When GEICO Honda’s Christian Craig is healthy and happy, he’s one of the fastest 250cc riders on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross circuit. It’s the healthy part that the talented 26-year-old has struggled with throughout his career.
But the 2018 Monster Energy AMA 250SX West Supercross Series marks a reset for Craig, who returns to the region that he feels suits him better than the East, where he finished a disappointing sixth overall after netting just one podium finish in 2017. He’s also once again at 100 percent, and armed with a new, factory-backed 2018 Honda CRF250R, he has a positive outlook on the upcoming season.
DirtBikes.com recently took a few minutes with Craig to get his thoughts on 2018, returning to the West, his new bike and his expectations. Craig firmly feels that the time for him to shine is right now.
Christian Craig: Yeah. Injuries are part of the sport obviously, and it sucks when it happens, but the best thing to do is to put yourself in good position to avoid them. You know, obviously training and doing the motos beforehand is going to eliminate that stuff. Preparation is the biggest thing, and this off-season has been one of the best for me. I have myself in a good position mentally and physically. I’ve actually been working with Cole Seely. He and I train together, and we do all of our motos together. He’s a winner. He almost won a 250cc [supercross] championship, so I feel like I learn a lot from him, not just riding, but mentally. I’m going into 2018 feeling the best I’ve ever felt.
DirtBikes.com: A lot of riders will say that.
Christian Craig: A lot of riders are always amped up and have a lot of pressure put on them, but I’m just trying to stay low key. I know I’m in a good place, and as long as I stay humble and healthy, you know, there’s no stopping me. I’ve got to get good starts, and I’ll stay up front.
DirtBikes.com: That’s what your team manager, Dan Betley, said about you. He said the job is to keep you calm and keep you out of stressful situations that seem to develop around you sometimes. That seems to be more of a mental thing than a physical thing.
Christian Craig: Yeah. A lot of the media have kind of figured me out a little bit. It’s a lot mental for me. It’s a lot mental for any rider. But if I’m happy, I’m riding good. I think Dan has told that to me, and he has told that to you guys. Keep me happy and keep me in a stress-free environment, and that’s when I’m the best.
DirtBikes.com: Some riders, when they’re going fast, they look like they’re going fast, kind of frantic. For you, it seems that when you’re going fast you stay more fluid. You look like you’re just out there, having a good time.
Christian Craig: A lot of riders have to get mad to ride fast. They have to get ticked off, and then they start dropping their lap times. For me, if I’m mad, I’m going slower. Some people are like, ‘He doesn’t look like he’s going fast,’ but then you put a clock on me and I’m one of the fastest. That’s something I have on my side. I can be smooth and not have to hammer the bike and be sketchy or have sketchy moments like that.
DirtBikes.com: How do you like the new Honda CRF250R?
Christian Craig: I love it, and every rider on our team will tell you the same thing. It’s a lot better than the 2017. Honda did a good job with the chassis. It feels just like the 450. Everyone is pumped on it. Everyone who got on the ’18 did not want to touch the ’17 again. I rode both bikes in stock form, and I fell in love with the ’18 right away–and you know stock bikes aren’t the fastest. But what I learned is that there is so much more room for improvement with this bike.
DirtBikes.com: Especially with the DOHC motor, it seems.
Christian Craig: It’s almost endless when it comes to getting more power out of it–that’s what I learned from the shop guys. I feel like I’m already on a strong motor with what we have, and there’s a new motor that we’re going to have that will be even better. The ’17 motor was strong, too, but we were maxed out on it. This bike has so much more room for improvement. I think that’s kind of what this team needed to revamp it. We needed a new bike to kind of get the fire under us again to where we dominate the 250cc class like we did a couple years ago. Everyone is happy with it.
DirtBikes.com: That’s good, because sixth place and one podium finish like we saw from you in the East last year really isn’t Christian Craig’s style.
Christian Craig: Yeah, I think everybody saw that I wasn’t myself mentally or physically last year. I didn’t believe in myself anymore. A lot of people can try to hide that, but when you don’t believe in yourself, you’re going to ride poorly. Also, going to the East and learning all those new tracks was tough. Now I’m back in the West, where I live and where I’m used to the dirt. I think that even if I wasn’t fully ready, I was going to be West. The team knows that they’ve put me on a good coast where I’m comfortable, and I’m going to put in the results where I belong.
DirtBikes.com: You’re 26 now, which doesn’t make you the youngest guy in the class. Any thoughts about that?
Christian Craig: Well, it’s older in the class, but Zach Osborne just won a [250cc] title last year, and he was 27 or 28. A lot of people think I’m on the back end [of my career], but I’m not. I’m in a good spot, and I’m a veteran in this class, so I know what to expect. I know all the tracks, and I know what the dirt is going to be like, so this is my time. I know it’s a small window, so there is where I need to put in the results. I’ve got to make stuff happen this year.
DirtBikes.com: Expectations are going to be high for you in the West.
Christian Craig: I’ve won before, and there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to make it happen again.
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