Webster & Wightman Rock the Retro Spirit as MX Nationals Rumbles into Murray Bridge

With just a seven day turn-around following the previous round, Australia’s premier dirt bike contest, the MX Nationals, rumbled into Murray Bridge in rural South Australia on Sunday (May 28) for round five of the prestigious championship.

Playing host to the annual ‘Retro’ round festivities, the Murray Bridge event saw the Penrite CRF Honda Racing team get right into the spirit with the squad presenting all-new looking race bikes decked out in special graphics kits prepared by team sponsor SK Designs, that harked back to the solid red and blue tones of Honda’s HRC works bikes of the mid 1980s. The special Penrite CRF Honda Racing retro graphics kits are now available for sale to the public, via the www.skda.com.au web site.

Pre-event rains made the Murray Bridge track moist and sticky for Sunday’s event, with conditions turning tacky through the day and leaving large sections of the circuit filled with deep and challenging ruts.

In the MX2 dvision, Penrite CRF Honda Racing high-flyer Kyle Webster was dealt a mixed bag of fortunes across his two motos.

“It was a pretty tough day, actually,” Webster explained after the completion of racing at Murray Bridge.

“In the first moto I rode well, but just couldn’t make a pass and eventually finished in sixth place. The track conditions were tough for passing and all of us in first through seventh places were just railing around in a long freight train.

“Then in the second moto my bike had issues on the start line and as a result I couldn’t start the race, which was pretty devastating. But sometimes that happens and luck is cruel, no matter all the work everyone on the team puts in. I’ve just got to put that behind me now and use the break over the next few weeks to keep working hard for when the series resumes.”

At the halfway point in the MX Nationals chase, Webster is now placed seventh in the MX2 division.

In the big-bore MX1 category, Penrite CRF Honda Racing rider Joel Wightman put in another two solid motos as he continues to build back to top form following a recent shoulder injury.

“The racing was tough at Murray Bridge, for sure,” Wightman revealed after the event, “but overall I was happy to keep building momentum as I bounce back from injury. I finished 11th and 14th in my two races, which gave me equal 12th overall on points for the day.

“Having the next five weeks without a national round will give me the opportunity to get back into the normal rhythm of training and riding at home. I’ve got plenty to work on and focus on building my program back up before the next round at Nowra, NSW, in July.”

Adfter five rounds of the MX1 series, Wightman is 18th overall in the championship standings.

In the MXD category, Penrite CRF Honda Racing development rider Nick Luksich posted 24/22 moto placings at Murray Bridge, to give him 25th overall for the round. The youngster is 24th in the series standings.

With the MX Nationals series now taking it’s annual mid-season break, the national championship chase will resume on July 2 at the Yerriyong circuit at Nowra on the NSW south coast.