Team Honda HRC’s Trey Canard returns to action this weekend for round eight of the United States Motocross Championships series at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota, after missing the last four races of the series due to an injury sustained while practising.

Canard, who suffered a bulging disc in his neck that caused numbness in his arm and hand, has been riding the last two weeks and is prepared now to return to the US nationals this weekend.

Team Honda HRC is eager for Canard’s return, as the squad has been forced to sit out the races at RedBud and Southwick after team-mate Cole Seely was also injured.

This past weekend in Southwick, Massachusetts, Honda’s Justin Bogle was the sole rider aboard a factory-prepped CRF450R.

Although the day started on a positive note for Bogle, who scored a career-best fourth in moto one and took the holeshot in both races, he was forced into the pits after a hard moto-two crash.

“I’m excited to be returning to the starting gate this weekend,” Canard said. “After my crash, I didn’t have enough strength to hang onto the bike for a full moto, due to the numbness in my arm and hand, so I felt it was best not to risk it.

“I’ve been doing whatever I can since then to rehab it in order to get back to racing as soon as possible. Things have gone smoothly since I started riding again about a week and a half ago, so I’m eager to race with these guys.”

Meanwhile, 450cc class leader Ken Roczen, of Germany, will be hoping to bounce back on his Suzuki and get back into winning mode after dominating the early part of the season.

He was beaten twice by Colorado native Eli Tomac (Kawasaki) at round seven in Southwick last weekend and these two riders look set to roar away in their own private battle for the title, with the third-ranked rider, French KTM star Marvin Musquin, a massive 89 points back in third.

Roczen had enjoyed a golden run, having won five of the seven rounds so far this season – and on every occasion scoring a 1-1 score-card – so his advantage over Tomac at the top of the standings is now a considerable 47 points, with just five rounds remaining.

450 Class Championship Standings after round 7:

1 Ken Roczen, Germany, Suzuki – 337

2 Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 290

3 Marvin Musquin, France, KTM – 201

4 Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Yamaha – 181

5 Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki – 171

6 Christophe Pourcel, France, Husqvarna – 168

7 Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda – 151

8 Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda – 136

9 Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 131

10 Justin Brayton Fort Dodge, Iowa, KTM – 120

250 Class Championship Standings after round 7:

1 Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 290

2 Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki – 253

3 Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 252

4 Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha – 232

5 Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna – 217

6 Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki – 202

7 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha – 186

8 Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, Kawasaki – 138

9 Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM – 132

10 RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Honda – 132

10 Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, Texas, KTM – 132

Photo courtesy Simon Cudby

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