The 2024 Fox Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) was one for the history books, with arguably the most competitive SX1 and SX2 lineups that we’ve seen in the sport domestically. With both classes delivering strong action-packed racing across the five-round series, MotoOnline highlights some of this year’s standout riders in this Rated feature.

Image: Foremost Media.

Rider:Joey Savatgy
Rating: A
Rundown: Anticipation was high for Joey Savatgy’s addition to the SX1 lineup for 2024. After not racing Monster Energy Supercross, then racing in Pro Motocross on a Triumph TF 250-X, and making a last-minute switch to Yarrive Konsky’s Honda Racing Australia team for AUSX, it was never a question of his talent or speed to challenge his teammate, 2023 champion Dean Wilson. The only uncertainty was if his unusual preparation would hinder him with only minimal bike time on the 2025 Honda CRF450R ahead of the season opener at Redcliffe. The 30-year-old American kicked off the season with a P2 finish before winning Redcliffe 2 the next night. With further victories in Wollongong and Adelaide, Savatgy built an eight-point championship lead heading into the high-profile AUSX Open. While eight points might seem like a comfortable margin, the inclusion of Jett and Hunter Lawrence and Cooper Webb meant he couldn’t rest on his morals. Savatgy executed, posting 3-2 finishes in the first two races and leading the third. A late flat tyre in the final race dropped him to 18th, ending his podium streak and chances of winning the AUSX Open, but he secured the title with a six-point lead over Wilson, who came close to winning the season finale while battling an injury.

Rider: Dean Wilson
Rating: B+
Rundown: Finishing the SX1 title hunt in P2 was tough for last year’s champion, Dean Wilson. You could see it on his face throughout the season how badly he wanted to win that championship again. The crowd-favourite number 15 kicked his title defence off in style at Redcliffe 1, winning the night fairly comfortably ahead of US-import and teammate, Joey Savatgy. The controversial decision overnight to knock the whoops down to a smaller size saw Wilson’s advantage somewhat diminished ahead of Redcliffe 2. Although he was still quite clearly the fastest rider once again, small mistakes proved costly and his ability to make up large chunks of time in the whoop section was no longer an option. Wilson finished round two in P3, as Savatgy picked up the win and Luke Clout finished second. From there, Wilson was just never able to really overcome Savatgy moving forward, finishing round three in Wollongong with a 2-2-2 scorecard for P2 overall, before finishing P2 once again at Adelaide’s Boost Mobile Supercross Sprint. Between Adelaide and Melbourne, Wilson picked up a shoulder injury in a controversial incident with Vince Friese at Perth’s WSX round, putting him in doubt to even line up at the AUSX Open. Despite the injury, Wilson toughed it out, even going on to almost snag the last race win over home hero Hunter Lawrence, while a flat tyre for Savatgy saw a dramatic end to the season. Wilson displayed pure grit and determination by even lining up in Melbourne, and after finishing P2 in the standings, he has already mentioned that he’ll be back in 2025 to try and reclaim the title!

Rider: Luke Clout
Rating: B+
Rundown: Once again proving himself against some of the sport’s top American racers, Empire Kawasaki’s Luke Clout displayed his undeniable speed, intensity, and relentless desire to win. From the first gate drop in Redcliffe, the 30-year-old set the tone with 3-3 results at Redcliffe 1, before claiming a crowd favourite race one victory the following night in an epic battle against Savatgy and Wilson. Clout ended the round second overall, just two points behind Savatgy. In his home state of New South Wales for round three in Wollongong, Clout came out swinging, winning the opening race before finishing 3-5 in races two and three for P3 overall. However, his season began to unravel in Adelaide and Melbourne. Despite flashes of raw speed and a clear will to win, small setbacks – including a collision with Savatgy in Adelaide – kept him off the podium at the final two rounds. While the cards didn’t fall his way, Clout’s intensity and ability to challenge the best were clear throughout the championship, finishing as the top Australian in the SX1 category for the second year in a row.

Image: Foremost Media.

Rider: Shane McElrath
Rating: A
Rundown: What a season for this guy! McElrath proved to be the ultimate professional, remaining calm and composed throughout a number of heated battles, all of which happened to be against his own teammates. McElrath’s AUSX introduction started off with a shakey opening round at Redcliffe 1, finishing the night a surprisingly low P8 overall after coming together in that viral incident with teammate Cole Thompson. From there, the American turned things around in style and went on to win the overall at the remaining three rounds, claiming four wins in five rounds on the season. There’s not much that needs to be said about this guy, after that initial incident with Thompson, most would’ve flared up, but he used it to fuel the fire, brushed it off and moved on, eventually winning the title by 10 points over Thompson.

Rider: Cole Thompson
Rating: B+
Rundown: Returning to Australia for the third consecutive year – this time aboard Honda machinery after two seasons with Serco Yamaha – many believed 2024 could be the year that Canadian Cole Thompson finally claimed the SX2 title. Having finished P2 in 2022 and P3 in 2023, Thompson’s switch to a team that had dominated the class with titles from Chris Blose (2019) and Max Anstie (2022 and 2023) seemed like a perfect match for the ultra-talented 30-year-old. But it wasn’t to be. Thompson’s season got off to a dramatic start, including a three-rider Honda pile-up at Redcliffe 1 – where he was at the centre of the incident – followed by a collision with teammate Brodie Connolly in round two. As the chaos settled, Thompson emerged as a strong contender in the SX2 class but couldn’t match the dominance of Shane McElrath. Missing the podium in Adelaide, where he finished P4 behind teammates McElrath, Connolly, and Alex Larwood, further dented his title hopes. Marking his third season in the SX2 category in AUSX, which also happened to be the second time he’s finished in the runner-up position, do we see Thompson return in 2025 with the goal of finally winning the title, or does he make the step into the premier SX1 class?

Rider: Brodie Connolly
Rating: A-
Rundown: AUSX 2024 marked the rookie supercross season of new ProMX MX2 champion, Brodie Connolly. The New Zealander was outstanding this year, battling bar-to-bar with teammate and multiple-time Monster Energy Supercross 250SX race winner, Shane McElrath. Connolly made his mark with two overall podiums, finishing the season with a 5-4-2-2-5 record, with his P2 finishes coming in Wollongong and Adelaide. Remarkably, the number 88 entered the final round of the series in Melbourne sitting P2 in the SX2 standings. However, a night filled with small mistakes saw him finish P5 at Marvel Stadium’s AUSX Open, ultimately losing his hold on P2 in the standings to Canadian teammate, Cole Thompson.