Honda Racing has officially announced the signing of Shane McElrath and Cole Thompson for the 2024 Fox Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX), joining Noah Ferguson, Alex Larwood and Brodie Connolly in the five-rider SX2 team.

McElrath will be onboard a Polyflor-backed 2025 model CRF250R for next weekend’s Redcliffe rounds, before it’s expected he will complete the season with an incoming, to be announced naming-rights partner.

The addition of last year’s SX2 runner-up Thompson will see him compete with Boost Mobile backing and is also a major coup for Honda. The pair will enter the five-round series as legitimate title favourites, with the target of picking up where Max Anstie left off as the 2022 and 2023 champion with the team.

“Since 2019 we’ve dominated the 250 championships in both motocross and supercross, but keeping that streak alive is no easy task with the level of talent across all teams,” said Honda Racing team director Yarrive Konsky.

“This year, we’ve made significant investments to showcase Honda’s winning range of motocross bikes. I’m incredibly grateful to our sponsors – without their support, none of this would be possible.”

It’s expected that both McElrath and Thompson will also form Honda Racing’s SX2 roster for the World Supercross Championship (WSX).

Ferguson, meanwhile, will continue onboard a Boost Mobile Honda Racing entry as he did in the outdoors, and Larwood will ride with Froth as his primary sponsor. National MX3 champion Jake Cannon will represent the team in SX3, riding a Mongrel Boots Honda Racing CRF250RWE.

Honda had already confirmed its SX1 class line-up, featuring Dean Wilson in his AUSX title defence, alongside American Joey Savatgy and Australian recruit Aaron Tanti. There has been no indication if new Australian ProMX champion Webster will be contesting the AUSX series at this point.