Arlington, TX (February 20, 2016) – At round seven of Monster Energy Supercross in AT&T Stadium, just outside of Dallas, Christian Craig once again put his GEICO Honda in the mix for a 250SX main event win. He led until lap 12 of the 15-lap race before yielding to eventual winner Cooper Webb. Craig’s runner-up finish marked his fifth-straight visit to the podium, and he remains third in the points standings.
“I tightened up in the heat race. I wasn’t breathing,” said Craig. “My breathing was better in the main. I still wasn’t 100 percent myself out there. I’d say I was riding at 80 percent—I was trying to ride mistake-free and when you do that you actually make more mistakes. Two big mistakes in one lap cost me. I had Cooper come right up on me and he made the pass pretty quick. I tried to get in behind him and ride with him. Made a couple more mistakes and lost a second or two. Second tonight. I thought I threw that one away.”
Craig held the early lead after a controversial moment, as he moved over on Joey Savatgy in the whoop section, sending Savatgy to the ground hard. He was uninjured but got up in last, and finished tenth. Craig defended the move as a racing situation.
“I got off to a holeshot; Savatgy got around me,” said Craig, who extended the team’s holeshot streak to six-straight races. “He bobbled coming out and I snuck on the inside. I thought I made the pass and then I heard him coming to the left of me, and there was a left-hander coming up so I knew I had to block that inside right away or he was going to take me high. I jumped into the second set of whoops and I moved over pretty quick. If not, I would have gotten taken high for sure. He was going for it. I ended up taking him out. It’s unfortunate. I don’t like being a dirty rider but it’s a racing incident. It happens. I’m sure he would have cut over, too. I didn’t mean to cut over as hard as I did, but, you know, you’re in the mode of racing and pass, pass, pass, so you don’t think at the time, really. You’re just thinking: Get in front and get over.”
Fellow GEICO Honda 250 rider Jimmy Decotis took seventh.
“My night was okay, I finished right where I qualified,” said Decotis. “I felt a little bit off today, not exceptional. I had a bad start on this track and it cost me. You start in 14th on this track, it’s hard to make ground.”
The team’s 450SX rider, Justin Bogle, competed in his second race since returning from a broken foot. He showed potential and speed after grabbing some good starts, but ended up finishing a disappointing 18th after Vince Friese got out of control and knocked him down.
“Struggled in practice, but the last practice was better, started to feel more comfortable,” said Bogle. “Fortunately or unfortunately, I was in another semi and I won another one of those. I think I need to do some talking to management and restructure my contract—I need some bonuses for winning the semis! Main event I got a good start, was about fourth, got to see that pace up front. I got tight, heart rate spiked, I just wasn’t too used to the pace up there. That’s a good step in the right direction, getting to see that. Had a little incident at the end and I ended up going down. Clearly not the night I wanted at all, but we’re making progress.”
The team now heads to Atlanta, Georgia for the first 250SX East Region race of the season. West Region riders Craig, Decotis and the injured Jordon Smith get a break, while East Region riders Malcolm Stewart and RJ Hampshire will make their 2016 debut. Bogle will continue to compete in the 450SX class.
GEICO Honda Results:
Arlington, Texas
250SX
2. Christian Craig
7. Jimmy Decotis
450SX
18. Justin Bogle
