News 16 May 2024

Queensland to open AUSX 2024 in championship return

Redcliffe's Kayo Stadium to drop the gates in unique double-header round.

Image: Foremost Media.

Queensland will finally be back on the Fox Australian Supercross Championship (AUSX) calendar in 2024 with a double-header round set to commence the season at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe on October 12. And it could be elevated to a two-day race weekend, pending ticket sales at the 10,000 capacity venue.

The move marks AUSX’s first time being held in the Sunshine State in five years and will put supercross back on the big stage at the home venue of the Dolphins National Rugby League (NRL) team.

“Our Queensland fans have been patiently waiting and we’re thrilled to return the championship to Queensland, where we’ve always been so incredibly supported with an established fanbase,” said AUSX championship director, Kelly Bailey. “Australian Supercross has had strong past success in Queensland – from 2019 in Brisbane to Coolum, Jimboomba, and Toowoomba, to name a few locations.

“Timings have aligned to secure a boutique venue like Kayo Stadium, where we believe the location, shape and size will produce a world-class track and allow for a bumper crowd, atmosphere, and weekend for fans in the City of Moreton Bay. We anticipate the Saturday event selling out, which may leave the door open for another day of racing action.”

While the specific event schedule is yet to be detailed, the double-header reference could be made up of a split-race, sprint-type format that would add another element to the AUSX schedule.

The remaining rounds of the expanded 2024 season are yet to announced by series rights-holder AME Group. It’s rumoured that Adelaide will return at an alternate venue, potentially on the same weekend as the Supercars final round, while it’s understood that the New South Wales race will shift back to Win Stadium in Wollongong following two years in Newcastle.

With the World Supercross Championship’s (WSX) Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne still up in the air – a round that the AUSX series has collaborated with as an undercard in recent seasons – it remains unclear where the domestic series will potentially otherwise be hosted in Victoria.

“Last year we had business targets to build the championship’s foundations from the ground up with the right programs, people, industry collaboration and seamless events,” continued Bailey.

“We introduced new programs, achieved a 77 percent increase in gate numbers year on year, had a 10 percent uplift in attendance per round and 80 percent increase in broadcast minutes watched. While we are proud of what was accomplished, it’s just the beginning.

“Stay tuned for 2024 to be even bigger and better. In due course we’ll reveal our other rounds and locations, including new venues, together with race format updates and exciting partnerships that will truly broaden our reach.”

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