American Justin Brayton was strong during qualifying today and could cause an upset come race time.

JGR Yamaha’s Justin Brayton could cause a hometown upset over Chad Reed entering tonight’s opening round of the Monster Energy Super X Championship in Newcastle.

The talented current AMA number five is known for his ability to gain strong results in international events, and says that he’s enjoying the opportunity to race in Australia for the opening three rounds of Super X.

“I feel good, the track’s awesome – it’s really good,” the Californian said. “It almost feels like we’re racing at home, I brought a few friends over and am having a lot of fun. We’re staying down in Melbourne close to the beach, here for three weeks and am looking forward to it.

“I came for a little holiday, have some fun, but also to prepare for Super X. I’m going to do some surfing, do some riding and make the most of it while I’m here.”

Brayton impressed with the second fastest time during qualifying this afternoon and then went on to take victory in the opening heat race of the evening.