Last week AUS-X Open almost broke the internet when they dropped the news on their Facebook page that Ryan Villopoto would be rocking down under in November.
There was little detail in the post – not much more than just a picture of Villopoto on his Kwacker and the wording ‘World Champions vs Australia’s Best’. The perfect way to get a ton of free publicity.
Motocross media outlets furiously speculated – including DBR – on what it meant; as did fans on social media. Would the moto world get their collective wish and see Villopoto come out of retirement for full-time racing? Is this just a one-off race or is he just rocking up for a celebrity lap or two?
Last night the AUS-X Open event organisers put some meat on the bones and the great news is that RV2 will race both nights at the 2016 AUS-X Open.
The official announcement that Villopoto will once again race supercross conveniently comes on the same day that tickets go on sale to the public.
“I’m really excited to announce that I’ll be lining up behind a supercross gate again in Sydney, Australia, this November for the second AUS-X Open event!” said Villopoto in a press release.
The 2016 AUS-X Open will be the first time around the globe that supercross fans will witness Villopoto in action, as he competes over two nights of incredible SX competition inside Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on November 12/13.
Demand for tickets will be high – Saturday’s event in 2015 sold out within days, so if you want to see Villopoto race we suggest you get your tickets early for this one or you could miss out.
Villopoto will race against Australia’s best, which includes two-time World Champion, Chad Reed. “Racing [against] Chad will be awesome,” added RV. “I think that not only will Australian fans be tuning in, but the world also.
“It’s a unique opportunity for supercross fans – it’ll be a thing like, ‘cool, Chad’s there and so is Ryan – lets see how this pans out’ – which will be exciting.”
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport, Stuart Ayres, states having Villopoto competing in Australia is a fantastic opportunity for fans.
“Ryan Villopoto is a legend of world supercross, and it’s great to see him come out of retirement to compete at this year’s AUS-X Open. The event has been secured exclusively for Sydney by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW and with an all-star field announced, it promises to be a must-see event.”
The AUS-X Open event is the greatest action sports competition in the Southern Hemisphere – combining an international supercross racing event with a freestyle motocross ‘Best Trick’ competition, that will feature some of the world’s best riders up against Australia’s best talent.
Again for 2016, the event will feature pyrotechnics, light and sound and first class entertainment values, all indoors in the comfort of Qudos Bank Arena; with a pit paddock area accessible on the outside of the arena for ticket holders to get up close and personal with their favourite teams and riders.
Why did the supercross star opt to race AUS-X Open? RV explains: “I’ve chosen the AUS-X Open event [to race at] because of the vibe. Obviously there are other races that are similar, however I generally looked at those as ‘headache’ events.
“The AUS-X Open seems a bit different – a lot more laid back and just a hell of a time.”
Does this mean the four-time supercross champion has officially returned to racing full time? RV hasn’t said but we wouldn’t put a bet on him lining up for the gate drop at A1 in 2017. But at least we’ve got the AUS-X Open in November.
