TOWNSVILLE, QLD — Stark Future made quite a statement on its Australian racing debut at the Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship in Townsville, proving the electric Varg can run at the front of a national-level supercross field.

Competing for official championship points, Stark Factory Racing led early in the SX2 category. American Michael Hicks (#460) piloted his electric machine from gate drop to flag in SX2 Heat 1, holding off Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha’s Lux Turner to secure Stark’s first national-level track win on Australian soil.

Hicks carried that momentum into the main events. After a solid third-place finish in the opening SX2 Final behind winner Brodie Connolly, he delivered a masterclass in Final 2. Leading every lap from the gate drop, he crossed the finish line first to the roar of a 16,095-strong crowd.

Michael Hicks (#460) on the Stark Varg in the air over a jump at the AUSX Townsville round
Michael Hicks (#460) in SX2. Image: Stark Future.

However, the fairy-tale finish was cut short by race control. The Clerk of Course handed Hicks a five-position penalty for jumping while a waved medical flag was displayed. The infraction demoted Hicks from the top step to sixth in the second Final, handing the official race win to Max Anstie, with Turner and Connolly behind.

Despite the setback, Hicks’s steady results earned him third overall on the night for the SX2 class. Connolly claimed the round victory with 1–3 finishes, while Turner secured second overall (5–2). Noah Ferguson and Cameron McAdoo rounded out the top five.

In the premier SX1 class, Stark demonstrated its electric platform can hold its own against 450cc combustion machinery. Spaniard Jorge Zaragoza (#99) impressed on his Varg, securing a third-place podium in Final 1 behind Christian Craig (Quad Lock Honda) and Cedric Soubeyras (Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki). Craig proved unstoppable, sweeping both SX1 Finals to take the round win ahead of Soubeyras and Luke Clout, leaving Zaragoza fourth overall just ahead of Hayden Mellross.

Jorge Zaragoza (#99) on the Stark Varg riding through a corner at the AUSX Townsville round
Jorge Zaragoza (#99) in SX1. Image: Stark Future.

The Townsville opener marked a historic milestone as Stark became the first electric motorcycle manufacturer to compete in an Australian supercross championship event, fielding a four-rider roster featuring Hicks and Brian Hsu in SX2, alongside Zaragoza and Vince Friese in SX1.

The championship now heads across the Tasman for Round 2 at Auckland’s North Harbour Stadium on 31 October.

Sources: AME Group media release (3 October 2026) · MCNews.com.au, 2026 AUSX Townsville results · Stark Future (official Facebook page)