Husqvarna’s Australian Supercross Title Tilt with Josh Cachia and Ryan Marmont
In what has been a phenomenally successful first competition season for the new look Husqvarna racing program in Australia, Husqvarna welcomes two new riders into the factory motocross team for a two-pronged assault on the Australian Supercross championships.
Less than a month after Egan Mastin wrapped up the factory team’s first Australian motocross championship in the MXD category, exciting 22-year-old South Australian Josh Cachia and experienced Wollongong pro Ryan “Doggy” Marmont will target its first Australian Supercross title.
The pair will bring plenty of firepower, with Cachia a consistent top-level performer with an MXD title and AMA Supercross racing experience, while 29-year-old Marmont is a four-time national championship winner who finished third in last year’s pro-Lites championship.
They’ll also bring two new Husqvarna models under the factory team awning for the first time, with Marmont electing to race the four-stroke FC 250 in the Pro-Lites category, and Cachia banking on the sublime balance of the FC 350 for his tilt at Pro Open supremacy.
The opening, double-header rounds of this year’s Australian Supercross championship take place in conjunction with the annual Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama on August 11 and 12.
Craig Anderson: “These guys have won a lot of races and championships, and am very excited to have two guys of that calibre ride for me. I’ve spoken to them pretty much every day, and they’ve been very upfront, communication has been awesome and they’re pretty much pumped with the bikes already.
“Josh will ride the FC 350 in the open class, and Doggy is riding an FC 250 in the Lites class. I think with Josh stepping up to the open class, and he being a little guy who rides a 250F quite well, going straight to a full 450 may have been a big jump, so we are thinking the 350 may suit his weight and riding style better.
“The 250F is as good as anything out there. We gave Doggy an option to ride either, and he picked to ride the four stroke. I think he can ride it faster and longer.
“We always go to win, but if we get both boys in the top five that will be great.
Josh Cachia (FC 350 – Pro Open): “I feel quite privileged, to tell you the truth. With Honda I didn’t really leave on good terms, but people saw that I still want to win and I still wanted to ride, and Husqvarna and Jeff Leisk and Ando all saw the passion that I had in my eyes, and they made things happen in hard times. I feel very grateful for what they’ve done.
“I spoke to a lot of people to get advice on which capacity to ride, and once I rode the 350 I realised that getting enough power wasn’t going to be a problem, it’s just a matter of getting it so it is right for me to ride. The 350 is also 5 kg lighter, and I’m not the biggest rider in the field, so I think I’m just gelling well with it at the moment.
“I really want to be at the pointy end in this series, it was only last week I was looking through my computer at all the photos of me racing with JDR in America, lining up against Eli Tomac, Tyla Rattray and Ken Roczen, just the world’s best. I haven’t raced Supercross in Australia since I went to America so I’m pretty pumped.”
Ryan Marmont (FC 250 – Pro Lites): “I’m excited to race the Supercross championship on this bike, and around the people that are involved in it.” Ando I’ve had full respect for my whole career, so I’m grateful to be riding for him and with the backing of Jeff Leisk and Husqvarna. I really feel we can give this Supercross championship a bit of a shake up, and get some results on the board.
“It is kinda’ last minute, but I have had a week on the bike and I feel quite at home on it straight away – it’s great fun bike to ride. I’m basically going through some setups now and looking forward to round one. I want to be at the front, and I know what it takes to be there, so now I’m just trying to pull all those little pieces together and make it all happen.”
