The 2024 World Supercross Championships (WSX) Australian GP at HBF Park in Perth once again delivered close racing for round three of the FIM series.
American multi-time former AMA supercross champion Eli Tomac (Yamaha) dominated the WSX class in Australia, just as he had at round two of the series held at the same Perth venue the previous night, with a near-perfect performance on Sunday, claiming victories in two GP races and the SuperFinal as well.
Tomac had also won round one in Vancouver, Canada, on October 26.
Fellow American Joey Savatgy (Honda, pictured here) ended Tomac’s winning streak in race 2 in Perth on Sunday and secured second overall, with Germany’s defending WSX champion Ken Roczen (Suzuki) completing the podium after consistent top-three finishes.
American Shane McElrath showcased his dominance in the SX2 class once again, claiming three race wins and the round victory, while Coty Schock impressed with a breakout race 3 win to secure second overall, and Enzo Lopes rounded out the podium with consistent performances.
WSX CLASS
Current Australian Supercross Championship points leader Savatgy set the pace early, clocking the fastest lap in practice for the 450cc class.
Tomac, fresh off a dominant performance in Perth on Saturday, followed closely in second, while Frenchman Greg Aranda impressed with the third-fastest time. Reigning champion Roczen struggled, finishing 10th.
In qualifying, Tomac rebounded to top the leaderboard with a blistering 54.089 lap, followed by Savatgy, Aranda and Roczen, who secured the final SuperPole slot.
During SuperPole, Tomac delivered a near-flawless lap to claim the top spot and five crucial championship points, edging out Roczen by nearly half a second.
Tomac continued his dominance in the first GP race, securing the holeshot and fending off relentless pressure from Savatgy to take his eighth consecutive WSX GP race win. Roczen completed the podium in third, while Aranda and Mitch Oldenburg rounded out the top five.
Savatgy broke Tomac’s winning streak with a clinical performance in the second GP race. Scotsman Dean Wilson initially led, but Savatgy took over and held off challenges from Roczen and Tomac to secure the victory. Roczen finished second after a thrilling duel with Tomac, while Wilson slipped to fourth, and Australian Luke Clout completed the top five.
Tomac returned to form in the final GP race of the evening, taking a commanding win over Savatgy and Roczen. The American’s flawless ride solidified his position as the weekend’s standout performer.
The night concluded with the multi-class SuperFinal, where the top eight riders from the WSX and SX2 classes competed.
Tomac claimed the holeshot and never looked back to take his third consecutive round win.
Roczen secured second after overtaking Savatgy mid-race, with Aranda and Clout rounding out the top five. Savatgy having enough points to claim second for the round while Roczen rounded out the podium.
SX2 CLASS
The SX2 field opened Sunday with Shane McElrath continuing his dominant form, setting the fastest time with a 56.214-second lap. Coty Schock followed closely, just 0.009 seconds behind, while Brazilian Enzo Lopes rounded out the top three.
Canadian Cole Thompson led qualifying with a blistering 55.127-second run, narrowly edging Lopes and McElrath.
In SuperPole, McElrath reclaimed the spotlight, delivering a near-flawless lap to secure the top spot by a razor-thin 0.010-second margin over his team-mate Thompson.
McElrath dominated the opening race, taking the lead on lap one and never looking back. Behind him, Lopes and Schock battled fiercely, with Lopes finishing second after Schock encountered a setback striking a box cover. Maxime Desprey capitalised on the chaos to secure third, marking his first SX2 podium since 2023.
Race 2 saw McElrath extend his winning streak with another commanding performance. Cullin Park secured his first career SX2 podium in second place, while Lopes fought his way into third after overtaking team-mate Schock mid-race.
Schock turned the tables in the third race, delivering a flawless performance to claim his second victory of the season. McElrath recovered from a poor start to finish second, with Park earning his second podium of the night in third.
Lopes was forced to retire after getting tangled in a tough block cover, as did many on the night, while Thompson and Desprey completed the top five.
The weekend culminated in the multi-class SuperFinal, pitting the top eight SX2 riders against their WSX counterparts.
Schock took an early lead in the SX2 category, but McElrath displayed his resilience yet again, charging through the field to claim victory. Lopes finished second, securing his place on the overall podium, while Schock settled for third.
McElrath’s consistent brilliance earned him three race wins on Sunday and six overall for the weekend, solidifying his dominance in the 2024 SX2 season with the round win.
Schock impressed with his breakthrough victory in race 3 on his way to second overall, Enzo Lopes finished on the podium again with third, while Park’s double podiums highlighted his growing potential.
The 2024 WSX Championship reaches its climax with the fourth and final round at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on December 4.
Photo supplied
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