Yamaha Motor Australia press release:

The clay based, rut infested Appin circuit holds no fear for the Serco Yamaha team riders of Nathan Crawford and Aaron Tanti as they look to get their MX Nationals campaigns under way this weekend as the 10 round championship thunders into life.

Yamaha’s official MX2 supported team are ready to go with both Crawford and Tanti performed well at the Appin circuit in the past, they are keen to get their championship chase off to a great start and look forward to a challenging weekend of racing ahead..

Aaron Tanti, the new recruit to the Serco Yamaha fold for 2019, as done plenty of laps around the Appin track having lived in the Sydney region for years. Despite now being based in Queensland and closer to his teams’ base, Tanti knows Appin like the back of his hand and is looking forward to getting the championship underway at a familiar venue and surrounded by friends and family.

“As a junior rider, I raced Appin a lot although the track is never the same and develops a lot differently when it comes to the MX Nationals,” Tanti explains. “It is ploughed much deeper with a lot more water put on it and as a result, it gets super rutty and can be very technical to ride.

“But like any track, starts are important and will play a huge part in the result this weekend. Since coming to Serco and getting back on the Yamaha, my riding as been good and I have had some good results at some local races I have contested. But the intensity always goes up a level at a National and its awesome to race in such atmosphere with the best riders in Australia.”

And returning to the race track and the MX Nationals since round three in 2018 is Nathan Crawford who has had to deal with a string of injures but is now riding and training his way back to full fitness. Crawford battled a shoulder injury and then a leg issue through the 2018 season but was given the doctors all clear to get back on the bike in February and has been chipping away at getting his body back to full strength.

And Appin has certainly proved a happy hunting ground for Crawford, as he won the corresponding round last year with a dominant 1-1 display, a result he would love to replicate this weekend. But he is also aware that getting through the round and regaining confidence in his body and racing is the big picture here.

“I was off the bike for nearly eight months and its awesome to be back and getting ready to go to round one,” Crawford enthuses. “My shoulder is good, and my leg is coming along fine, its just a matter of keep putting in the work, improving my fitness and strength with each ride and my results will come.

“I have set realistic goals for this round and need to be smart. I can’t thank the Serco Yamaha team enough for standing behind during my injuries and I feel I need to reward them with a good season and that’s starts with smart racing this weekend,” he ends.

On track action starts at 8.30am at the Appin track, southwest of Sydney. For more information; https://www.mxnationals.com.au/