HQVA press release:

It might have one of the smallest budgets of the ‘big’ teams in the paddock, but that hasn’t stopped Husqvarna Australia from entering the halfway break in this year’s MX Nationals series leading two of the three major classes.

Husqvarna Factory Support racer Nathan Crawford took a well-deserved lead in the MX2 category at the fifth round of the Australian Championship series as it continued at Wanneroo Raceway in Western Australia.

Riding a Husqvarna FC250, Crawford finished with 4, 2, 1 scores from the three points-paying motos to win the day ahead of Caleb Ward and Jayden Rykers, turning his single point deficit into a 13-point buffer to take into the winter break.

It was a triple celebration for the young Queenslander, who on a single day took his first race win of this year’s series, his first round win since 2014, and the lead in a senior national championship for the first time in his career.

Crawford was the only Husqvarna Factory Support racer riding in the MX2 category this weekend, as SD3 Husqvarna rider Luke Arbon remains sidelined for the immediate future with a C6 fracture. Arbon luckily avoided any nerve damage and is currently working towards a speedy recovery.

While there was no MXD category for U19 riders in Western Australia, Husqvarna Factory Support racer Connor Tierney already holds the lead in that championship ahead of Wade Kirkland and Cooper Pozniak.

SD3 Husqvarna rider Kaleb Barham and Factory Support rider Zak Small are sixth and seventh in the MXD championship at the halfway point.

Completing the half-time wrap up, Husqvarna also leads one of the minor categories which accompany the MX Nationals, with Husqvarna Junior Motocross Racing Team rider Bailey Malkiewicz heading the Yamaha 85cc Cup from KTM’s John Bova and Tyler Darby.

Nathan Crawford – “This feeling is indescribable. I’ve won rounds before but it hasn’t felt this good since I had that wildcard ride at Swan Hill as an U19 rider and won. It’s a great feeling because of how brutal the track was and how deep the class is. For me to carry the momentum into the break is great. I used to think the red plate would be a bit of a weight around my neck, but now I feel like I’m going to take every round one step at a time. Every race we rock up to, we start from zero. That’s what we’ve been doing this year and that’s been working for me, I think my worst result this year moto-wise has been eighth and other than that I’ve consistently been inside the top five. I guess that’s what got me the red plate and a 13-point lead, so I’m pretty happy with that. I’ve never actually had the red plate before in my senior career, so I’m very happy.”

Luke Arbon – “Right now I’m spending a lot of time on my back just trying to relax as much as I can, I’m still pretty sore. Hopefully after six weeks we can ditch the neck brace, and see what happens after that. It was definitely nerve-wracking lying there wondering if I was going to be fine; I could feel my toes fine but you never know what could go wrong when you are being transported. I’m definitely very lucky. I had to have a 10-minute test on my race bike before going to the track on Saturday, and on the first lap I came up a little bit short somewhere I have 100 times before, so I didn’t really brace for it, but it was just the way I clipped the down ramp that flicked me right over the front. I knew straight away from the crunch that something was wrong and the pain was crazy. When you grow up and all you know is racing, obviously it sucks just watching the boys race today, but I’m still a fan of the sport – it just really makes me want to be there again.”

For more information on Husqvarna motorcycles visit www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com