Image: Jeff Crow.

The sixth and final round of the 2015 Penrite Australian Supercross Championship presented by Ryco Filters roars into life this Saturday, 5 December, at Knight’s Stadium in Sunshine, Victoria.

This weekend’s Melbourne-based event will see the crowning of a new line-up of 2015 Australian Supercross Championship winners, in which titles will be awarded for the premier SX1 and SX2 classes, as well as SXD, Junior and Women’s categories.

With all championships still up for grabs, this weekend’s final is sure to see a repeat of the close and exciting racing that has been the hallmark of previous rounds at Bathurst, Jimboomba (two rounds), Adelaide and last weekend’s barnstorming indoor AUS-X Open at Sydney’s Allphones Arena.

In the SX1 class, Dan Reardon (CDR Yamaha) leads the championship after winning rounds two, three and four, in what rates as the ultimate comeback to competition after he previously retired from racing at the end of 2012.

Reardon finished third at last weekend’s Sydney round, behind US-based Australian superstar Chad Reed and American ace Gavin Faith, who is a two-time winner of the SX2 Australian Supercross Championship in the past four seasons, and this year has stepped up to the SX1 class with the local Penrite Honda Racing team.

“The racing at Sydney last weekend was pretty hectic in the opening laps of the final,” explained Reardon, who has battled long and hard with reigning two-time SX1 Australian Supercross Champion Matt Moss (Team Motul Suzuki) during the series.

But after suffering two crashes in the opening laps of the Sydney final, Moss was helped from the track by the RACESAFE Medical Team with a badly corked thigh, and his DNF result giving Reardon a clear run to open a sizable championship points advantage.

“It wasn’t until I saw Matt had crashed and not re-entering the race that I knew what had happened,” added Reardon, who shadowed Reed and Faith to the end of the 20-lap race. “Third’s not great, but it’s just what I needed for the championship, so my goal is to keep doing what I’m doing and finish the final round of the championship strongly in Melbourne this weekend.”

Reardon’s CDR Yamaha teammate Kade Mosig now holds second place in the title chase and, as a Melbourne local, is intent on winding out his 2015 season with a big performance despite picking up minor leg injuries himself in Sydney.

“I have nine points on Matt in the championship, so I still need to ensure I race well this weekend,” said Mosig. “Being in Melbourne and being a hometown race, I would love nothing more than to get a win in front of family and friends.”

Behind Reardon, Mosig and Moss, the SX1 championship standings see Lawson Bopping (DPH Peter Stevens Yamaha) and leading privateer Daniel McCoy (SFC Racing Yamaha) round out the top five placings.

America’s SX2 championship leader Jimmy Decotis is on par to clinch this year’s 250 class title. After winning the first three rounds and then finishing second to Victorian privateer Lewis Woods (Davey Motorsport KTM) at round four in Jimboomba, Decotis was back to his best form last weekend by taking a copybook victory in the Sydney round to extend his lead in the championship.

Penrite Honda’s Decotis now leads a freight-train of Honda riders at the top of the SX2 standings, with Penrite Honda Wilson MX teammates Jackson Richardson and Geran Stapleton in second and third respectively, after former series runner-up Luke Arbon (SD3 Husqvarna) went out of the Sydney event early with an ankle injury.

Behind Decotis, Richardson and Stapleton, Bacchus Marsh-based Woods holds down fourth in the championship after his big victory over Decotis at round four, while SX2 class debutante and last year’s SXD championship winner Dylan Wills (Newcastle KTM) completes the top five standings.

In the SXD championship, the young guns will line up in Melbourne for their fourth and final round, with NSW rider Brock McLeary (Raceline Pirelli Suzuki) leading the standings ahead of Mitch Evans (GYTR Yamaha) and Toby Stevens (PSC Yamaha).

Meanwhile in the Junior Lites Championship, after four previous rounds, Cooper Pozniak (Newcastle KTM) heads the points chase over Jake McGlashan (Dubbo City Motorcycles KTM) and Joel Cigliano (CRF Honda Racing).

In the 85cc championship for riders 12 to under 16 years of age, Jy Roberts (AXO Ipone Husqvarna) has the title well within his sights and makes the front running ahead of Tyler Darby (MCD KTM) and Samuel Noonan (Maitland Motorcycles KTM).

Finally, defending two-time Australian Women’s Supercross Champion Meghan Rutledge (Hitachi Kawasaki Mad Meg Racing) heads the charge of female racers to enter this year’s Women’s championship, which will be determined at Knight’s Stadium this Saturday.

Tickets to the December 5 event at Knights Stadium at Sunshine are available by going to the www.ticketebo.com.au/supercrossmelbourne web site.

Ticket prices start at $40 and along with seeing Australia’s best supercross racers banging bars for the prestigious national championship crowns, fans will also be treated to the high-flying action of FMX displays and the high-horsepower antics of a Monster truck demo.