Ryder Kingsford Seizes SX2 Lead As Lux Turner Sidelined by Wrist Injury

Ryder Kingsford will roll into Adelaide carrying the SX2 red plate this weekend after a gritty, pressure-filled performance at round four of the AUSX Supercross Championship, where he capitalised on teammate Lux Turner’s heartbreaking practice crash to take over the series lead.

Kingsford came into Melbourne sitting second behind the unbeaten Turner, but when the US-based rider went down in practice with a wrist injury, the door opened for Kingsford to take control of the championship, provided his night unfolded cleanly. That was easier said than done. Kingsford admitted the emotional load was heavy after watching his younger brother Kayd be helped from the track in the SX3 race, but he settled himself before the two SX2 mains, fully aware that the title had effectively become a two-man showdown between him and good mate Alex Larwood.

With 30,000 fans packing Marvel Stadium, Kingsford launched into the first final, holding a 10-point advantage over Larwood. He slotted into third early and looked set to charge forward until a mid-race moment bounced him off the track. Forced to roll down the sideline before rejoining, he dropped a spot crucially; that spot was to Larwood. The pair pushed on in the closing laps, finishing second and third with Larwood shaving the points gap down to eight.

Determined to reset, Kingsford came out swinging in race two. Although shuffled back in the opening corners, he quickly found rhythm, working his way into second behind defending champion Shane McElrath. Three positions ahead of Larwood, Kingsford rebuilt his buffer to 12 points, sealing 3-2 finishes for the night and a confidence-boosting podium heading into the title decider.

“There was a lot going on tonight, so to finish on the podium and gain a few points is a good outcome,” Kingsford said, adding that with McElrath and Cole Thompson not running the full series, his priority wasn’t outright wins but beating those in championship contention. “My start was terrible in the heat race, but Lux actually gave me a few tips, and I was able to gate well in the two finals and put myself in a good position. It was terrible to see Lux go down in practice, and I hope he makes a quick recovery as he has been riding well and helped us all lift the bar this season. Also, thanks to the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha Team. The guys have kept working hard on the bike all series and tonight it was sweet. We didn’t change a thing, and it felt good all day.”

For Turner, the night was devastating. The popular American—who has blended seamlessly into the team and Aussie racing scene, entered Marvel with a 26-point lead after three rounds and was riding confidently before he was kicked at the end of the whoops, sent off a berm and into the safety net. He was thrown from the bike and hit the Marvel turf awkwardly, immediately sensing something was wrong with his right wrist.

The RACESAFE team later confirmed he was unable to race, with a broken wrist suspected. Turner will undergo further scans, but he has already been ruled out of Adelaide, ending his championship run.

“I’m so disappointed,” he said. “I feel like I have let so many people down. I wanted to get a championship here in Australia. The team have been amazing, the bike is so good here and I just love hanging out in Australia. Everyone has been so nice to me, and the series is really good. Let’s hope Ryder can bring home the championship for the team as everyone deserves the success and I will be cheering him on to get it done. I’m going to come back next year and see if I can finish the job we started this year and hopefully, we can announce something soon.”

Turner wasn’t the only Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha rider sidelined. Jayce Cosford is also out for the remaining rounds as he prepares for shoulder surgery after a crash in Germany. “I’m booked in for the first week of December to get some work done on my shoulder,” he said. “I crashed in Germany a couple of weeks ago and once I got home, I got some scans and things don’t look good, so the best option was to get it fixed.” Cosford was trackside cheering on his teammates but admitted it was tough not lining up.

The AUSX finale fires up in Adelaide this Friday with practice and qualifying, before racing alongside the Supercars finale on Saturday.