The Factory Honda Racing Team entered Round 4 of the Australian Supercross Championship in a strong overall position. While Dean Wilson extended his SX1 championship lead, the remainder of the team endured a mixed night of results across all classes.
In SX1, Wilson claimed 2nd overall, increasing his series lead to 42 points over teammate Cedric Soubeyras, who rode with calculated caution on what was widely regarded as the toughest track of the season.
“The track was one of the most demanding I’ve raced,” Soubeyras said. “I knew I had a solid gap over third in the championship, so the focus was to maintain or improve that position, and we achieved that.”
Despite holding a commanding lead, Wilson continues to push himself. Five-time Australian Champion Justin Brayton praised the Scotsman’s form.
“Dean is riding as well as I’ve seen him in years. His speed would put him well inside the top ten in America,” said Brayton.
Wilson’s runner-up finish, behind Jett Lawrence, reinforced his momentum.
“I just focused on my own riding and stuck to my plan,” Wilson said. “Jett was riding great, but I’m really happy with my performance. Seeing Honda sweep the podium, 1, 2, 3 was awesome.”
The SX2 class delivered varied outcomes for the team. Shane McElrath finished 2nd overall with 4-1 results.
“My starts weren’t where they needed to be, that’s on me,” McElrath said. “But my riding was strong, and I’ll take the positives and work this week on my starts.”
Alex Larwood finished 4th overall, elevating him to second in the championship standings.
“Mistakes have cost me in this series,” Larwood admitted. “The team has given me what I need to win, I need to clean it up and deliver.”
Wilson Todd endured another difficult blow. After crashing in qualifying, he raced without knowing the extent of his injuries. A hospital visit the following day confirmed four broken bones in his foot, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Teammate Thomas Wood also suffered a season-ending injury, rupturing his ACL in morning practice despite no major crash. Surgery is set for Thursday.
In SX3, Kayd Kingsford relinquished the points lead after an error-filled night. Team director Yarrive Konsky expressed his frustration.
“It’s frustrating, we had a clear plan, and it wasn’t executed. Mistake after mistake made things unnecessarily difficult. The championship is still possible, but he’s put himself under pressure.”
Jett Alsop finished 4th overall.
“It was an okay result, but I wasn’t on the lead group’s pace,” Alsop said. “I’m still in the hunt for the championship, so I’ll give everything in the final round.”
The championship finale takes place this weekend in Adelaide, running in conjunction with the Adelaide 500, where all Factory Honda riders will aim to close the season on a high.
