Page 28 - Issue_56

CHRISTIAN CRAIG
450 MX / 8TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / TILLS
>> Christian Craig has had his struggles in 2017. His 250 East Coast Supercross season did not go as planned. He failed to secure a win and only managed one podium. However, he was given a golden opportunity to forget all that. He got the call from Team Honda HRC to fill-in for Ken Roczen outdoors. He jumped all over the opportunity and immediately became someone to watch because he is known to be a much better 450 rider. After a struggle at the opener at Hangtown, Craig showed out at Glen Helen leading laps and was on the verge of an overall podium when disaster struck and he crashed late in moto two breaking a bone in his hand. He had surgery and returned to racing a few weeks later but has not shown that same sustained speed. He was hop- ing the slick; hard packed Washougal track would be the venue of him getting his season back on track.
Craig looked nonchalant and quick in qualifying practice going out and notching the sixth fastest lap time. Washougal is usually one of his better tracks so he was excited to get out there and get racing.
Known for his holeshots, Craig failed to get one in moto one. He ended up with an average start and rounded the opening lap in seventh place. He passed fellow So Cal rider Justin Hoeft on lap two to slide up into sixth. Craig held it down there for awhile but made a mistake halfway costing him two spots to Baggett and Matt Bisceglia. Before he could settle back in, Bogle would take advantage and get around him shortly after. Now in ninth, Craig would stop the bleeding and keep that spot all the way to the finish. A decent result but he knows he should be closer to the front and he would try it again in moto two.
Craig matched his start from moto one in the second moto once again securing the green flag in seventh place. He maintained that position for the first six laps before he started getting serious pressure from Dean Wilson. The two riders dragged race down the big hill and although Craig had the inside, Wilson managed to pinch him off and they made contact making Craig’s front brake to lock up and send him to an abrupt stop. Luckily they were already at a slow speed so he did not go down too hard. Wilson got away unscathed but Craig remounted back in fourteenth. The sec- ond half of the race saw Craig put together a nice charge to get back up inside the top ten. He’d end up getting Bogle late to secure ninth matching his first moto finish. The 9-9 moto performance would earn him eighth overall. Despite the miscues, Craig strung together two decent motos and with the week off coming up, he’ll have more time to heal his hand and return stronger for the final three rounds.
28 GRITMOTO • JULY 31, 2017