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CHRISTIAN CRAIG
450 SX / 9TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / PINTOR DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> On top of last weeks weather with the continuous rain one would’ve thought that this week might be a little bit brighter, but no Mother Nature decided to bring on a totally dif- ferent storm. Snow. Rain, snow or shine Christian Craig was ready to race on his HRC Honda. Filling in for the rest of the 450 2018 Supercross season and also earning a ride for the outdoor season Craig was ready to prove that he more than deserves to be on
a 450. Craig meant business as he set the fourth fastest qualifying lap time with 49.262 seconds. Locked and loaded for the rst event the HRC Honda rider was ready to battle for a podium position. It was seven thirty in Minnesota as the snow continued to fall. The 450 riders hopped on their bikes and put their heads down as the thirty second board counts down. Craig rips the throttle and ies off the gate. He gets pinched off by all the other riders and doesn’t get a good holeshot. They come around the rst corner into a rhythm section. The ll in rider for HRC Honda nds himself in twenty rst. Moving up one position Craig continues to keep his HRC Honda pinned as he tackles the track.
Six and a half minutes to go and Craig continues to pick off riders as he climbs his way to the front of the start. Christian passes Ben Lamay putting him in sixteenth. Malcolm Stewart falls down and Soubeyras get passed putting Craig in 14th for main event one. Unsatis ed with his nish in the rst race Craig comes to the line with determination to do better in race number two. Thirty seconds pass and race two is underway. The HRC Honda rider places himself in sixth place out of the gate defending his line as the riders pile into the rst corner. Tomac is breathing down Craig’s back as they chase eachother around the track. Craig is aggressive though and holds his line making a point that he has earned that spot. Not able to hold off the monster that Tomac is, Craig falls into seventh. Only a couple laps to go and Craig loses his momentum falling into ninth. Dean Wilson creeps up on Craig and makes the pass leaving Christian in tenth. Struggling to hold on the HRC Honda rider nishes race two in 10th. Still determined to nish the night well Craig lines up for one more time at the U.S. Bank Stadium. The gate drops for the nal time tonight and Christian powers his HRC Honda out of the gate. Coming out in sixth place again Craig hurdles over the rst jumps. Finding himself in tenth as the rst lap begins Christian keeps pushing his HRC Honda. Craig moves up to seventh with twelve minutes to go. The time ticks away and Christian holds his position in seventh. Checkered ag is own and Craig pulls off the track in seventh spot earning him ninth overall at the nal triple crown event.
62 GRITMOTO • APRIL 15, 2018