Image: Greg Smith (iKapture).

MEGA Bulk Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki Race Team’s hotshot rookie Nathan Crawford has opted to sit out the Murray Bridge round in order to increase the length of time needed to rest a niggling wrist injury.

Crawford, who starred with fourth overall at Conondale earlier this month, exited moto one at Horsham last Sunday after he crashed in the mud-soaked conditions and he didn’t return for the second encounter.

“In the first race at Horsham I had a small crash and tweaked my wrist, which forced me out of the rest of the day’s racing,” commented Crawford. “It needs as much time as possible to heal, so we’ve made the tough decision to not race this weekend, so that it’s back to 100 percent for the second half of the championship. It’s really disappointing, as Murray Bridge is one of my favourite rounds of the series, but we’ve got to look at the big picture.”

Crawford is currently ninth in the MX1 championship hunt despite missing out on points in both motos at Horsham. MEGA Bulk Fuels Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team will field Russian Aleksandr Tonkov as its sole entry on Sunday.