MX Nationals

Nathan Crawford Creates History With Swan Hill MX2 Victory

Author: Aaryn Minerds

Posted:

Monday, June 30th, 2014

12:40 PM

Nathan Crawford created Monster Energy MX Nationals history at Sunday the 29th of June at Swan Hill, Victoria as he raced to his first round and moto victories in the MX2 class.

The 16 year old Queensland who celebrates his 17th birthday in just over a weeks time became the first rider from the MXD (Under 19s) class to take an overall round win as a wild card rider in the MX2 ranks.

Currently sitting fourth in the 2014 MXD championship, Crawford got out to a top ten start in the opening moto, while out front another young Queensland in Caleb Ward lead the field into the first turn before going down, with Serco Yamaha's Jay Wilson emerging out of the turn with the holeshot followed by SD3 Husqvarna's Luke Arbon.

MX2 championship leader Luke Clout from the Serco Yamaha team also got off to a flyer sitting in third spot behind his team-mate and Arbon with the three riders quickly locking horns and battling for the race lead.

Arbon claimed the win in the opening moto - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

Mid way through the moto Arbon caught Wilson heading back on to the start straight with the duo drag racing to the first turn with Arbon holding on a little longer to take the lead. Clout soon followed Arbon though into second position and the two where wheel to wheel when Clout made a mistake crashing, with current MXD points leader Egan Mastin also becoming involved in the incident and crashed out of the race.

While clout was able to pick himself up and quickly recover, the fall left Arbon with a clear race lead, with the South Australian going on to take the win ahead of Crawford who had worked his way forward to finish with a solid second place result.

CMR Red Bull KTM's Hamish Harwood who entered round six sitting second in points crossed the line in 3rd position, ahead of Clout, with Yamaha privateer Errol Wills rounding out the top five.

Red Bull WILsport NZ Racing's Husqvarna mounted Kayne Lamont crossed the line for 6th ahead of TuneTech KTM's Kale Makeham in 7th, Wilson who slipped back 8th after his early lead, with fellow 250 four-stroke pilots in Penrite Oils Honda MX's Josh Cachia and Raceline Suzuki's Geran Stapleton rounding out the top ten.

Nathan Crawford pulled the holeshot in moto 2 and never looked back - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

When the gates dropped on race two it was Crawford who fired himself to the front of the field with Arbon and Clout in tow. Crawford and Arbon were able to separate themselves from the field and moved into a head to head battle for the overall round win.

As hard as Arbon would try, Crawford was up to the task, holding off his more experienced competitor to take the race win and in doing so becoming the first 16 year old since Troy Carroll in 1996 to win a MX2 round of the Australian national MX championships.

"I am feeling pretty good, though it has not really sank in," Crawford told fullnoise.com.au at the end of the days racing. "After the first moto I knew my speed was good and my fitness was good, so I just had to get a good start and do what I know I do best in the second moto and happily I came away with the win.

"Taking the overall win did not sink in until I got back to my van and started to get changed, it was the best feeling in the world and one I want to continue and hopefully I can carry on and win the championship in the MXD class then back to MX2 next year.

"After winning today here at Swan Hill, going back to MXD and not winning wouldn't be where I want to see, so heading back to the MXD for round seven at Conondale I want to have a repeat of this weekend and hopefully come away with the win."

Luke Arbon tried his best to run Crawford down in race two to no avail, but his 1-2 result lifted him to third in the championship standings - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

Arbon was happy with his 1-2 result for second overall on count-back as the former factory rider moves with in striking distance of this years MX2 championships, elevating himself to 3rd in the standings with another podium result.

"I am pumped with today's ride," Arbon enthused after the second moto. "I feel at home on the bike which is something that I have not felt for a couple of years.

"I am just enjoying it, I love riding my motorcycle and I love coming to the races. I have not been getting arm pump and not getting as tired lately and it is showing in my results and I believe this is what I am capable off and I want to be up front in every race.

"We have come a long way since the first round, I feel as though I keep getting stronger on the bike and the bike as come along way as well, we will keep taking it step by step and hopefully we are there at the end."

Luke Clout finished third at Swan Hill and continues to hold the Red Plate heading to Conondale - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

Clout was able to hold on to third position in the race two to give himself third overall for the day, finishing four points ahead of Harwood for the round and in the process extended his championship lead out to 14 points.

"I had a pretty good day getting third overall," Clout commented. "Just a stupid mistake in the first race, cost me a chance at the win, I was two seconds a lap quicker than everyone. I threw that one away which would have given me the overall for the day.

"I know I have the speed and just need to get the consistency back, keep it upright and come out swinging at Conondale. I have to limit the mistake and come out and beat these two strokes."

Hamish Harwood was consistent all day finishing 4th and only sits 14 points back from Clout in the championship race - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

Harwood himself finished in 7th position in moto two, while Jay Wilson finished the moto in 4th, finishing the day, three points further back in 5th position tied on 51 points with Willis.

Makeham's 8th in moto two was enough to see him concluded the round in 7th, just ahead of Cachia and Lamont in 8th and 9th respectively. Rounding out the top ten for the round was round 5 overall winner Caleb Ward. Ward after crashing in the opening moto was able to make his way from last through to 16th. Another hard charge in the second moto left him in 5th for the race.

Round 7 of the Monster Energy MX Nationals heads to Conondale in Queensland on the 13th of July.

Jay Wilson suffered from arm pump in the opening race, then charged hard in moto two to finish 4th - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

MX2 Round Six Results:
1. Nathan Crawford, Nathan - 67 Pts
2. Luke Arbon - 67 Pts
3. Luke Clout - 58 Pts
4. Hamish Harwood - 54 Pts
5. Jay Wilson - 51 Pts
6. Errol Willis - 51 Pts
7. Kale Makeham - 47 Pts
8. Josh Cachia - 44 Pts
9. Kayne Lamont - 44 Pts
10. Caleb Ward - 41 Pts
11. Dylan Long - 41 Pts
12. Brenden Harrison - 38 Pts
13. Riley Graham - 37 Pts
14. Joel Evans - 31 Pts
15. Joel Wightman - 28 Pts
16. Jake Emanuelli - 28 Pts
17. Luke Wilson - 25 Pts
18. Tom Jones - 25 Pts
19. Matt van Slooten - 25 Pts
20. Geran Stapleton - 21 Pts

Errrol Willis quietly went about his day to finish 6th - Credit: Aaryn Minerds

MX2 Championship Standings after 6 of 10 rounds:
1. Luke Clout - 384 Pts
2. Hamish Harwood - 370 Pts
3. Luke Arbon - 360 Pts
4. Brenden Harrison - 334 Pts
5. Kale Makeham - 334 Pts
6. Kayne Lamont - 333 Pts
7. Jay Wilson - 320 Pts
8. Caleb Ward - 313 Pts
9. Errol Willis - 240 Pts
10. Ryan Marmont - 234 Pts
11. Wade Hunter - 215 Pts
12. Geran Stapleton - 206 Pts
13. Joel Milesevic - 199 Pts
14. Jake Emanuelli - 187 Pts
15. Riley Graham - 181 Pts
16. Nick Sutherland - 177 Pts
17. Joel Evans - 163 Pts
18. Josh Cachia - 157 Pts
19. Nathan Crawford - 135 Pts
20. Matt van Slooten - 126 Pts

Top Image: Nathan Crawford creates MXN History becoming the first MXD wild card to win a MX2 round.

Credit: Aaryn Minerds