Image: Foremost Media.

Honda Racing has indicated its intent to appeal the penalty imposed on current MX2 points leader Brodie Connolly after he was hit with a two-position penalty in Appin’s second moto following an off-track excursion.

Connolly was engaged in a battle with Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki’s Ryan Alexanderson in the final MX2 moto of the weekend, with an aggressive move by the number 62 at the mechanics area appearing to push the defending class champion off into the infield of the circuit.

The number one Polyflor Honda Racing rider then rode the inside of the circuit for a handful of metres before rejoining at the following corner and quickly remounting his attack on Alexanderson through the pack.

That move was initially met with a penalty during the moto, which was later revoked in the moments after the race. However, after further investigation into the evening, the penalty was reinstated following a successful protest, with Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha’s Ryder Kingsford credited with the overall round win and Connolly relegated to second overall.

“I’m staying focused on our program,” Connolly commented post-race. “There’s been some aggressive riding out there, some penalties applied that make no sense to me, but I’m not getting drawn into it. The team and bike are working great, I don’t want to get caught up in any negativity. I will leave it to my team to work through – we’ll keep building and prepare for round three.”

Inconsistencies from race direction have drawn confusion amongst the paddock, as a mixture of both additional off-track excursions and aggressive riding triggered a variety of responses, with company director of the Honda Racing outfit Yarrive Konsky stating an appeal is being lodged regarding the situation.

Currently, as it stands, Connolly leads Kingsford by four points atop the MX2 standings, with NFAL Honda’s Alex Larwood in third place on 78 as the series heads to Gillman on April 27.