Home-soil heroes, rising US imports and hungry locals collide at Marvel Stadium
Australia’s biggest supercross event roars back into Melbourne this weekend, with the AUSX Open set to pack Marvel Stadium with more than 40,000 fans. AFL’s hallowed turf will once again be buried under tonnes of dirt as the sport’s best roll into town, including a rare home-soil appearance from the Lawrence brothers.
Festivities kick off Friday with Fan Fest from 1pm, giving punters a chance to get close to the riders and machinery before a packed Saturday program with titles, prize money and bragging rights all on the line.
SX1: Aussies vs Internationals in a Tightening Title Fight
American import Mitchell Harrison sits fifth after the opening three rounds. The Victorian conditions and the tighter Aussie tracks took him a while to adjust to, but his pace at the last round suggests he’s a live threat for the podium at Marvel—especially after a crash on the final lap robbed him of silverware last time out.
Defending national champ Aaron Tanti has shown flashes of his usual speed but hasn’t strung together a clean night yet, with crashes proving costly. He currently sits seventh but remains one of the few riders capable of running the front pace when everything clicks.
Crowd favourite Phil Nicoletti is back on deck after a frustrating run of bad luck. Along with mentoring the YZ65 Cup kids, the New Yorker will be hunting results of his own as the championship enters its final stages.
SX2: Tight at the Top as the Title Picture Sharpens
The SX2 class has been the most unpredictable of the lot—unless your name is Lux Turner. The Californian surprised many with his early form, winning all three rounds so far via fast starts, aggression and remarkably tidy riding. He brings a 26-point lead into Melbourne, but with four races left, the job is far from done.
NSW talent Ryder Kingsford found his stride at Cronulla, going 1-2 and coming within a whisker of the round win. Now second in the standings, he arrives at Marvel with serious momentum and a growing international profile.
Jayce Cosford, currently fifth, is in doubt for the weekend after injuring his shoulder in Germany. The team is hopeful he’ll suit up, but it may come down to the wire.
SX3: Fireworks Brewing in the Junior Ranks
Ryder Malinoski made headlines at Cronulla—not just for standing on the top step but for a fiery post-race confrontation that showed he isn’t here to make friends. The US-based rider heads back into round four having regained confidence and now sits within 20 points of the lead despite a rough season opener.
For Aussie youngsters Koby Hantis and Ky Woods, the season has been a grind so far. Both have shown glimpses of top-five speed but haven’t pieced together a full night’s racing. With time running out, the Marvel round looms as a crucial chance to turn their campaigns around.
85cc: Junior Stars on the Rise
The future of Aussie supercross is looking bright in the 85cc ranks, with Blake Bohannon and Deegan Fort delivering a 1-2 result at Cronulla. Bohannon has been the standout of the class, taking all three main-event wins to date with a level of composure rarely seen in juniors.
Fort endured a rough outing at Redcliffe but bounced back strongly last round and continues to build speed each weekend. Both riders will be favourites again when the gate drops in Melbourne.
