In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out in the third round of the 2022 Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) at McDonald Jones Stadium.

SX1

Image: Foremost Media.

Aaron Tanti (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – 13th:
I was in the lead of that second race and it was a pretty simple section that I just got wrong. I felt like I landed and then tried to take off from a soft spot and the bike didn’t get any lift from the ramp and I went front wheel first into the next jump. Thankfully, the flag marshals got around me and made sure I was protected as I was right in the middle of the racing line. I’m feeling ok now and but will continue to monitor things with my doctor as the week progresses.

Josh Hill (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) – Fourth:
I just struggled to get a decent start all night. I wasn’t getting any decent track position early in the race and with each race only eight laps, it left me with too much work to do to get a race win. The bike and team were awesome and I think if I can just get myself near the front at the start, I can grab a moto or round win. We have one much chance to do that at Wagga, so I’m looking forward to trying to reward the team with a great result and finish the season on a high

Dylan Wills (Husqvarna Racing Team) – Second:
I’m really happy with this result and to enjoy it with the Husqvarna Racing Team! Today started rough when I went a little long in the rhythm section and smacked my head on the ‘bars on the up-ramp of the triple, so receiving five stitches in my chin wasn’t an ideal way to start the day… I have a saw jaw and my face is a little puffy, but I decided to go out and ride smart in the night show. After a third in my heat, I went 3-3-4 in the finals to finish second overall on the night. I’m so stoked! The team and I have been working all year for this and after a tough outdoors in the MX2 class, I’ve turned it around for my home race here in supercross.

Jackson Richardson (Empire Kawasaki) – DNS:
It was a rough day. I struggled with an illness all day – I rode the heat race, but we just weren’t in a position to compete tonight – so myself and the team decided to sit out the main events.

Justin Brayton (Honda Racing) – Third:
It was a good night! I was second in the first main and then I won the second one. I was looking good to take the overall, but we had some misfortune in the final race and had to salvage what we could. The most important thing is that my championship lead has grown, so we will see what we can do in Wagga Wagga.

Kyle Webster (Honda Racing) – Fifth:
This was definitely a step in the right direction for me. I am progressively getting better at each round. I went 4-5-3 in the motos for fifth overall, which was definitely better. I am looking forward to the final round now and hoping to take another step forward to make it onto the podium.

SX2

Image: Foremost Media.

Jai Constantinou (Empire Kawasaki) – 11th:
It was a rough day, but we kept pushing and the results were okay in the end. Taking P2 in the heat was a positive, but I got caught up in the chaos in the finals. I feel like I’ve got the pace to run up the front, but I need to get good starts and stay out of trouble. When that happens, I’ll be able to get those top five results and hopefully land on the podium.

Haruki Yokoyama (Empire Kawasaki) – 10th:
We’d worked hard on my bike set-up and suspension over the break, and the day started off decently, but I had a big crash in the whoops in my heat race. I struggled with them tonight as they got cupped out. I’m happy with the good start I got to my second moto, but mistakes in the mains cost me a good result tonight.

Noah Ferguson (GasGas Racing Team) – Sixth:
It was an up and down night. The Triple Crown format was really good and it kept the racing tight… Six laps didn’t give you much time to get yourself sorted, but I really enjoyed it. Aside from that, I’m definitely not happy with the end result. I know where I should be and I believe I should be on that podium, but the results didn’t show it tonight, unfortunately. I’m really determined to finish the season strongly next weekend and look forward to lining up again!

Max Anstie (Honda Racing) – First:
It was a great day! I managed to take the win, after some good battles. The races were short and intense, with this ‘Triple Crown’ format, and it was tough to make up time on track, especially as the other guys were pushing hard. Let’s finish strong in Wagga Wagga!

Wilson Todd (Terrafirma Honda Racing) – Second:
Fairly good day in Newcastle! I got three good starts. I won my heat race, which meant that I had a good position on the starting line. I just rode around and played it safe, for the most part. I made it to the end and took second overall on the night, so it was a solid day for us! I’m going to come out swinging in Wagga Wagga now.

Nathan Crawford (KTM Racing Team) – Eighth:
It was a really rough day today, but I felt pretty good in practice and in qualifying. I got third in my heat race, which on paper was okay, and the three finals were all very eventful, different races. I DNF’d the first race after crashing in the second corner and my bike was unrideable afterward. The team hustled hard to get the bike ready for the second final and I was able to finish sixth. In the last race I was in the lead until two laps to go when my arm got really fatigued and I faded back to third. My arm isn’t seriously injured – it’s just a bit sore – so we should be ready to go next weekend in Wagga Wagga.

Rhys Budd (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Third:
I’m a bit lost for words right now. The first two rounds of the championship has been frustrating as I haven’t been able to get a good result so it was awesome to be able to get back on track and get on the podium tonight. I had lots of friends and family here in the stadium and it was cool to be able to ride well and get a great result tonight but it certainly didn’t feel like it started out that way after I crashed in my heat race and then got a ninth in the first final. But the last two races were good and it was such a relief to finally get a race win. I had worked so hard for it and it was just nice to see that work get rewarded. Thanks to the team for another awesome job, I kept them busy with my bike tonight with those crashes, but they always were able to get it turned around and back to the start line for me. I’m now third in the championship with one to go so I want to keep the momentum going from this weekend and take it into Wagga for the final round.

Jayce Cosford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Ninth:
I’m disappointed in my result as it seemed the harder I tried, the more frustrated I got. I was third in my heat race and was able to get a good gate for the three finals, but I just couldn’t turn that into a good result in any of the main event races. I will keep giving it my all keep fighting all the way to the end as I want to get a good result not just for myself, but also the team who have worked so hard.