I remember the worst day of Christian Craig’s life almost as vividly as he does, maybe more so, in fact. As the manager for the TLD/Lucas Oil/Honda team at the time, I was standing on the track watching Christian ride. It was his last day on the 2009 model before we switched to the new bikes, but the machine he was riding was well within its service interval hours and had been thoroughly prepped the day before. Without warning, and just as Christian was jumping through a rhythm section, an exhaust valve broke and the bike locked up. He jumped off and got away from the bike clean but as the bike hit the ground and flipped, it bounced back up and hit Craig from behind, knocking his feet out from under him. He came down on the face of another jump right on his butt with a sickening thud. I’ll never forget the panic in his voice as he screamed in pain and told me he couldn’t feel his legs. When we finally got him loaded in the ambulance and on the way to the hospital I literally broke down on the side of the track in tears.
Christian went through a horrific surgery and recovery but we assured him he had a ride waiting for him if he wanted to come back to racing. He eventually did and while he had his moments and flashes of speed, Christian could never quite put things together; his mental game and his fitness always seemed to keep him from reaching his potential. So, eventually, he retired from the sport and moved to Minnesota to start a family with his wife. He took a job working construction and tried to put racing behind him.
The story of how he got back into the sport and the change in perspective he had is something that should be highlighted and shared with all kids who have grown up racing motorcycles. If you think riding laps and training is tough, go hammer nails from dawn til dusk and then let’s talk. Or, better yet, go talk to Christian Craig. With a newfound appreciation for the opportunity to race for a top team and the effortless riding style he’s always had, Craig wasn’t going to let this second chance slip away. He fought hard to stay in front at Anaheim 2 in an epic race with Cooper Webb and last week, in Glendale, Craig joined the ranks of supercross winners with a victory, becoming the 101st winner in 125/250 racing. Click HERE for a cool look at every winner in the class.
I grew up racing with Christian’s dad, Mike Craig. Mike used to tell me that I was Christian’s favorite rider back in the early 2000’s and I remember talking with a smiley, toe-headed little boy about dirt bikes way back then. I’ve watched the struggles he’s had with his family, the injury, the retirement and now the return to racing with a personal interest. I don’t want to sound condescending here but I am so proud of the man Christian Craig has become. Against some long odds he has evolved into one of the sport’s best racers, a devoted husband, a loving father and as of last Saturday night a supercross winner. Congratulations, Christian.
