The newly crowned Pro Open Vice Champion and his Husqvarna team mate, brilliant 18-year-old Max Croker, got to cross swords in anger in the Pro 450 category.
As the two Husqvarna Factory Support team FC450s went head to head, it was the master who triumphed narrowly over the young apprentice ‰ÛÒ the pair finishing seventh and eighth respectively, less than four tenths of a second apart.
Earlier Croker had eclipsed the likes of Jarred Brook and Brody Nowlan to be top qualifier in the Pro 450 category, but Croker couldn‰Ûªt quite get the starts he wanted on the day, and finished just off the podium in two classes despite a bloody injury to his arm in a fall on Saturday.
Croker finished fourth in the MX Open category behind Jarred Brook, Luke Richards and Marty McNamara. In the Under 19s, he trailed Brook, Hayden Spinks and Ty Lynch, despite setting the second fastest time of the race.
‰ÛÏI rode five classes over the weekend, so that was a lot of laps! In the finals I was top qualifier for the Pro 450 and Pro 250, and qualified top three for two of the other three," Croker said.
"I had an incident on Saturday though, in the third Pro 450 heat I think. Someone came across me in the first turn and I hit their tyre and went down and took about another seven blokes down with me," Croker explained. "Two kids went off the hospital and I had to go too that night, because a bike hit me and punctured a big hole straight through my elbow, and I sprained my ankle when someone ran over me. I had blood pouring out of my arm and you could see my joint. But I got back on the bike, and ended up getting first in the restarted race!
"X-rays gave me the all clear, so we rode Sunday, but we didn't get very good starts, and ended up with two fourths. I was favourite for some of the finals, but when the time came, they‰Ûªd made some big changes to the track and we just didn't come up with the right setup. Still, we fought as hard as we could.
All weekend the Husqvarnas were on fire - Caso was flying and even Billy in the support races.
"Caso and I were battling in the Pro 450, and I tell you, all I wanted to do was beat him, but he got me. I was really annoyed (laughs), but he's got too much experience. It's always great to ride with Caso, he‰Ûªs so good at what he does and to be able to learn from him is awesome.
Everyone says he needs to hang his boots up, but I tell you what, he doesn't, because he is the best rider there, without a doubt.‰Û
