The first two rounds of the 2024 Fox Australian Supercross Championship in Queensland delivered in every way possible, serving up a number of interesting storylines. We’ve compiled the direct takes from riders in this Reflection feature.

SX1

Image: Foremost Media.

Jed Beaton (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team) – Seventh/fourth overall:
I didn’t grow up on supercross and having been in Europe for a long period of time, I haven’t raced it in a while but I put in plenty of work after the end of the ProMX championship and its starting to come a little easier for me. I still have a long way to go and racing on the weekend highlighted some things that need work, but overall, I’m pretty happy with how things went and think that I have a lot of improvement in me. The whoops on the first night got the better of me and just keeping my head on the game as a mistake on a supercross track can how you on the ground quickly. But Sunday was better and it felt far more controlled on the bike and things weren’t happening as fast. Wollongong is next and with the first weekend done, I have a bit more experience I can draw on and pick up where I left off here in Redcliffe.

Matt Moss (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team) – 11th/eighth overall:
That was unacceptable and not me. I have no excuses, I just raced poorly and made far too many mistakes to get a decent result on each night. The team did everything they could, and the bike was good, so the responsibility is on me to get things back on track and quickly for round three.

Joey Savatgy (Napa Auto Parts Honda Racing) – Second/first overall:
The track was tricky with few areas to make up time. The key tonight was minimising mistakes. I’m pumped with the team and the bike – we’ve had two days of testing, and the positive changes we’ve made are paying off.

Dean Wilson (SCT Logistics Honda Racing) – First/second overall:
Joey and I set the pace, and Clouty rode well, but tonight was about avoiding mistakes – and I think I made the most. Still, we’re in a great spot, and this championship is going to be tight.

Dylan Wills (GasGas Racing Team) – Eighth/fifth overall:
It was a solid weekend and I feel we’re definitely on the right track. I got a bit lucky in the second final with a few guys crashing early, but I got to settle down, do my laps and that was the best riding I did all weekend. I’m stoked – a P5 on the night is pretty respectable for where we’re at in these early stages of the season. There’s plenty of work to do, but I’m motivated to get back out there as I think we’ve got a lot more to show.

Jack Mather (Raceline Husqvarna Racing) – 12th/12th overall:
We learnt a lot as the weekend progressed and we made some adjustments to the bike, which made me more comfortable today. Holeshotting my heat race was the highlight of the weekend for me – the bike was super-fast and was handling great. I got two good starts to Sunday’s finals, but unfortunately in the last one I got taken down in the first turn. It’s really cool racing the guys I’ve grown up watching and I’m excited to get after it again at Wollongong.

SX2

Image: Foremost Media.

Brodie Connolly (Polyflor Honda Racing) – Fifth/fourth overall:
I’m riding with an injury I sustained at [MXoN], so I didn’t know what to expect. The first two rounds have been tough – the speed is there, but mistakes, both mine and others’, have made it harder than it needed to be. I’m grateful for the break before round three so I can focus on areas I need to improve.

Shane McElrath (Polyflor Honda Racing) – Eighth/first overall:
What a great second night. We’re just two points off the championship lead, which is amazing given my first round struggles. I can’t thank the team enough – we’ve made continuous improvements, and it really showed tonight.

Jayce Cosford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Fourth/seventh overall:
I experienced a bit of everything over the weekend, but I can take a lot from it. I have never qualified in P1 before, so that was good to show that I have the outright speed to be at the front and I also out myself in a good position it heat before I had a small crash. But I’m keen for Wollongong now and want to keep ticking off personal goals. A race win is next on the list and a round win not long after so hopefully we can get all of them done before the season is out.

Kaleb Barham (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – DNF/eighth overall:
It wasn’t the weekend I was hoping for, that’s for sure. I was feeling pretty flat and low on energy and then to have that crash in race one on Saturday night, really took the wind out of my sails. But I will bounce back and we still have a lot of races to go, so I’m confident I can turn it around.

Ryder Kingsford (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) – Third/ninth overall:
I would like to have slightly better results, but I have a lot of the right things in place. My speed and fitness were good, I was able to qualify well and win races and take the win in final two on Saturday night. If it weren’t for a few lazy laps in race one and then that first turn crash in race two on Sunday, I would be much higher up the points. But I’m fit, healthy and determined to improve at every round as I think I can run with anyone in the class.

Kayden Minear (KTM Racing Team) – Sixth/sixth overall:
I had a blast this weekend. It was really cool to win my two heat races and I had good starts both days. While there are definitely areas we can work on before the next round, I’m happy with my riding and I feel our speed is pretty good. Today was only my fifth time on a bike since being in the US, and my expectations this weekend were to ride my own race and not get involved in the carnage. We did just that. I’m stoked and already looking forward to Wollongong next month.

Byron Dennis (GasGas Racing Team) – 16th/10th overall:
My first supercross race weekend had a lot of positives that we can take into the rest of the series. I felt like we improved as the weekend went on, especially as I got more comfortable with the track and the racing. Finishing with a P5 in the last final was a good way to finish the weekend and it’s given me a base to build upon before we get to round three.

Rhys Budd (Raceline Husqvarna Racing Team) – 12th/fifth overall:
It was a bit of a rough weekend. I had a big crash yesterday and was pretty sore this morning. In the first main event on Sunday, I got off to a good start, but crashed in the first turn, but recovered to 11th. I turned it around for the second final, which I’m happy about. I got another good start and rode up the front, and came home in P4, so after a pretty tough weekend it was good to finish in fourth and that put me P5 overall. I’m looking forward to building and coming back stronger for the next round.