Ken Roczen Wins Maiden WSX Title

Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium played host to the Fox Australian Supercross Championship (ASX) and World Supercross Championship (WSX) on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively, with both series delivering dramatic racing action in front of 50,000 amped SX fans. With the ASX unable to run in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions, race-starved fans bore witness to live racing for the first time in three long years, while the staging of the new-look WSX Championship was also a first for Aussie audiences.

Here’s the PR from WSX promoter, SX Global, as they reflect on the conclusion to the WSX’s two-round pilot season and the kick-off for the four-round ASX…

WSX – ROUND 2 (FINAL)

The pilot season of the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) came to a spectacular conclusion in Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Saturday night with four world champions crowned.

German rider, Ken Roczen, is the new WSX champion after finishing second in a dramatic WSX Australian Grand Prix last night. The WSX title ends a championship drought for the Genuine Honda rider.

Ken Roczen: “I would do it over and over again. I’ve had such an amazing experience. It’s been a tough ride the last few years, and that’s why I did this. I don’t regret it. I’ve had so much fun here, I love coming to Australia and I can’t wait to come back again. Finally getting a title again, especially the first one for my team, is nothing short of amazing.”

American Joey Savatgy won Saturday night’s WSX race with Roczen second and American’s Justin Brayton in third.

In the SX2 class, American Shane McElrath was crowned world champion after winning the WSX Australian Grand Prix from Genuine Honda’s Max Anstie, with Craig Dack Racing’s Aaron Tanti. The world championship is the first major title for McElrath, who rides for the Rick Ware Racing.

Shane McElrath: “A win is a win, it’s never easy. These guys [his rivals] made it tough. We had minimal prep time but at Rick Ware Racing, we literally didn’t stop working. To come out on top, and to really get better every single time on the track, that’s really what we worked for. Praise God we’re here. Number one, baby. I am proud of this team and what they’ve done in a few short weeks. Glory to God.”

MotoConcepts won the Teams Champions and Honda took out the Manufacturer’s Championship after strong performances from its riders in Cardiff and Melbourne.

The pilot WSX season featured 10 international teams including NASCAR and IndyCar team owner, Rick Ware, and two Australian teams – Honda Genuine and Craig Dack Racing.

SX Global President, Tony Cochrane AM, who pioneered the Australian V8 Supercar championship, said fans across the world were hungry to see supercross racing. Cochrane, who is also Chairman of the Gold Coast Suns AFL team, said: “We knew there was a global market out there for supercross. You need the courage of your convictions to take these things on. We really believe in the product of world supercross. We really do believe there is a global audience out there. These athletes are so talented, we really believe the world wants to see that. We’re prepared to put that to the test. You’re going to see, in my humble belief, this championship grow enormously in the next two to four years.”

More than 50,000 fans filled Marvel Stadium over two action-packed nights for the WSX Australian Grand Prix and Australian Supercross Championship (ASX). Marvel Stadium was transformed for the racing with more than 6000 tonnes of dirt creating the ultimate supercross track. The 850-plus truckloads of dirt were supported by more than 5000 railway sleepers and almost 2000 steel prop supports in the lower-level carpark.

ASX – ROUND 1

Genuine Honda’s Justin Brayton won the premier SX1 class during Friday night’s ASX racing with Craig Dack Racing’s Aaron Tanti in second and Genuine Honda’s Dean Wilson in third. In the SX2 class, Genuine Honda’s Max Anstie rode to a dominate win over Serco Yamaha’s Cole Thompson with KTM’s Nathan Crawford in third.

The ASX Championship moves to Adelaide this coming Saturday night, October 29, for Round 2. For more information, click here.