An injury had sidelined the Oklahoman for the previous four races, but Canard put together two solid rides aboard his factory CRF450R, scoring sixth overall with 6-6 finishes.
In moto one, Canard got a slow jump off the line, rounding the first turn outside the top 10, but he quickly began working his way forward, moving into seventh by the halfway point.He would climb one more position by the end of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap race, taking the checkered flag in sixth.
After getting a similar start in moto two, Canard worked his way into fifth and stayed there for much of the race. With two laps remaining, he made a mistake while being pressured by another rider, causing him to fall one spot and again end the moto in sixth.
“Today wasn’t too bad. I didn’t ride as well as I wanted to, but it’s hard to miss a few weeks and come back right where you left off. I’m just really happy to be back at the races, so I can’t be too bummed. I didn’t get the greatest start in either moto and just had to work my way forward. In the second moto, I was in fifth but made a mistake in a section, twisting my ankle pretty hard and letting Justin [Barcia] by me. I just need to keep pushing forward, and I’m excited for the rest of the season.”
The series moves on to Washougal for Round nine this weekend.
