After competing in the 250SX West division during this year’s Monster Energy Supercross Championship in the United States alongside select 450MX appearances outdoors, Queenslander Brad West returns home to take on the upcoming 2025 Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship in the SX1 category equipped with Kawasaki machinery. In Conversation, the 21-year-old details his year so far, alongside his future racing plans.

Image: Octopi Media.

Brad West, that’s another year in the United States is done and dusted, and now we understand you’ll be back in Australia this year for supercross. Looking back on Monster Energy Supercross for 2025, how was that?

Yeah, it was good. I mean, it had some ups and downs – I kind of got to experience every bit of it – the highs and lows, and a lot of triple crowns. It was quite a fast coast this year, so getting those results in a field like that was important, and finally understanding how good a rider I actually am.

Making mains is one of the things you said you wanted to do, and you achieved that. You did have those flashes, so were you satisfied with Supercross?

I wouldn’t say satisfied. I’m definitely still always hungry, searching for more. I would say it was a great learning experience, though, and I mean, this was quite an eye-opener looking back. Every single round I’ve done and how I’ve taken part in each race I can learn from and learn from my mistakes.

What was the highlight of the season, for Supercross, and what was the one thing you’re going to take away from it?



I mean, everything really. I just learned how to fully be myself riding in Supercross. A lot of it is being – and I noticed this a lot at the start of the year – I was kind of mentally blocking myself out a bit. Kind of stopping myself from reaching where I need to be on the track and my potential. So as soon as I got that under control, I had my flashes, and I think I got a fifth in a heat race, and I was having fun. I was battling with all the guys, I cleaned a couple of guys out, I was just having fun.

You were on BARX Yamaha for the season, but have since parted ways with the team. Can you take me through that?



Yeah, I mean it was going good and then it just seemed like we weren’t the right fit, and just parted ways. Since departing, I did one race at Washougal as part of Brad West Racing, and it was good, we were just keeping it fun. I wasn’t actually training that much leading up to it, simply for the fact that I was trying to sort that whole deal out, and I just had fun on the bike again.

Was it a good departure from that team? Was it a bad departure?

I mean, it’s kind of neutral. It’s kind of hard to talk about, really. No hurt feelings between me and the team. Just, you know, decided to go our separate ways and that’s it.

And now the plan is to return to Australia and race the AUSX Supercross Championship…

Yeah, I’m coming back home and starting supercross training the same time everyone’s starting it, really. And I’ll probably have a bit more time on it than some other people just simply because of the ease of access to it of the facility we have, they’ve been making some new tracks, changing some layouts, and making some replica tracks. It’s good. I’m excited to get into training. Hopefully get to the point where I can step the content game up a bit more. I know I’ve always kind of been like ‘Okay, I’ll do this after this,’ but I mean, I think now’s the time to grab the camera and show people more of what we do.

Supplied.

You’ll be on a Kawasaki back here. You spent a lot of your career on the brand, so who are you going to be doing it with and what does the support look like?

Yeah, I’m fortunate enough to have Kawasaki Australia back me again this year. I’m unsure about budgets, but it will be Brad West Racing with a stronger presence at the races. All of my personal sponsors [will be] on board as well, and honestly, a lot of previous sponsors from when I was racing Kawasaki as a junior are supporting me, so that will be exciting and I’ll get to have a lot of fun with that.

The expectations for supercross for you, obviously, with having that American experience behind you now, where do you see yourself fitting in?



Ever since I started racing supercross, I haven’t tried to put a target position on it, more so just focusing on how I am on the bike and how I know I can ride, and translate my speed during the week and my confidence there to race day. Without my doubts creeping in, I think that turns into good, consistent results.

And the plan for you after that? Do you ever think of coming back to Australia and racing ProMX and that side of things or is it straight back to the US and continue what you do?

That’s a very good question. I mean, as for Supercross, I would love to be in the States, competing in that with a 250 or 450 – I would love to be there. That’s the top of the top – the best racers in the world, really. But we’ll see how that shapes up. I’m still kind of looking through all things at the moment, I mean, I’m excited. I’m trying some new perspectives on some things – I’ve had a couple of opportunities in the past to race other things, and I’ve said no simply because I’ve been committed to the USA, but now, I’m excited to try it all.

We got to see you race both bikes in America. What will we see you on in Australia?


I’ll be on a 450 for the AUSX Supercross series.

Do you feel like you had more success riding a 450 over in America versus racing the 250SX West division this year?

In terms of the 450 in America, it started as a privateer thing, obviously, we had our own last year and had to simply because I am tough on bikes, I’d be a great test rider, testing the durability of it… I mean, I like to break things! So that was half the reason, but honestly, I’m just a tall, kind of heavier guy, and it suited me more. The 250 was a lot of fun to race. I know I can ride dirt bikes fast, but if it’s more suited to me, I’m going to go for that one.

Thanks, Brad – see you at Redcliffe for the opener!

It’s good to be home! Thanks, and see you guys there.