Husqvarna’s squad of factory and factory-supported racers could not get the rub of the green at Green Park circuit where the third round of this year’s MX Nationals series took place over the weekend.
In the premier MX1 category it was a unique homecoming for SD3 Husqvarna rider Brett Metcalfe, who renewed acquaintances with Conondale for the first time in 16 years, last racing there as a teenager before his international career took off.
After qualifying sixth and powering his Husqvarna FC450 to fifth in the first moto, however, he was forced out of the second with a technical problem and could only add 26 points to his championship tally as rivals Dean Ferris, Kirk Gibbs and Todd Waters filled the podium in that order.
“I was looking forward to a bit more of a natural track,” said Metcalfe. “We were a little disappointed not to make it onto Super Pole – we were literally 0.1 of a second off of fifth and 0.2 off fourth. I last raced there when I was 16 so I was kind of re-learning it a bit. We really improved the setup a lot between practice and moto one with stability and turning so hats off to the guys on the team who were able to make me faster. I had a good start but in the second corner I was involved in a crash that dropped me back to sixteenth. I worked through and had another small crash but was still able to charge up to fifth and I felt I had the speed to be up front, just not the track position. I went into the second moto with the same package and was in fifth or sixth spot when unfortunately we had a mechanical failure. We don’t know what happened but it was a huge disappointment after what were definitely some positives for us.”
Husqvarna Synep Racing’s Kieron Hall (FC450) and Mega Motorcycles’ Zak Small (FC350) battled keenly on the edge of the top ten for 10th and 12th respectively.
In MX2, Husqvarna Synep Racing’s Dylan Wills carded ninth overall with 10-7 finishes as Mitchell Evans won the category from Jackson Richardson and Wilson Todd.
SD3/Full Throttle Husqvarna Racing’s Kaleb Barham didn’t quite manage to execute the homecoming he’d planned in the MXD class. He looked well on track after taking his Husqvarna FC250 to a moto one third place, but an uncharacteristically poor moto two start lead to misadventure and a 15th place, for seventh overall.
He was one spot ahead of Robertson’s Motorcycles racer Jy Roberts, who posted 11-6 for 8th overall, as the chocolates went to Morgan Fogarty from Cody Dyce and Callum Norton.
The round’s 125cc Gold Cup saw Husqvarna TC125-powered former pro turned movie stuntman Cody Mackie take the overall victory with a perfect 1-1 score card, to lead home Cameron Taylor and Kerrod Morrissey.