Image: Foremost Media.

Ryder Kingsford has shrugged off any signs of a painful ankle injury following his P2 result at round three of the Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship in Sydney, the SX2 challenger returning to front-running form on Saturday night.

Expressing disappointment after a 5-6 overall scorecard at rounds one and two in Redcliffe, 20-year-old Kingsford entered Sharks Stadium with eyes set on the podium, qualifying P1 and racing to victory in the first of two finals.

A down-to-the-wire race in the second encounter saw Kingsford relinquish the lead late to Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha teammate and points-leader Lux Turner, with a 1-2 score earning him second overall on the night.

“I am much happier compared to how I was two weeks ago,” Kingsford told MotoOnline. “My riding two weeks ago was still solid, but my starts were just really, really poor in Queensland, and that’s what put me in positions that aren’t up to my standards.

“Over the last four days of riding, I think I did 20 to 30 starts per day and knuckled down on them. For tonight, Lux ain’t no easy competitor – honestly, I enjoy the international riders coming over and racing. Eventually, I want to be in the US, so to have them come over here is great.”

After the second final, the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha rider appeared to be experiencing discomfort with his right leg, which he would later confess was a niggling pre-season ankle injury.

“I’m all good,” he explained. “Just a little bit of a pre-season injury before Redcliffe, and then I had a moment in the whoops here with two laps to go and twisted my ankle, which sent a shooting pain up my ankle and it kind of went a bit numb from there.

“After the big mistake, Lux got by me, and by that point I just rode the thing home – I think if I kept pushing I would’ve gone over the edge, and that’s when anything can happen. All-in-all, I’m pretty happy with my performance in Sydney.”

With his result, Kingsford climbed to second in the overall SX2 standings, 26 points behind Turner as the AUSX championship heads to Melbourne on November 22.