CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team’s Dylan Long gritted his way through a challenging and brutal Pirelli MX Nationals affair at Conondale on Sunday for the sixth round of the series.

Long displayed promising form in the opening stages of race one, positioned in the lead group before a rock severely split his lip, resulting in breathing difficulties as blood flowed for the remainder of the race that ultimately saw him push through for eighth.

Battered and bruised, the Victorian returned to the gates in race two and endeavoured to salvage what he could, however a bizarre mechanical failure added to his woes and called for a premature end to his weekend.

“Today just wasn’t my day,” Long expressed. “I felt great on the bike this morning and was confident I could get a good result today. My starts were good in both motos and I put myself in the positions I needed to be in to get the job done but it wasn’t meant to be.

“I got hit with roost so bad in the first moto that a rock got between my helmet and the nose piece on my goggles that split my lip and hurt like hell. I was having trouble breathing as blood kept coming into my mouth and down my face. Then race two, I’m not sure what happened but the CDR Yamaha team will be all over it and I’m sure they will have it sorted for the next round.”

It was true showing of Long’s determined nature, who now sits eighth in the championship standings as the series heads to Raymond Terrace in New South Wales on 14-15 July for rounds seven and eight.