KTM rider Kayden Minear lands first Supercross Podium at AUSX Open

KTM Racing Team’s Kayden Minear raced to his first-career Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) podium with third position in the SX2 class at the AUSX Open, as SX1 teammate Nathan Crawford finished eighth overall in Melbourne.

Minear and his KTM 250 SX-F were exceptional off the start-gate all night, with the talented teenager surging to all three holeshots inside a packed Marvel Stadium.

The Western Australian finished his night with a 3-3-4 result from the three finals, but really showed his full potential in the second race when he led from start to finish. Unfortunately, he was later penalised two positions and was demoted to third.

Still, the 17-year-old’s strong finish to his AUSX campaign saw him jump to fourth in the SX2 championship standings.

Kayden Minear: “There’s no better way to finish the year than on the podium! I had three really good starts and rode really well all day, especially in the second race that I initially won. Unfortunately, they told me afterwards I was penalised two spots for jumping under a red cross flag that I didn’t see, so that was disappointing, but my speed was there all day and I’m happy with how I’m riding. My KTM was unreal and it was great to be able to show my true potential out there tonight.”

In the SX1 class, Crawford continued his journey back to form by steadily improving as his night progressed onboard the KTM 450 SX-F.

After three intense finals that featured some of the biggest names in the sport, Crawford finished his year with 12-10-6 results and eighth overall at the finale. Despite missing the first two rounds with injury, he finished the five-round series in 13th overall.

Nathan Crawford: “It was up and down night. It’s no secret I’ve been fighting through a few things, but at the end of the day I was really happy that I could end the night and season with a good result. Finishing sixth in the last final, against a field that was so stacked was good, and I’m really happy to end 2024 on a good note.”

The CR22 85cc Cup also concluded at the AUSX Open event, where Tate Reed put forward an impressive performance in charging to second position on his KTM 85 SX. A fourth-place result on Saturday night saw KTM Junior Racing Team rider Cooper Ford seal third in the final standings.