Stadium Supercross returns to Western Australia this Saturday, November 14, for the first time since 2009 — and it arrives with a headline act. The Boost Mobile Australian Supercross Championship heads to HBF Park in Perth for one night only, with Honda HRC Progressive star Jo Shimoda confirmed to race the CRF450R in the premier SX1 class.
Perth is the fourth stop of the 2026 AUSX season, following Townsville, Auckland and last weekend's AUSX Open in Geelong. Here's what to watch.
Shimoda's Second Shot at the 450
Shimoda's Australian swing was always a two-round deal: a 450cc Supercross debut at Geelong, then Perth, before he switches back to the 250 for the 2027 AMA Supercross season. The debut, by any measure, delivered. At Geelong the reigning 250 SMX World Champion went 4-4-4 across the three races to finish third overall in SX1, standing on the podium in his first premier-class Supercross outing against a field stacked with internationals.
"Australia has always been on my radar as a place to visit and to compete and to be making my 450 debut there makes it even more special," Shimoda said when the trip was announced. "I had some experience racing the 450cc at Motocross of Nations last year and went well, so I expect to be racing for the win in November. I'm fired up to race in Geelong and Perth, before switching back to the 250cc to prepare for the 2027 season in USA."
The Geelong result sets Perth's storyline: Shimoda has now shown he can run podium pace on the 450 in stadium conditions. Whether he can close the gap to the two riders who beat him — one of whom won't be in Perth — is the weekend's biggest question. Our full Geelong results recap has the complete rundown.
What Happened at Geelong
Ken Roczen swept SX1 in Geelong, going 1-1-1, with Christian Craig second overall and Shimoda third. Roczen's confirmed AUSX program, however, covered Auckland and Geelong — he is not among the confirmed Perth entries, which reshapes the SX1 fight considerably.
In SX2, Cole Davies swept all three races, with Rhys Turner second overall on the night and Cameron McAdoo third. Justin Barcia's Geelong ended ninth overall in SX1 after a DNF in the second race interrupted his 3-5 bookend finishes.
The Championship Battles
With two rounds remaining, the SX1 standings are tight at the top. Christian Craig leads the championship on 182 points, with Roczen second on 150 and Luke Clout third on 147. If Roczen's program is indeed complete, Craig's realistic challenger is Clout — and Perth, where Craig can build a buffer before the Newcastle finale, becomes the round where the title favorite can start to control the championship.
SX2 is even closer. Cameron McAdoo leads on 152 points, just two ahead of Geelong winner Cole Davies (150), with Rhys Turner third on 138. Davies was confirmed for Auckland and Geelong in the series' international announcements, so his Perth status is one to watch on the final entry list; McAdoo, the full-season regular, knows a Perth win would put real distance between himself and the field before Newcastle.
Perth also continues one of the season's most unusual storylines: Stark Factory Racing's electric motorcycles racing inside the existing classes under Motorcycling Australia's approval, with Vince Friese among the Stark riders who have contested the earlier rounds. The team's final Perth lineup had not been separately confirmed when this preview was published.
The Format
The championship's stadium rounds run the three-race Triple Crown-style format used at Geelong: three races per class on the night, with the overall decided across all three. It's a format that rewards consistency — Shimoda's 4-4-4 podium at Geelong, without a single race win, is the proof — and punishes one bad start more than a standard single-main night.
Event Night at HBF Park
HBF Park hosts a single night of racing on Saturday, November 14, under lights, on a purpose-built stadium track. The official event program includes a Fan Fest with rider signings, merchandise and interactive activations before the gate drops. Series officials are billing it as a one-night-only return — Western Australian fans have waited since 2009 for stadium Supercross, and tickets are sold through the championship's official channels. Full event details are on the official AUSX Perth event page.
How to Watch
Australian viewers can watch live on 7mate, Kayo Sports and 7+. International fans — including Shimoda's following in Japan and the AMA audience in the United States — can stream via the championship's AUSX360 international service, with replays available through the same platforms. Details are on the official AUSX how-to-watch page.
What Comes Next
After Perth, the championship concludes with the finale at Newcastle on November 28, where both the SX1 and SX2 titles will be decided. For Shimoda, Perth is the end of the Australian experiment: two 450 outings, one podium already banked, and then a full reset to 250 machinery for Anaheim 1 in January — where he'll start the AMA season as one of the favorites in the class he just conquered in SMX.
Sources
AUSX — Shimoda confirmed for Geelong and Perth; AUSX official results; official timing data from Geelong.
Photo: Align Media, via American Honda — Jo Shimoda racing his Honda CRF250R at the 2026 SMX Final.
