2022 WSX Australian GP | Race Report & Results

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2022 WSX AUSTRALIAN GP | COMPLETE COVERAGE

The pilot season for the FIM World Supercross Championship ended at the 2022 Australian WSX Grand Prix, a wild night of racing that saw an riders from three different countries earn wins and places on the podium in the SX2 Class while flat tires, inner-team rivalries, and different winners added to the title chase in the WSX Class.

SX2 RACE ONE

Max Anstie rocketed out of the gate, around the first turn, and to the lead at the beginning of Race One, a flawless chain of events that put him in control of the six-lap sprint. The Honda Genuine Honda rider plotted his way around the freshly prepped track to put a gap between himself and rest of the pack in just a few minutes, a 1.8-second advantage that he carried to the checkered flag.

Although Anstie got the win, Shane McElrath was the fastest rider on the track. The Rick Ware Racing rider put himself into second place at the start and averaged better lap times than the leader, but was unable to make an attempt at the top spot.

ClubMX/FXR’s Jace Owen held his own against the pack for an impressive third place finish, while SX2 title hopefuls Chris Blose and Mitchell Oldenburg finished fourth and seventh, respectively.

SX2 RACE TWO

A charged-up pack and tight first turn set the tone for Race Two. It started when Mitchell Oldenburg and Justin Bogle came together at the apex of the flat left-hander, standard-issue contact that put Bogle on the ground, caught Oldenburg up for a very brief moment, and allowed Aaron Tanti a clear path to the top spot.

The CDR Yamaha rider led every remaining moment of the moto, a six-lap effort that saw him hold off Oldenburg on lap one and McElrath from lap two to the checkered flag, but neither by more than a full second. The win also offset a crash-caused ninth place score in Race One and put him in contention for spot on the overall podium.

A second place run by McElrath and third place finish by Anstie proved the riders were the fastest and most consistent in the SX2 category, as the two even posted identical lap times (48.198, McElrath on lap three and Anstie on lap six). Anstie had a one-point advantage for the overall win going into the last gate drop.

SX2 RACE THREE

McElrath, Tanti, and Anstie exited the first turn at the start of Race Three in that order. Although was McElrath ranked at the top of the series standings, this was the first time he led a points-paying GP race in six gate drops, and he soon settled into role with fast laps and limited mistakes. 

The second-place skirmish between Anstie and Tanti lasted little more than a minute, as Race One winner Anstie was able to make move on Race Two winner Tanti by the end of lap two. Tanti eventually lost sight of Anstie, but his third-place moto finish was enough for a third place overall. 

The battle for the overall went to the very end, as unwavering intensity put Anstie within inches of McElrath as they took the white flag. McElrath managed to keep Anstie at bay by just 0.659 seconds at the finish line, a win that earned the RWR rider the overall victory and clinched the SX2 championship.

Chris Blose had a solid showing in Australia, as 4-5-4 finishes put him third overall and in the championship, but the outcome was not exactly what the BUD Racing rider had hoped for, as he did not battle rivals McElrath and Anstie closely. 

WSX RACE ONE

Ken Roczen put in dominant effort to get the win in Race One, as the Honda Genuine Honda rider took control at the very beginning and consistently added a half-second to the lead every time he crossed the scoring loop through the eight-lap dash, for a 4.8-second margin of victory.

Joey Savatgy kept second place for the entirety of the race, thanks in part to an excellent start, and the Rick Ware Racing rider the only other on track to post a time in the 46-second range. Justin Brayton, Vince Friese, and Dean Wilson finished third, fourth, and fifth respectively, positions that they maintained from start to finish, with no passes.

WSX RACE TWO

Everything seemed set for Ken Roczen to take another uncontested checkered flag in Race Two, as another holeshot led to another breakaway run from the pack. Things took an unexpected turn on lap four, however, when a cut rear tire caused him to slow down, pull out of the race line, and duck into the work area. Roczen was credited with 15th place in the moto, but the issue had taken him from first in the championship to third, which made the final race a must-win situation.

Joey Savatgy was the first to benefit from Roczen’s withdrawal; the RWR rider took over the lead, maintained a two-second plus gap, and rode unchallenged to the checkered flag. Vince Friese got the biggest boost, though, as the dark horse title contender instantly became the series leader with single-digits advantages over teammate Justin Brayton and Roczen. 

WSX RACE THREE

A first-turn incident between Friese and Brayton was the moment of the 12-lap finale, as the controversial contact left both MCR riders/title contenders on the ground while Savatgy and Roczen sped off in spots one and two. Friese was the first to remount, and after a hurried pursuit, was back among the top-five in the final laps. Brayton, however, was slower to get going and could only get back to eighth place.

Savatgy and Roczen ran within about two seconds of each other through the race, and although there was no real battle for the top spot, the two kept things interesting through Savatgy’s efforts to maintain the spot, Roczen’s late laps, a shared ability to knife through traffic, and an unexpected 1-2 rank in the point standings. Savatgy would go on to win the race, while Roczen secured the WSX championship with a second place overall.

The crash took a toll on Friese’s rank in the night’s overall results and the championship, as he quickly went from potential winner to third place finisher in the overall results and the series standings.