Page 26 - ISSUE_54
P. 26
CHRISTIAN CRAIG
450 MX / 7TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / TILLS
>> Christian Craig and a 450 go together like peanut butter and jelly. After a season to forget in the 250 East Coast Supercross series, he got the call to fill-in on Ken Roczen’s Factory Honda 450 for the outdoors. It was a perfect fit for both parties as Honda got
a seasoned rider who knows the bike and brand and Craig is simply better aboard a 450. He struggled a bit at the opener at Hangtown but was showing out at Glen Helen and was poised for an overall podium when disaster struck and he crashed breaking his hand in the final laps. From there he has slowly been recovering and getting back to that pace and after a great top five moto at Red Bud a week ago at Red Bud, Craig was ready to keep the ball rolling forward.
Craig looked to flow very well in the Southwick sand during qualifying practice. The track suited his smooth style as he was able to glide over the bumps and berms. He had the fifth fastest lap time and was ready to go race.
Craig, who is usually very quick off the start, started moto one in disarray. He got caught up in the first turn pileup and then crashed in another pile up a few corners into the race. Once he got going he was nearly dead last with nowhere to go but forward. He charged the entire moto and never panicked. He maintained his smooth composure all the way to the finish and ended up an astonishing tenth place. A great ride from the rear end of the field on a grueling course. He was happy for the chance to have an easier moto in moto two.
Craig suffered another poor start in moto two but this time he rounded lap one in twelfth place. He carved his way up to ninth quickly just two laps into the race. He settled in there and tried to reel in the front group of riders. After several laps he finally got there and slingshotted by Musquin and Peick to move into seventh. He would hold down the spot the second half of the moto and all the way to the finish. It would be 10-7 moto finishes for Craig for seventh overall. It was surprisingly his first top ten of the year and he looks poised to not make it his last.
26 GRITMOTO • JULY 9, 2017
