Image: Octopi Media.

American Supercross regulars Shane McElrath and Cole Thompson have been heavily linked to Honda Racing’s SX2 program in the 2024 Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX), all but certain after appearing on the class entry list aboard CRF machinery.

While the team isn’t specified and Honda is yet to formally announced its 250 class roster, it’s been no secret that both McElrath and Thompson have been in discussions with the Yarrive Konsky-led organisation.

Canadian standout Thompson has been a staple in the AUSX series and finished second last year behind Max Anstie – who won’t be defending his title – while riding for the Serco Yamaha team. It appears that Konsky has moved to draft in Thompson after injuries struck Carson Mumford and Wilson Todd in recent weeks.

It’s a similar story for McElrath, the 2022 SX2 world champion becoming a high profile addition to AUSX after recently finishing 12th in the final SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) point standings. He claimed second behind Anstie in last year’s SX2 World Championship.

McElrath started this season with the Twisted Tea Suzuki team in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, finishing 13th in the 450SX standings, before transitioning to MaddParts.com Kawasaki in the latter stages of the Pro Motocross season on his way to 16th overall.

An addition of McElrath and Thompson to Honda Racing elevates its prospects across the board, joining Australians Alex Larwood and Noah Ferguson on the new CRF250R, while in the SX1 division defending champion Dean Wilson will line up alongside Joey Savatgy and Aaron Tanti.

It’s unclear where Kyle Webster and Brodie Connolly – currently focusing on Motocross of Nations (MXoN) duties – will fit into Honda’s mammoth AUSX roster. Both McElrath and Thompson would also be expected to be riding for Konsky’s team in the upcoming WSX championship, which commences in Canada on October 26.