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Defending five-time Australian SX1 champion Justin Brayton is set to line-up this weekend in Newcastle after a multi-rider crash in the first 450 final during the second round of the World Supercross Championship (WSX) on Saturday ruled him out of the Abu Dhabi event early.

The Fire Power Froth Honda racer went down hard with Aaron Tanti (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) at the start of the opening final inside Etihad Stadium, seeing him sidelined from the remaining two races on the night.

Fortunately for Brayton, while he is bruised and battered, he’s been cleared of any major injury, and remains in the frame to fight for his sixth-career SX1 title on Saturday when the 2023 Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) resumes inside McDonald Jones Stadium.

“He’s bruised and battered, nothing that he hasn’t experienced before,” Honda Racing team manager Yarrive Konsky told MotoOnline. “Nothing broken, just going to allow a few days rest to recover as best he can in preparation for the weekend.”

After finishing second to teammate Dean Wilson at Adelaide’s AUSX opener, Brayton enters Newcastle three points behind the red plate with increased points on offer at round two thanks to the Triple Crown format.

For Tanti, on the other hand, fractured ribs sustained in the incident dash his AUSX Championship prospects, and he is required to stay in Abu Dhabi for an extended few days before travelling back to Australia.