A selection of riders detail round three of the 2018 Australian Supercross Championship at Geelong, Victoria. Team and privateer competitors can submit comments to [email protected] by Monday afternoon after events for inclusion in the post-event Quotebook feature.

SX1

Image: Foremost Media.

Luke Clout (KTM Motocross Racing Team) – 15th overall:
Tonight started off well, winning my heat race. In the first main I was in second and finished fourth after a mistake, but it was still good to challenge up front. I had good speed all night and I spoke to Jay 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. Originally I thought I had done something to my knee, possibly the ligaments, but I went to Racesafe and they’ve given me the all clear. I’ll regroup for Adelaide and hopefully can get out there next weekend!

Jace Owen (Complete Parts Kawasaki Racing) – Fourth overall:
It wasn’t a bad night. I qualified fourth and the times were really close, so I felt good. I’ve been battling an illness all week and knew it was going to be tough with the Triple Crown format. I was feeling run down towards the end of the night. I was fourth overall, but I’m looking forward to next week – hopefully we have a larger track and I can get up on the box.

Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing) – First overall:
Wow, this round really tested me. I did not ride all week. I got sick, really sick and I genuinely didn’t know how tonight was going to play out. Whilst the second final wasn’t ideal, I will admit that I enjoyed the challenge of racing through the field. Metty is riding well and I am glad that we have placed Honda first in every final. There is still a lot of racing left and many points up for grabs. You cannot give anything up in this championship and that’s something really exciting for the fans and nerve wrecking for the riders. With six races across the two final rounds, I seriously need to maintain my focus and commitment. We will keep doing what we are doing, the team is working great and the new ’19 year model CRF450R Honda is unreal.

Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) – Second overall:
I am happy to take another second but I really want to win. I am happy that my teammate is winning – it’s fantastic for all of our sponsors but I want to win and that’s what’s motivating me each week. I know we have the bike, Justin’s proving that. I just need to keep working at it.

Dylan Long (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – Fifth overall:
Things started off a little ordinary but by the end I was on the pace and battling inside the top five, which is where I think I should be. Getting out of the gates well and through the first turn was so important on this track and when I got up front I was able to maintain it. To follow and race guys like Brayton, Metcalfe and Reardon, all very experienced and professional riders allows me to see what they do and take in how they got around a track like that. I learnt a lot from watching them in that final race so hopefully I can pick up next week where I left off tonight and aim for the podium at round four.

Jesse Dobson (KSF Ecstar Suzuki Racing) – Ninth overall:
I was happy with the way I rode tonight and the intensity I showed, unfortunately, the results don’t show that on paper. I was able to grab a holeshot in my heat race, which was a great feeling, and felt I was racing well in all three finals – it just was not quite my night. The boys up front are certainly on it at the moment, and it was good to be able to run with them at stages during the evening, every time we are out on track battling them, we are learning, there is plenty to take away from tonight. The event itself was great, I like the three-race format, and with the races being so close together, fitness still comes into play. The racing was exciting for us out on track and by the sounds of the cheering coming from the crowd I am sure it was exciting to watch.

Gradie Featherstone (KSF Ecstar Suzuki Racing) – 11th overall:
Overall I am happy with how the night went, there is a lot of fast riders in the SX1 class, and it was good to battle inside the top half of the field for the majority of the night. I didn’t make things easy on myself, getting caught up in first turn crashes, but we were able to race through the field all night long and gained some great experience. I really liked the night program – I feel it suited myself much better. Racing in a big football stadium under lights was a lot of fun, especially with such a big crowd on hand. I have to thank the KSF team and Suzuki Australia for the opportunity to race the SX1 class tonight and for the remainder of the series.

SX2

Image: Foremost Media.

Aaron Tanti (Complete Parts Kawasaki Racing) – Ninth overall:
Today was pretty tough. I qualified well and my heat race went well, finishing in second. I was leading the first main until two laps to go, but I had an off in the whoops and that cost me so I finished in 13th. Race two, I was in the top five, but I just got parked and had another fall with a few other riders. In the last final I was taken out in the second corner and fought my way back from last – I did it what I could, but I’ll bounce back for next week. I’m fast enough to win races and that’s what I’m planning to do.

Dakota Alix (KTM Motocross Racing Team) – Sixth overall:
I felt better today, for sure. The track was really tough, being short and quite slippery. The first main I got a good start and finished in fourth, while in the second one I went pretty good and made a pass for the lead, but then made a mistake and got passed again to finish in third. The last one was tough, someone’s bike tangled with me and I didn’t make the triple, which allowed some guys to get by. Overall, I made some progress today and I was really happy with how the second main went so we will look ahead to the next round now.

Bradley Taft (Penrite Honda Racing) – Fourth overall:
This result is tough for me to accept. I made a small mistake, which cost us all greatly. I wasn’t trying to do anything reckless – we were racing for the overall. I know the team, the bike and I are capable of winning and I will turn my attention to the final two rounds.

Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Third overall:
Tonight was a tough one but I’m glad I was able to turn things around pretty quickly after that first final. With not much separating the riders, not getting a good start is costly and as I found out, you risk going down in all the mayhem that happens in the pack. So, it’s good to still get on the podium despite the 11th in race one and proud I was able to mentally be strong enough to rebound from it. The team did a great job again tonight as this format puts everyone under pressure and they stood up as they always do.

Richie Evans (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – 16th overall:
Things just didn’t go my way tonight and the harder I tried, the worse them got. My speed was good and I felt like I could have run inside the top six but I didn’t get a good start in any of the mains and then it was chaos in the pack with bikes and riders going everywhere. I will put this one behind me pretty quickly, get back on top of my starts and then hit round four ready to go.

Josh Osby (Raceline Pirelli KTM) – 12th overall:
I really enjoyed the triple crown format, I think the racing is exciting and it’s great for the fans. The weekend was looking not too bad for me, but unfortunately I had a crash in the whoops on the second last lap in one of the main events and it really cost me. In saying that, I thought the venue was awesome! It reminded me a lot of what we have in the US for Supercross. Unfortunately the track was pretty small and only offered a small selection of passing spots so that was the one downfall for the shorter races. I am far from happy or satisfied with this past weekend’s results. I flew back to be with the team this weekend so I’m really hoping with the help of them I can get back up where I know I can be. After round one, I felt we could be better so I went after a few changes to the bike. Unfortunately sometimes with changes comes confusion and lack of confidence. I am going back to the setting we had at round one and hopefully that will bring the confidence I need to get back on the podium.

Jacob Hayes (Serco Yamaha) – Second overall:
Finally made the podium and just happy to be in the battle. The first couple of rounds have been frustrating but I feel like things are coming together now and if I can keep my starts good, there is no reason why I can’t win races. The format was a busy one tonight and a bit like some of the events we do in Arenacross back in the US so I feel comfortable doing the short back to back sprint races and that’s what we have for the remaining rounds so I’m confident I can keep the results rolling.

Wilson Todd (Serco Yamaha) – First overall:
It was good to get the win tonight although I didn’t know until after the race. Each race had riders battling and positions changing constantly so the boys couldn’t work out the points during the race, so it was just a matter of going for it and trying to get the best results you can in each race and hoping that was good enough to get the round win. It’s been a been of a lean start for us in supercross so it was a good reward for the team to get this result, not just my win, but also to have Jacob up here as well in a Serco Yamaha 1-2 result.