Image: Jeff Crow.

Husqvarna will feature a depleted line-up of support racers in the final two MX Nationals rounds of the 2015 season, with Jesse Dobson and Luke Arbon sitting out Toowoomba and Coolum.

Dobson, 18, recently suffered a meniscal tear in his knee after a training accident at Coolum, but plans to return during the supercross season if he can heal in time.

“I’m going to be out for Toowoomba and Coolum,” Dobson confirmed. “I was at Coolum last week for a practice day and on the last lap me and [Nathan] Crawford were racing and he clipped my front wheel. I dabbed my leg in the ground and now I’m out with a medial meniscal tear.

“I got it operated on yesterday and I’m out for six to eight weeks. It’s kind of a kick in the guts coming into these last two Queensland rounds, but it happens. I’m still planning on doing the supercrosses and I’m in the process of building a track right now. Whether or not I go into the first round 100 percent or not, we’ll see.”

MX2 competitor Arbon has been diagnosed with a rare stomach-lining virus, causing a level of fatigue not conducive to professional motocross racing. A special diet will hopefully help the talented South Australian to overcome the problem in time for the upcoming Australian Supercross championships.

“I’m going to miss the last two rounds of the championship,” Arbon explained. “Ever since Coolum I’ve been feeling really flat and unmotivated; in the last couple of rounds I could only last about 10 minutes before I’d be fully fatigued.

“My blood tests were all coming back okay and it was kind of doing my head in a little bit. Finally I found a really good doctor who got to the bottom of it – I’ve got some virus thing that has wrecked the lining in my gut, so that it leaks stuff through into my system.

“I’m on this yeast- and sugar-free diet for a month. I’ve just got to be strict with it and then hopefully I’ll be back to 100 percent. I’d like to say a big thanks to SD3 and Husqvarna for all their support this year.”

Husqvarna will continue to support Crawford in MX2, while Western Australian MXD contender Connor Tierney lies just 23 points away from the championship lead entering this weekend’s penultimate round.