Fans were treated to an action-packed show at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night as 2018 US Supercross Champion Jason Anderson took the top honours in the premier SX1 class.
The Monster Energy S-X Open in Auckland, which doubled also as the fourth round of five in the Australian Supercross Championships, resulted in Anderson taking the points lead in the S-X Open FIM Oceania Supercross Championship.
The round two Oceania decider – which will also be the final round of the Australian nationals – takes riders to Melbourne on November 30.
Anderson didn’t have it easy in Auckland on Saturday, with a stiff challenge from new Australian championship points leader Luke Clout, who stood on the podium in runner-up position, with a victory in race two of the Triple Crown format, along with South Australian legend Brett Metcalfe, who took third overall for the night.
New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood catapulted himself into the Auckland night sky with a double back-flip, and subsequently edged Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams for the gold medal, in a fitting end to his Freestyle Motocross career. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
“I’m stoked to grab the win here in Auckland, the racing was super intense tonight. It’s always a blast to come over here and race in front of these fans – I’ll look to keep the ball rolling come Melbourne,” commented Anderson.
For Clout, a second place to the 2018 World Champion was as good as a win, as he states that he’s ‘back’ after a few turbulent years of supercross and motocross competition.
“I said to my brother this week; I’m back. There’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes that people haven’t seen, and for a while there I didn’t really even want to ride a dirt bike. I’ve got that passion back, and my eyes are back on the United States,” commented Clout.
The racing in the quarter-litre SX2 category was electrifying, with Australian SX2 Supercross point’s leader Josh Osby taking the top spot, posting the most consistent result through the Triple Crown format. Penrite Honda’s Chris Blose claimed second, with Australian Aaron Tanti rounding out the podium.
“It feels so good to extend my points lead. The crowd here was insane tonight; every time they went nuts, I wanted to know what was happening! I’m keen to get back to work and look to wrap up the Australian Championship in Melbourne,” commented Osby.
In his last FMX competition ever, New Zealand native Levi Sherwood catapulted himself into the Auckland night sky with a double backflip, and subsequently edged Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams for the gold medal, in a fitting end to his Freestyle Motocross career in what was an amazing Freestyle Best-Trick contest.
“This means so much to me. To call time in front of my home fans, and to get the gold; I’m speechless. Thank you for the support over the years, it’s been a dream come true,” commented Sherwood.
In this ANZAC versus USA race it was New Zealand’s Cody Cooper (Honda No.121) who won against American Jason Anderson (Husqvarna No.21). Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com
The ANZAC versus USA series of feature races saw the stars and stripes come out on top when Ricky Carmichael took down Ben Townley in the final race, after Cody Cooper beat Jason Anderson and Luke Clout topped Joey Savatgy.
The next round will take place in Melbourne’s iconic Marvel Stadium on November 30 for the first time ever, where champions in each category will be crowned, in front of over 35,000 fans, in what will be the largest ever Supercross event in history in the Oceania region.
© Photos by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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The ANZAC versus USA series of feature races saw the stars and stripes eventually come out on top with (from left) Ricky Carmichael, Joey Savatgy and Jason Anderson. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com