A selection of riders detail the 2019 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland, marking round four of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship, in New Zealand. Team and privateer competitors can submit comments to [email protected] by Monday afternoon after events for inclusion in the post-event Quotebook feature.

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Image: Foremost Media.

Luke Clout (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – Second overall:
I had a goal last night to be on the podium and the only rider I think capable of beating me was Jason Anderson and I was able to achieve that. In this three-race format, anything can happen, but I was able to get good starts all night, stay out of trouble and make the passes when I needed to. It’s good to keep the podium run going and have put myself in a great position to win this championship. I’m also aware of the level of competition around me and there are so great riders in just in the championship hunt but also just out for the round win so I will need to be at my best in Melbourne to make it happen. Thanks to the team for a massive effort as racing off-shore is never easy, my brother Aaron who works so hard for me and to everyone at AME for putting on a great night of supercross here in New Zealand.

Dan Reardon (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – Fifth overall:
I knew the importance of these final two rounds as having the extra US riders can really separate the points. I started out strongly in qualifying and was confident going into the triple crown format. The triple crown format just amplifies the aggression on the track and the importance of great starts and unfortunately, my starts suffered in all three races. I also took a hit in the second race and punctured my hand so I list a few valuable points on the night and in the championship. I will let me hand heal this week, get back into training and be ready for the final round in Melbourne on 30 November.

Josh Hill (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – Sixth overall:
I thought my speed was good tonight, but with the three-race, back-to-back sprint format, it just took it out of me. With three starts and short races, the intensity is so high that it is really demanding physically. I just need to be fitter to handle it, and you only get that by doing more racing. But, I’m still happy with how things are going, and the event was awesome. It’s great to come to New Zealand and the fans have been so friendly and the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team has been great to work with. We have one round to go and I would love to get a round win or at the very least on the podium before it’s done. I think we have the tools to do it, I just need to make it happen.

Richie Evans (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – 13th overall:
A little good and bad for me tonight. First race was good, and I was in the battle with the lead guys for a few laps and the intensity was pretty high. It gassed me a bit for the start of the second one and then I had a crash which damaged a couple of parts on the bike. The boys got it back and sorted for me and the last race I was running okay but all the riders that hadn’t used the short cut were getting by. It was a bit frustrating to see them but that’s part of the racing and it’s exciting for the fans. Sixth in the series is okay but I need to finish the season strongly at Melbourne. It’s a high profile race and I want to get back up near the front and battle with the US riders.

Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing) – Fourth overall:
I felt great after qualifying – we had the speed to run up front and we were in a good position for an overall before I fell. This is on me I made a mistake. It’s definitely going to be a thrilling final round for the fans.

Brett Metcalfe (Penrite Honda Racing) – Third overall:
All I can say is it’s about time. The Bridgestone’s were hooking up tonight and I am so glad to come away with a third and get the monkey off my back. I need to back this up in Melbourne. All I can do is focus on finishing on the podium again and see what happens around me.

Lawson Bopping (Empire Kawasaki) – 10th overall:
Tonight was good, definitely a tough one with a lot of competitive guys here from overseas, but I liked it and we were fourth in the heat as well. I was really happy to put it together in that final race, which was my best of the night, so we will take something from that and hopefully keep moving forward.

Dylan Long (Empire Kawasaki) – Eighth overall:
It was an okay night for me, reasonably consistent in what is a deep field. We always want to finish higher of course, but at the same time we’ve moved up in the points and I’m happy to climb into the top five overall now. The goal is to finish strongly in Melbourne, which is my home round.

Jayden Rykers (SB Motorsports Suzuki) – 16th overall:
Certainly not the results I was chasing tonight, but I am out there taking notes and learning more about supercross every time I hit the track. The last few days have been a great experience, and I can’t thank both the team and my supporters, including Byrners Motorcycles and SPMX who came along this weekend to help out. I am looking forward to finishing the series out in Melbourne – we are still sitting 10th in the championship, so we will go there and do our best and see where we end up.

Cody Dyce (SB Motorsports Suzuki) – 17th overall:
I was really looking forward to this round after the results at round three, but things just did not go as well this weekend. My start in my heat race was great again, but I just could not find the flow I was looking for and rode a little tight. We have one more round, and for myself, it is the one I am looking forward to the most, it is close to home and the biggest event of the year, I can’t wait to get on track.

Henry Miller (Raceline KTM Thor) – Ninth overall:
Tonight was a step in the right direction for the team and I. I think we rode better than the results showed, it was tough out there with the track being slippery and the triple crown Format. Without the mistake in the final main event, we were on for a stronger finish, but that’s racing and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be racing these awesome events with the team. I’m looking forward to the last round.

Chad Reed (Penrite Racing Mountain Motorsports Honda) – DNS:
It sucks, I am a racer and I want to race. I have new sponsors in Penrite Oil and Milwaukee and I have thousands of race fans coming to watch so it is equally disappointing for me. I am glad I was strong enough to race tonight and I’m sure if it was an incident free night, I’d have met my goals. I look forward to seeing all my fans and friends down under in two weeks. It’s really exciting, the team at AME will host the biggest supercross australia has ever seen and I hope to put my Penrite Oil Mountain Motorsport Honda up on the podium.

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Image: Foremost Media.

Connor Tierney (Serco Yamaha) – Sixth overall:
I was a bit nervous as it was my first time on the Serco Yamaha and also a heap of new people to work with and as a result, I probably rode a bit stiff and tight. The bike was great and the team had everything taken care of, I just need to relax and everything will be good. Now the first one is out of the way, I think the next round will be much better and we can improve on this result. Thanks to Gavin, Teasy and everyone at Serco Yamaha for making this happen and I look forward to the next round in Melbourne.

Aaron Tanti (Serco Yamaha) – Third overall:
It’s always good to get on the podium and we were again able to do that tonight. My pace was pretty good all night and it was just a matter of not getting caught up in the craziness at the start of each race as there were lots of bikes and riders going everywhere. I would like to have made up a couple of points tonight, but with just seven points between the top three, the pressure is on the guys in front of me. I can turn up in Melbourne and just go for it and see where it takes me. I have nothing to protect or lose, so I might as well lay it all on the line and see what comes of it.

Jay Wilson (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Fourth overall:
Tonight was another good step in the right direction. I qualified better, and I felt I fought it out in every lap of every race, but that round win still eludes me. My starts weren’t ideal, but I was able to get track position pretty quickly and be up front early. I got myself into a good position early in race one, but then two riders used the short cut to finish ahead of me. Race two, I was in the top four again and just pulled it early to get clear and was able to stay in front for the win. By race three most of the good guys had already used it so it was almost a normal race. I have one more chance to win this year in Melbourne and to do that at the biggest race of the year would be awesome. I want to keep the upward trend going on my results and Marvel Stadium would be the perfect place to get my first round win of the year.

Rhys Budd (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing) – 13th:
The day started off quite well. As I’ve been riding quite well lately and managed to qualify in ninth place in a class filled with talent. Then my heat race was good, and I was running third for a few laps before dropping one position to finish fourth at the flag. In the first Main on the very first lap, I crashed and got run over, which made the rest of the night pretty tough. I was grazed and sore, but luckily there were no major injuries. I got seventh in the last race and was pretty stoked with that, which put me in 13th for the night. We’ve got one round to go in the Australian championship in Melbourne in a fortnight at the AUS-X Open and it’s going to be a huge event and I can’t wait to get there.

Kyle Webster (Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing) – DNS overall
Qualifying in the afternoon was really good and I posted second fastest time, just 0.02 seconds behind Chris Blose. The heat race was going great and I was leading, but then I came up short on one of the jumps in a rhythm section and I hit my head hard enough that Racesafe said I had to sit out the rest of the night.

Bradley Taft (Empire Kawasaki) – 16th overall:
That was disappointing. After qualifying fifth and then finishing third in my heat we were on target for a good night, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Onto the next one and we will try to get the result we’re looking for at the final round.

Regan Duffy (Raceline KTM Thor) – Seventh overall:
Tonight was up and down for me, I had great starts but got stood up in the first turn a few times coming from the outside and had to play catch up from there. The second main was good with sixth position, I’m enjoying my rookie season and learning from these guys every round.

Josh Osby (Raceline KTM Thor) – First overall:
Tonight was great – in previous rounds I had been too cautious at times and tonight I really went after it and found the right balance between consistency and intensity. It was crazy out there at times and the shortcut lane really factored into the second main event. But to leave here with the red plate and more points was our goal, I can’t wait for the final round in two weeks.

Chris Blose (Penrite Honda Racing) – Second overall:
Tonight was hard but I made the most of it. The championship is going to come down to the wire as there are four to five riders who can mix it up for championship positions, the final round is going to be really exciting.

Mitchell Oldenburg – Penrite Honda Racing) – Fifth overall:
It was a disappointing night for me. I qualified first but didn’t take advantage of my speed. I have made things hard for myself but the championship isn’t over, I am not giving up. I want to finish strong in Melbourne.