02.11.2026
Round 1 – Australian Supercross Championship
Luke Clout and the KTM Racing Team secured a well-earned podium finish at Round 1 of the 2026 Australian Supercross Championship in Auckland on Saturday night, claiming third overall in the stacked SX1 category at North Harbour Stadium.
Clout was in form from the outset aboard his KTM 450 SX-F, powering to the third-fastest qualifying time with a 50.535s lap on the highly technical circuit. He followed that with another third-place finish in his Heat Race, securing a spot in Superpole.
The 31-year-old laid down a scorching lap during the electrifying Superpole session, holding the top position until the final rider on track – reigning AMA 450SX Champion Ken Roczen – took to the circuit. Clout ultimately captured P2, carrying his strong momentum into the night’s racing program.
A consistent 3-3-3 scorecard across the SX1 Triple Crown Finals earned the New South Welshman third overall, and a solid haul of championship points to commence his championship.
Luke Clout: “It was a good night – Round 1, triple points – there is a lot of racing, and a lot of stuff can go wrong. Knowing that, I just tried to chip away at it, stay consistent, and get better every time we got on track. The more race time I have on the bike, the better I feel, so overall, the opener was solid for me. No mistakes, clean laps, and being a part of this KTM Racing Team on board the 450 SX-F is really refreshing. I’m stoked and we'll look for another strong showing in Geelong.”
SX1 teammate Zac Watson was also in action in Auckland, guiding his KTM 450 SX-F to eighth on the combined qualifying timesheets before converting that pace into a fourth-place finish in his Heat Race to secure a solid position heading into the night show.
Bouncing back from a difficult non-finish in the opening Final, Watson improved across the remaining two races, finishing 10th in Final 2 before claiming eighth in the third and final outing. He’ll look to carry that momentum into this Saturday’s AUSX Open in Geelong.
Zac Watson: "I had a pretty solid start to the weekend! I ended up qualifying in P8, which gave me some confidence entering the night program, although my starts weren't the greatest for all three mains. The first one I was cleaned out by another rider, so unfortunately I wasn't able to continue in that one, and then in main two I brought it home in P10, and then improved to eighth in the third Final. So, we made good progress throughout the night, but we'll shift focus to Geelong now and look for a little stronger weekend."
Equipped with the KTM 250 SX-F, Dylan Walsh was targeting a strong weekend in Auckland, qualifying seventh on the SX2 timesheets with a 53.258s lap. He followed that with a fourth-place finish in his Heat Race, collecting a direct transfer into the three Finals.
After finishing 13th in the opening two Finals, Walsh improved to sixth in the third and final race to secure 13th overall for the round. He and the team now shift their focus to Geelong this Saturday.
Dylan Walsh: "It was really good to race in New Zealand again, but tonight just didn't go my way. I felt the speed was there and we finished the night off strong, so we will take that to Geelong and look to keep up the fight at Round 2."
Next Race: November 7 – Geelong, Victoria
Results SX1 Class – Auckland
1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
2. Christian Craig (Honda)
3. Luke Clout (KTM Racing Team)
9. Liam Jackson (Husqvarna)
13. Zac Watson (KTM Racing Team)
Standings SX1 Class after 1 of 4 rounds
1. Ken Roczen, 75 points
2. Christian Craig, 66
3. Luke Clout, 60
9. Liam Jackson, 32
13. Zac Watson, 24
Results SX2 Class – Auckland
1. Cole Davies (Yamaha)
2. Cameron McAdoo (Honda)
3. Ryder Kingsford (Honda)
11. Dylan Walsh (KTM Racing Team)
Standings SX2 Class after 1 of 4 rounds
1. Cole Davies, 75 points
2. Cameron McAdoo, 66
3. Ryder Kingsford, 56
11. Dylan Walsh, 31