AUS-X Open returns with Lawrence brothers to headline

The popular AUS-X Open supercross will return to Melbourne in November, with Aussie superstar brothers Jett and Hunter Lawrence set to headline the event.  

Acting as the final round of a re-energised Australian Supercross Championship, the event will be held in Melbourne at the 50,000 seat Marvel Stadium.

It will be the first AUS-X Open since 2019, after the event was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced in 2022 and 2023 by the WSX Championship.

The Queensland-born Lawrence brothers are two of the biggest names in motocross and supercross, having won eight AMA titles between them, and will surely attract a large and passionate crowd to Melbourne.

“It was a special moment for me when I made my supercross pro debut at the AUS-X Open in 2019,” said Jett. “I am well overdue to race at home in front of the Aussie fans who have supported us so much in our journey.”

Hunter, who has not raced in Australia since he moved to Europe in 2016, was equally excited about the opportunity.

“We’ve been lucky to have had so much support from Australia throughout our racing careers and have wanted to go back and race at home for a while,” he said. “This year, finally, we have been able to make it happen and we’re especially excited to do it by bringing back an iconic event like the AUS-X Open.”

The AUS-X Open team has also secured the services of Eric Peronnard as a strategic advisor. Peronnard was the brainchild of the iconic US Open of Supercross event and has also worked with brands such as X Games, Red Bull, and Fox Racing. He has worked on many global supercross events including Paris and was involved in the inaugural AUS-X Open in 2015.

“Eric is a fantastic asset for us to relaunch the AUS-X Open brand, delivering credibility and confidence to international brands, manufacturers and most importantly, athletes with his involvement,” said AUS-X Open event director, Kelly Bailey.

The Melbourne round will come after rounds in Redcliffe, Wollongong, and Adelaide. Redcliffe will host two rounds after unprecedented demand for tickets, while the Adelaide round will be held as part of the Adelaide 500 Supercars weekend.

AUS-X Open started life in 2015 as the final round of the Australian Supercross Championship. Over the years it grew to attract international superstars and popular music acts. It was moved to Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in 2019 but was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Promoter Adam Bailey then turned his attention to a new venture – the WSX Championship. Bailey and his SX Global team were handed the rights to the FIM World Championship in 2021 and set about creating a global series that would finish in Melbourne.

The WSX Australian Grand Prix replaced the AUS-X Open and was held twice at Marvel Stadium. However, financial and organisational turmoil left the WSX series on shaky ground and Bailey departed as CEO of SX Global in April of this year.

WSX is set to continue with new leaders, but the finale will now be held in Yas Marina, while the Australian round has been moved to Perth. This sequence of events paved the way for a return of AUS-X Open.