CHRISTIAN CRAIG - GRIT 257 450SX

GRIT-257 | 450 SX

July 12th, 2024 2:30 pm

Christian Craig has shown remarkable skills for over a decade in the 450MX class, despite departing from the series on various occasions. His talent on the outdoor circuit has never wavered, and the now, Husqvarna rider, once more returned to a racetrack where he'd presented elite speed in year's past. For practice, Craig was exceptional in ruts that spanned for what seemed like an eternity, maintaining balance and the right lean angle, while others would lose speed. His ability to manual and keep the front wheel hovering just above the track's surface in the roller section, would generate applause from the crowd as well - and helped aided an eventual established final position of ninth, as qualifying concluded. Once clicking into gear for the first moto, he was then forced to combat the roost from the competition while making his way through the field...earning an initial residency of twelfth before advancing into the top-ten. Once there on lap four, he had proceeded to keep Shane McElrath at bay while surpassing Grant Harlan...and Harri Kullas was next. Despite Kullas being rather exceptional in the loamy soil, the West Coast native (of Craig) would somehow manage to tap-into another aresenal of tactics per se - surpassing the Estonian rider while nearing the final quarter of the moto. And once behind Garrett Marchbanks, Craig seemed solidified with his pace and effort...which was commendable given how stacked this field was. In the end, the Husqvarna athlete acquired a standing of eighth, before moving into the second moto. He proceeded to engage in a world-renowned pace once more for this occasion, battling just inside the top-twenty when passing the green flag before weaving amid the top-fifteen. He had advanced to thirteenth by lap five, where Romain Pape, Kyle Chisholm, and Marshal Weltin would trail him - but he aspired for more, and proceeded to lunge for the rear wheel of Harri Kullas on a number of occasions. However, the Estonian and Grant Harlan were riding extremely well in front of Craig...defending numerous inside ruts from the Californian, which made him sweep to the furthest outside boundaries of the racetrack, in order to make passes. This trio (i.e. Harlan, Kullas, and Craig) would remain in that order through the eventual checkered flag, and as the athlete aboard the number twenty-eight Husqvarna scrubbed his way across the finish line, it was Craig's final moto finish (of thirteenth) which propelled him to tenth overall in the final standings, respectively.

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