Serco Yamaha’s Cole Thompson rounded out the Australian Supercross Championship with a third-place finish in the SX2 (250cc) final at the last round of the championship, held at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
The podium result on the night also secured a third place finish in the championship in another consistent championship for the Canadian rider.To view the Serco Yamaha bLU cRU round review: https://youtu.be/rmxCSth3Wdk
Thompson races with experience and maturity and again that came to the fore on the weekend. He looked rock solid in his heat race then transferred that into the 15-lap main event where he avoided the first lap mayhem, slotted into third place and shadowed Wilson Todd in second.
He edged closer at times, looking for a way passed as he showed him a wheel on the inside of the 180 degree turns, but couldn’t make it happen and had to settle for third which was good enough to give him third in the championship. It was his first podium result in the three round series and a great way to finish the supercross season off for himself and the Serco Yamaha team.
“Its always good to land on the podium and I was determined to make that happen as I had narrowly missed it at the first couple of rounds. My starts were much better this weekend and the track more to my liking.
“In the main event, I had Wilson in my sights the entire race, trying to pressure him into a mistake as our pace was so similar but to his credit, he didn’t make one and I wasn’t able to make a pass.
“It was a emotional night for the team and I really wanted to finish the season on a high with them. Serco have been great, and they have made both my seasons in Australia memorable for all the right reasons. Thank you to Gavin, Teasy and Jonni for looking after me and wish them well in the future,” Thompson ends.
Rhys Budd had uneventful night on his way to a seventh-place finish. Budd lacked the pace to run up the front but used his street smarts to make his way to seventh despite a poor start. The night had been reflective of the supercross season for Budd, who couldn’t build any real momentum at each round, and he finished the year in ninth.
“It was a disappointing way to finish the season and not the result both myself and the team were wanting. My starts were average, and I was just getting out hustled in the early laps, which simply shouldn’t be happening.
“My whole supercross season has been a frustrating one for me, as I fell like I have been riding well during the week but just not getting any results on the weekend. It started poorly at the opening round when I missed the final and Newcastle, I just crashed too many times.
“But, I’m healthy and think there is a lot I can learn from this championship. The Serco Yamaha team have been great and I thank Gavin and Teasy for their support all season long,” Budd ends.