Post-race updates from the SX1 and SX2 classes at round one of the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship, direct from Jimboomba X Stadium in Queensland.

Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

SX2 qualifying (results):
1. Hayden MELLROSS 48.507s
2. Gavin FAITH 48.725s
3. Wilson TODD 49.182s
4. Mitchell EVANS 49.465s
5. Jackson RICHARDSON 49.782s
6. Jay WILSON 49.992s
7. Dylan WILLS 50.111s
8. Kyle WEBSTER 50.153s
9. Egan MASTIN 50.492s
10. Aaron TANTI 51.118s
11. Taylor POTTER 51.201s
12. Geran STAPLETON 51.248s
13. Jayden RYKERS 51.265s
14. Nick SUTHERLAND 51.435s
15. Connor TIERNEY 51.578s
16. John PRUTTI 51.825s
17. Cooper POZNIAK 52.240s
18. Callum NORTON 52.252s
19. Jesse MADDEN 52.445s
20. Maximus PURVIS 52.531s

SX1 qualifying (results):
1. Justin BRAYTON 47.695s
2. Daniel REARDON 48.015s
3. Luke CLOUT 48.942s
4. Nathan CRAWFORD 49.046s
5. Dean FERRIS 49.088s
6. Nick SCHMIDT 49.159s
7. Daniel HERRLEIN 49.360s
8. Todd WATERS 49.442s
9. Dylan LONG 49.548s
10. Kade MOSIG 49.587s
11. Jesse DOBSON 49.661s
12. Joel WIGHTMAN 50.526s
13. Cheyne BOYD 50.748s
14. Luke WILSON 52.939s
15. Matt HAWORTH 53.236s

SX2 heat one:
Heat one of the 2017 season is in the books and it was American import Gavin Faith (Penrite Honda Racing) who raced to the victory at the end of seven laps. Faith shadowed early leader Aaron Tanti (WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha) all the way through to the closing stages before snatching the win, while Jay Wilson (Raceline Pirelli KTM) also went by on the final lap. That left Tanti to settle for third, while Mitch Evans (Serco Yamaha) and Kyle Webster (Penrite CRF Honda Racing) filled the top five.

1. Gavin FAITH
2. Jay WILSON
3. Aaron TANTI
4. Mitchell EVANS
5. Kyle WEBSTER
6. Geran STAPLETON
7. Dylan WOOD
8. John PRUTTI
9. Nick SUTHERLAND
10. Lochie LATIMER
11. Blake COBBIN
12. Callum NORTON
13. Maximus PURVIS
14. Chandler BURNS
15. Caleb GOULLET

SX2 heat two:
The second 250 heat of the evening saw American-based Aussie Hayden Mellross (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) move into the lead within a matter of corners, eventually winning with an 8.2-second margin over teammate Wilson Todd, who in turn held out Dylan Wills (Dyson Motorsports Husqvarna) for position. Fourth was a solid performance from Jayden Rykers (Raceline Pirelli KTM), with defending champion Jackson Richardson (Serco Yamaha) fifth in a relatively uneventful seven-lap journey.

1. Hayden MELLROSS
2. Wilson TODD
3. Dylan WILLS
4. Jayden RYKERS
5. Jackson RICHARDSON
6. Jesse MADDEN
7. Cooper POZNIAK
8. Taylor POTTER
9. Ricky LATIMER
10. Connor TIERNEY
11. Jye DICKSON
12. Egan MASTIN
13. Evan HOOD

SX1 heat one:
Former multiple-time champion Dan Reardon (MEGA Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) made a strong return to the KX450F by leading SX1 heat one from start to finish, but was trailed by Kade Mosig (DPH Motorsport Yamaha) directly over the finish line at the end of eight laps. In a lonely third came Todd Waters (Crankt Protein Honda Racing), followed by rookie Nathan Crawford (MEGA Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Joel Wightman (Penrite CRF Honda Racing). American Nick Schmidt’s first appearance with Wilson’s Coolair Motul Suzuki saw him end up sixth in the seven-rider field.

1. Daniel REARDON
2. Kade MOSIG
3. Todd WATERS
4. Nathan CRAWFORD
5. Joel WIGHTMAN
6. Nick SCHMIDT
7. Luke WILSON

SX1 heat two:
Penrite Honda Racing’s current SX1 champion Justin Brayton rode away to a seven-second advantage in heat two, going directly into the main event after topping standout newcomer Luke Clout (Crankt Protein Honda Racing). He was directly ahead of Dylan Long (CDR Yamaha), while another import in KSF Racing Suzuki-mounted Daniel Herrlein led Jesse Dobson (Penrite Honda Racing) to complete the top five. It was a non-event of sorts for outdoor champion Dean Ferris (CDR Yamaha), going down in the first turn and then riding to seventh out of the eight riders on track.

1. Justin BRAYTON
2. Luke CLOUT
3. Dylan LONG
4. Daniel HERRLEIN
5. Jesse DOBSON
6. Cheyne BOYD
7. Dean FERRIS
8. Matt HAWORTH

SX2 LCQ:
The lone last chance qualifier of the evening was a tight one, eventually going to Callum Norton (KTM) from Connor Tierney (WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha), as John Prutti (Yamaha), Jye Dickson (KTM) and Lochie Latimer (Yamaha) were the top five finishers.

1. Callum NORTON
2. Connor TIERNEY
3. John PRUTTI
4. Jye DICKSON
5. Lochie LATIMER
6. Maximus PURVIS
7. Blake COBBIN
8. Evan HOOD
9. Caleb GOULLET
10. Chandler BURNS

SX2 final:
There was no denying Mellross the victory once 15-lap the SX2 final rolled around, moving by American Arenacross champion Faith in the first half and then edging away to an eventual 10.765s victory. He was also the only rider to dip into the 49s during the main. After taking the holeshot and leading early on, Faith would settle into second, challenged late by an impressive Evans as he crossed the line just a second in arrears to round out the podium. It was a case of close quarters between positions two through six, with the fourth-placed Wilson, Todd and Richardson – who ran as high as second early on – running in formation across the line. After coming so close one year ago, it is Mellross who has declared his title-winning intentions already to open the 2017 season.

1. Hayden MELLROSS
2. Gavin FAITH
3. Mitchell EVANS
4. Jay WILSON
5. Wilson TODD
6. Jackson RICHARDSON
7. Dylan WILLS
8. Aaron TANTI
9. Geran STAPLETON
10. Callum NORTON
11. Kyle WEBSTER
12. Cooper POZNIAK
13. Taylor POTTER
14. Dylan WOOD
15. Connor TIERNEY
16. Nick SUTHERLAND
17. Jesse MADDEN
18. Lochie LATIMER
19. Jye DICKSON
20. Jayden RYKERS

SX1 final:
As he did one year ago, Brayton proved the class of the field once the gates dropped on the SX1 main event and essentially led from start to finish across the 20-lap duration. The popular American guest ultimately won ahead of MX Nationals champion Ferris by 5.360s, as Reardon crossed the line third to mirror the opening round podium of last season. Ferris made his way by former teammate Reardon in the mid-stages and the pair ended up crossing the line just a second apart after an entertaining battle – all three of the podium finishers riding a controlled race to secure a strong haul of points at the opener. Top rookie was a charging Clout in P4, moving past teammate Waters for position, as Crawford also put in a positive 450 supercross debut in sixth. The top 10 was filled by a mixture of talent, led by Long after he led half the opening lap and crashed, a returning Cheyne Boyd (Park4MX Yamaha), a fast-starting Wightman and Mosig, who had to recover after a mishap on the opening lap.

1. Justin BRAYTON
2. Dean FERRIS
3. Daniel REARDON
4. Luke CLOUT
5. Todd WATERS
6. Nathan CRAWFORD
7. Dylan LONG
8. Cheyne BOYD
9. Joel WIGHTMAN
10. Kade MOSIG
11. Daniel HERRLEIN
12. Jesse DOBSON
13. Luke WILSON
14. Nick SCHMIDT