HQVA press release:

There might only be three rounds of this year’s Monster Energy MX Nationals left, but Husqvarna’s Factory Support squad riders are still hungrily chasing their goals, and chasing them hard.
This weekend’s eighth round of the championship visits Nowra, south-west of Sydney, as the national championship enters its final month.

Husqvarna FC 450 rider Jesse Dobson seems to have got the better of some up-and-down mid-season fortunes, and despite wrestling a bout of flu, the Sunshine Coast youngster will confidently chase his goal of a premier class podium this weekend.

Craig Anderson racing’s Aaron Tanti will use a focus on stronger late-moto speed as the Husqvarna FC 350 pilot pushes hard towards more top-10 finishes in the championship.

Nathan Crawford has endured his fair share of challenges this year but showed plenty of competitive speed last time out the board his Husqvarna FC 250, and the exciting MX2 rookie relishes the chance to take further positive steps this weekend.

Fellow MX2 rider Luke Arbon is sick in bed with the flu’, and the young South Australian will face a tough enough challenge greeting the starter on Sunday, let alone racing close to potential. But one thing’s for sure, if it’s at all possible, he’ll give it a crack.

In the MXD ranks, championship second-placed Craig Anderson racing rider Connor Tierney lies just 10 points away from the national championship lead, and with three rounds remaining, the exciting Western Australian rookie is one of the clearest of championship contenders.

Jesse Dobson – FC 450: “Last week I got some solid days in, but coming down with this flu has kind of sucked a little bit, I haven’t got too much training in. But I know that I am strong and fit for this weekend and I’m going to be ready to go whether I’m sick or not, and still want to do the same job – push for a podium. I know that the speed is there, so we’ve just got to put it all together. After the last round I feel hungrier than ever and I really want to get on the podium before the season is out. Last round it was good to run up front there for a bit, starts have still been real poor, but I’m making quick work of getting up there, so hopefully we can bring that mindset into this weekend, get a good start and put it on the box. I believe I can, for sure.”

Aaron Tanti – FC 350: “I’ve had a bit of time on the bike this week and last week, working on my technique a lot more and trying to really focus on carrying more consistent times from start to finish. I’ve been dropping a few seconds over the course of a moto and I’m just trying to make that difference smaller. I’ve ridden Nowra a lot as a junior, and a few times this year, and I did the state titles there the other weekend. They never rip Nowra. If they drop the rippers into it it’ll be interesting.”

Luke Arbon – FC 250 “I did a local state title last weekend and actually finished it which felt awesome after all my bad luck at recent state events. So it felt good to get some racing under my belt. I’ve just come down with the flu really bad though and have been stuck in bed all day. Hopefully I can shake it and turn up ready to go for Sunday’s racing at Nowra.”

Nathan Crawford – FC250 “I haven’t been to Nowra before so I’m just coming in with an open mind. With a little more consistent results this time hopefully I can get on the box, last time I went 3, 4 for 5th overall so hopefully the results aren’t so mixed up this time. I’ve been making it a bit tough for myself lately, but the speed hasn’t been the issue. I just need to sort out a few little things here and there and that’ll make up for all the mistakes I’ve been making.”

Connor Tierney – TC 250 “I went home between rounds to race a state title round and went pretty good, I got second in the lights and third on the 350, just did a fitness thing across two classes – it was a big day! Where I raced last weekend was a little bit like Nowra in terms of soil type and layout, and I felt pretty good there, and ran up with a few of the fast guys like Dean Porter for a few races, so I’m feeling pretty confident into this round. It’s good to be close to the lead and are still a few rounds left, so I’ve just got to be smart, stay consistent, minimise mistakes and get good starts. I’ll give it 100% and see what happens.”

For more information on Husqvarna motorcycles visit www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com.