Ryan Houghton started his day at the third round of the MX Nationals at Hawkstone Park with a third fastest in MX1 qualifying and proving that practice really can pay off – Houghton has been working on his starts – he was able to put his YZ450F in third place on the opening lap of moto one; taking fourth in the MX1 class at the chequers.
Houghton made a solid start in moto two, placing sixth early in the race but his pace dropped in the later stages as he tired. He held on to sixth in MX1 which secured fifth overall.
“Ryan is going well and riding strong, and producing the results for the team,” said Team Boss, Rob Hooper. “He had good starts today which make a difference, but it posed a different challenge and a pressure for him, having to run the pace of the front-runners and it tired him out for later in the race.
“That is something for us to work on, but overall Ryan is doing a sterling job for the team.”
Houghton has now moved into joint third in the MX Nationals Pro MX1 championship standings but with a two-week break in championship racing Hooper thinks the interruption isn’t ideal for Houghton. “Ryan could do with races every week to keep his strong momentum going and to ensure his intensity doesn’t drop.
What’s next for Ryan Houghton?
Following the sentiments of Hooper, Houghton races in France this weekend to keep up his fitness and intensity.
