At the first Triple Crown race of the 2022 season in Glendale, Arizona, Christian Craig got around Vince Friese and quickly made it way to the lead at the start of the first of three races. Craig was uncontested and went on to win the race by 14.294 seconds over second-place finisher Hunter Lawrence. The night started off great for the 250SX West Region points leader.
Then, early in the opening lap of the second 250SX race, Craig and Friese tangled in the sand section, as Craig was thrown off his Yamaha and onto the ground beside the track. He was visually unhappy with Friese’s move as he tossed his hands into the air. Craig remounted last and would go on a charge similar to the one he pulled off only a few weeks ago in San Diego, California, following a first-turn pileup. Craig came all the way back from dead last (one rider did not start so Craig was officially 21st) to fifth place, but then got Jalek Swoll on the last lap to finish fourth, even giving Friese a bump of his own as he passed the #62. After the race, Craig wanted to stop to talk to Friese, but his mechanic and team members encouraged him to head to the Yamaha truck instead.
When the gate dropped on the third race, Craig grabbed the holeshot from the inside and looked back twice over the first few jumps to make sure he didn’t have company. From there, he checked out for the race win again, but his 1-4-1 finishes were bested by Lawrence’s 2-1-2 for the overall. Afterwards, the Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing rider joined the media to talk about the fifth round.
Christian, what is there to talk about tonight? Let’s just get into it, the Friese thing. You guys had a talk at the beginning of the season. Didn’t really work out the way you hoped. Walk us through tonight and Friese.
Christian Craig: I think everybody knows how I feel about that situation. Vince is gonna Vince. It’s super frustrating. I’ve had so many encounters with him and it’s like I’m always on the other side. One year Monster Cup he cleaned me out and broke my hand. Nothing happens. Then this happens. We’re wide open in a sand corner and he comes out of nowhere and we clip bars and I go flying into… I think I almost hit that wall. I think something needs to be done. I think it’s dangerous. That should not be done. It’s one thing when he’s faster and he’s trying to pass people, but when someone is trying to pass him, it’s dangerous. He’s cross-jumping people. He’s doing what he did to me tonight. So, I’m very sour about it. But, all I did was I shook it off and somehow came back to fourth. I picked off two guys with two laps to go. Seems like the only thing stopping me is people cutting me off or taking me out. It happens. It’s racing. Got to move on. A3 next weekend and try to get back to it.
Talking about that and the penalty right there, coming from a rider’s point of view, what should the penalty be for this type of thing? It’s like we’re seeing it week after week and nothing’s sort of changing. From a rider’s point of view, what should change? What should be the penalty?
I was super-heated after that second one. I had AMA in the truck and I’m like, “You guys got to do something.” They were just assessing. They assessed the situation, and he was back on the line. I don't know. I’m not AMA. That’s up to them. I feel like probation doesn’t really do anything to riders, so we’ll see. It’s frustrating, but I can’t do anything about it now. It’s done, over with. It’s in AMA’s hands and we’ll see.
How do you refocus yourself back in this championship? You still have the red plate. Going back to the friendly confines of Anaheim and working towards basically resetting sail for your bid for this championship?
Yeah. I keep doing what I’m doing. I believe I’m in a good spot. I don’t change anything. I keep doing what I’m doing on Tuesday and Wednesday and bring that to the race on Saturday. Like I said, anything other than something out of my control seems to be okay. Whatever. It was a good night for how it went. We just keep grinding and nothing changes.
![Craig and Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker.]()
Craig and Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker. Align Media ![Craig looking for Friese]()
Craig looking for Friese Align Media ![Craig and his mechanic Brent Duffe riding back to the team truck.]()
Craig and his mechanic Brent Duffe riding back to the team truck. Align Media
Glendale - 250SX West
February 5, 2022| Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hunter Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia  | 2 - 1 - 2 | Honda CRF250R |
| 2 |  Christian Craig | Temecula, CA  | 1 - 4 - 1 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 |  Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan  | 5 - 3 - 3 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 4 |  Garrett Marchbanks | Coalville, UT | 4 - 6 - 6 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 |  Vince Friese | Cape Girardeau, MO | 3 - 10 - 4 | Honda CRF250R |
You looked pretty solid on the bike. Is there still room for improvement on that bike?
Always room for improvement. I made a couple changes to the bike, and it helped with starts this week. I’m more consistent. Finally got a holeshot in that last run. It was good to not see a #62 in front of me on the start, for once. So, that felt good. Other than that, suspension has not been touched. Bike has been in a good spot. Like I said, it’s just do my laps, focus on what I can control and let the rest play out.
You posted some pictures of your shoulder and knuckles. Are you injured at all from that takeout from Vince?
No, I was just thanking Vince for all the road rash I got. Had to put that out on social. I don’t have his number, so that was the next best thing I could think of. When I was in the moment, I was heated. I was heated when I got back. The team kept me calm. But when that happens, you just want to freak out. So, that was just a little message for Vince, just thanking him for that.
Did you roll all the way to that steel door? The first thing that hit your shoulder on the concrete?
Yeah. I think the shoulder hit was the concrete, and then I rolled up. I actually went to get back onto the sand and my foot was wrapped around an electric cord. I pulled something down. I’m like, what is stuck to my foot? I looked down and there was an electrical cord stuck around my foot. It literally tripped me. I watched that and I was laughing at that one. I think I almost the wall. Maybe if he hit me a little harder, I probably would have went into the wall.
Was Vince pulling the cord?
That’s good one. Maybe that was him. [Laughs]
After that second main I think you wanted to stop and maybe have some words, and then your team manager Jeremy came down and I think your mechanic Duff was trying to explain for you to not do that. Just take me through that, and how they tried to help you focus on the big picture.
Yeah. They kept me riding away from him. I just wanted to ask him, “What was that? What was your motivation to do that?” I’ve taken the high road so many times with him. I’ll pass him clean, or I won’t say anything for anything he’s done. I was really fed up with that one. I really didn’t want to take the high road. I wanted to have a talk and just be like, “Dude, come on.” He was in a good spot. He finished third that first one. He could have podiumed. He had a chance, and he did that to both of us. They kept me calm. I had another main, so we rebounded and checked out in the last one.
Watch the full 250SX post-race press conference below:
