CRF Honda Racing press release:

With a massive 8,000 tonnes of top soil to work with, organisers of Saturday night’s (October 12) round two of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship staged at Port Adelaide in South Australia delivered one of the most spectacular USA-style supercross tracks ever seen in Australia.

With multiple rhythm lanes, whoop sections and sequence obstacles, the Port Adelaide circuit delivered exciting racing that enthralled a strong and vocal crowd, with Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing rider Rhys Budd in the thick of the SX2 class action through the evening.

With a mid-week training injury sidelining teammate Kyle Webster, young gun Budd was working solo out of the Penrite Pirelli CRF Honda Racing transporter and took to the testing track on his Honda Genuine Parts-equipped CRF250R race bike for Qualifying, and ultimately laid down 15th fastest time.

“With such a big track layout, there were sections where I felt really good and had fun, but then there were other parts where I seemed to really struggle,” explained Budd of his Qualifying performance. “So Qualifying 15th wasn’t the greatest, which was frustrating because I knew I was better than that.”

Regrouping for his Heat race, and with ace tuner Craig Bolton in his corner for the weekend, Budd came out swinging as the gate dropped and the frenzied SX2 pack took aim for the first turn.

“I just knew that in the Heat I had to get a good start and ride my own race to get straight through to the Main,” said Budd.

And that’s just what he did, as Budd launched his Honda to the lead out of turn one.

“Grabbing the holeshot and leading the opening lap of the Heat was such an awesome feeling,” Budd enthused. “But the I lost time in the whoops and dropped a few positions, but finished fifth and went straight to the Main.”

Keen to repeat the front running effort in the all-important Main event, Budd was disappointed not to be able to replicate the boomer start from his Heat race.

“My start wasn’t as good in the Main and I was riding mid-pack as a result, and had to start making some passes,” Budd explained.

“As it turned out there was lots of carnage going on out there, so I was pretty stoked to keep it on two wheels for the whole race and come home in tenth place at the end.

“Now the plan is to build on what we learnt from the weekend and come out stronger for round three in Wollongong in a few weeks time.”

The Port Adelaide SX2 Main saw visiting American ace Mitchell Oldenburg fire his Penrite Honda Racing machine
to the win, ahead of fellow American Josh Osby (KTM) and local Aussie ace Aaron Tanti (Yamaha). Tanti now leads the SX2 championship standings, ahead of Osby and Oldenburg.

Missing from action at the Port Adelaide event, Webster was sidelined by injury suffered in a training crash a few days before the race.

“I crashed and landed into the next upramp of a jump and the impact slightly collapsed both my lungs,” Webster explained.

“It could have been worse, but recovery will mean a couple of weeks with no riding, so my goal is to be back on the bike and on the line for round three of the championship in Wollongong.”

The Australian Supercross Championship continues with round three in Wollongong (NSW) on November 9, followed by a
trans-Tasman round in Auckland (New Zealand) on November 16, before reaching its crescendo with the AUS-X Open event
being staged at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne (Vic) on November 30.