Yamaha: Christian Craig Signs Two-Year Deal With Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing

Breaking news dropped this afternoon on Instagram from Yamaha: Christian Craig has signed a two-year deal with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing after a two-year stint at the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.

Craig has dealt with many injuries over the previous two years at Husqvarna, including a brutal elbow injury that has been with him all of 2024. He returned to racing at the season opener of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship this season, after Glendale round 6 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, placing eighth in the series and 19th in the 450 SuperMotocross World Championship overall.

He will return to the team where he won his 250SX West Championship in 2022 and placed 5th in the 2022 450MX AMA Motocross Championship before going to Husqvarna. We have learned that Craig will be racing on the track each weekend but is also expected to help coach and develop the 250 riders over the next two years.

Haiden Deegan and the Craigs are close, and so is Deegan's mechanic now, Brent Duffe, who was Christian's winning mechanic for the 2022 250SX West Championship.

Christian will be alongside Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, and Justin Cooper, rounding out a 4 rider field for the team.

^{“I’m so excited to be back with the Star Racing team and grateful that even after two years away, they still welcomed and believed in me. It already feels so good to be back in the same environment where I won my championship and surrounded by the people who helped get me there! Looking forward to a great next couple of years!” -Craig}

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Here is the press release from Yamaha:

Craig Returns to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing signs Christian Craig to a two-year deal

MARIETTA, Ga. – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing is excited to announce that Christian Craig will return to the team for the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship season. The Californian put ink to paper for a two-year deal to race the YZ450F and help the team with the development of their 250 riders.

Craig brings with him a wealth of experience and is looking forward to returning to the team where he enjoyed a lot of success and the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West Championship. After joining in 2021, he kicked off his debut with a bang, winning the 250SX East season opener in Houston, Texas. He went on to add another five victories to his tally and a total of nine podiums during his two-year tenure with the team aboard the YZ250F in Supercross. For the outdoor season, Craig shifted gears to the Pro Motocross 450MX Championship aboard the YZ450F and scored some solid results to finish the year sixth in 2021 and had five moto podium finishes in 2022 to earn a top-five finish in the point standings.

Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager:

“We are very excited to have Christian back aboard the Star Racing Yamaha YZ450F. We feel that he has yet to show his true abilities on the 450, and we look forward to bringing him back to where he belongs. We also look forward to having him back around the young talent that we have on our team to bring his experience and help us develop those younger riders.”