With the start of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship less than two days away, Justin Brayton has confirmed that the upcoming 450SX season will be his last full-time.

The SmarTop Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts Honda rider enters his 20th year as a professional, making the switch from the Muc-off Honda team for his final year of competition.

Brayton, now 36, has enjoyed a successful career, a highlight winning the 2018 Daytona 450SX and becoming the oldest racer to win a main event at 34, also achieving a multitude of podiums at the highest level of competition and four Australian Supercross Championships.

“This is it for sure – this is it for full-time racing,” Brayton confirmed this week. “It’s really hard to say those words, but this is my last full-time preparing all off-season, doing all 17 races.

“I can’t say that I might not come back for a few, there is one thing that I have been thinking about, and that is if I do all 17 this year I will be six away from 200 starts, so maybe I pick six the following year, but for sure it’s my last full-time season and I just think it’s time.

“I just want it to end on a good note and I don’t want it to end bad, most things end because they go so badly and I don’t want it to go bad and have to end. I’m on a great team, great motorcycle and still feel like I can compete at the highest level and to go out with a bang and maybe a couple of podiums would be awesome.”

Brayton’s 2021 championship was brought to a premature end following a mechanical issue that caused him to crash at Arlington, with 2021 providing the seasoned contender with the chance to farewell full-time racing on his own terms.

“To come back, I’ve pretty much done everything I’ve wanted to do, a lot of people know my story… I never thought I would qualify for a Supercross main, let alone win one,” he added. “So I just want to go out really on my terms and hopefully not crashing on the track, having a solid season and having my family a part of it is the main thing.”