Brayton and Wilson win Jimboomba

Penrite Oil Honda Racing’s Justin Brayton kicked off his 2018 Australian Supercross Championship campaign in commanding fashion over the weekend, taking out the Round 1 top honours at Jimboomba Stadium in Queensland.

The two-time defending champion qualified fastest and lapped up to the eighth position, eventually taking the SX1 win by five seconds over his teammate, Brett Metcalfe, who held an early lead in the Main Event but stalled, forcing him to lose positions before fighting back.

KTM Motocross Racing Team’s premier-class rider, Luke Clout, had a massive come-from-behind ride to finish on the podium after going down in the first turn of the Main Event, while Dan Reardon finished fourth in his first outing with his newly constructed Yamaha team; one which he is confident can get the job done when it comes to the pointy end of the season. In his highly anticipated return to racing, Jace Owen (2017 AMA Arenacross Runner-Up) steered his Complete Parts Kawasaki KX450F to a solid finish, rounding out the top five and proving thathe has the pace to take it to the big names in his maiden trip to Australia.

After qualifying in second, current three-time Australian Motocross Champion, Dean Ferris, had a big spill in a section of his Heat which saw him go over the bars and stretchered off by Race Safe. The extent of the damage is yet to be determined, so stay tuned for developments.

In the SX2 class, Jay Wilson and his Yamaha Yamalube Racing YZ250F stormed to the front of a stacked Main Event, attaining the lead early in the race and finishing ahead of American riders, Bradley Taft and Joshua Osby.

21-year-old Taft sprayed the champagne in his first race in Australia, just four seconds off the pace of Wilson, but showed serious pace being the only 250cc-mounted rider to go under the 50-second-a-lap mark in the Main. DPH Husqvarna rider, Hayden Mellross, charged to fourth in his first race back on Australian soil,  holding off Serco Yamaha’s Jacob Hayes who was 18th coming out of the first turn.

A full house at Jimboomba Stadium solidifies presumptions of a must-watch season ahead with Round 2 of the 2018 Australian Supercross Championship kicking off on October 6 at Coolum.

For more information, head to: www.australiansupercross.com.au