Anderson and Dale set to apply the pressure at Hervey Bay

Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing enters the crucial second-half of its Monster Energy MX Nationals campaign this weekend at Hervey Bay’s Dundowran Circuit.

The team have kept to a solid training and testing schedule throughout the six-week break, and taken the opportunity to contest a number of state-based events to maintain focus and race fitness.

The factory Honda team enters round 6 of 10 holding down top three berths in both the MX1 and MX2 classes, with the aim to apply pressure to the points leaders.

MX1 rider Brad Anderson has had an eventful break, travelling back to Western Australia where he contested and won the Manjimup 15,000 in challenging sandy conditions.

Back at the factory and test track, his focus has been working with the team to find a bike setup that will help alleviate a problematic case of arm pump.

Anderson said he was looking forward to getting back onto the racetrack this weekend.

“With last weekend’s Victorian titles event looking like a washout we decided to head to the test track instead,” said Anderson.

“I have been riding well and I am really happy with the changes we made to the bike over the break which I hope will relieve the arm pump I have been getting during the races.

“I'm looking forward to getting back into competition again and am confident we will be up there and challenging for wins.”

Anderson has made the podium in 10 of the 15 motos contested and is well within reach of Todd Waters (+6 points) and Josh Coppins (+27 points).

For Dale, the focus is on consistency throughout race day, and delivering top results across each moto.

He’s looking to add to his current results haul of four 1sts, two 2nds and two thirds, which has seen him on the podium in over half of the motos contested.

He kept up his winning ways in his local Sunshine State competition by sweeping last weekend’s event in Leyburn despite some time off the bike.

“I had planned on riding and competing in all of the Sunshine State events over the break but I ended up having my appendix out so I had to have two to three weeks off the bike,” said Dale.

“The past two weeks I have been hard at it back riding. I did the Leyburn Sunshine State round last weekend which is was great in terms of preparation for this weekend’s MX Nationals round at Hervey Bay.

“The track was quite sandy like Hervey Bay, and I won both races, and a few of the guys from the Nationals were there so I got to see where I sat in terms of fitness.”

Dale enters the event 32 points shy of leader Luke Styke.

Both classes will contest the regular pair of 15-minute motos to open the day before returning to the track for the feature 30-minute moto in the afternoon.