Reed Stars in Sydney
Australian Supercross
The inaugural AUS-X Open Supercross roared into life tonight (November 28) before a sell-out crowd at Sydney’s Allphones Arena in the Homebush Olympic precinct, with Aussie Supercross superstar Chad Reed returning home to blitz the field in the SX1 class main event, which paid points towards the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship presented by Penrite Oils.
Reed, 33, rode away from the pack with a start to finish victory in the SX1 main event, the Yamaha ace delivering the performance the partisan crowd had come to see in an event which featured an innovative track design with 360Fly-by passing lane, tunnel section and steel ramp take-off for the finish line jump.
“That feels awesome!” enthused Reed after his triumphant victory. I always love coming back home to Australia and racing in front of so many fans, and tonight was great.
“The new AUS-X Open event was a total blast and I’m just so happy to be back on a Yamaha and back atop the podium again in Australia.
“I’ve got to say thanks to everyone who made this ride possible, and in particular thanks to the guys who have made the whole AUS-X Open event happen – this event has been so good so far, and we get to go racing again tomorrow!”
Click here for an interview with Reed
Penrite Honda Racing rider, American Gavin Faith, who is the reigning SX2 Australian Supercross Champion, turned his debut season of SX1 class racing around tonight with a solid second place finish behind Reed, while current SX1 Championship points leader Dan Reardon (CDR Yamaha) was the top finishing local Aussie rider, rounding out the podium in third.
After finishing third at the opening round of the Championship at Bathurst, NSW, in early October, Faith’s series has been dogged with misfortune and cruel luck.
“So to finally get a great start and put together 20 solid laps feels really good, I’m stoked,” said Faith of tonight’s event.
“It‘s been a while coming and I’m just rapt for the Penrite Honda Racing team, who have stuck by me and kept working so hard to achieve the result we all knew was possible.”
Defending SX1 Australian Supercross Champion Matt Moss (Motul Suzuki), who started his night strong with a Heat race win, was totally out of luck in the Final, crashing twice in the opening laps, getting stuck under his bike in the first fall, and then requiring Racesafe medical assistance after the second tumble.
With Moss DNFing and Reardon grabbing a solid swag of points for finishing third, the Yamaha ace now enjoys a whopping 31 point lead in the Championship standings, over his CDR Yamaha team mate Kade Mosig, who finished tonight’s event in seventh place.
“I’ll take the third spot on the podium tonight,” said Reardon, “because that was a tough race as Chad and Gavin both made great starts and got out in front and we all got into a consistent rhythm and just kept knocking off the laps.
“But to come away with a 31 point lead in the Championship, well, I couldn’t ask for much more. That’s a great position to be in with just one more round to go next weekend.
“2015 has been an awesome season for me, and to now be so close to the Supercross Championship feels so good.”
With 35 points up for grabs at the sixth and final round of the 2015 SX1 Australian Supercross Championship presented by Penrite Oils at Knight’s Stadium in Melbourne next weekend (December 5), Reardon need do little more than merely make the Final and finish the race to secure the Championship and complete a stunning comeback to the sport after retiring at the end of 2012.
Behind Reed, Faith and Reardon, American young gun Cooper Webb (Star Racing Yamaha) and privateer ace Daniel McCoy (SFC Yamaha) filled the top five placings in the SX1 final at the AUS-X Open event.
Meanwhile Reed also emerged on top in a special head-to-head confrontation with American MX legend and the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) Ricky Carmichael, the pair bringing the sell-out crowd to their feet to cheer on two of the true legends of the dirt bike world.
In SX2 racing which also paid Australian Supercross Championship points tonight, the Final evolved into a Jimmy Decotis benefit once the pint-size American ace motored into the lead, after early race leader Luke Clout (Serco Yamaha) crashed out of contention, and then young gun Wade Hunter (DPH Motorsports Peter Stevens Yamaha) succumbed to the charge forward by Decotis.
“I got a bad start but I felt like I rode strong all race and once I got in front, I just kept at it and rode clean and smart and brought it home,” said Decotis, who notched up his fourth win in the five rounds of the Championship to date.
“All the team at Penrite Honda Racing have been working so hard to make this possible and I just hope I can wrap up the Championship at the final round in Melbourne next weekend.”
Hunter rode solidly behind Decotis to take a well deserved runner-up finish, helping to make up for the disappointment the Yamaha rider suffered at last weekend’s fourth round at Jimboomba in Queensland, when his race was over barely after it began following a start line crash with Clout.
“Finishing second tonight feels so good,” pumped Hunter.
“The whole night and the whole event has been awesome and I’m rapt to get this result as I came into this ride with the DPH Motorsports Peter Stevens Yamaha team pretty late, so to be up on the podium is a great result for the team, who have put so much support behind me.”
Third place in the SX2 Final eventually fell to Penrite Honda Wilson MX rider Jackson Richardson, who was another to come through from a poor start.
“I got a bad start and was a fair way back to begin with,” explained Richardson.
“So to be able to come through and make the podium in third is pretty good overall, I’m happy.”
Geran Stapleton (Penrite Honda Wilson MX) finished fourth, while last week’s SX2 winner at Jimboomba, Lewis Woods (Davey Motorsports KTM) rounded the top five SX2 placings.
In provisional SX2 Championship points standings, Decotis now enjoys a 31 point lead over Richardson and with 35 points up for grabs at the final round in Melbourne next weekend, Decotis, like Reardon in SX1, need do little more than qualify for the Final and finish the race next Saturday to clinch the Championship.
Alongside tonight’s Supercross racing, an international freestyle MX Best Trick comp was staged at the AUS-X Open, which saw NSW aerial ace Jackon Strong take the win with a stunning one-handed front flip that had the crowd up and cheering and delivered him a perfect 10 from the judges.
The AUS-X Open continues tomorrow (Sunday afternoon) with a second event that repeats the format of today – albeit without Australian Supercross Championship points – with organisers announcing all the action will be broadcast live on the free-to-air Seven Mate network; see your local guide for broadcast details.
Tickets to tomorrow’s AUS-X Open event are available but selling fast, via Ticketek (www.ticketek.com.au).
The AUS-X Open was secured exclusively for Sydney by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
For all AUS-X Open event updates, news and social media channels, check out the www.ausxopen.com.au web site.
Meanwhile to stay up to date on all the 2015 Australian Supercross Championship presented by Penrite Oils news and social media channels, points standings, event details and ticket sale information, be sure to check out the official www.australiansupercross.com.au web site.
SX2 final results:
1. Jimmy DECOTIS
2. Wade HUNTER
3. Jackson RICHARDSON
4. Geran STAPLETON
5. Lewis WOODS
6. Jack SIMPSON
7. Joel WIGHTMAN
8. Luke WILSON
9. Luke CLOUT
10. Tomas RAVENHORST
11. Dylan WILLS
12. Kyle WEBSTER
Star head-to-head results (Reed vs. Carmichael):
1. Chad REED
2. Ricky CARMICHAEL
FMX Best Trick results:
1. Jackson STRONG
2. Taka HAGASHINO
3. Rob ADELBERG
4. Ryan BROWN
5. Tom PAGES (crash)
SX1 final results:
1. Chad REED
2. Gavin FAITH
3. Daniel REARDON
4. Cooper WEBB
5. Daniel McCOY
6. Lawson BOPPING
7. Kade MOSIG
8. Kale MAKEHAM
9. Cheyne BOYD
10. Luke STYKE
11. Robbie MARSHALL
Click here for detailed results