Christian Craig (Hand) Out for Oakland and San Diego
Boy, that changed in a hurry. A few laps into the Anaheim 2 Supercross, the GEICO Honda team was rolling. Jett Lawrence and Christian Craig held down the first and second spots in the race. Then it turned ugly in a hurry, with Craig crashed out of the race by Dylan Ferrandis, and then Lawrence losing the lead to Ferrandis on the last lap, and then suffering a big crash in the final whoop section. That crash led to a broken collarbone for Lawrence, which will keep him out of action until after the break in the 250SX West Region, in Seattle on March 28.
Then there is Craig, who continues to be luckless. After taking third in the first Triple Crown race in Glendale, the Californian went down in the sand in the second race. Craig suffered a cut near his eye, so that was the main fear at first, but he avoided any serious eye damage. But, while visiting the Alpinestars Medic Unit, doctors noticed Craig’s pinkie and hand were also damaged. Turns out he’s suffered fractures to both, and that not only ended his night in Glendale, but will also keep him out of action at the next two 250SX West races in Oakland and San Diego.
“The first main was pretty good,” said Craig of Glendale in a GEICO Honda team statement. “I got the holeshot then [Austin] Forkner shot me off the track. I was able to make my way up to third from probably seventh or eighth after going off the track. I was pumped on my riding that first main. Second main I got a mid-pack start and made my way to probably sixth pretty quickly in the first lap. A bunch of us were going into a corner after the sand and I grabbed my brake a little too hard. So it was just one thing after another.
“I worked hard to be able to race this year so it sucks honestly,” said Craig. “It’s clear I can be a front runner which makes me happy but set back after set back gets frustrating. I’ll get myself all fixed up and be back in Seattle after East Coast break.”
Here's a quick recap of Craig's season: He crossed the finish fourth in Anaheim 2, but was later awarded third after Austin Forkner was penalized. He ran third in St. Louis before crashing out of the race with only a few laps to go. His collision with Ferrandis took place while he was battling for second in the third round. He crashed out of Glendale after finishing third in the first race. In one reality, Craig could have four-straight podiums to start the season. Instead, he's sitting 16th in points.
With just two races to cover before 250SX East begins, it appears likely the team will not hire a replacement rider for Craig or Lawrence. A source at the GEICO Honda team told us last night the team will not attend the Oakland Supercross this weekend.
