Ford Dale’s is facing some tough hurdles as he kicks off his career in the premier MX1 class. Image: Alex Gobert.

Carlton Dry Honda Racing’s Ford Dale admits that the he will need to improve his strength and work on his starts in order to improve his results during his rookie season in the MX1 class.

Coming off the back of his 2012 Monster Energy MX Nationals championship in the MX2 class, Dale’s transition into the premier class for 2013 has seen a few bumps along the road.

The Queenslander proved he has the raw speed on a 450, earning a spot in the five-rider GoPro Super Pole at Murray Bridge, but poor starts and crashes hindered Dale’s results in both 30-minute motos.

“I got two terrible starts, crashed in both races and struggled to come back through the field,” Dale explained. “This track is fast and it really showed me that I need to work on my strength and my starts.”

Dale will need to work on his conditioning in order to run up front on the more powerful and demanding 450 at fast circuits like Murray Bridge where he finished ninth overall.

“I qualified well and had the pace to run at the front but I need to be a lot stronger when it comes to riding the 450 on these type of tracks.”

Following a 10th overall at Raymond Terrace’s season opener and a ninth at Murray Bridge, Dale now sits eighth overall in the Monster Energy MX Nationals MX1 standings with eight rounds remaining.