Jason Macalpine, host of the Gypsy Tales Podcast, gives us his verdict on the riders in the SX1 and SX2 classes in the World Supercross Championship Australian GP.

1. Christian Craig (10/10)

I don’t care what happened in the first two races, that win in the third when he passed Eli Tomac and yarded Haiden Deegan; to me that’s all I needed to see!

2. Haiden Deegan (10/10)

Can I keep throwing out 10s? He made one mistake in the second race and he got a rough start in the first but he looked unbelievable tonight. He was good in Argentina and got a podium in his first race but here he showed the speed that is going to make him a champion. They say, ‘you cannot teach speed, everything else you can fix’ and he had raw speed tonight. He had the crowd on their feet all night.

3. Ken Roczen (8/10)

I can’t keep on with the 10s, and I have to be somewhat critical. I think the way he dealt with the adversity tonight and a couple of bad starts means an 8. He’s not going to be in Sweden but a great night and he got the overall win.

4. Cooper Webb (8/10)

So close to winning the overall. From where he was on the gate – because of his qualifying – it was a result, and he shouldn’t have won a race tonight. We saw what happened when Haiden had the last gate pick and Coop was able to overcome a severe deficit to win and get on the podium, and his racecraft was at an all-time high. Phenomenal night.

5. Eli Tomac (6/10)

This is going to be a rougher grade. The honeymoon period from Vancouver is now over. They know what they need to work on and the KTM struggled in the whoops as they broke down. It got hard and slick and every rider commented after the race how gnarly they were.

6. Joey Savatgy (6/10)

I felt there was more in the tank. Superpole wasn’t a fluke. He qualified fastest and backed-it-up in Superpole. We saw speed in the races but at points tonight he did not link everything together. I think, overall, this will still generate some momentum for Joey.

7. Austin Politelli (6/10)

I’m going to give Politelli a six because he has made some strides and he was faster than the last round. There was a race where he was running in 5th-6th until he had a massive crash – I’ll give him a 10 for surviving that! 

8. Gregory Aranda (6/10)

The sleeper. We didn’t know how he’d be with those hardpack conditions. The same guy didn’t show up in the races. That seems to be his thing: he’s this flashy, brilliant, fast guy but we didn’t see it all the way through.

9. Vince Friese (4/10)

Before mentioning Vince I want to give a shout-out to Michael Hicks because the bikes those guys have is cutting-edge, new technology and they are flawless everywhere except the whoops; which were extremely challenging tonight. Vince didn’t have the best night but I want to give a shout to Hicks because it think he showed the potential the Stark has if they can figure out the whoops.

10. Justin Hill (4/10)

Rough night for Justin Hill. He wasn’t quite a factor in the races but it’s a tough ask to do this series. These guys are risking their lives every time on the track and might not be totally comfortable on the bike.

11. Ryan Breece (4/10

There was so much action going-on that it was tough to keep a close watch on everyone that wasn’t in the battle for those top positions.

12. Henry Miller (4/10)

There are things to work on. Tonight provided an incredibly tough track, bike set-up was crucial and the heat was tough as well. To get anything over a four on a night like tonight is a massive ask.

13. Jorge Zaragoza (4/10)

Top fifteen? With the Stark guys, like I said, they are breaking new ground and these electric bikes are not only competing against internal combustion engine motorcycles but also some of the best on the planet. It’s a big ask.

14. Jason Anderson 3/10

Jason is going to get a three and that is based on the rough finishes. In terms of his riding he was ripping; he looked really good and the wheels just came off. He had to leave through the tunnel: I watched him go and he was not stoked. Not the best night for El Hombre and with Craig doing so well there are championship implications.

15. Devin Simonson (3/10)

I’m sure he’s not going to be comfortable with his position tonight – and he probably won’t like a three! – but we’ve got another chance next week in Sweden.

16. Jordi Tixier (3/10)

It’s hard to go back to the team truck afterwards when one guy has had a successful night and you’ve had a rough one.

17. Matt Moss (1/10)

A one for Matt, unfortunately. I was so excited for Mossy. He had some amazing form in the Australian domestic series last weekend but Savatgy slowed through the whoops while he went through full speed and then…that was his night done. A terrible night. I cannot stress enough for fans and viewers who are not from Australia what a great rider and athlete Matt has been for our industry, he deserved more from tonight. I think Matt would give himself a one as well.

1. Max Anstie (10/10)

What more can we say? He dominated once again!

2. Cullin Park (9/10)

Honestly, Cullin Park gets a nine. I was waiting for the result to match the riding and he delivered.

3. Shane McElrath (8/10)

I think he was brilliant and talking to him before it seems it was only bike settings that made the difference. Seeing two riders that were in a heated battle but pulling away from the field also shows respect, maturity. Brilliant race to watch and he gave Max something to think about.

4. Michael Hicks (8/10)

A solid eight for Michael. If it wasn’t for that crash in the third race then he would have had a top five when the track was at its worst and the whoops were at their worst. He deserves a special mention. Stark wanted to test the bike in the hardest conditions and the toughest environment and that’s what Michael did. He should be proud of his efforts.

5. Enzo Lopes (6/10)

Enzo should have got more out of the night. He won SuperPole and that was not expected but then the wheels fell off a bit. He’ll be back in Stockholm and Cape Town so good times will come for Enzo Lopes very soon.

6. Coty Schock (6/10)

I expect Coty to be on the box every single weekend. He’s a great supercross rider; he’s so experienced and he has great equipment. I think he’ll be disappointed with the performance. He is another one with more in the tank and my [high] expectations of him are a compliment.

7. Maxime Desprey (6/10)

Sneaky good but just outside of that TV picture. He was right there.

8. Cole Thompson (5/10)

Cole was in the mix and he was fast in Superpole. He was in the top four all day and to not end-up in that bracket is a bit of a let-down. I think he’ll go home wishing he had got more out of this GP.

9. Anthony Bourdon (5/10)

Not a bad ride. I’m going to give him a five. That’s probably where he is at the moment.

10. Robbie Wageman (5/10)

This guy is so talented on a dirtbike. If you see him riding then he is crazy-good. I expect more and I’m waiting for that breakout performance.

11. Kyle Peters (5/10)

I expected a bit more from him. He’s a veteran and an awesome talent. A champion in a lot of other series: I expected him to do better.

12. Kyle Chisholm (4/10)

Not where he wants to be but a solid night for Chizz. It’s a four…not a solid pass. He needs a bit more. I’m sure he expected more of himself.

13. Noah Viney (3/10)

It’s been a tough series for Noah who is going to have to go back to the drawing board. Maybe this is too much, too soon. Maybe he can get some momentum going.

14. Kaleb Barham (3/10)

A great rider. I know him well and he can ride amazingly. He can do more than what he gave us but a few crashes, some elements beyond his control and not the night he expected…or us.

14. Kelana Humphrey (3/10)

A big ask for Kalana because he only found out about doing this GP last Sunday. A last-minute guy, so a three tonight. He had maybe the toughest job of anyone.