Fresh after earning his third consecutive Australian Supercross Championship at the weekend’s Monster Energy AUS-X Open Sydney, Justin Brayton has declared his intentions to return to the country in 2019 and once again defend his title.

In what has been the American import’s toughest Australian campaign yet, Brayton faced strong competition from teammate Brett Metcalfe all season long, which ultimately saw just six points separating the pair ahead of the weekend.

Brayton pushed through for a 2-6-5 results sheet at Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday, crediting the number one fourth overall while granting him a nine-point advantage in the overall series rankings.

“I am so happy to win three in a row,” Brayton expressed. “It’s what I came here to do and I am glad we got the job done. It wasn’t without its difficulties though – first my family got sick, then I got sick and I never fully recovered. I have battled pneumonia for most of the time I’ve been over here so it was tough for sure but it made the overall victory so much more gratifying.

“I feel lucky -I get to see the world and ride dirt bikes. I have met some amazing people through racing and it’s a bonus to win. I can’t thank Honda, Penrite and all of our sponsors enough but we aren’t done just yet.

“We still have a few races to finish this year as we head to New Zealand in a few weeks. My plan is to come back next year and defend my title. I want to keep doing this for as long as I can – if I am competitive and I am enjoying it, then I want to race.”

Brayton rounded out the championship with three victories and four podiums in the five round series. He’ll now head to New Zealand for the S-X Open Auckland, scheduled for 24 November at Mount Smart Stadium.