Australia’s CDR Yamaha Monster Energy Team will take their team and talents to the world as they pursuit the newly formed World Supercross Championship with two Australian riders spearheading the effort.
Craig Dack Racing, the longest and most successful dirt bike racing team in Australia, are set and ready to contest the opening round of the World Supercross Championship on October 7 and 8 with Luke Clout and Aaron Tanti headlining the team and riding alongside US based riders of Kyle Chisholm and Josh Hill. Clout and Hill will form the SX1 combination on board their YZ450F’s while Tanti and Chisholm make up the SX2 component of the team on the YZ250F.
2022 represents the inaugural running of the FIM World Supercross Championship with a two round championship in Cardiff, UK to get them under way, followed up with round two at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on October 20 and 21. The championship is then set to expand for the 2023 season taking in many more countries and destinations.
For team owner, Craig Dack, the opportunity to take his successful domestic team and star riders to an international platform was the motivation for taking on the World Supercross challenge and one that he believes will help show case Australian riders to the world.
“I’m a firm believer in the ability for Australia to produce world level talent as we have in the past with riders like Chad Reed and Jett Lawrence, so this is the perfect way to continue that by having an Australian team tackle a world championship and allow our riders to perform at the highest level. We also pride ourselves on our dedication and desire to win, so we will continue to look abroad when required to find the right riders that fit the CDR mould.”
“Contesting this championship exposes our team, riders and sponsors to a new audience and provides experiences and opportunities that were previously difficult to attain. We are proudly Australian, proud to keep our Australian riders at the forefront and look forward to working with all our members and partners for the 2022 championship,” Dack continues.
For the Australian based riders in Luke Clout and Aaron Tanti, both a set for a big finish to the year with plenty of challenges still to face. Clout is returning to racing after being side-lined for nearly four months with a broken leg. Through a dedicated rehabilitation process, Clout is nearing 100% and feeling good on the bike.
“When I first started riding after the leg injury, it was a slow process to get back up to speed and regain some confidence in my body. But, I have worked hard with the my recovery, the team has been super supportive and it feels like the last couple of weeks that things are starting to gel and the work is paying off on the track. I felt great at a recent test session and the team have the bike working well, so for me, I’m just desperate to get back to the starting gate again and race as its been far too long between events for me,” Clout expresses.
For Tanti, his 2022 season has been a remarkable one that has seen him claim the MX1 ProMX championship, his very first national crown. His challenge now comes in the form that he will trade his trusty YZ450F for a YZ250F when contesting the Global SX rounds but then return to the 450 when racing at the Australian Supercross championship.
“The last time I raced a 250 was in 2020, so it took a few rides to really get back into the swing of it. I now have a 250 and 450 at home with me and quite often bounce between the two to get used to the feeling of each bike and adjust to the different amounts of power and their delivery. So far, it’s actually been a lot of fun and I feel like I’m riding the 250 pretty well. The team haven’t had to build a 250 for a long time but they have done a great job in development a motor and suspension package I’m comfortable with and I’m ready to go,” Tanti said.
The team will also consist of US based riders, Kyle Chisholm and Josh Hill. Both are experienced racers who have raced at every level all around the world. Hill is no stranger to the CDR team having raced with CDR Yamaha in 2019 and the relationship has continued from there, while the super popular Kyle Chisholm is a long time Yamaha support rider that continues to produce good results week in, week out in the US Supercross championship.
“Having Kyle and Josh on the team is a bonus for us as they have plenty of racing knowledge as well as the connections to make it all work as dealing with riders based in other countries does have its challenges. Both Kyle and Josh have been great to deal with and are enthusiastic to represent CDR, so we look forward to a successful championship with them. We have clicked with Kyle, and he is a true Yamaha rider and person. He is passionate about the brand, his racing and works closely with Yamaha US on testing and promotional activities. Josh is a long-time friend of CDR so joining forces again is easy and seamless.” Dack said
“I would also like to take this time to thank many of our long-term partners who have stepped up and come on this Global SX journey with us. Yamaha Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Australia, FOX and Monster Energy have all pulled together with the CDR staff in a very short time and overcome many of the new obstacles we had to face.”
