Equipped with 250 SX-F machinery entering the opening round inside the Adelaide Entertainment Centre this Saturday, October 7, Nathan Crawford and Kayden Minear will spearhead KTM’s assault on the Australian Supercross Championship.
Racing to a stellar 2023 season to date, Crawford will look to build on the race-winning momentum he’s established in the 250 class, with the number 199 having put in a strong pre-season heading into the series opener. After taking third place in last year’s SX2 standings, the experienced Queenslander has his sights set firmly on the top spot for this season.
Youthful teammate and SX2 class rookie Minear lines up for his first season of professional supercross competition, where learning will be the name of the game, with the goal to build as the rounds progress, and to collect a consistent haul of results across his debut season.
This year’s Australian Supercross Championship is comprised of three rounds, beginning with South Australia’s season-opener within the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. From there, the AUSX series will return to Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on November 11, before concluding at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on November 24 for the finale.
Kyle Blunden (KTM Group Australia Motorsport Manager): “We’ve had a great pre-season and we’re full of excitement heading into the 2023 Australian Supercross Championship. Our dedicated team of staff, riders and technical partners have all worked tirelessly since the end of ProMX to ensure we come into the season as prepared as possible. With the three-round series, we know how important it is to be firing on all cylinders from the outset, so we’ve left no stone unturned in our quest to ensure everyone is ready to race from the first gate-drop in Adelaide this weekend.”
Nathan Crawford: “Supercross season is back! This is always one of my favourite times of the year, I really enjoy racing supercross and think it matches my style and technique well. We finished third overall last year – the first of the Australians, so my goal is to finish two steps higher this year. I’ve got the team behind me, the bike, trainer… everything is in place for me to go out there and do my job across these three rounds.”
Kayden Minear: “I’m making my professional debut in supercross this year and, so far, have really enjoyed myself in the lead-up. It’s very different compared to outdoors, with a bunch more techniques to learn and you have to be perfect. I’m out there to learn and put in some good results this year, but also to see the way the field races. I know it’s tight, intense, and especially with these tighter arenas like Adelaide, starts will be very important. I’m stoked to race and thank you to the team for getting me comfortable!”
