A strong start to Adelaide’s SX2 main event set Robbie Wageman up for a solid runner-up position on debut in the 2023 Fox Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX).

The WBR Yamaha rider posted the seventh-fastest time in qualifying and was second in heat three behind Terrafirma Honda Racing’s Wilson Todd, earning a direct transfer position to the 10-rider main event.

In the final, Wageman launched to second behind defending champion Max Anstie (Boost Mobile Honda Racing), and from there managed the race and calculated different line selections to ultimately maintain P2 until the chequered flag, banking a solid 22 points to open the season.

“Luckily for me, Max and I came out first and second,” Wageman told MotoOnline. “Then, it was pretty much follow the leader from there. Was a pretty smooth, clean race, we were skimming the whoops the first few laps and then we started jumping them.

“We were going outside after the finish line and then we started going inside, so it was a little bit different, track was tricky, so just adapting to changing the lines throughout the race was difficult, but yeah, ended up playing in our favour.”

US-based Wageman will return home until the week prior to Newcastle, where he will remain in Australia between rounds two and three at McDonald Jones Stadium and Marvel Stadium. He adds to the increasing list of internationals using the AUSX season to best prepare for the Monster Energy Supercross Championship that commences early next year.

“Absolutely, that is why I have always wanted to come over here and this year especially, I was all up for it,” Wageman added. “Gate drops, just racing intensity, no matter how much you try to practice that with your buddies at home, riding or your training partners, it never plays out like it does when you drop that gate and you are actually racing.

“That’s the whole thing, being over here racing, pre-season prep but I mean it is racing, you don’t even think of it as pre-season prep as this is a whole different championship, so you want to win and do your best.”

Round two of the Fox Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) takes place at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle on 11 November.