Championship day awaits Honda Racing Australia at SX finale
The Honda Racing Australia headquarters have been a hive of activity so far this week, as the conclusion of the 2022 Australian Supercross Championship awaits. Justin Brayton, piloting the Honda Genuine CRF450R, is on the verge of defending his SX1 crown for a fifth time, and Max Anstie of Team HRC Australia is days away from lifting the SX2 championship.
Brayton boasts a long list of achievements and his trophy cabinet has only grown since the 2022 Australian Supercross Championship fired into life. It was at round one in Melbourne that Brayton made his intentions clear – he sprinted to an emphatic win and backed that up with podium finishes in Adelaide and Newcastle. Now reaping the benefits of such a consistent campaign, he is sat on an eight-point lead in SX1 and will win the championship if he finishes fourth or better.
The road to a championship is much simpler for Max Anstie in SX2. ’99’ is set to finish a perfect term on his CRF250R – he is undefeated through three rounds and must finish inside of the top sixteen in order to bring a championship back to the ‘red’ team. Anstie had never visited Australia before the season started, yet he has taken the nation by storm in the four-event series and uncovered a brilliant level ahead of the American competition that starts in January.
Whilst Brayton and Anstie focus on their championship aspirations, Kyle Webster and Wilson Todd are keen to tick items off their respective to-do lists and end the term on a high. Webster has been edging closer to the SX1 podium and hopes to pinch a trophy in Wagga Wagga. ’96’ has a chance to clinch the bronze medal in the final standings too, so ending on a high is a priority! Todd is in a similar position in SX2, as he is seven points adrift of the rider in third.
Justin Brayton: “It has been a great season with my friends at Honda Racing Australia. I’m hoping to reward everyone with a championship this weekend, so that is the priority. It would be nice to take one more main event victory too, especially as we were so close to standing atop the podium in Newcastle.”
Kyle Webster: “I am really happy with the progress that we have made since the start of the championship. I have gotten better each week, which was my goal, and hopefully that continues this weekend! To end the season on the podium would be really special for the team and I.”
Max Anstie: “Wagga Wagga will be another new venue for me, but I have enjoyed my week with the team. Newcastle was another good race for us – hopefully our luck continues on Saturday night and I can bring a championship home for everyone who works so hard to make us competitive.”
Wilson Todd: “It has been a good season for us! It is a shame about the crash at round one, but I think that I have shown my potential since then. Joining my teammate on the podium at the last two rounds has been great. Hopefully we can finish with a similar result in Wagga Wagga!”