    |
 |
|
|
|
KTM Press Release:
Even some uncharacteristically average starts couldn’t stop Motorex KTM rider Craig Anderson moving to within 49 points of his third Thumper Nats championship at the weekend’s fifth round of the popular four-stroke motocross championship at Wagga, NSW.
The penultimate round of the championship saw Anderson finish second on the day behind Kiwi Daryl Hurley (Suzuki), with Motorex KTM team-mate and former world champion Shayne King rounding out the podium with an impressive third moto win.
The third member of the Motorex KTM squad, Jay Marmont also rode well, posting his best result of the championship with a fifth overall, and making it three Motorex KTM machines in the top five.
The opening moto saw Anderson fourth out of the first turn, while rival Hurley moved quickly through to establish a comfortable lead. “I backed off a little early,” said Anderson, “and by the time I got through to second Hurley had already checked out.”
Marmont finished the opening moto sixth, with King ninth, the New Zealander quick to redress the balance by firing his KTM540 into the lead as moto two blasted away from the gates.
Slotting in behind King were Marmont and Anderson, the orange triumvirate was soon to come under attack from Hurley, who moved towards the front as Anderson slipped up a gear and into the lead.
Anderson opened a comfortable gap to win from Hurley, with King, Marmont and Cheyne Boyd (Yamaha) rounding out the top five.
As the day went on, the fast Wagga track also became dusty and rough, a combination that made it difficult to make up time on the field, and made Anderson’s chance’s of a podium finish look decidedly slim when he emerged from the first corner push and shove only just inside the top ten.
“I was in a decent position off the start but then everyone pushed wide off the turn,” said Anderson, and then the same thing happened in the second turn as well so it completely blew my start.”
If the assembled watchers thought they were going to see Anderson play it safe and take the points however, they had another thing coming, as the series leader used his superior fitness and speed to slice through the pack to third place.
“I felt like I was running a good pace easily as I was coming through,” said Anderson, “I got stuck behind Boyd and Taylor for a couple of laps each before getting into third, but once I was there I came back from five seconds down to catch Hurley and Shayne.
“One more lap and I’m sure I could have got Daryl.”
Out front, Shayne King withstood race-long pressure from Hurley to post a memorable win, with Hurley, Anderson, Taylor and Boyd rounding out the top five.
Anderson will now focus on winning the championship at Picton in a fortnight’s time, before joining cousin Chad Reed and Andrew McFarlane in the United States for the Motocross Des Nations world teams championship on September 29.
