Three-time champion Justin Brayton has emphasised the importance of strong starts at this weekend’s third round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship in Wollongong, which will host the first triple crown format of the season.

The Penrite Honda Racing entry dominated the opening two rounds of the series, the season-opener in Brisbane utilising a double-header format, while Adelaide’s round two served up a traditional 20-lap main event.

The American is supportive of the mixed formats being rolled out in the 2019 series, believing the different styles of races will only add to the spectacle of supercross.

“It’s just going to be very reliant on my starts,” Brayton told MotoOnline.com.au. “I feel my speed is good – I just need to get off the gate for those short races. I enjoy it – it’s a challenge, and if you have a bad one, you can rebound and win the next one.

“The one main event is tough – if you have one thing go wrong, it makes your whole night bad. I’m excited for it. As a fan, I’d love to watch it, and I think it’s cool that they’re mixing it up.”

Brayton holds down an eight-point advantage over CDR Yamaha Monster Energy duo Luke Clout and Dan Reardon in the championship standings.