A double-header at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium saw the 2025 Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship commence in emphatic fashion, with plenty of action taking place across both rounds one and two of this year’s series. In this edition of Q&A, MotoOnline answers key questions following the season-opening weekend in Queensland.

Image: Foremost Media.

Q: Is recapturing the SX1 title now a formality for Dean Wilson?

A: It’s crazy to think that we’re already 40 percent of the way through the AUSX championship after just one weekend of racing. What made the Redcliffe double-header even more crucial is the new format where both finals in each class accumulate championship points. The 2023 SX1 champion – Dean Wilson (Quad Lock Honda) – was the standout rider across the two premier categories to capitalise on the new system, taking a perfect 100 points from the four points-paying races. What’s even more remarkable was that the likeable Scotsman was able to get the job done despite grieving for his mother, who passed away over the same weekend. On track, Wilson barely put a foot wrong, winning both his heats and coming through the field on multiple occasions to win all four SX1 finals. As a result, he already holds a 16-point buffer over second-placed teammate Cedric Soubeyras, and if he carries his current form into Cronulla next weekend, he’ll be well on the way to reclaiming the SX1 crown he narrowly lost to Joey Savatgy last year.

Q: The soil used this year looked a lot different from what was utilised in 2024. Was that the case?

A: Unlike supercross in the US, where dirt is often stored and reused annually, Australian promoters generally source and use different soil every year. 2024’s soil was looser and contained more rock, which caused it to break down over the course of the weekend. This year’s soil was a mix of sand and red clay, which packed extremely hard. Given the hot, windy conditions on both Saturday and Sunday, the crew did a fantastic job of keeping moisture in the track while not over-watering on sections where grip was hard to find. The clay definitely offered much less traction than last year, but it held up better over the two days of intense racing. The two-day format also had an influence on the surface, too, with Sunday’s race track appearing to have more grip than what was available on Saturday night.

Q: When was the last time Yamaha won a SX2 supercross race?

A: If you’d thought that it’d been a long time since we’d seen a Yamaha on top of the SX2 podium, you’d be right. Lux Turner’s double round win at Redcliffe signalled the first time a blue machine has earned the top step of the podium since 2022, when Canadian Cole Thompson won the final round of the championship at Wagga Wagga. Even then, the Serco Yamaha rider didn’t win either of the two finals (beaten by Nathan Crawford and Max Anstie on both outings). You’ve got to go back to 2019 to find the last time a Yamaha rider took the chequered flag and won the round, when Jacob Hayes (Serco Yamaha) emerged victorious at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. As for the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha team, the last time they tasted the winner’s supercross champagne was a full seven years ago, when Jay Wilson won the Coolum round in 2018. Now the US-based Turner has finally broken Honda Racing’s SX2 stranglehold, which potentially signals a changing of the manufacturer’s guard within the highly competitive class.

Image: Foremost Media.

Q: How did crowd attendance compare to last year?

A: AUSX promoter – AME Group – says almost 14,000 spectators attended Redcliffe over the double-header weekend. That number is slightly down on last year, but there are a few factors to take into consideration. Last year was the first time in years that a supercross had been held in Queensland, so naturally, public interest was a lot higher. 2025 has also seen an increase in competing events, particularly World Supercross’ Gold Coast GP, which is scheduled for next month. The Bathurst 1000 Supercars race – also being held on the same weekend – is likely to have impacted the number of spectators who turned up, especially on Sunday, however, it was still a solid showing in the Sunshine State.

Q: What’s the latest on the injury front?

A: The opening rounds of supercross always tend to pay a heavy toll on the racers, and this year has been no exception. The high-profile DNSs started before the Kayo Stadium doors even opened, with contenders Nathan Crawford, Brodie Connolly, and Matt Moss all ruled out of the weekend’s action. KTM Racing Team’s Crawford injured his ankle during pre-season testing, and Moss (Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki) crashed while training about six weeks ago and sat out Redcliffe with an undisclosed injury. SX2 racer Connolly (Honda Racing) won’t be returning this year after breaking his scaphoid the week leading up to the opening rounds. Redcliffe also claimed some other names: Reid Taylor (Raceline Husqvarna Tdub Racing) broke his wrist after displaying plenty of early promise, Zac Watson (Rising Motorsports) also suffered a wrist injury and will miss Cronulla, and Byron Dennis (KTM Racing Team) crashed hard on Saturday and was a DNS on Sunday. Another notable non-starter to this year’s AUSX is Regan Duffy, who announced before the opening rounds that he’s taking time off to address a narrowing heart artery that’s weakening the blood flow around his body.

Q: Who were the big surprises over the weekend?

A: The beauty of supercross is that there are often several riders who emerge as contenders once the pre-season speculation finishes and the gates drop. One of the biggest standouts from Redcliffe was KTM-mounted privateer Hayden Mellross. A strong supercross rider in his own right, 30-year-old Mellross had an impressive weekend that culminated with a hard-earned third overall in SX1 after Sunday’s second round, courtesy of a 3-4 result from the two finals – his first podium appearance in years. After two strong rounds, he’s now third in the SX1 points standings. Perhaps less surprisingly, but still impressive, Frenchman Soubeyras (Boost Mobile Honda Racing) also threw his hat in the ring as a genuine SX1 contender with consistent runner-up round results on both nights. In SX2, Turner was arguably stronger than most anticipated, and Alex Larwood made a real statement with his form all weekend. The NFAL Honda Racing rider was never far from the front, then stormed to a memorable wire-to-wire victory in Sunday’s second SX2 final.

Image: Foremost Media.

Q: Can Shane McElrath turn his season around?

A: Over the past two years, Redcliffe has proven to be something of a bogey round for defending SX2 champion Shane McElrath. On Saturday, the Quad Lock Honda rider went down in the first turn and broke his footpeg in the first final, but rebounded well to win the second race. Sunday saw him suffer from bad starts as he fought his way through the pack to a 5-4 result. If 2024 is anything to go by, you can expect the charismatic American to rebound from here and come out firing for Cronulla and Melbourne rounds – however, uncertainty still clouds his participation in the series finale in Adelaide, as he is slated to contest WSX’s Gold Coast GP on the same weekend. Either way, it wasn’t the weekend that most had expected for the decorated racer, and it’ll be intriguing to see how he progresses inside Sharks Stadium.

Q: Who else needs to come out firing in Sydney?

A: Redcliffe proved to be a tough weekend for several pre-season title favourites. The most notable was Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki’s Luke Clout. The talented racer topped qualifying both days and put in solid 3-2 final results on Saturday, but Sunday was a disaster. Two first-turn crashes saw him DNF the first final, then struggle to 11th in the second. The weekend has effectively ended Clout’s SX1 championship aspirations as he’s now 48 points behind series leader Wilson. In SX2, Honda Racing’s Wilson Todd gets the dubious nod for having the most disappointing start to his 2025 campaign. Despite stepping back to a 250 after racing ProMX on a 450, Todd had been tipped to be a legitimate contender coming into this year’s series, but had a frustrating couple of days. A runner-up in Saturday’s first final was the highlight of the weekend before he crashed and finished P8 in the second outing. Sunday was more tumultuous, as he finished 11th overall with 4-16 scores. Elsewhere, Monster Energy CDR Yamaha’s Phil Nicoletti had a tough yet consistent weekend, finishing with 7-7 8-8 results in SX1, while Noah Ferguson (KTM Racing Team) suffered multiple crashes on his way to 16th and ninth overall in SX2.