As the riders lined up under the lights for the first time this year, it was Penrite Honda Racing’s Justin Brayton who proved he had returned to defend his 2016 SX1 title with force.
To begin his clean-sweep of the day’s racing, the American import qualified fastest in the field and transferred directly into the 20-lap main event after taking the win in his heat race.
Brayton made his way into the lead early in the main event and rode away to a clear victory as he took the chequered flag 5 seconds ahead of CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris.
Ferris, the current two-time Australian motocross champion, landed himself on the round one podium with a strong performance that saw him push his way through the running order throughout the final.
Brayton and Ferris will now lead the charge into the second round of the series after cementing themselves as serious title contenders once again in 2017.
In the SX2 category it was DPH Motorsport Yamaha’s Hayden Mellross who rose to the top of the highly-rated field of racers.
After qualifying in first position and making his way through to the main event with a heat race victory, Mellross made it a perfect day of racing in Jimboomba.
Multi-time SX2 champion Gavin Faith (Penrite Honda Racing) finished in second position after leading the final early and a hard-charging Mitch Evans (Serco Yamaha) rounded out the podium, claiming a career-best supercross result in the process.
Mellross’ DPH Motorsport Yamaha teammate Wilson Todd also made his way through the pack aboard his Dunlop-shod YZ250F to round out the top five.
“What an incredible opening round of the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship it was for our Dunlop riders,” said Dunlop national motorcycle manager Sebastian Mincone. “Taking the main event win in both the SX1 and SX2 categories and occupying the majority of the podium spots, we can’t ask for much more than that.”
The 2017 Australian Supercross Championship will now head to Bacchus Marsh in Victoria on 14 October for the second scheduled event of the six-round series.
