Image: AUS-X Open.

He may be on a privateer family-operated team with limited support, but Australian legend Jay Marmont near stole the show on Saturday’s opening AUS-X Open event in Sydney.

With the backing of brother Ryan Marmont’s Wollongong-based MXR&D company, 33-year-old Marmont managed to battle through the pressure of a charging Cooper Webb to finish third on night one.

It was an emotion-charged result for the former multiple supercross and motocross champion, coming out of retirement – and a gruelling job in the mines – to return to racing aboard a Husqvarna FC 450 for the 2016 season just six weeks ago.

“It means so much,” Marmont expressed post-race. “I was holding off Cooper [Webb], he made a bit of ground on me in the first 10 laps, but I put a few good laps together and I kind of pulled a little bit on him. With about four laps to go I made two mistakes in the whoops, and he actually got me on the last lap, but I raced too hard to get fourth – I really wanted to be on the box.”

“It’s an awesome feeling, it’s been three years since I’ve made a podium. To do it with that type of field out there, it’s pretty unbelievable. I feel like I was riding good on the night and everything came together. For me, third was like a win – it was awesome to have the whole Sydney crowd behind me, [including] my family and friends.”

Coming off of three-consecutive fifth-place finishes in Toowoomba, Adelaide and Avalon, Marmont’s podium last night has him within seven points of a rostrum in the series with Sunday’s finale remaining.