When the checkered flag flew on the final moto at the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Final in Las Vegas, it marked the end of Christian Craig’s tenure with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. Unfortunately for Craig, he was already back at the truck before the end of the race after injuring his knee. To learn more about how his injury will affect his offseason, and about his new deal with Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha, we caught up with Craig on Tuesday, just as he was digging in for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
Racer X: Christian, you injured your knee recently. What happened?
Christian Craig: In Las Vegas, in the last main [SMX], I was coming through the pack after a terrible start. I made some passes then went off the track and onto the concrete. When I turned to get back on the track I slid a little bit, just a tiny bit, and put my foot out. I felt something in my knee shift and literally went straight back to the semi. It was a pretty crappy way to end the year, and my two years with Husky.
Was it ligament damage, meniscus, or what?
I partially tore my ACL and my meniscus had to get redone. I’m already up and walking, which is good, and the doctor I went to has done a bunch of other racers. He actually did RJ [Hampshire], and he was back pretty fast.
Yeah, but that’s RJ. He comes back in two seconds from everything.
Yeah, you take RJ with a grain of salt. You take his recovery and add a month, which is still pretty good. It’s going to be hard to make the beginning of supercross, but I’m not ruling it completely out. I’m also not going to force coming back early.
Yeah, why force it and end up missing more races than you would have had you waited?
If I can come back midway through the season at 100 percent, I’ll take that. But I’m ahead of schedule with therapy and my leg feels strong. You never know. I’m not putting a timeframe on it right now.
So, there was no donor ligament or grafting or anything like that?
No. He went in there and fixed some stuff. It’s not like it was completely blown out, which is nice. It was pretty straightforward, and he told me I could start walking pretty much right away. It’s sore as hell and I have a nice limp right now, but we’re trying to improve every day.
Well, at least it’s the offseason?
Yeah, but I just signed with a new team, and I was so excited to get on that bike and go ride. Then I hurt my knee and rode back to the semi, and I was like, “Damn it!” I knew I was going to be off a couple months, maybe more. That one hurt, for sure. This will be the first offseason I’ve missed, ever. Around this time, I’m usually healthy and have always been able to get a solid offseason, so this is definitely weird.
Speaking of signing with a new team, you’re back with Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha. It’s a two-year deal, right?
Yeah, for sure two years, but I feel like this is going to be home for a long time, which is pretty cool. It’s not your average, put-in-your-results-or get-out, kind of deal. This is more than just being a racer, it’s helping the team with whatever I can. Helping the younger guys with bike setup, testing the 450 and 250, or just helping guys out. I’m going to be the guy who does it all, and I’m excited for it. I don’t really know where I’m going to fit in yet, or what my every day is going to look like, I just know I’m going to be at the track whether I’m riding or not. That’s my happy place, for sure.
Is it almost kind of like a Kevin Windham type of roll from back in the GEICO Honda days?
That’s kind of how my wife described it. I guess you could put it that way. He never really was a coach for the 250 guys, but he was the lone 450 guy on the 250 team. My bike will be identical to Eli’s [Tomac], or Cooper’s [Webb], so it’s not like I’m going to have a different situation. My job will just be being there for whatever the team needs.
So, you’ll still be racing as usual, of course, but you’ll be available to help the kids develop. Almost like a mentor? You’ve been around for a long time and have a lot of experience.
Yeah. I’ve never had an ego growing up, and never expected myself to do what I did. I was always on the humble side, and it took me a while to get going. These younger racers who are winning at Loretta’s every year and are dominating, then coming in and struggling as a pro, I think I can help them with that transition. You have to throw your ego out the door and start fresh. I tell some guys, “Loretta’s titles don’t mean anything. The supercross and outdoor titles are what mean everything.” My role, I guess, will be to help keep the riders in check and to keep them on the right path.
Were there guys when you were coming up who filled that role for you? Guys you looked up to?
I learned the hard way. I was a young, dumb kid, 17 and 18, who thought I didn’t need to train. I thought I just needed to ride every day. It showed in my results too, I wasn’t great. It took me quitting, and lots of injuries, to figure myself out and come back ready. That’s when I turned the page, when I joined GEICO in 2016 and spent five years there. I grew to where I was helping guys like Carson Mumford and Chase Sexton. It wasn’t like I was hired to do that, I just fell into that role of being a mentor. Kids have come and spent time with me and lived at our house and have watched me race. It’s not like that was my plan, that’s just how it fell into place. It’s crazy now to see the riders who’ve come and spent time with us, it’s crazy to see them now.
You were, like you said, gone from the sport for a little while, so you have that perspective too, which most riders don’t. Is that something you’ve shared with the younger riders?
That’s my number one thing. I always tell them, “You don’t know what real life is. You think this is hard? Spending all day at the track testing or doing two 30s? You have no idea, you can’t waste this time.” I’ve said that to so many guys throughout my career, and I hope it sticks. I learned the hard way. I had to go and get a real job and see what life was like. I learned real quick that dirt bikes were a lot better, and that I needed to make the most of it. Hopefully I can kind of be that guy who can show them the right path. I’m not saying I have the perfect ingredients to build a champion, but I’ve seen the ups and downs and have spent time with champions. I feel like I have a pretty good understanding.
It feels weird to call you this, but is it weird to be the old guy?
I was always called the old guy in the 250 Class anyway. I didn’t start blooming or winning races until I was in my late 20s. I won the [250SX West] championship when I was 30. I’m used to being called the old guy. I got bashed online for it. I got told to stop messing with the young kids and move up to the 450 Class. Those people just didn’t know my story, that I spent more time in hospitals or not even racing a dirt bike. I was a late bloomer. I still have that young mentality when I race, and I’m far from tired or being mentally over it. I still love this sport so much, and I just want to be around it.
