Motul MX Nationals has confirmed that Motul MX2 Championship contender Nathan Crawford has been ruled out of the deciding round at Coolum this weekend after suffering a training accident.
Crawford, who would have entered the final round of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals holding an 11-point lead over closest competitor Jed Beaton, crashed whilst practicing earlier this week, lacerating his spline and his kidney, which resulted in the championship hopeful being sidelined from the final round of the series.
Motul MX Nationals Series Promoter Kevin Williams made comment following Husqvarna Australia’s announcement this afternoon.
“I was devastated to receive the call from Nathan’s father this morning, confirming that our current MX2 points leader will be out of the final round,” Williams shared.
“Nathan showed great consistency and ability throughout the previous nine rounds, and a strong performance at Toowoomba put him in the championship lead, but motocross simply put, can be a brutal sport at times.
“I’d like to also thank Nathan for his professionalism during the 2016 season. Throughout the ASADA process earlier this year, there had been a lot of sledging and accusations towards Nathan from keyboard warriors on social media, and throughout that time, him and his family have been true professionals, and have held the sport in high integrity.
“Nathan has proven that he is a championship contender and I know I will be presenting him with an Australian championship in the years to come.
“On behalf of the MX Nationals, we would like to wish him a speedy recovery.”
With Crawford out, the Motul MX2 Championship opens up once again, with Jed Beaton and Caleb Ward separated by only eight points with one round of racing remaining.
The tenth and final round of the 2016 Motul MX Nationals is set to be held at Coolum Pines MX Track, this weekend August 27-28.