Image: Foremost Media.

Premier class contender Luke Clout suffered a scare on Saturday night at Geelong’s third round of the 2018 Australian Supercross Championship when he crashed out of the lead in the second SX1 main event of the evening.

The KTM Motocross Racing Team member initially thought he had damaged his left ACL as he was assisted off the circuit by Racesafe, ruling him out of the remainder of the event, although he was later cleared of serious injury to his knee.

It was a bitter blow for the talented number four, who was on track to claiming his first main event victory before relinquishing the lead in a heavy fall during the dying stages of the 12-lap encounter.

“At first we thought it may have been a left ACL,” Clout admitted to MotoOnline.com.au. “We though that for the first 20 minutes – it took me a while to walk off the track. I got checked out by Racesafe and they felt my leg – that was all clear, so I’m really happy with that outcome. It was just bad hyperextension and there’s a but of bruising inside – it’s nothing too crazy, but it was enough to keep me out for the night.

“I had good speed all night and I spoke to Jay [Marmont] between races, so I switched my line in the whoops and I was getting through them really comfortably. I was pulling a lead on [Brett] Metcalfe before a mistake bit me – I didn’t expect it and hit the ground really hard.”

The New South Welshman will undergo further medical evaluation this weekend before attempting to line-up at Saturday’s penultimate round in Port Adelaide, South Australia. A fourth in the first of three main events granted him 15th overall in Victoria, relegating him to fifth in the championship rankings.