Image: Jeff Crow.

Team Motul Suzuki’s Rhys Carter has remembered fallen countryman Trent Haywood in an emotion-charged performance at Swan Hill’s sixth round of the Monster Energy MX Nationals on Sunday.

Carter dedicated his weekend to Suzuki-supported New Zealand teenage racer Haywood, who tragically lost his life earlier in June. Carter traded his customary number 12 for Haywood’s number 323 in his memory at Swan Hill as family and friends of the 14-year-old watched on after traveling from NZ.

His day started strongly, as fifth in the opening moto came following one of his best performances of the season. Moto two didn’t fare so well as he recorded a DNF due to a rare chain derailment during the moto, resulting in 17th overall for the round.

“Qualifying didn’t go that good for me, so to come away with fifth in the first moto was really good and my best result I’ve had,” Carter said. “I came from around 14th back up to fifth, so I felt really strong.

“In the second one I worked my way through again and was about to make the pass for fifth again, but I hit the wall jump on the circuit and the chain derailed. It was a freak thing, not something that has happened to me before, but it was a promising weekend overall.

“Trent’s family and a few of his close friends came over to the race, which was really nice to have them there. It was special for me and it meant a lot to race with his number during the round.”

That dropped him to 11th in the standings following six of 10 rounds, however just 22 points separates seventh through to 11th.