Image: Supplied.

Former American motocross and supercross contender Andrew Short earned runner-up honours this week at the Silk Way Rally, his best-ever finish since transferring to rally racing, as well as a career-best result in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies Championship.

The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider led the special from start to finish and set a time that was just enough to retain his second overall position in the provisional standings by a slender 39 seconds.

Gaining experience and confidence throughout the rally, Short put his high-speed skills on display during the final Chinese stages, going on to claim not only his best ever world championship result while also moving up to second in the points rankings.

“I’m really excited to finish the race how I did,” said Short. “For me, the rally didn’t start so well, it took me a little time to get comfortable with the speed among the trees, rocks and water in Russia. Overall, I kept improving as the rally went on and for me to finish where I did is better than expected.

“A lot of cool things happened for me in this rally – I got my first ever stage win and then today I was given the opportunity to open a stage for the first time. My navigation has been good for the whole rally, and I definitely think that has enabled my rhythm to improve.

“I feel more comfortable on the bike and the team have been perfect. From here I hope I can continue to gain confidence and momentum and be even stronger at the next race.”

Short will return to action at round three of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, the Atacama Rally in Chile, on 1-7 September.