PODIUMS, CAREER-BEST RESULTS AND A CHAMPIONS HEART

Quad Lock Honda produced one of its most determined performances of the season at Unadilla, with Brodie Connolly securing a career-best fifth-place moto finish, Alex Larwood breaking into the overall top 12 with a top 10 moto finish, Charli Cannon claiming another podium and Christian Craig showing the heart of a champion in one of the toughest weekends of his career.

Unadilla once again delivered everything expected from one of America’s most iconic motocross circuits. Tens of thousands of passionate fans lined the hills of the historic venue, witnessing some of the most exciting racing of the season.

For Quad Lock Honda, the results told only part of the story.

The four-rider team of Christian Craig, Brodie Connolly, Alex Larwood and Charli Cannon arrived with different goals and different challenges, but all four left having demonstrated the determination, speed and resilience that defines the team.

CONNOLLY BREAKS THROUGH WITH CAREER-BEST FIFTH

Brodie Connolly’s fifth-place finish in Moto 2 was more than a result. It was the culmination of a year of adversity, patience and belief.

The two-time Australian Motocross Champion missed the Australian and World Supercross Championships last year after suffering a badly broken wrist. After signing a long-term agreement with Quad Lock Honda, Connolly prepared for his AMA Supercross debut, only to suffer another significant setback when he broke his back.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Connolly. “I was feeling good and I was only a week or two away from returning to racing when I made a small mistake that resulted in a big injury, much bigger than we first thought.

“I had to rest. There is nothing you can do with a broken back.”

The team resisted the temptation to rush his return, instead allowing Connolly the time required to properly recover.

That patience paid dividends at Unadilla.

In just his third AMA race of the season, Connolly battled inside the top three, making calculated passes and demonstrating the pace that had earned him consecutive Australian championships.

His 8th and 5th-place moto finishes delivered sixth overall, including the best moto result of his professional AMA career.

“I’ll admit, I wasn’t completely comfortable,” Connolly said. “I haven’t raced up front with these guys before, so I wore myself out a little in Moto 1.

“In Moto 2 I made a few mistakes that cost me, but I was really happy with the fifth.

“The bikes are great, the team hasn’t stopped working, and it was really nice for everyone involved to deliver this result.”

LARWOOD MAKES HIS MARK IN AMERICA

Just weeks after securing his first Australian Motocross Championship, Alex Larwood arrived in America with very little idea of what to expect.

The reality exceeded even his expectations.

“It’s so much bigger than it looks on TV,” said Larwood. “It’s huge. The officials, staff and everyone are so nice and welcoming.”

Larwood’s debut at one of America’s most demanding tracks demonstrated exactly why the team has so much belief in the young Australian.

Starting outside the top 30 in Moto 1, Larwood charged forward to finish 16th.

Moto 2 was where he really announced himself.

Larwood raced inside the top ten for more than 23 minutes, spending much of the race in seventh before eventually finishing 10th.

His 12th overall finish was impressive on paper. His performance was even more impressive.

“I was hoping for a top 15 or 20,” Larwood said.

“Think about the names I was racing against and who I beat. These are the guys I watch on TV. They are factory riders on the biggest teams.

“It was surreal. It was a dream come true. The Quad Lock Honda team is legit, the bikes are competitive and everyone works super hard, I am extremely grateful”

The result also saw Larwood defeat established home riders and race winners in one of the most competitive 250 classes in the world.

CANNON SHOWS WINNING PACE

In the Women’s Championship, Charli Cannon continued to demonstrate the speed required to win.

Two second-place moto finishes secured another overall podium, although Cannon knows there was more on the table.

Poor starts and mistakes forced her to fight from behind in both motos, while a crash in Moto 1 added further difficulty.

Despite that, Cannon finished second in both races and came within just 1.6 seconds of victory in Moto 2.

Her raw speed was unmistakable, with Cannon recording multiple fastest sector times and an ideal lap time more than a second faster than the competition.

“I need to clean things up and attack early,” said Cannon.

“The speed is there. There are still 100 points to race for and we’re going to give it everything we have to come home with a title.”

With two rounds remaining, Cannon remains firmly in championship contention.

CRAIG SHOWS THE HEART OF A CHAMPION

Christian Craig endured one of the most challenging weekends of his career.

A crash in Moto 1 resulted in Craig being struck hard by another rider, leaving both his body and motorcycle damaged.

Despite the pain, Craig returned to the team and made the decision to line up for Moto 2.

A poor start left him with another mountain to climb, and another incident put him back on the ground.

At that point, there were two choices, stop, or keep fighting.

Craig chose to fight.

Starting from the back, he passed more than 20 riders, continuing to push until the chequered flag.

Remarkably, Craig set his fastest lap of the race on the final lap, finishing 18th .

The result was not what Craig wanted on paper, but his performance demonstrated something more important: character.

“NO ONE ON THIS TEAM QUITS”

Quad Lock Honda founder Yarrive Konsky said the weekend demonstrated exactly what he wants his team to represent.

“Brodie did what I knew he could do. Alex exceeded everyone else’s expectations, but not mine, I know how good he is,” said Konsky.

“Charli is more than capable. I believe in her, and we’ll work through everything together. That’s what teams do.

“But Christian impressed me and made me incredibly proud.

“He was hurt, he crashed in both moto’s, his bike was damaged, he had every reason to pull out, but he goy  up and raced with everything he had until the chequered flag.

“That’s the culture we are building.

“No one on this team quits.

“Results matter, of course they do. But when you see four riders facing completely different challenges and every one of them continues to fight, that’s when you know you’re building something special. We are amongst the best of the best and we are earning our spot and I am grateful.

“Brodie’s fifth, Alex’s 12th, Charli’s two podiums and Christian’s ride from the back all tell different stories.

“But they all tell the same story about this team.

We believe. We fight. And we don’t quit.”

With only two rounds remaining, Quad Lock Honda now turns its attention to the final phase of the championship, carrying the momentum from Unadilla and the belief that there is still plenty more to achieve.