Team Honda Racing press release:

The 2016 Motul MX Nationals came to a close for the Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team at Coolum on the weekend, with both MX1 riders Dylan Long and Jay Wilson finishing the season tied on points for fifth overall for the round.

With the stakes high heading in to the series decider, both Wilson and Long performed well on the rough and technical sand based Coolum circuit, even recovering from crashes and flat tyres to record results well inside the top ten.

Long, who participated in yet another GoPro Superpole on Sunday morning where he finished fifth, put in an impressive ride during moto one on the weekend. Despite suffering a flat tyre during the race and being forced to return to the mechanic’s area to have it changed, Long recovered to finish in 8th position. In race two, Long was on fire. After making numerous passes on some of this year’s front runners, Long crossed the line in the final moto of the day in 5th. Long’s 8,5 results at Coolum, rewarded him with 5th for the round as well as 5th in the MX1 Championship.

“I’m pretty happy with how the last round went. We had a little bit of bad luck in Superpole and the first moto, but we recovered and found our way back to decent positions,” Long shared.

“Obviously we’re a new team, and we learnt a lot this year, but to finish fifth in the championship, especially when the class is so stacked, is a solid achievement.

“The team have been really supportive this season and I’m very thankful for their support. We got some great results, we’re not too far away from podiums, and it’s been a successful year.”

For Wilson round ten at Coolum also provided the 22-year-old with success. After qualifying in 8th position on Saturday, Wilson got a good start in race one on Sunday. However, a crash during lap one saw the CRF450R rider go down hard, then forced to re-join the race at the rear of the pack. But Wilson got to work and clawed his way back to 7th throughout the moto. In race two, Wilson once again got to an impressive start, eventually crossing the line in 6th position. With 7,6 finishes, Wilson wrapped up the final round in equal 5th with Long, and finished his rookie season in the MX1 class with 6th in the MX1 championship.

“To finish the season with a decent result is exactly what we were hoping to do, and we managed to pull that off yesterday,” Wilson shared.

“Being my rookie season, this year was about finding my feet and working out where I fit into the MX1 class, and the team as well as the people around me have all continued to support me all season.

“I’m not entirely happy with 6th in the championship, I have high expectations of myself and I wanted to reward the team for their hard work – but what I am excited about is 2017. After learning so much, and going through plenty of highs and lows, as a team and rider we are in a good position to go forward together, and challenge for the championship in the future.”

The Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team will now begin preparations for the first round of the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship being held at Jimboomba in Queensland on September 17, 2016.

For more information on the Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team, head to www.teamhondaracing.com.au

For more information on the MX Nationals, head to www.mxnationals.com.au