2018 Australian Supercross Championship
Round Three – Geelong
Images by TBG
Penrite Honda’s Justin Brayton has continued his dominant form making it three in a row at GMHBA stadium at round 3 of the Australian Supercross Championship in Geelong.
The American narrowly edged out Honda team-mate Brett Metcalfe with the pair scoring yet another Honda 1-2 on the top of the rostrum while Yamaha’s Dan Reardon rounded out the top 3 overall in the premier SX1 class.
Brayton took the chequered flag first in two out of the three main events as riders experienced their first triple crown format of the season.
Justin Brayton
“Wow, this round really tested me. I did not ride all week. I got sick, really sick and I genuinely didn’t know how tonight was going to play out. Whilst the second final wasn’t ideal, I will admit that I enjoyed the challenge of racing through the field. Metty is riding well and I am glad that we have placed Honda first in every final.There is still a lot of racing left and many points up for grabs. You cannot give anything up in this Championship and that’s something really exciting for the fans and nerve wrecking for the riders. With 6 races across the two final rounds, I seriously need to maintain my focus and commitment. We will keep doing what we are doing, the team is working great and the new 19 year model CRF450R Honda is unreal.”
SX1 Race One
The American led the opening bout from start to finish and never looked back, showing the fans why he has a stranglehold on the championship. Metcalfe and Reardon finished second and third in that opening stanza.
SX1 Race One Results
- Justin Brayton
- Brett Metcalfe +3.139
- Daniel Reardon +4.687
- Luke Clout +6.085
- Lawson Bopping +7.829
- Jace Owen +8.375
- Jesse Dobson +9.784
- Dylan Long +9.894
- Nick Sutherland +25.642
- Robbie Marshall +27.437
SX1 Race Two
Luke Clout and his KTM Factory Racing machine once again proved a rocket ship off the line to gain an early lead in the second race before a crash on the main straight saw him escorted to Racesafe with a suspected knee injury putting him out for the remainder of the night.
Brett Metcalfe checked out for the remainder of the race capitalising on Clout’s mistake, while Brayton fought through the pack to take second ahead of Dan Reardon.
SX1 Race Two Results
- Brett Metcalfe
- Justin Brayton +1.503
- Daniel Reardon +3.494
- Jace Owen +8.504
- Dylan Long +13.188
- Lawson Bopping +15.834
- Zak Small +32.634
- Nick Sutherland +1 lap
- Gradie Featherstone +1 lap
- Jesse Dobson +1 lap
SX1 Race Three
It was Brayton’s #1 CRF450R that scored the holeshot in the final race of the night and the American remained there for the entire 12-lap distance of the Main.
Brett Metcalfe took second while Dan Reardon managed to fend off the advances of a charging Dylan Long to clinch third.
SX1 Race Three Results
- Justin Brayton
- Brett Metcalfe +3.061
- Daniel Reardon +6.792
- Dylan Long +6.960
- Jace Owen +17.248
- Robbie Marshall +20.688
- Lawson Bopping +23.151
- Nick Sutherland +26.058
- Zak Small +29.721
- Jesse Dobson +31.753
SX1 Round Three Results
- Justin Brayton 72
- Brett Metcalfe 69
- Daniel Reardon 60
- Jace Owen 49
- Dylan Long 47
- Lawson Bopping 45
- Nick Sutherland 38
- Robbie Marshall 36
- Jesse Dobson 36
- Zak Small 35
Justin Brayton 72
Brett Metcalfe 69
Daniel Reardon 60
SX1 Championship Standings
- Justin Brayton 75
- Brett Metcalfe 66
- Daniel Reardon 54
- Jace Owen 52
- Luke Clout 46
- Dylan Long 46
- Jesse Dobson 40
- Nicholas Sutherland 39
- Robbie Marshall 34
- Zak Small 29
SX2
The SX2 class saw Wilson Todd of Serco Yamaha take his maiden round victory at Geelong and Jacob Hayes made it a 1-2 for the team while Jay Wilson rounding out the overall podium for the night.
SX2 Race One
Aaron Tanti took the early lead in main event one but a crucial mistake in the later stages of the race allowed Serco Yamaha team-mates Wilson Todd and Jacob Hayes to finish 1-2 in the night’s SX2 opener while Penrite Honda’s Bradley Taft took third.
SX2 Race One Results
- Wilson Todd
- Jacob Hayes +0.751
- Bradley Taft +1.725
- Dakota Alix +5.821
- Jackson Richardson +6.971
- Joshua Osby +8.369
- Kyle Webster +13.933
- Hayden Mellross +16.446
- Richie Evans +16.384
- Lorenzo Camporese +22.465
SX2 Race Two
Jay Wilson had made an early mistake in the opening bout but was out to make amends in the second stanza, taking the lead in the middle of the race from KTM’s Dakota Alix.
Penrite Honda’s Bradley Taft then also worked his way past Alix to take second place while Alix rounded out the top three ahead of Jacob Hayes.
SX2 Race Two Results
- Jay Wilson
- Bradley Taft +2.272
- Dakota Alix +4.630
- Jacob Hayes +5.099
- Hayden Mellross +5.324
- Wilson Todd +7.982
- Kyle Webster +13.566
- Aaron Tanti +14.136
- Dylan Wills +14.372
- Jy Roberts +14.696
SX2 Race Three
Hayden Mellross made his way back to the top step of the podium in the final main for the SX2 class gaining the lead in the dying stages of the race battling Jay Wilson who finished in second ahead of Todd, who had done enough to click the round win from Hayes.
SX2 Race Three Results
- Hayden Mellross
- Jay Wilson +1.587
- Wilson Todd +4.624
- Jacob Hayes +6.562
- Jackson Richardson +12.888
- Dakota Alix +12.916
- Dylan Wills +14.999
- Bradley Taft +16.385
- Jy Roberts +17.550
- Joshua Osby +18.755
SX2 Round Three Results
- Wilson Todd 60
- Jacob Hayes 58
- Jay Wilson 57
- Bradley Taft 55
- Hayden Mellross 54
- Dakota Alix 53
- Jackson Richardson 42
- Kyle Webster 38
- Aaron Tanti 30
- Jy Roberts 28
Wilson Todd 60
Jacob Hayes 58
Jay Wilson 57
SX2 Championship Standings
- Jay Wilson 70
- Wilson Todd 59
- Jacob Hayes 53
- Hayden Mellross 52
- Bradley Taft 50
- Dakota Alix 46
- Jackson Richardson 38
- Aaron Tanti 36
- Kyle Webster 35
- Joshua Osby 34
With the tagline “Stadiums are built for Supercross” being broadcasted throughout the night Troy Bayliss Events showed GMHBA Stadium in Geelong was a fitting home as official claimed attendance ticked over 11,800.
Round 4 of the Australian Supercross Championship heads to Gillman Speedway this weekend October 20th for another triple crown weekend.
