a run that would have been good. Next time,” he added.

Marmont retired from professional racing at the conclusion of 2014, however made an announcement that he would contest all six rounds of the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship just two weeks before Jimboomba’s season opener.