KTM Racing Team‘s Dylan Walsh and Luke Clout have delivered top-five results at the 2026 AUSX Open in Geelong, with both riders overcoming difficult preparations to secure valuable Australian Supercross Championship points.
Walsh finished fourth overall in SX2 after claiming two holeshots across the three finals, while Clout recorded fifth in SX1 after a crash in the final race ended his chances of an overall podium.
The event at GMHBA Stadium featured a strong international field, with KTM’s Australian riders facing some of the biggest names in supercross on one of the largest circuits in AUSX history.
WALSH GRABS TWO HOLESHOTS ON WAY TO FOURTH
Dylan Walsh produced one of his strongest performances of the championship aboard the KTM 250 SX-F, finishing fourth overall in SX2 after recording 4-3-5 results across the three finals.
The 28-year-old entered Geelong looking to improve on a difficult previous round in New Zealand, where illness had affected his performance.
Walsh immediately showed improved speed, qualifying sixth with a fastest lap of 1:00.306 before finishing fourth in his heat race to secure a direct transfer into the night programme.
When the gates dropped for the first final, Walsh grabbed the holeshot and put himself in contention at the front of the field, eventually finishing fourth.
He repeated the start in Final 2, taking another holeshot and converting his track position into third place for his best result of the evening.
A fifth-place finish in the final race secured fourth overall, narrowly missing the podium but providing an important boost to his championship campaign.
The result moves Walsh into equal sixth in the SX2 standings heading into the Perth round on November 14.
“It was a decent night for me in Geelong! I got two out of three holeshots and went 4-3-5 for fourth overall,” Walsh said.
“The night was made a bit easier not being sick like I was last weekend, so I’ll take that, and we’ll move on to Perth.”
With his health improving and his starting speed proving competitive, Walsh will be looking to convert those holeshots into stronger race results during the remaining rounds.
CLOUT’S PODIUM CHANCES END WITH FINAL-RACE CRASH
Luke Clout was left frustrated after a crash in the third SX1 final cost him a potential overall podium at Geelong.
The KTM 450 SX-F rider entered the event battling illness but remained competitive against a field stacked with international talent.
Clout qualified seventh before securing a direct transfer into the finals with fourth place in his heat race.
He opened the three-race Triple Crown programme with fifth place before stepping up his performance in Final 2, running near the front and securing third.
The result put Clout in contention for an overall podium heading into the final race, but contact with another rider caused him to crash.
He recovered to finish 10th, leaving him fifth overall with a 5-3-10 scorecard.
Despite missing out on the podium, Clout remains third in the Australian Supercross Championship standings after two rounds, keeping his title hopes alive heading into Perth.
“Geelong and the AUSX Open is wrapped up, and it was an okay round for me. We were fighting for a podium up until the last race, and yeah, I just unfortunately clipped another rider and went down,” Clout said.
“But I’ve been a little bit sick this week, which made today a tough day, for sure. I gritted my teeth, and then, yeah, in the last one, it all just kind of hit me.”
Clout admitted the result was disappointing but believes he remains firmly in the championship fight.
“But hey, we got some decent points, still right in the championship, and we’ve got some things to work on before Perth. Two more rounds [to go] and six more races, so anything can happen. You’ve got to be in it to win it, and we’ll now look forward to Perth.”
