It was a bittersweet weekend for Serco Yamaha’s Nathan Crawford at Wonthaggi’s double-header stop of the Pirelli MX Nationals, which ultimately ended in a distasteful manner for the youthful Queenslander.

Saturday’s third round saw the number 199 gain further momentum in the championship after securing the runner-up position, however Sunday’s instalment wasn’t so kind to the former red-plate holder when a fall in the opening affair resulted in a tweak to his shoulder.

While it initially seemed to be nothing too serious, Crawford experienced further issues in race two before his bike was one of many that expired, ultimately bringing his day to a premature end.

Despite the hit to his points lead, which has demoted him to second in the standings, the greater concern is the damage to his shoulder, however he’ll undergo further evaluation in the lead-up to this weekend’s fifth round in South Australia.

“I’m not really sure what to say,” Crawford commented. “The weekend started well and although I didn’t win on Saturday, my riding was good and I did exactly what I needed to do. I gained a few points in the championship, felt good on the bike and made quick passes when I needed things to happen so I was confident I could do the same on Sunday.

“But it wasn’t to be – I tweaked my shoulder in race one when I fell but it came good by the end of the moto and I was able to get back to sixth place in a pretty good ride. But it wasn’t strong in race two so I will get it checked out this week and see if there are any issues.

“But, the boys will get the bike sorted, I will get my body sorted and I plan on getting things back on track at Murray Bridge this weekend.”

Crawford trails teammate Wilson Todd by 16 points in the MX2 championship standings, with Murray Bridge’s fifth round marking the halfway point in the series.