We all hear plenty about the likes of Chad Reed when it comes to US competition, but rarely do we get to see the progress first-hand of lesser-known racers like Jackson Richardson and Taylor Potter on the world stage.

Richardson has been doing a phenomenal job once again this season in the Western Regional 250SX series, coming off a sixth place finish in the dramatic Santa Clara round last weekend after over half the field went down in the first turn.

Riding on the privateer XPR Racing Honda team, Richardson has proven a revelation overseas in recent years, especially considering he wasn’t a major name of domestic racing here before taking on some of the best in the world overseas.

The season didn’t start off particularly well for Richardson at Anaheim 1, but since then he’s been a regular in the main events with a high of sixth at the most recent round in Northern California.

Those results have seen Richardson climb to 13th in the standings with just the Las Vegas round remaining, which is an improvement on his 15th overall in the East one year ago. With experience building, Richardson is beginning to turn heads in America.

In contrast to riders at the calibre of Reed, Brett Metcalfe, Michael Byrne and many more before them (Andrew McFarlane, Craig Anderson, Jay Marmont, Dan Reardon, Tye Simmonds, Dean Ferris to name some more), Richardson and Potter are essentially learning their trade in the US.

Potter, after winning the last round of the Australian Supercross Championship at Brisbane in 2014, he had high expectations for this year in the US and is currently 25th in the Eastern Regional 250SX standings with a best of 17th in Detroit.

Potter still has two more rounds to improve upon his highest finish and he has what it takes to do so at either East Rutherford or the Vegas finals, and come time for Aussie supercross if he’s back, he’d have to be rated as a true SX2 title candidate before the gates drop later this year.

It’s been an inspiring ride for these couple of aspiring Australian riders, who are now knocking on the door of making it professionally in the toughest supercross series of them all. Make sure you follow their progress and, if you get time, give them some support via social media to urge them along the way.