Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

The CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team have laid a good platform for their championship hopes after a positive start at the opening round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship, held at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.
Mounted on the 2020 YZ450F for the first time, the team of Dan Reardon and Luke Clout finished second and third respectively in the premier SX1 (450cc) class and leave the opening round confident that a successful season lay ahead.

Reardon, a home town favourite, raced to second place in his first race back since injury at last years’ Auckland Supercross. Over-coming some pre races nerves, Reardon had to scramble in his heat race to qualifying directly to the main event after he fell early in the race and only had eight laps to get his way back into the top four and a direct transfer spot. He made a last lap pass and was safely into the 2 x 12 main events that lay ahead for the SX1 riders.

Once in the main event, Reardon was a model of consistency charging to 3-2 results in each of the 12 lap affairs and snaring second overall. The opening final saw a three way fight for podium positions. Justin Brayton had moved away out front and it was left to Reardon, Brett Metcalfe and fellow CDR Yamaha rider, Luke Clout to battle for the scraps. Metcalfe cross the finish line in second place, with Reardon and Clout flashing by within two seconds.

The second final saw Reardon settle into second place but come under fire from team mate Clout in the middle stages of the race. Clout was all over Reardon and was looking to make a move when he clipped Reardon’s rear tyre and went down. Reardon held on for second while Clout was able to remount for third.

“Its good to be back and racing again and this was just what I needed to blow the cob webs out and get the blood pumping again,” Reardon begins. “There is only so much practice and training you can do and sometimes you just need to get out on the race track and see what happens.

“I didn’t ride great as I was a bit stiff and tight from being sidelined for so long, but I will be better for the experience and will improve from here.

‘It was awesome to be back under the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team awning again and surrounded by great people and look forward to getting after it in the coming rounds.”

Luke Clout showed plenty of pace all night and will no doubt be a main contender for the SX1 championship as the series progresses. Clout was able to over come some average starts and on track issues to land on the podium and kick his supercross season off in solid fashion.

Ever the competitor, Clout is happy with the podium position at the opening round but believes there is way more in the tank and hopes to unleash it starting this weekend in Adelaide.

“You go into the opening round of the championship looking for a positive and safe start and that’s exactly what we did. We are in the hunt and things are looking good. But I also believe I can be better and now we are out of the tight nature of indoors, the real racing can begin.

“Racing indoors can throw up lots of things but we were able to handle them and now we have full sized tracks at the remaining four rounds where we have time and space to make the racing better and I can’t wait to get to Adelaide this weekend.”

The Gilman track proved to be a favourite of the riders in 2018 and again the event is shaping up to be a good one and pivotal to the championship hopes of many riders in 2019.