Image: AUS-X Open.

Monster Energy AUS-X Open organisers have revealed the Shannons Shortcut will return next weekend in Sydney, incorporated into the track design once again for the third-annual edition.

Supported by the event’s official insurance partner, the Shannons Shortcut will skip the whoop section for 2017 in what will be a vital element of the SX1 and SX2 finals.

Last year the Shannons Shortcut lane bypassed the triple jump, resulting in a number of pivotal moments across both nights of AUS-X Open competition, however the tactical gains of using the lane will be even more important.

“The Shannons Shortcut gives riders the opportunity to skip the whoops on one lap,” explained Mega Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Dan Reardon. “The interesting thing about whoops is that they generally get worse as the race goes on, so you’ve got to be pretty calculated about when you’re going to make it work.”

Defending Australian supercross champion Justin Brayton, who has won the opening three rounds of the series to date, said the Shannons Shortcut will only add to the excitement of AUS-X Open.

“The Shannons Shortcut is going to be a massive play on how the race actually unfolds,” Brayton commented. “To go around the whoops is a massive benefit, obviously the whoops are sometimes the most challenging part of the track, so to be able to go around those once, it’s going to be a huge strategy.

“If you get the hole-shot, do you take it right away or do you wait, or do you watch track positions? There’s a lot of different things that can play into that and I think it’s just one more cool thing about the AUS-X Open is to know when to take the Shannons Shortcut.”

To celebrate, Shannons Insurance has up for grabs an exclusive meet and greet opportunity on either Saturday or Sunday at this year’s event with supercross goat (greatest of all time) Ricky Carmichael. To enter your chance to win, sign up and request a quote from Shannons Insurance.

Tickets are selling fast, go to www.ausxopen.com or www.ticketek.com.au to avoid disappointment. AUS-X Open will be held at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on 11-12 November.