Image: Foremost Media.

A fractured fibula at the fourth round of the ProMX Championship in Traralgon resulted in three and a half weeks on the sidelines for Rhys Budd, with the newly-recruited Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki rider now back on the bike entering Warwick this weekend.

Budd made his debut with the Victorian-based outfit at the last month, taking his KX250 to seventh in qualifying, before finishing P7 in moto one. An incident during moto two left Budd with a DNF and subsequent leg injury .

In the weeks since, the 24-year-old has prioritised recovery for a return at round five, and is quietly surprised by his initial feeling on the bike following his time off.

“I had a little injury coming out of the last round – a fractured fibula – so I ended up having about three and a half weeks off the bike,” Budd told MotoOnline. “I tried to take as much time as I could to let it heal properly. I had my first ride back yesterday, then again today, so we’ve only had two days on the bike this week leading into the weekend.

“Honestly, I was surprised with how good everything felt. I was definitely nervous to start with, but I gained confidence over the past couple of days. My speed feels like it’s still right there with the boys, and my bike fitness is still pretty strong. I’m really happy with how it all went and feeling a lot more confident heading into the weekend.”

As part of the Queensland-based 00 Elite training program led by former professional racer Nathan Crawford, this weekend round marks a ‘home’ race of sorts for Budd, who is excited to get further seat time as part of his new team.
“I’m feeling good heading into the weekend,” he added. “It’s nice to have a local round – only about a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive for me, which is pretty ideal. It’ll be great to just drive a few hours, rock up, and be back with the team.
“We’ve done a little bit of testing here and there – not as much as I would have liked – but at this point I’m just stoked to be back riding and doing what I love. I’m looking forward to getting back into racing with the crew this weekend.”