HQVA press release:

Husqvarna’s Factory Support squad riders all brought home solid points as the 2015 Monster Energy MX Nationals wound its way for the first time to Shepparton in north-east Victoria for the seventh round yesterday.

MX1 contender Jesse Dobson rode to a pair of top five finishes in the premier class, which went to Kade Mosig ahead of Adam Monea and Kirk Gibbs. Dobson and his Husqvarna FC 450 were credited with sixth place on the day. Craig Anderson racing’s Aaron Tanti claimed 13th overall, the Husqvarna FC 350 pilot currently sitting 11th in the championship.

Nathan Crawford powered his Husqvarna FC 250 into third and fourth places on a very tightly packed MX2 leaderboard which only offered him fifth on the day, but it was a positive step for the exciting youngster who has endured some difficult rounds of late. Similarly-mounted teammate Luke Arbon battled to eighth on the day despite severe arm pump, yet still maintained sixth in the championship chase.

In the MXD ranks, championship second-placed Craig Anderson racing rider Connor Tierney took a podium and a fourth from the two points-paying motos. The Husqvarna TC 250 rider’s result meant that he broke even against the championship leader for the day, and the exciting Western Australian rookie remains a tantalising 10 points away from first place with three rounds remaining.

Jesse Dobson – FC 450: “It was a good day but the result there doesn’t really show that. In the first one I think I was a little bit too patient, I was behind Stykey for a bit, and I just kind of had my skirt on a little bit. So I was disappointed about that. An the second one I was up there but I had a crash and hit my head pretty hard and it took me a little bit to recover – I felt like I was riding cross-eyed for about half a lap! After that I just kind of chipped away at it. I was riding good but I just lost a bit of intensity on the boys. I’m a bit disappointed in the overall result, I thought it would have been a little bit better, but I feel that we’re making progress and I’m happy with that.”

Aaron Tanti – FC 350: “I was really hoping to get up in the top 10 today because it’s coming to the last few rounds and really want to gain those extra few points. I’m sitting 11th after this weekend, but Kale pulled away just that little bit more. In the first moto I just spun off the concrete. I went back to 13^th, I think I was running 10th or something and then I had a pretty nice off. After I got back up I was in 15th or something and finished the race there. I definitely struggled, the track was like the deepest rutted track either ridden, I think. The ruts were crazy, definitely something new. The corner ruts would start on the straight and wouldn’t end until the next straight. It’s something I’ve never really ridden on.”

Luke Arbon – FC 250 “Pretty bad really, I just struggled all day with arm pump. I got a good lap in at the start of practice which helped. Fifth is like qualifying first to me, I normally suck at it! First moto I came out second behind Jay and felt like I could win the moto, but after about four laps I pumped up real bad, and was just trying to stay on the bike, pretty much. It makes it so hard when you pump up, it’s like someone else steering the bike. I tried to regroup for the next moto but I got a terrible start. I got into third eventually, but around the 10 minute mark I just tightened up a little bit, made a couple of poor line choices and I dropped back to 6^th. Better, but it’s not what I’m capable of so it’s pretty frustrating. The speed is there when the arms are there.”

Nathan Crawford – FC250 “Fifth wasn’t too bad for me today. A better weekend than the last couple I’ve had that’s for sure, but I guess I definitely wanted to be on the box. The points on the day were pretty tight, so third and fourth was okay. It was pretty rutty and technical here, but it was something different and I adapted pretty quickly. The concrete start was a bit of a challenge but my start a pretty decent. That was good in the first Moto, I felt like I could maybe have done better in the second Moto but we’ll take the positives and move on.”

Connor Tierney – TC 250 “Finishing 3, 4 wasn’t the day I was looking for, but I didn’t actually lose any points in the championship, so I can’t complain really. I got the holeshot in the first one and then in the second one got a really bad start and had to make my way through. Shepparton was different, I’ve never seen anything like it, they ripped it so deep, I struggled a little bit with it. But it’s all a bit of a learning experience this year so you’ve got to take the goods with the bads, and go back to the drawing board for the next round.”

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