Australian international Brett Metcalfe demonstrated his raw speed at Wonthaggi’s Motul MX Nationals season-opener last weekend, although his results wouldn’t display that at the conclusion day.

Metcalfe recovered from an early crash in race one to salvage fifth position, while moto two saw the SD3 Husqvarna-backed rider fighting for a podium spot until a rock cracked his ignition cover, ultimately derailing his weekend and resulting in a DNF to complete the event in 19th overall.

The veteran rider remains optimistic despite his misfortune, taking away the positives – such as his blistering pace – rather than dwelling on what was a frustrating weekend.

“It’s a mixed bag of feelings I guess,” said Metcalfe. “But at the end of the day I’m walking away with a handful of positives and definitely some negatives there. But we were fast all day and competitive with what was probably two good days of testing going in, and a new setup with the Husqvarna 450.

“Our bike was working awesome today and our track speed was good. I felt like that second race was one that got away, but I wanted to come in and gauge where we were and after arriving just three or four weeks ago it’s not bad, but there’s a lot of room to progress.”

Appin’s second round of the championship is scheduled for 23 April, allowing the South Australian a further three weeks to become acquainted with the Husqvarna FC 450.