Image: Foremost Media.

Brett Metcalfe says he’ll be ‘on the attack’ tomorrow night at Wollongong’s third round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship as he seeks redemption from an admittedly disappointing home race in Port Adelaide.

The Penrite Honda Racing challenger has displayed strong form throughout the opening two rounds of the series, however a pair of crashes in both Brisbane and Port Adelaide have ultimately denied him of landing on the podium.

The South Australian is looking to turn his fortunes around at WIN Stadium tomorrow night, where he’ll bring an aggressive approach to the fast-paced triple crown format on offer.

“Adelaide didn’t work out very well for me, and that was really disappointing being my hometown race,” Metcalfe admitted to MotoOnline.com.au. “It was a struggle to get back up and going the week after because it was really disappointing.

“I’m looking forward to Wollongong, the track is full-sized and I think we’re going to get a really good crowd. I’m looking to get a little bit of redemption, but I’m going to focus on having a good result at the end of the night even though it’s a triple crown format, which are three races that will hold their own story.

“I’m going to try and be on the attack, be aggressive and go for it. I can’t try and think consistent results or whatever, I’ve just got to go for it.”

Metcalfe sits fourth in the championship standings, six points behind CDR Yamaha Monster Energy duo Dan Reardon and Luke Clout, and 14 points behind teammate and series leader Justin Brayton (Penrite Honda Racing).

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American Josh Hill has declared his intentions as he embarks on his Australian Supercross Championship return this Saturday at Wollongong’s third round.

Hill, who raced the 2013 Australian supercross series, will pilot a CDR Yamaha Monster Energy YZ450F throughout the next three rounds of the season.

The popular contender last raced supercross competitively in 2018 when he made a selection of appearances with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing in the AMA Supercross series, and following a strong lead-up to his return in Australia, he’s aiming to be as ‘competitive as possible’.

“It’s super refreshing to be back in Australia,” Hill commented. “It’s been a while since I was here, and I’m stoked to be getting back behind the gates and battling with the boys.

“While I’m here I want to be as competitive as possible, I’ve got a great bike – the CDR guys hooked me up with a ride and being on this team, there’s no sense in going out there and doing it halfway.”

Tomorrow’s night show at WIN Stadium will kick-off at 5:30pm local time, as the event runs alongside the inaugural Australian Motorcycle Festival.

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Luke Clout is drawing upon his experience for Wollongong’s triple crown this Saturday night, learning from the crash that cost him victory during the same format at Geelong in 2018.

Clout enters the third round of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship ranked second in the SX1 standings, and is aiming to put a halt to Justin Brayton’s (Penrite Honda Racing) dominance over the first two rounds.

Reflecting on his mistake from last year, the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy rider acknowledges it will take consistency and a calculated approach to earn a maiden premier class main event victory this weekend.

“Last year I was actually winning a main event and threw it away,” Clout told MotoOnline.com.au. “There are three races, and obviously you want to go out and win each one, but you need to take each race as it comes.

“The sprint speed is definitely going to be a factor – there are three short races, but supercross is a bit different – you’ve got to sprint but also play it smart, because supercross can catch you out.

“If I can get a good start, I’ll definitely be sprinting. I need to keep it on two wheels as well and play it smart, because there are three races.”

This weekend’s third round of the Australian Supercross Championship will be accompanied by the Australian Motorcycle Festival, which will take place at Lang Park on 9-10 November.

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Aaron Tanti says his surge in form throughout the opening rounds of the 2019 Australian Supercross Championship has come as a result of an extensive pre-season, the Serco Yamaha rider set to don the red-plate this weekend at Wollongong’s third stop of the series.

Tanti, who holds a two-point advantage in the SX2 standings over American Josh Osby (Raceline KTM Thor), has recorded a pair of podium results at Brisbane and Port Adelaide, finishing second and third respectively.

This weekend’s stop at WIN Stadium marks a home round for the New South Welshman, and with the triple crown format coming into play for the first time this season, the number 18 is targetting a trio of consistent results to strengthen his title chances.

“I’ve just learned over the last year – and through motocross – and it’s really come down to that I’ve put in a lot of hours on the bike with a lot of ride time before round one,” Tanti explained to MotoOnline.com.au. “We had a fair few weeks, and it seems to be paying off. I’m comfortable, and working with the team, I have the best setting I can.

“I just want to place myself in the best possible position, stay on the bike and be consistent – especially in the triple crown, I want to have three good races and hopefully end up on the podium. I want to get some really solid points – I don’t want a bad round or DNF or something like that.”

This weekend’s third round of the Australian Supercross Championship will run alongside the Australian Motorcycle Festival, which will take place at Lang Park on 9-10 November.

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Team HRC is taking a measured approach with Australian Mitch Evans as he graduates to the premier MXGP category in the world championship next year, according to team manager Marcus Marcus Pereira de Freitas.

Evans’ signing with the factory squad alongside reigning world champion Tim Gajser was made official this week during a Honda Racing Corporation presentation at EICMA in Milan.

The Queenslander is no stranger to riding a 450, racing to runner-up honours in the 2018 MX Nationals before representing Team Australi at RedBud’s Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) during the same year.

With a season under his belt on the world championship circuit in the MX2 category, Marcus Pereira de Freitas explained the team will completely support him in his transition to the MXGP class.

“We are also very excited to have Mitch join us for the 2020 season on the Honda CRF450RW,” said Marcus Pereira de Freitas. “We know that he can ride a 450 well, after his showing at the Motocross of Nations in RedBud when he was just 19 years old, so it is great to have him under our awning for next year.

“However, while the world championships start in March, he knows he has to do a lot of training to do before that in order get ready for the 20 round series on this bigger machine.

“His rookie season last year had some positive results and he now knows a little of what to expect with the tracks and the conditions so that will help, but of course he will have a whole team around him, supporting him and making sure he is able to go out there and deliver some good results for Team HRC.”

Evans scored a pair of podiums in maiden MX2 World Championship campaign this year, completing the series with a ranking of 11th despite missing almost a third of the season.