CRF Honda Racing press release:

On arguably the toughest track in the around-Australia Motul MX Nationals Championship chase, CRF Honda Racing riders Kyle Webster and Joel Wightman were amongst the thick of the action at yesterday’s (May 29) round five of the series staged at Wanneroo in Western Australia – with Webster roosting to a brilliant victory in the first of the day’s three MX2 class motos.

The Wanneroo track is a fercious sand pit circuit that is known for punishing riders and robbing vital horsepower, but being a ‘Sandgroper’ and having cut his teeth on the Wanneroo track and many others like it while growing up in Western Australia, Webster always figured the Wanneroo round of the MX Nationals would be one where he could really shine. And that he did.

After qualifying third fastest, Webster used a boomer start in the day’s first moto to get out front and go for it – his potent CRF250R thumper throwing a mighty rooster-tail from his rear Pirelli every step of the way.

Fending off a charge from another WA local speedster, KTM-mounted Jayden Rykers, Webster remained cool, calm and collected as he charged to the chequered flag to claim an impressive moto victory.

In moto two Webster’s hot form continued, as he pushed his Honda home in fourth place, while in moto three he was running fourth on the first lap before he was taken down by another rider, yet fought back to finish the race in seventh position.

A 1-4-7 scorecard for the day gave Webster fourth overall for the round, along with a swag of Championship points that has seen him leap up to sixth overall in the Championship standings.

“Today just started out awesome!” enthused Webster after the event. “Getting my first moto win felt so good – plus it was such a relief, to tell you the truth.

“Getting that first moto win just makes the desire to win again even greater, now that I have had a taste of it.

“We’ve got a bit of a break now before the Championship resumes, but I can’t wait to get back into it,” Webster pumped.

Meanwhile Joel Wightman notched up a satisfying WA round of the MX Nats, the NSW Hunter Valley young gun admitting the Wanneroo sand pit is unlike any of the tracks he frequently races back home.
“That was just a super-gnarly sand track!” admitted Wightman, who brought his CRF250R home 11th overall for the day via 14-13-10 moto placings.

“There’s nothing that compares to the Wanneroo track back home, so for someone like me, with little experience in that really deep kind of sand, I was happy to finish 11th overall for the day.
“I improved through the day as we raced each moto and brought it home tenth in the final moto, which was a solid way to end the day, plus I moved up a place in the Championship to be 11th in the standings as we head into the mid-season break.

“I definitely learnt a lot from the Wanneroo round for furture sand track races, but I also can’t wait to get to the next couple of rounds in NSW and at Conondale in Queensland, which is where I won a MXD class race back in 2014,” Wightman offered.

For CRF Honda Racing team owner/manager Mark Luksich, who over the years has guided the fortunes of numerous eltie Honda-backed motocross racing athletes, the team’s performance at Wanneroo was immensely satisfying.

“I am just thrilled for the riders, the team and all the great brands that support our racing efforts,” said Luksich.

“Both Kyle and Joel keep moving forward and making progress with each race outing, which is always the goal, while Kyle’s opening moto win yesterday was the icing on the cake. It was a great result for the whole team and sets us up well as we now begin to prepare for the second half of the Championship over coming months.”

CRF Honda Racing will now focus on its next national competition outing, which comes at round six of the MX Nationals at the Nowra circuit on the NSW south coast on July 3.