A selection of riders detail round three of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship at Wollongong in New South Wales. 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 (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – First overall:
The day went perfectly for me and it was an awesome night for the team with all three guys doing well. I felt pretty good right from the first lap of practice but I knew looking at this track it was going to be a fight as the top guys were evening matched in speed. But great starts and keeping focused in the race was the key for me tonight and I’m so excited to be able to get my first win in SX1, especially here in Wollongong where I had so many friends and family on hand to watch. It’s back to three points between Justin and myself and Dan is also right there just a few points behind me, so things are tight in the championship and with the next two races having more US imports, it will really shake things up. Thank you to Aaron for his hard work on the bike and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team. Its been a while coming to get this first SX1 victory but hopefully it’s the start of plenty more.

Dan Reardon (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – Second overall:
I think I’m well placed in the championship now and right in the middle of a good battle for the SX1 crown. The last few years I have been able to come home at the final rounds strongly so to be within six points of the lead and heading for the two biggest races of our season is a good spot to be in. It took me a bit to get dialled into the track as it was quite hard-pack and slippery in spots but once I got that sorted, I was fine and just focused on getting good track position early as passing was difficult. We are off to NZ this week and look forward to going up against not just the best Australia riders but also the incoming US guys who always raise the bar for us.

Josh Hill (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – Fourth overall:
I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t make the podium as it would have been awesome to have a full CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team podium but that small crash in race two proved the difference. But for my first race in some time, it was good and the CDR Yamaha team have been amazing to deal with and so professional in getting everything sorted for me. I have worked hard in the lead up to these events and my goal is to do well here so hopefully things can improve from here and I can be up winning races and on the box at the final two rounds.

Richie Evans (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Fifth overall:
It was just an ugly night for me all round. The harder I tried, the worst it got for me and I was just riding around so frustrated. I guess the one thing I did take from it was the importance of qualifying well in this format. Getting a good result in the heat races gives you an early pick of the start gate and starting position is so important in a short, eight-lap race. I’m a bit sore after the night but will be fit and ready to go next weekend and get back on track and keep chasing a top five in the championship.

Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing) – Third overall:
The buffer I built in the first two rounds is gone and the championship is close! I battled through the weekend so performing well in Auckland is my sole priority. It’s a tight turnaround, so I need to regroup and put the result behind me, third overall on the night is good but not what I wanted. I’ll take the positives and focus on moving forward.

Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) – Fifth overall:
Put simply, I need to be better. My lap-times are close, but I can’t afford to make any mistakes against these guys. The points are still close and I want to be on the podium. I have two rounds left and I will work hard to get back to where I was last year.

Lawson Bopping (Empire Kawasaki) – Eighth overall:
It was quite a good night. It was nothing spectacular and I actually got a flat tyre in my heat, so I had to go the LCQ, but I won that. For the finals, my results don’t seem great on paper, but it’s a lot better than the DNF I had at the last round. I didn’t have any crashes, and the track was easy to make mistakes on, so I’m glad I got out of there unscathed.

Dylan Long (Empire Kawasaki) – Sixth overall:
Round three wasn’t too bad again. My results were pretty consistent, but obviously I’m looking for more than that as the series goes on. I came away with sixth overall and sit fifth in the standings, so that’s a positive from tonight.

Jayden Rykers (SB Motorsports Suzuki) – 13th overall:
I was happy with how I was riding in that heat race – I felt comfortable on the track and hitting everything and just enjoying racing up the front. In the final’s I just was not in a great flow, I didn’t execute those three finals like I know I can, but we will continue to work hard and head to New Zealand still inside the top ten in the championship.

Cody Dyce (SB Motorsports Suzuki) – Seventh overall:
I am pumped on the result from this round; I really could not believe I was heading into the whoops for the first time leading the field in my heat race, I didn’t really know what to think, I was just pumped and went with it. The second lap around I was thinking to myself what is going on, I was expecting Brayton to blow by me in the whoops, I was going in there committed, but was just waiting for him to go by, but he didn’t. I think on about lap three I started to tighten up a little and rode it home smart to make sure I made the final, but it was a great feeling to lead a race again, it has been a while, and the guys in this class are no joke, they are the best out there. I think leading the heat race helped me when I was up near the front again in that second final, I was not waiting for them to come by this time, I knew I could hold that pace. I actually thought I was a little further back, sitting about fifth or sixth, but then I saw Hill down, and when I crossed the finish line, I looked across and realised I was third. It was such a great feeling; I didn’t know what to think, but I know I want to do it again. I can’t wait for Auckland this weekend, I know I can do it now, I can run that pace, I just have to get to a point where I am doing it consistently.

Henry Miller (Raceline KTM Thor) – 10th overall:
It was a mixed night here at Wollongong. I felt great on the bike and had good speed in the heat race, but the triple crown format lead to some crazy racing and after a sixth in race one that I was happy with, the next two races with the crash were tough. I want to thank the entire Racine KTM Thor team, it was a solid start to my time with them and I can’t wait to progress this week heading into New Zealand.

SX2

Image: Foremost Media.

Jacob Hayes (Serco Yamaha) – DNQ:
It’s such a disappointing way to finish the championship, especially as it started so well for myself and the team. There appears to be no major damage, so I just need to rest it and take my time to ensure it’s done right. Because I had already had an issue in the Adelaide round and now at Wollongong, I’m out of the championship as far as points go, so it’s best for me to get it sorted now so I’m 100 percent for the start of the AMA championship in January. Thank you again to Serco Yamaha and Yamaha Australia for the support and warmth they have shown me again in 2019 and I love coming down under to race with such a great group of people.

Aaron Tanti (Serco Yamaha) – Fourth overall:
The night wasn’t without some challenges but considering everything that happened, to finish fourth and remain close to the championship lead means we are in good shape. There are a heap of riders that can win a race and the first few laps are so chaotic that it’s important to stay calm and think your way through it. Race two and I got out of shape in the whoops and then race three there was a bit of a second corner pile up that I got stuck in. I will put this behind me and keep working hard as the next two races in Auckland and Melbourne are where it’s all going to be decided. Five riders can still win it and its easy to ride well in this class and finish fifth. But, looking forward to NZ and hoping for a big crowd to turn up and see some great action.

Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Sixth overall:
I guess I can look at it two ways” I can be angry about the crash and get upset or I can take the position that my speed was good, I was back winning races and only a crash that was beyond my control affected my result. And that’s the one I think is most important. It felt good to be back up the front again and winning races. My heat was good and then so were the first two main races. I did some damage to the bike but I’m doing ok and now really looking forward to building on my performance from the weekend and taking another step in Auckland this weekend. There is still plenty of racing to come and I don’t believe the 2019 championship is out of reach.

Rhys Budd (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing) – 13th:
But in the LCQ I rode a solid race and took the win, which was great, but it left me with a bad gate position for the three finals. The first two finals went well and despite having to start from wide on the grid, I finished eighth and tenth, which was good. But then in the last Final, a horrible start really cost me and overall I finished 13th for the round.

Kyle Webster (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing) – 10th overall
It was awesome to get back behind the gate and get on with racing again. I got the holeshot in my heat race and finished second behind Jay Wilson, which was a really good kick-off to the night. In the second Final, I got an awesome start and thought I was on for another holeshot, but then someone slammed me and pushed me wide again. Then on the first lap I landed on another rider over the triple because he backed out and I was already committed, so I went down and then had to fight back to finish the race in 14th. Overall the night was okay and I had fun racing and felt like I rode okay after being sidelined from the previous round. We’ve got two more rounds of the championship over the next few weeks, in New Zealand and then in Melbourne, and I’m really looking forward to them and would really like to crack the top five, which I think is a fair goal, and anything better would be a bonus.

Bradley Taft (Empire Kawasaki) – Eighth overall:
Tonight was okay for me. I was stoked to finish second in the first main and I was feeling really good, but unfortunately I had some mixed results in the last two – mostly because my starts. I’m looking forward to New Zealand next week and hopefully I can improve my overall result.

Regan Duffy (Raceline KTM Thor) – Ninth overall:
Tonight was rough, I got strapped up after my fall in qualifying and I felt so tight I struggled to ride like I know I can. For the last race we figured it out and I’m pumped to have a podium finish in a main event race, battling with my teammate was huge. Thanks to the team, we are going in the right direction and I’m excited to see what we can do in New Zealand and Melbourne in the coming weeks.

Josh Osby (Raceline KTM Thor) – Second overall:
Tonight was always going to be intense with the triple crown format. My game plan was solid laps and consistency with the slick track and short races. I think I played it a little too safe in the opening two races, the win just got away from me in the last one. But I’m pumped to take the championship lead, it’s a great achievement for the Raceline KTM Thor team and myself.

Chris Blose (Penrite Honda Racing) – First overall:
We needed this win! Now we’ve moved to second in the series and I’m only trailing the leader by one point. I need to maintain my program and focus – with two rounds remaining I can’t afford to have a bad race.

Mitchell Oldenburg – Penrite Honda Racing) – Third overall:
I’m happy to have taken third overall but I do feel like I was in a position to win. My times were strong, so it was unfortunate that a string of blunders cost me. In a Championship this tight you need to keep your head in the game and focus on mistake-free racing.