Ken Roczen stretched his SX1 championship lead with another strong showing in Vancouver, but Eli Tomac stole the spotlight with a stunning KTM debut. As the World Supercross Championship heads to Australia, Jason Anderson, Cooper Webb and Haiden Deegan all add fresh intrigue to an intensifying title race.

Veteran MXGP and MotoGP media guy, Adam Wheeler from WSX gives us the inside look on what is going on leading into the Australian round of the series.

The yellow Pipes Motorsport #94 has been a constant presence on podiums in Argentina and Canada and Ken Roczen’s P1 and P2 results from the opening two rounds of 2025 means the German ace is sitting pretty at the top of the SX1 standings.

Roczen was one of the riders that found a tricky track at BC Place in Vancouver (compared to the harder and slicker terrain in Buenos Aires) but also revelled in the diversity.

“Man, there were rocks and stuff and it’s soft but that’s also the fun of racing in all these areas,” he said. “You can have somebody that’s really good [at ruts and soft terrain] and then you go to hardpack and it’s someone else. To be one of the top guys you have to be good at everything and all these soils.”

Roczen certainly found that opposition with Eli Tomac. The veteran appeared in 2025 World Supercross Championship for the first time and captured headlines thanks to his debut with Red Bull KTM 450 SX-F: the fourth different factory 450 the former AMA champion has steered at the highest level.

Tomac made an instant impression with his 1-2-1 scorecard and his first authentic taste of Austrian technology after a decade with Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha bikes. 

“The right way to start,” the 33-year-old affirmed. “Big changes, man. It didn’t come easy I’ll tell you that: big battles all night, different scenarios in each of those motos. A tough racetrack but you gotta deal with it.”

Tomac’s decision to travel to Canada as a wildcard (and also attempt round three on Australia’s Gold Coast) meant a demanding acclimatisation to both the team and the motorcycle but Eli insisted the heat of competition was the perfect bedding-in opportunity.

“You don’t know things until you go racing,” he stated. “You can feel awesome at the test track and then go to the race and have an epic fail: I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had that happen. It’s good to get racing and see where you’re at.”

The two rivals will renew battles lines once more in the southern hemisphere, and they might have to factor-in the presence of Anderson – yet another former AMA 450SX champion – after the Pipes Motorsports’ first podium grab in Vancouver.

Anderson is a World Supercross ‘rookie’ and is still discovering the demands of globe-spanning supercross.

“It’s a challenge to move to different continents, which is fun, but also doing the riding and getting in the rest to have the energy to perform,” he said, who trails his teammate by just 20 points in the SX1 championship.

“There are a lot of different variables: your body, sleep schedule, the dirt. It’s new, and for those of us who have been racing a lot of years together then it’s refreshing.”

SX1 will be ‘refreshed’ with the additions of Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb and Haiden Deegan to the entry list as well in Australia.

An amazing show lies in store for the fans with plenty to think about for the riders, especially Tomac. “It’s my old team so I’m excited to race against them,” he grinned ahead of the prospect of facing his countryman entering the gate on 29th November.

WATCH THE AUSTRALIAN GP – CLICK HERE