Image: Foremost Media.

GasGas Racing Team’s Hayden Mellross will compete as a wildcard at tonight’s final round of the 2022 World Supercross Championship (WSX) in Melbourne, effectively filling the place of injured Brett Metcalfe.

Metcalfe crashed during the second SX1 heat race last night in the opening round of this year’s Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX), breaking his left collarbone which ruled him of out contention.

Mellross opened his 2022 domestic SX1 account with P4 in yesterday’s main event and found out shortly after that he would have the opportunity to race in WSX today, with Metcalfe who was initially selected as a wildcard in no shape to compete.

“I’m pumped, to be honest when they first announced that there were going to be wildcards in supercross, I kind of got my hopes up too early and I was hopeful I would get selected and get to race some of the best in the world, but it wasn’t meant to be,” Mellross explained to MotoOnline.

“I was a little bit bummed and thought I would just focus on Australian Supercross, but last night after the main event Kyle [Blunden] came up to me and said I was in for tomorrow night. I was like ‘you’re kidding’, I had it in my head that I wouldn’t be racing it and I had a couple of things to organise, but not everything.

“I was ecstatic, I did think about it weeks and weeks ago but now that it is happening it feels a bit surreal. There’s no pressure for me today, it’s just a one-off race, I’m not in the championship and I’m so excited to go out there and mix it with the boys and have some fun.”

Also sidelined from tonight’s proceedings is SX2 contender Derek Drake (MDK Motorsports), who broke his wrist yesterday following a heavy practice fall caused by a flat tyre.