Penrite CRF Honda Racing press release:

After a long and testing MX Nationals campaign, the Penrite CRF Honda Racing squad has shifted into Supercross mode, with team riders Kyle Webster and Joel Wightman focussing on this month’s fast approaching opening round of the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship.

Boasting six rounds in four states over the next three months, this year’s Australian Supercross Championship roars into life with round one at Jimboomba X-Stadium in south-east Queensland on Saturday, September 23.

Webster, who finished fifth overall in the MX2 class of this year’s MX Nationals championship, will line up in the SX2 category of the Supercross title fight aboard Penrite CRF Honda Racing’s potent Honda CRF250R thumper.

Meantime Wightman, who nailed down a solid fourth overall in the SX2 class of last year’s Supercross championship, will this year contest the SX1 division aboard the Penrite CRF Honda Racing team’s thundering CRF450R.

Both Webster and Wightman come into the prestigious Australian Supercross Championship chase having overcome recent injuries.

Webster suffered a crash in testing a fortnight ago and was injured when his bike landed on him and the gear lever gashed his hip.

“All going well, I should get the okay to start riding again in the next day or two,” says Webster, who wrapped up last year’s Supercross championship with a third place podium finish in the final round at Sydney’s Aus-X Open event.

“My plan this year will be to get through the first round of Supercross at Jimboomba safe and gain some points, then build on that through the series. I really want to stay safe and be consistent this year and if I do that, I know I’ll be up there.”

Meanwhile Wightman has recuperated over recent months after crashing at round four of the East Coast NSW MX Series in June and suffering a broken rib, broken collarbone and collapsed lung.

“The first two weeks after the crash were hard to deal with, as it was my second injury of the year and not much can be done in the early days,” Wightman explains.

“After that I started physiotherapy and was guided by my own physio at home in Singleton, as well as Greg Harris and Mark Backway from Racesafe, just to build myself back up to be the best I can, with the upcoming Supercross series on my mind the whole time.

“Just on eight weeks after the injury I got back on the bike and started to ride motocross to ease back into it, which felt great,” Wightman continues.

“Then in the past couple of weeks I got back on the Supercross track and into training hard for the Supercross opener at Jimboomba. It will be my first season racing Supercross on a 450, which is sure to be a challenge, but I am really looking forward to it and being back in the stadiums and racing in front of big crowds.”

Webster, Wightman and the Penrite CRF Honda Racing squad form part of a powerhouse line-up of factory-backed Honda teams that will compete in the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship, as follows:

Round 1: September 23, Jimboomba, Qld
Round 2: October 14, Bacchus Marsh, Vic
Round 3: October 28, Virginia, SA
Rounds 4 & 5: November 11 & 12, Homebush, NSW
Round 6: November 18, Jimboomba, Qld

To keep up to date on the Penrite CRF Honda Racing team’s activities, be sure to follow their social media accounts:

Facebook: CRF Honda Racing Instagram: crf_honda_racing