FACTORY HONDA STRONG IN NEW ZEALAND, CLAIMS THREE PODIUMS

Quad Lock Honda leaves New Zealand leading both the SX1 and SX2 AUSX championships, following three podiums across the two premier classes, with title backing from Cardo Systems.

Cardo Systems-backed Quad Lock Honda delivered a strong performance in New Zealand at Round 2 of the AUSX Championship and Round 1 of the Australian Supercross Championship, collecting three podiums across the premier 450cc and 250cc Pro classes.

Both classes contested a three-final format, with the 450s racing three 12-lap finals and the 250s three 10-lap finals.

SX1 – Christian Craig delivers strong performance!

Christian Craig was outstanding, finishing 2-2-2 across the three finals and taking the fight to reigning AMA Supercross Champion Ken Roczen.

Craig maintained a strong pace throughout the night, with his best lap times within tenths of Roczen. The performance has given him considerable confidence heading into the remaining rounds.

“I haven’t been that close to Kenny in forever, honestly. The bike feels great, everything feels good. I’ve had a great pre-season, I can’t fault anything, and I’m having fun with the team. I think those are two very important things,” said Craig.

“It’s been a tough season, with small injuries that slowed me down and made training difficult. But the past few months have been good, and I’m starting to feel like myself again. This is me when I’m having fun and feeling good on the bike.”

Craig now leads the AUSX SX1 championship and sits second in the Australian Supercross Championship.

Austin Politelli’s results didn’t reflect his expectations. A crash in the lead-up to the event limited his time on the bike, while another crash in the opening final affected his overall result. He currently sits sixth in the Australian Supercross Championship.

“I need to be racing for podiums, but I was racing hurt tonight. We don’t have a huge turnaround, but we’ll get some solid days in this week and be better going into Geelong,” said Politelli.

SX2 – Five Hondas inside the top ten!

The 250cc team delivered another strong performance, with Honda riders finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 9th. Five of the top ten riders were aboard Honda machinery, underlining the competitiveness of the championship-winning CRF250R.

Cameron McAdoo secured second place, another positive step forward for the American.

“We learn every time we hit the track. The truth is, I was under the weather, and our plane got turned around, so I only got here on Friday and wasn’t feeling great. I’m happy with the progress we’re making,” said McAdoo.

Ryder Kingsford rode intelligently and consistently across all three finals, taking third, showing considerable promise against some of the world’s best Supercross riders.

“I’m happy with my riding. I broke my collarbone a month ago, so to be up here this early is positive. I feel like myself again on the bike and was having fun out there. We banked some good points,” said Kingsford.

Brodie Connolly, winner of Round 1 of AUSX, was still recovering from a midweek crash. He rode sensibly, collected valuable points and leaves New Zealand fourth in the standings.

McAdoo and Connolly are now tied for first in the AUSX SX2 Championship.

Kayd Kingsford sits sixth and knows where he needs to improve.

“My starts need work. My second race was strong, and I felt comfortable out there. My starts were just too inconsistent. We’ll get to work this week,” said Kingsford.

Alex Larwood approached the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship sensibly, finishing ninth. His preparation has been limited following his involvement with the Australian Motocross of Nations team.

“I’m glad I got through it. Preparation for Supercross has been challenging, as my focus was on the MX of Nations. I’ve had less than five days on a Supercross track, and some of those days have been in the rain. We’ll continue to build each week,” said Larwood.

The team’s SX3 rider, Heath Fisher, crashed in the opening final and is suspected to have suffered a broken scapula. Further examinations are scheduled this week.

Looking ahead to Geelong

Geelong is home territory for the team, and Factory Honda Team will be looking to carry its momentum into the next round.

Team Director Yarrive Konsky was pleased with the team’s performance and, importantly, the points secured across both classes.

“We came in wanting to leave with strong points. We knew Ken and Cole were doing two rounds, and we discussed not taking unnecessary risks.

“Christian was really strong and very impressive. We’re also in a good position in the 250 class.

“We’ll keep our heads down and focus on the upcoming rounds. The goal is to be on the top step at the final round, holding the number one plates.

“It’s a game of maturity and patience,” said Konsky.

With Craig leading SX1 and McAdoo and Connolly tied at the top of SX2 in AUSX, Honda leaves New Zealand firmly in championship contention.