WSX Australian GP Preview: WSX set for Perth double header

The WSX Australian GP is finally here, and as the final race weekend before the FIM World Supercross Championship’s 2024 finale in Abu Dhabi, marks one of the most important events of the current season.

As a double-header round – WSX’s first in history – there’ll be twice as much action and twice as many races taking place in Perth, but that also means that there are twice as many points available.

With the stakes twice as high than usual, everything that happens in Perth will be pivotal in the WSX 450cc and SX2 250cc World Championship battles, and after the season-opening WSX Canadian GP, there are countless storylines to follow at HBF Park.

In the lead up to rounds two and three, we’ve highlighted some of the biggest storylines below in our WSX Australian GP preview…

Can Ken Roczen match Eli Tomac?

Coming into the 2024 season, the question of who would come out on top – Ken Roczen, or Eli Tomac – was one of the most debated in the WSX paddock, and in Vancouver, that argument was settled.

Tomac left the WSX Canadian GP as the clear winner after executing a near-perfect evening, going 2-1-1-1 to propel himself to the top of the WSX Riders’ Standings with 100 points.

Roczen was comfortably Tomac’s closest rival, but despite winning GP Race 1, and especially after a rare mistake in GP Race 2, WSX’s two-time reigning champion always looked like the second-best rider of the night.

READ MORE: Inside Eli Tomac’s WSX Canadian GP domination

Following Vancouver, Roczen is coming into the WSX Australian GP with a 16-point deficit to Tomac, but with 210 points up for grabs, Perth is the key place for the German to get his aspirations of a third World Championship title back on track.

Stating that Roczen’s title chances were ever in doubt seems dramatic to say, especially after only one round, but as a double-header event, the WSX Australian GP accounts for 50% of all available points in the 2024 season.

In short, it’s already a now or never scenario, and Roczen must be on the pace. And if he is, Tomac needs to be with him if he wants to maintain his current edge. That 16-point gap can easily be extinguished.

Has Joey Savatgy closed the gap?

With a podium finish at the WSX Canadian GP, Joey Savatgy was the third-best rider in Vancouver, and across each GP Race, and even in the SuperFinal, he looked it. Tomac and Roczen were in a class of their own, and arguably, so was Savatgy.

Although a strong showing from Colt Nichols in the SuperFinal briefly put Savatgy’s podium in question, silverware was never really in doubt for the native of Thomasville, Georgia, and although he said he was happy with the result, he was honest about the nature of the situation.

“Eli and Ken are the elite of the elite,” he said post-race. “I have some work to do.”

READ MORE: ‘I have some work to do’ says Savatgy after Vancouver podium

Savatgy was eager to take advantage of the gap between Vancouver and Perth to put some extra work in, and some valuable preparation time will have surely been beneficial for the 30-year-old. That’s because his start to the 2024 WSX season wasn’t ideal.

Firstly, Savatgy joined Fire Power Honda late in the day before round one, which limited his testing time on a new bike, and on 450cc machinery which he hasn’t raced since 2023. And that’s failing to address that Vancouver was his first supercross race in some time.

With that context, Savatgy’s third place finish was actually quite a remarkable achievement, and with the blessing of more time to learn and prepare between races, he should be closer to the benchmark in Perth.

But the gap between rounds doesn’t just benefit Savatgy. It benefits every single rider. Can Savatgy be closer to the front, or will the gap be more pronounced than it was previously?

Can Dean Wilson get his 2024 season started?

Dean Wilson was a key contender in WSX last season, so when the Glasgow-born, Canada-raised racer was anonymous throughout the 2024 opener, it came as a big surprise.

While many expected Wilson to be up inside the top five with the likes of Savatgy, Nichols, and Vince Friese, he instead found himself battling over 14th and 15th in GP Races 1 and 2.

A fifth-place finish in GP Race 3 was as good as Wilson’s weekend got, and his overall 12th place finish marked his second-worst result in WSX, and worst weekend since 2022.

READ MORE: 2024 WSX Canadian GP WSX class results

With the season finale just a short distance away, Wilson desperately needs to get his season started in Perth, and he can’t wait around. He needs to reclaim lost ground, and fast.

As WSX’s defending World Supercross Teams’ Champion, Fire Power Honda is one of the strongest squads in the series and in Vancouver, Savatgy showed that first-hand. But now the time has come for his team-mate to do the same.

Wilson has shown himself to be a top rider in WSX, and a title contender with third in the standings last season after falling just nine points short of clinching a vice championship title.

Seeing what Wilson can achieve in Perth, and how he will approach the weekend in general, will be fascinating, but expect him to be on the pace from the off.

Can Shane McElrath resume where he left off?

2022 SX2 World Champion, Shane McElrath, was undoubtedly the favourite for victory at the WSX Canadian GP and dominated the 250cc class by going 7-1-1-1 to take the overall win on the night.

With 89 points on the board, he’s looking hot at the top right now, but that isn’t exactly a shock. Speed has never been an issue for McElrath. Where he struggles is consistency.

In 2023, the SX2 class saw McElrath dominate the season-opener in equally convincing fashion, but in Abu Dhabi, and again in Melbourne, he just failed to hit the mark. That’s why Max Anstie, who was at the top of his game, ran away with the title last year.

READ MORE: 2024 WSX Canadian GP SX2 class results

Heading to Perth, McElrath is still undoubtedly the rider to beat in the SX2 class. But how will he deal with the pressure of having a target on his back? Especially against a talented field of hungry young riders.

Maintaining his current form at HBF Park could easily make McElrath the primary title contender in SX2, but if he doesn’t manage to match his speed, he could also find himself on the back foot going into the season finale.

Who will step up in SX2?

In Vancouver, Max Anstie was McElrath’s closest challenger and holds second in the SX2 points standings, but as a Wildcard rider, the Briton won’t be back in Perth, and that means that there’s a vacuum that needs to be filled in the 250cc class.

The question is, who fills it?

Cole Thompson, who finished third overall at BC Place, is a natural choice and heads to Perth tied on points with Anstie which, given his rival’s impending absence, essentially grants him second in the standings.

Yet the Rick Ware Racing riders, Enzo Lopes and Coty Schock, are close behind, and based in what we saw in Vancouver, the pair are insanely quick.

READ MORE: How did WSX’s rookies perform in Canada?

Lopes only got better as the evening went on, and before his spectacular accident in GP Race 3, Schock was on course of an overall podium finish, potentially even finishing higher than Anstie.

These three riders have a key opportunity in Perth to become de-facto SX2 World Championship title contenders. Seeing which one steps up to the mark to challenge McElrath is a scintillating prospect.

How will WSX’s first-ever double header unfold?

WSX’s first-ever double-header event is already shaping up to be a race weekend to remember, and upon touching down in Perth, riders and teams alike will face an intriguing performance picture.

The opportunities on offer are already endless, but the scenario behind the racing is unique, because if a round doesn’t align for a rider on Saturday, they’ll be able to realign and regroup to try again on Sunday.

Making mistakes on Saturday, while costly, doesn’t spell complete disaster, but while riders who are initially off the pace can close in, those on the pace from the start should only be able to extend their advantage.

READ MORE: WSX Australian GP track map unveiled

On top of that, there’ll be track evolution to contend with, and not only will the circuit change on a lap-by-lap basis, but it’ll also change from day-to-day.

The circuit will never be the same, but with 14 gate drops taking place in only two nights, who knows what will happen!

Tickets for the 2024 WSX Australian GP at HBF Park in Perth are available on Ticketmaster from A$55 per person as the best talent on two wheels battle it out in a high-octane, heart-pumping weekend of racing.