Rob Koy

Christian Craig's Day at Spring Creek MX 2017

Christian went 7-7 for 9th overall at round 8.

July 25, 2017

At Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville, MN, the eighth round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series, we tracked Honda HRC rider Christian Craig from the beginning of the day to the last lap of Moto 2. The Geico Honda riders familiar with the Millville track and treats it as a home race for him, so we will take you through his day at Spring Creek.

Christian Craig started his day catching up with his Honda HRC mechanic Oscar Wirdeman under the Factory Honda HRC tent while the riders meeting took place right in front on the Honda rig.Rob Koy

Christian got the call from Honda HRC to fill in for the injured Ken Roczen for the Outdoor series and part of the deal was he was able to bring his Geico sponsor with him under the Factory Honda tent. Since Ken was out for the Pro Motocross series Oscar Wirdeman was available to be Christian’s mechanic.

After the riders meeting the church service happens at every round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series. Many riders including Christian look forward to the sermon every week.Rob Koy

Honda has a big group taking care of the Factory machines before the first practice session happened.Rob Koy

In the 1st timed practice Christian tuned his best lap of 2:35.258 on lap 2 for the 4th fastest time of the session.Rob Koy

In the 2nd timed practice Christian meant business as he got the holeshot to start the practice and try to get his fast time early as the track was in much better shape as the sun started to dry the mud and the track crew fixed many areas of concern from the 1st practice.Rob Koy

Christian turned a 2:28.561 on lap 2 for the 2nd fastest time of the session. It also was fast enough for the 2nd gate pick in Moto 1.

Christian takes the inside rut around the turn before the “Chad-a-pulte” in the 2nd practice.Rob Koy

Christian treats this track as his hometown track since when he retired from racing in 2014 he moved to Minnesota with his wife to work for her fathers construction company. Christian would race the Millville Super Series on weekends at Spring Creek and other tracks in MN and actually won two tittle during his retirement from pro racing. Christian said he has many laps on this track and always looks forward to come to his second home.

In Moto 1 Christian got a top ten start and had to work his way forward as the Moto went on. here Christian is hugging the inside going towards turn 3.Rob Koy

Christian was able to work forward and make a few passes on lap one as he moved up to 6th place. Christian would battle between the 5th and 7th position for most of the race.Rob Koy

Christian works the outside rut and never sat down through this turn like others who settle the bike in the rut and sit though it. Christian said that the team went stiffer on the suspension before the 1st practice and they went with that setting for the 1st Moto. The track was really tough, it was so rutted and challenging and it felt like it drained you so quick Christian said. The turn around is nuts they only give you 45 minutes before you have to do it all over again.Rob Koy

Christian takes the deep outside line on the turn before Mt. Martin to keep up some momentum to climb up the steep hill and be able to clear the uphill triple halfway up the mountain.Rob Koy

In Moto 2 Christians reaction time is a little off compared to the rest. Christians starts this year on the factory Honda has been stellar all year as the new bike seems to be a starting machine, as the slogan says “Absolute Holeshot.”Rob Koy

Because of his reaction time Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac won the elbow game on Christian and start to close the hole on him as the pinch him off. Christian was credited with 10th place after the 1st lap so the start put him a little behind in Moto 2 compared to the 1st Moto.Rob Koy

The track started to dry out much better in the Moto 2 so the team went back to their original suspension settings and Christian said that he felt better in the 2nd Moto, felt smoother and more in a flow with the track and the bike.Rob Koy

The exit to the turn before going up Mt. Martin went to the outside as Christian gets all the power to the rear wheel to get him up the hill. Spring Creek used to hold hill climbs on Mt. Martin back in the day.Rob Koy

Christian climbing up Mt. Martin using all that factory Honda 450 power.Rob Koy

The track dried out considerably from the 1st practice to the 2nd Moto. In the morning practice sessions Christian said he ran the new Dunlop MX12 sand tire then went to the MX3 in the 2nd Moto. Half way up Mt. Martin there is a shelf to give the riders a chance to get speed to clear the triple.Rob Koy

Christian consistently was hitting the triple every lap in the second Moto. Even with a 450 you had to give it everything to get over the triple.Rob Koy

Christian has had many laps through the whoops at Millville as a local racer and at the Nationals. He said that the whoops and the hills are his favorite parts of the track. Here Christian attacks the rollers entering the whoops next to the stream.Rob Koy

Coming out of the whoops Christian take the inside line.Rob Koy

This is the face to the triple on Mt. Martin and almost every lap Christian would go for the jump. Christian battled in the 6th to 8th spot with his teammate Cole Seely and Justin Barcia. This time Seely came out in front of Christian as Christian score another 7th place.Rob Koy

Christian Craig went 7-7 for 9th overall at Millville at what he considers his home track.Rob Koy

Christian said that he can build on the consistency as most rounds he would get a good finish in one moto then get a bad finish in the other. Christian said that he was use to a hard base that Millville usually has but the rain and the added sand has made this track much softer and deeper that produced one gnarly track this year. Christian wants to build on this finish and prepare for Washougal next week and see if the consistency with a better result can happen.