Source: Penrite Honda.

Penrite Honda has confirmed that the team’s regular line-up of Josh Cachia and Cody Cooper will return for this weekend’s Wonthaggi round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals.

Cachia has been sidelined with ongoing wrist injuries since July last year, undergoing multiple surgeries since Appin’s MX Nationals round in 2013. He’s now certain to start on Sunday aboard the CRF250R in MX2.

Team owner Yarrive Konsky confirmed yesterday afternoon that evaluations for Cachia and Cooper completed last week were successful, enabling the team’s regular roster to come back from injuries.

“I am really looking forward to making my return to racing this weekend,” Cachia said. “It is hard to believe it has been nearly 12 months. I don’t know where I will finish, but I will ride to the best of my ability and see where we end up.

“We have been testing over the past week and it has gone really well, the new bike is fantastic.”

Cooper has been out since fracturing his cheekbone and eye socket in a qualifying incident at Broadford’s season opener, just one week after capturing his third New Zealand title. He’ll return to MX1 duties aboard the CRF450R.

“I can’t wait to get out there and actually get a race under my belt,” Cooper said. “It has been really tough sitting out the past two rounds. The doctors here in New Zealand have cleared me to race and I have been riding at home for the past few days.

“I feel pretty good, the niggling thing is my finger which still gets a bit sore towards the end of a session. The Wonthaggi track always provides some great racing, it has good soil and there are a lot of passing opportunities.”

Stand-in rider Brad Groombridge has departed the team following a one-off appearance in place of Cooper at Appin’s MX Nationals event a fortnight ago.