19.02 MXP Motocross Performance MXPMAG

C A N A D A’ S S O U R C E F O R M O T O C R O S S A N D O F F - R O A D

2019 MXTour

Preview

Roost Factory/ Hoosier Off - Road

Running With A Legend

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WIN LIKE A WARRIOR Racing and war have a few things in common. Like the importance of having the right gear, preparation and sweating the details. Whether it’s a battlefield or a start line, you want to saddle up knowing you’ve already won before the first shot is fired, or the green flag drops.

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FEATURES 32 COVER STORY

Tyler Medaglia - Captain Canada gets ready to race with the kids.

38 2019 MXTOUR PREVIEW

Time to go and play outside.

46 LONG LIVE MOTOCROSS MAGAZINES

Mike McGill refects on his past work.

54 ROOST FACTORY/ HOOSIER OFF-ROAD

A look at this interesting motocross loving company.

58 BEHIND THE SCENE OF THE

KTM TEAM PHOTO SHOOT

Mike Vizer shows us what a team photo shoot looks like.

62 CABIN FEVER

Kate McKerroll does some snow riding with Husqvarna Canada.

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80 SPRING BREAK IN FLORIDA

Andy White tells the story of his Florida vacation.

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94 YOUNG AND ON THE RISE

We profile the young Ontario rider Campbell Searle.

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Long Live Motocross Magazines

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GREIETNES

ER TYLIA MEDAGL

86 ROLLING THUNDER

Lawrence Hacking restores an old classic.

90 ONE ON ONE WITH STEVE SIMMS

We chat with the man who runs the OTSFF Yamaha Team.

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COVER STORY

68 MXP CHATTER WITH JYIRE MITCHELL

We sit down with the champion from Bermuda.

74 COUNTRY MUSIC MEETS SUPERCROSS

The 2019 Monster Energy SX Series heads to Nashville.

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MXP CHATTER

YOUNG PRESENTS

JYIRE MITCHELL

AND ON THE

RISE 94

COLUMNS

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by Chris Pomeroy

by Claudie Lapointe

with Dylan Wright

by Sean Poitras

by Andy White

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE

GUEST COLUMN

THE MENTAL SIDE

INSIDE LINE

12 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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www.kiska.com

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

Photo: Mitterbauer

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

TAKE A LEADING APPROACH The 2019 FC 450 ROCKSTAR EDITION reaffirms the highly successful collaboration between Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rockstar Energy Drink. Featuring the latest benchmarks in technology and development, this replica built motorcycle is a smart solution for a rider looking to reach their full potential on the track.

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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

FRENCH FLYER Marvin Musquin goes upside down in Seattle.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 15

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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

GAME OF INCHES The 450 riders look for room as they charge into the first turn.

16 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

CLEAN, NOT FILTHY Phil Nicoletti looks like he’s adapted quite well to Canada so far.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 19

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Your bike deserves

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Hand your engine over to an expert .

MOTORCROSS PERFORMANCE VOLUME 19, ISSUE 2

FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES CALL: 416-633-1202

PUBLISHER: Charles Stancer/Mark Stallybrass V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING: Charles Stancer EDITOR: Chris Pomeroy SALES MANAGER: Al Jaggard SENIOR WRITERS: Brian Koster, Mike McGill SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Jamie Baskerville STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: James Lissimore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: James Lissimore, Drew Robertson, Leticia Cline, Andy White, Matt Wellumson, Sean Poitras, Lawrence Hacking, Kate McKerroll CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Virgil Knapp, Clayton Racicot, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Frank Hoppen, Summer Denzler, Mike Vizer COVER PHOTO: James Lissimore MXP has the exclusive rights to the MRC’s mailing list of racing license holders. Every MRC license holder from coast to coast receives and reads each issue of MXP. In addition to this exclusive list of readers, we are partnered with several motocross and off-road enthusiast organizations across the country including the FMSQ. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT: Charles Stancer 416-633-1202 charles@mxpmag.com mxpmag.com

Parts & accessories

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Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement# 41831514 MX PERFORMANCE is published 7 times per year CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to: PO Box 171 Stouffville, Ontario L4A 7Z5 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year - Canada $20.00 Cdn., U.S.A. $40.00 US, 416-633-1202

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION GROUP PUBLISHER & CEO: Tim Rutledge SENIOR ART DIRECTORS: Patrick Beltijar, Patrick Dinglasan, Queue Gonzalez, Edward Shintani PRODUCTION: Richard Robles

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CAUGHT ON CAMERA

A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL FROM RACES AND EVENTS THROUGH OUT THE YEAR.

S It’s great to see this guy back in Canada.

S The sky is the limit in 2019 for this nice guy.

S With how much success CT16 has had lately, it’s no wonder he’s all

S The riders aren’t the only ones with off-season training programs.

S Everyone’s favourite East Coaster is back again for another summer

S The champ from Bermuda is in the house.

S We thought red and green should never be seen together.

S Justin uses one of his favourite tools in Abbotsford.

S JT explains to Tyler why the dirt is always soft in BC.

S No wonder Cole is winning so many races now.

S Canada’s version of the three amigos.

S The Rockstar girls walk in like they own the place.

of fun.

smiles.

22 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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CAUGHT ON CAMERA

A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL FROM RACES AND EVENTS THROUGH OUT THE YEAR.

S You’re never too young to ride for the Cycle North Team.

S Team Green surveys the Calgary track from above.

S We wonder what came out of this meeting?

S Our Triple Crown Champion just made this little girl’s day.

S Get the Sharpie’s out boys, it’s autograph time.

S Not even Newf can fix this problem.

S You can never sneak up on Filthy Phil.

S Maff Sr. is happy to have his son back in the 450 class.

S The start of a new season can be very scary.

S The Triple Crown Series crew was happy to be back in BC.

S The opening round means it’s time to get serious all over again.

S The very first dog stroller in a Canadian motocross paddock.

24 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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2019

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FAMOUS LAST WORDS WITH CHRIS POMEROY

HEADING INTO THE 2019 MXTOUR I THINK TYLER MOVING BACK TO THE 250 CLASS IS ONE OF THE BIG STORY LINES AND THAT’S WHY HE WAS CHOSEN FOR THIS COVER.

SUMMER LOVING

IF THE PHRASE “APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS” IS TRUE, THEN AT LEAST WHERE I LIVE IN ONTARIO, FLOWERS WILL BE IN FULL BLOOM BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE WETTEST AND COOLEST SPRING SEASONS I CAN REMEMBER, AND IT’S NOT OVER YET. ACTUALLY, THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN LESS-THAN-SELLER WEATHER-WISE DURING APRIL AND EARLY MAY, SO MAYBE THIS IS JUST THE NEW NORMAL. EITHER WAY, SOON IT WILL BE SUMMER AND WE’LL MOST LIKELY BE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE HEAT AND GOING OUTSIDE ON OUR FRONT LAWNS DOING A RAIN DANCE. THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT GOES.

W

ith our 2019 race season now in full affect, it has definitely been interesting to see which riders have found early success. I think everyone knew that Cole Thompson would come out swinging in the 450 class, so that was no surprise.

After building up so much momentum in the late stages of 2018, really all Cole has had to do is just maintain his high level of riding. And I certainly don’t mean to downplay his dominance of the 2019 AXTour, it’s never easy to start off a season as well as he has this year. In the 250 class, I was pleasantly surprised with how good Dylan Wright was throughout the AXTour Series. I know he spent his off-season training hard at home before heading south to split his time riding with both Mike Alessi and Colton Facciotti. Obviously, these two veteran riders have had great

influence with Dylan as he appears to be riding and racing better than ever. I say ‘racing’ as Dylan has never had an issue with riding, it’s the racing part that has sometimes given him trouble, which is where his mistakes have come. However, as I always elude to, regardless of how good you are when you’re an amateur rider, turning that into a good pro career is a long process that usually cannot be rushed. Dylan is a rider who looks to be right on schedule with that process, and during the AXTour, his race-craft looked much more refined. If he can continue to get good starts and stay out of trouble, especially in the western rounds of the 2019 MXTour, then look out in the east!

Remember, last summer Dylan scored the most points in the 250 class during the final five rounds.

The final round of the AXTour in Barrie was the best of the series with a technical track and great dirt. It was a perfect way to wrap up the series, and I want to congratulate Cole Thompson and Dylan

Wright on their 2019 AXTour Championships. I’m quite sure this will give both riders a big confidence boost heading into the opening round of the MXTour in Calgary.

Another rider who will challenge the kids for the 2019 250 MXTour title is the ageless wonder and this month’s Coverboy, Tyler Medaglia. Unless you live under a tabletop, you must know by now that Tyler has chosen to once again take his talents back to the 250 class for 2019. This was a move that on the surface surprised a lot of people, me included, but after speaking with him and listening to his rationale, I think it’s a great move. I also believe that Tyler enters this summer with no real pressure, other than the pressure he puts on himself. After all, if he gets beaten by defending 250 Champion Jess Pettis or a few of the other young guns in that class, no one is going to criticize Captain Canada for not winning this year’s 250 title. Basically, if he wins the title then he’s an absolute hero for beating riders ten years his junior. If he doesn’t win this title? Well, he’s still a hero in my book for trying. I think Tyler should run ‘Hero’ as a butt patch this summer and let the chips fall where they may. Heading into the 2019 MXTour I think Tyler moving back

to the 250 class is one of the big story lines and that’s why he was chosen for this cover.

Additionally, this issue is the host of very cool stories that I believe will satisfy our readers regardless of their age. For our more mature audience, we have Lawrence Hacking’s restoration story about making an age-old classic look outstanding. We also have Andy White talking about his spring break in Florida as he was down south watching a few races. With the summer season almost upon us, this issue covers a wide range of subjects, and as always, I’m very proud of it.

I hope everyone enjoys this presummer issue of MXP as I believe it came together very well. With the upcoming MXTour as well as multiple big amateur events, this summer is once again going to be very exciting. As always, the entire MXP crew will be at every big race bringing you the absolute best coverage in print, on the web, as well as on Social Media. So, grab some water and sunscreen and I will meet you at the track this summer. Thanks for reading!

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FEMALE PERSPECTIVE

BY CLAUDIE LAPOINTE

FOREVER YOUNG

WHEN IT COMES TO MOTOCROSS, MY FIRST LOVE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AMATEUR RACING. FROM DAY 1 IN THE INDUSTRY, I CARED A LOT MORE ABOUT THE KIDS THAN THE PROS. I WOULD GET MORE HYPED UP WATCHING THE SUPER MINI RACE AT WALTON THAN I WOULD FOR THE 450 PRO EVENT. SEEING A 65 CLEAR A HUGE STEP-UP WAS, TO ME, MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN A 450 DOING THE SAME THING.

I

n my short career, I have had the chance to work with the Canadian KTM Orange Brigade and the Atlas A-Team. They are both completely different programs but with a common goal: helping the younger generation reach their full potential.

When I started at KTM, I was an Administrative Agent and had a little too much racing passion for what my job description was. I was really impressed with how Christy LaCurelle would run the USA OB team and dreamed about having the same program in Canada. The only contact I had with amateur racing was our annual spaghetti dinner, which I loved doing, but I needed more. I kept talking about it to my boss (Florian) and kept saying ‘’I made the budget, give me just one rider and I’ll make it work.’’

Well, apparently, if you ask every day for a year, people start to listen and take

you more seriously. Florian told me to go ahead and find a rider. I was a 22-yearold female in an older, male dominated industry, I couldn’t mess that one up or I would hear about it forever.

I called a lot of people. I talked with Chris Pomeroy, Sylvain Brodeur, Jean Sebastien Roy, and pulled out about 900 pages of results from the past three years. I talked with Christy and asked her what I should be looking for. Are we just looking for speed or do we want a nice family that needs help? The ride I was about to give this kid was basically unlimited free bikes from the factory, a decent parts budget, contingencies, access to the US OB training camp and other support from the team’s sponsors.

We couldn’t just let it go to someone who wouldn’t appreciate it.

It took me a week to finally make up my mind. When I did, I messaged him on Facebook to get his phone number.

I was in California and it was 8pm. The kid answered right away… it was 11pm in Ontario. I was now questioning why my 14-year-old future Canadian champ wasn’t sleeping. Not only did he give me his phone number but he said I could call right away. Well, I had been waiting for this for over a year, so I was pretty excited to take the phone and make it happen.

About two months later, Tanner Ward was on his new KTM 85 with a new gear sponsor and a signed contract. I don’t know who was happier, me, Jeff (his dad) or Tanner. They were really patient with me as I had the will and passion but didn’t have any experience. Looking back at it today, I got VERY lucky. The kid had determination, speed and the nicest attitude, while the family was amazing and supportive. God knows how crazy some of the ‘’mini-parents’’ can be but Jeff and Cindy were the total opposite.

They helped me and I helped them! I did get a little nervous when two weeks into the program they called me to say that Tanner had broken his femur! That day I learned how resilient Tanner was and how nothing, not even a broken femur, would stop this kid. When, in his first year on the program, he won every Canadian race he entered, I knew I made the right decision and was thankful to everyone who pushed me in that direction.

As Tanner moved on to bigger bikes, we started talking about his upcoming

“THAT DAY I LEARNED HOW RESILIENT TANNER WAS AND HOW NOTHING, NOT EVEN A BROKEN FEMUR, WOULD STOP THIS KID.”

pro days. Jeff and I had a lot of phone calls and I really trusted him. He knew his son more than any of us and was realistic about the next steps. I quickly learned that the line in between pushing too hard and dragging for too long is really fine in the amateur racing world.

With Cole already on a 450 and Kaven winning his second 250 championship we knew the timing was pretty good, but there was still a lot of work to be able to prove to JSR that Tanner was the next logical choice.

Tanner was working really hard, racing every weekend, and spending so much time on his bike that the people in the office wouldn’t believe me when I said he needed another bike because he already had 80 hours on it. ‘’We gave it to him two months ago!’’ Yes, but he was riding 3 to 4 hours a day, every day!!

All these efforts proved to be worthwhile when he ended up on the starting line for his first ever pro race. Gopher Dunes was amazing - despite a crash and other little bobbles, he was proving to everyone that the OB team worked!

That same year he went on to finish 2-2 for 2nd overall at Deschambault and I cried for over an hour!

The next year, I had to let Tanner go.

It was a painful separation for me, but I couldn’t be happier to see him leave my office to then go straight into JSR’s office to sign his first ever pro contract.

After so many people telling me I didn’t know what I was doing and I should have picked their kids instead, I could now shut all the voices in my head. He had successfully grown into an extremely fast, professional motocross racer.

When I made the decision to quit KTM, it was hard to leave all of the Canadian kids that I had the honour of working with. Tanner, Jacob Piccolo and Ryder McNabb were all incredible to work with, but I had to move on in my personal life and I couldn’t hang on to them anymore.

That being said, I have the chance to work with Ryder in the Atlas A-Team and I moved about 10 minutes away from the Piccolos, so it wasn’t really a separation, they are still stuck with me!

The amateur world is beautiful and more people should give attention to the younger crowd. Without amateurs there are no pros. And if you are an amateur rider and you are reading this, it may sound like these opportunities never happen but they do. KTM had a good program but so do other OEMs. Marco Cannella, Jake Tricco and Sam Gaynor are all other amateur riders that recently made it on to a pro team. Do not stop believing and trying, because there are more people than you think that are looking at amateur racing and are planning for the future of their team.

Be faithful to your sponsors, train hard, be humble and if the speed is there, I guarantee that you will have a future in Canadian motocross!

28 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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www.kiska.com

MINI STATURE, FULL-SIZE PERFORMANCE

The junior ranks provide some of the toughest battles where fierce moto warriors all fight to become the next Motocross Superstar. The 2019 KTM 85 SX is the ultimate race companion for this highly competitive class. A bike that sets the benchmark in performance and handling, designed with the same proven strengths of KTM’s full-size SX range. Many great battles still lie ahead – be sure to choose your weapon wisely.

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Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. The illustrated vehicle may vary in selected details from the production model and feature optional equipment available at additional cost. Not all products shown are available in North America.

THE ADVANTAGE

Photo: R. Schedl

TIME TO TAKE

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GUEST COLUMN WITH DYLAN WRIGHT

RED PLATES

THE ROCKSTAR ENERGY TRIPLE CROWN SERIES IS NOW IN FULL SWING. WE HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THREE-QUARTERS OF THE ARENACROSS (AX) ROUNDS AND THE MOTOCROSS (MX) SEASON IS FAST APPROACHING. AS MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN, THE AX TOUR HAS BEEN GOING PRETTY WELL FOR ME. ALL OF US RIDERS HAVE HAD OUR UP AND DOWN WEEKENDS, BUT IT HAS MADE FOR GREAT RACING. THE THING WITH AX IS THAT IT’S SO TIGHT COMPARED TO ANY OTHER RACING WE DO. WITH THAT COMES TECHNICAL AND MORE AGGRESSIVE RACING, AND ANY LITTLE MISTAKE CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR NIGHT. IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, YOU CAN GO FROM HAVING A GOOD MOTO TO HAVING A BAD ONE.

F

or me, round one didn’t go as planned. I won the first heat race and felt great going into the main event, but on the first lap, an incident sent me off the track and into some tough blocks. I went down and, before you knew it, found myself a lap down and trying to play catch up. But, like I said before, that’s arenacross. As a rider, you have to deal with all situations and try your best not to put yourself in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

I am a dirt bike racer so “dirt” is a pretty important factor in our sport. To continue with some thoughts about Round 1, I can’t help but talk a little bit about the dirt in Abbotsford. If you

were there to see it, is was very soft and moist. This made the racing fairly tricky.

But as my Dad would say, “It’s the same for every other rider out there.” With that in mind, a racer must do their best under the circumstances and adjust their bike settings and riding styles to suit the conditions. What you want to do is get a good start, try to minimize the mistakes as much as possible, take calculated risks to achieve the best results, but not unnecessary risks that could result in a crash. In Abbotsford,itwas honestly about taking whatever spot you could in the end and move on. That was my plan all night, but I made the mistake of not putting myself in the best spot possible and that ultimately meant a 7th place finish for me. Live and learn. I

won’t be doing that again if I can help it.

After the disappointing results at Round 1, I was sure that my season was going to be super tough and that it would be difficult to catch up in points.

The class has a lot of great riders, and in such a short series, I had almost counted myself out. With that being said, I knew that all I could do was put as much hard work in as I could, come out swinging in Round 2 and go for the win. When arriving in Calgary, the dirt looked super good and the track layout looked great.

I was super excited to put it to the test.

In practice, we made a few suspension changes to get the bike handling exactly the way I wanted it. After nailing the start in the heat race, I was able to get the win. That felt great and was a confidence booster, for sure. Then came the main, and I got out to another great start, which made my life a little easier.

I was second on the first lap behind Brad Nauditt, who was riding really

FOLLOWING THIS RACE, IT WAS REALLY COOL TO GO ACROSS THE STREET WITH MY MECHANIC JUSTIN AND CATCH SOME OF THE PLAYOFF VIBES AS WE JOINED THE TAILGATE PARTY WHERE HUNDREDS OF CALGARY FLAMES FANS WERE GATHERED TO WATCH THEIR PLAYOFF GAME.

well. After being behind him for a couple of laps, I was able to get a good run through the whoops and was able to make the pass. After that, I managed to build up a little lead and maintain it for the rest of the race, bringing home the win; the first arenacross win of my career. It felt awesome. Following this race, it was really cool to go across the street with my mechanic Justin and catch some of the playoff vibes as we joined the tailgate party where hundreds of Calgary Flames fans were gathered to watch their playoff game.

Heading into Round 3, I would have the red plate on my bike; another career first for me. To be honest, I didn’t even have it in mind given my results in Round 1. But as luck would have it, some of my fellow racers faced some of the same challenges I did in Round 1 thereby evening up the playing field again. So, after doing some math with the team, we were pumped to arrive at the conclusion that this Honda Red Rider would be sporting the red plate on his bike. And dang, I have to admit, that the Honda looks great with red plates. Honestly, it’s really what the team deserves, and I’m so happy that I could finally deliver it to them for the first time.

Although the red plate was a huge source of pride, my mindset coming into the weekend in Sarnia didn’t change. I knew that we had the bike and the speed to win. Going out for practice, I didn’t feel great on the track, so we made some pretty big changes for qualifying that definitely helped. But I still wasn’t super pumped with my setup.

So, we made a few more changes right before the races hoping that they would pay off. That can be a risky proposition but the changes were calculated. It worked out for us that night. I had a good battle with Luke Renzland, but he ended up getting by me in the heat race.

In doing so, he helped me learn a few lines. In the main event, I was able to get off to a pretty good start. Once again, I found myself right behind Brad Nauditt.

In a couple laps, I was able to find a way by him and get myself out front where I was able to ride some good, smooth laps. With 20-second lap times, I got into lappers pretty quickly. Fortunately, they were really good about moving over for me (Thanks guys!!!). The end result: I was able to take home the win on the night. It’s an awesome feeling when the hard work pays off on the weekends when it counts.

Now we’re heading into the last round with the same mindset: go out and do my best and, with any luck, end up on the top of the box. They say “three is a charm.” I really hope to prove that statement to be true. In the meantime, I’ll be putting in some good practice motos and eagerly await the weekend to see what it has in store for me.

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BRIANFLECK

TECHNICAL SUPPORT MANAGER ALWAYS THE LAST MAN STANDING

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SINCE THEN I HAVE CHANGED A LOT AND DONE A LOT STRATEGICALLY TO MAINTAIN A LONG CAREER WITHOUT GETTING BURNED OUT. I ALSO DRAW MOTIVATION OUT OF SMALL, EVEN MARGINAL IMPROVEMENTS. 32 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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N E E R G I T ES

TYLIEAR L G A D E M

LIKE CHAD REED AND COLTON FACCIOTTI, TYLER MEDAGLIA HAS BEEN RACING AS A PRO RIDER FOR A VERYLONG TIME. WHEN HE BURST ON TO THE SCENE OVER A DECADE AGO, TYLER WAS QUICKLY KNOWN AS A RIDER WHO WOULD NEVER GIVE UP, REGARDLESS OF THE HURDLES IN FRONT OF HIM. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY AND TYLER IS STILL GOING STRONG AS ONE OF THE TOP PRO RIDERS IN CANADA, AND HE’S CURRENTLY COMING OFF ONE OF THE BEST YEARS OF HIS CAREER. FOR 2019, TYLER HAS MOVED BACK TO THE 250 PRO CLASS TO BATTLE WITH THE KIDS AND TO TRY TO WIN HIS THIRD CANADIAN NATIONAL PRO TITLE. WITH AN EXCITING SUMMER AHEAD FOR TYLER AND HIS KAWASAKI TEAM WE DECIDED THAT THIS WAS A GREAT TIME TO FEATURE HIM ON THE COVER RIDING HIS NEW KX250F.

BY CHRIS POMEROY / PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE

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HEY TYLER, I’M NOT SURE HOW MANY COVERS YOU’VE BEEN ON IN THE PAST. I KNOW IT’S QUITE A FEW SO CONGRATULATIONS ON ANOTHER MXP COVER.YOU’VE EARNED EACH AND EVERY ONE. That text made my day, thank-you! Cover shots are the best kind.

BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT PRESENT DAY, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PAST. YOU’VE NOW BEEN A PRO RIDER FOR OVER A DECADE, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU CHANGED WITH REGARDS TO HOW YOU APPROACH RACING, AND ALSO, HOW MUCH HAS THE SPORT CHANGED AROUND YOU? Yes, I have been pro for a long time but it feels like just yesterday that I moved up. Since then I have changed a lot and done a lot strategically to maintain a long career without getting burned out.

I also draw motivation out of small even marginal improvements. The sport hasn’t changed much really, I have noticed more that the people have changed. Obviously, the machines are better and everyone is going faster, but the biggest thing would be the social world we live in. A lot of completely unnecessary crap is important that never used (or needs) to be. My approach has always been the same: try to figure out how to win. Once I believe that is out of reach then I will be ready to move on.

WELL SAID! OVER THE YEARS YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT MOMENTS AND SOME TOUGH ONES, BUT THROUGH IT ALLYOU’VE BEEN SUCH A GOOD PRO AND SUCH A GREAT ROLE MODEL FOR OUR YOUNGER GENERATION. Yes, I definitely try to be. Being fortunate enough to race dirt bikes for a living has given me the opportunity to do things and see things that otherwise would just have been a pipe dream. If I can inspire at least one kid enough to be able to follow their passion to eventually be in my position then it was all worth it.

TELL ME, HAS THERE BEEN A TIME DURING THE PAST DECADE WHERE YOU’VE THOUGHT OF PERHAPS TAKING YOUR LIFE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION? Yes, there have been a couple times where I thought about it but then I spoke to a few people close to me that have said you will know when it’s time to call it. Also, a couple of my friends that deal with some crap at work would look at me and say, “Dude, race dirt bikes as long as you can.”

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GREIETNES

ER TYLIA L MEDAG WHETHER YOU’RE AT THE TRACK OR AWAY FROM THE TRACK,YOU’RE A BUSY GUY. HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR HOME LIFE AS WELL AS YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE? I have a great support system. The winters are the hardest with being away for a couple months. When I am home Heidi works in the mornings and I will have the kids, so I take that time to get things ready for when she is done work so I can do my training after lunch. Heidi’s mom, Joanne, also helps a lot with the compound of kids including my niece and nephew so it’s a zoo of kids around here.

SOUNDS LIKE A WELL OILED MACHINE AT HOME. I WAS TALKING TO YOUR DAD LAST YEAR IN QUEBEC CITYAND HE WAS TELLING ME HOW HE’S GETTING OLDER AND THAT THESE NEXT FEW YEARS ARE FOR HIM. WE KIND OF LAUGHED ABOUT IT AND THEN WE BEGAN TALKING ABOUT YOUR LONG CAREER. I ENJOYED TALKING TO HIM ABOUT YOUR RACING AS YOU COULD SEE THE PRIDE IN HIS EYES.YOU SEEM A LOT LIKE YOUR DAD, DO YOU TWO STILL TALK RACING ALL OF THE TIME? “I’m in my last quarter and I’m doing whatever I want!” That’s his line.Yeah, we are exactly alike. With racing, he’s good now as he stays behind the scene and makes helpful suggestions when he’s certain on things and really helps me put racing into perspective sometimes when I can get a bit frustrated or pissed off. He knows what makes me tick and he helps out when he can.

LAST YEAR I NOTICED A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN MY 450 RIDING. I THINK THE COMBINATION OF THE KAWASAKI AND MY TEAM MANAGER STU ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GAINS REALLY HELPED ME.

ONE MORE FAMILY QUESTION AND THEN WE’LL MOVE ON.YOUR SON TALON APPEARS TO BE FOLLOWING IN YOUR RACING FOOTSTEPS. ARE YOU AND HEIDI READY TO BE RACE PARENTS THE SAME WAYYOUR PARENTS WERE? Of course! I can’t deny my kids the same opportunity that my parents gave my brother and I. I think Heidi feels the same way. I will take all the knowledge I’ve collected in my hair covered computer and try to apply it so he has the best chance at success. It’s in their blood.

I FEEL THE SAME WAYWITH MY SON. MOVING ONTO 2019 NOW.YOU’VE GONE BACK TO THE 250 CLASS FOR THIS YEAR. YOU’VE HAD A FEW RACES NOW WITH THE KIDS, HOW HAVE THOSE GONE? They have been good. I mean, you can only do so much with a 20 second lap time track. It’s more about the show in AX, do your best to win, get TV time and accumulate as many points towards the Triple Crown as you can.

WE SPOKE LAST MONTH ABOUT WHY YOU MOVED BACK TO THE 250 CLASS. YOU MENTIONED HOW COMFORTABLE YOU FEEL ON THE 250F MACHINE AND THAT IT REALLY SUITS YOUR STYLE. I WOULD ALSO IMAGINE THAT THE CHANGE BACK TO THE 250F IS PRETTY EXCITING AND DIFFERENT. DID YOU FEEL A LITTLE EXTRA ENERGY IN YOUR OFFSEASON TRAINING? It’s very exciting. The energy is good because I hopped on it and immediately put down the same or better lap times than on my 450 on most of the tracks I was training on. I have been training hard with Brad Clifford making sure I am able to stay as fit as possible for the long season. Also, the work we put in with Race Tech in California was fun too as I haven’t done a ton of extensive suspension testing in my career.

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GREIETNES

I needed in 2008 but not much. Last year I noticed a big improvement in my 450 riding. I think the combination of the Kawasaki and my Team Manager Stu always looking for gains really helped me.

ER TYLIA L G A MED

SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE READY TO GO THIS YEAR. WHILE THESE EARLY SEASON INDOOR EVENTS CAN BE A GOOD INDICATOR OF WHO’S READY, THE REAL TEST COMES THIS SUMMER WHEN THE MXTOUR BEGINS. HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR THIS SUMMER’S OUTDOOR NATIONALS? The early indoor events really don’t show much, in my opinion. Like I said, 20 second laps in a hockey arena for 7 minutes is an exhibition. The real racing starts with MXTour, and yes, I am really looking forward to that.

EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE INDOOR RACES NOW AS PART OF OUR NATIONALS SERIES, DO THE TOP RIDERS STILL SEE THE OUTDOOR NATIONALS AS THE TRUE BAROMETER FOR SUCCESS? I believe so. If we had the opportunity to race a few more tracks the size of Montreal Supercross I think the riders would put more emphasis on the indoor stuff. I hope that’s the goal for the series to use these AX events as a stepping

CAN YOU GIVE US THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED FROM SOMEONE? I have received a lot of great advice from many great people. I think what my parents instilled in me, competitionwise, and how Heidi lives such a healthy lifestyle, it’s been a great combo for me personally. My Dad has taught me to not give a shit what other people think or say and be a good person at the same time.

That’s what I hope to pass on to my kids.

stone. I don’t have to do the AX if I didn’t want to but I want to do my part in making the show good in order to grow the sport and get it in the big venues.

and it’s’ going to be good again. It’s a step in the right direction and so far this year there has been an improvement already in the few rounds that we’ve raced.

IN KEEPING WITH OUR NATIONAL SERIES. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT 2018 WAS AT TIMES A CHALLENGE FOR EVERYONE. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CURRENT STATE OF CANADIAN MOTOCROSS? It’s rebuilding! If done correctly, change is never a bad thing. It was good before

AS AN OLD GUY MYSELF I LOVE SEEING OLDER ATHLETES FIND SUCCESS THESE DAYS. DO YOU FIND YOURSELF GETTING BETTER WITH AGE? To be honest I don’t notice the age as nothing more than a number (and the three kids tearing up my house). I maybe need a bit more recovery time than what

IFYOU COULD PICK ONE RACE ASYOUR BEST EVER,WHICH ONE WOULDYOU PICK? Good question. I can pick two. Walton in 2011 and the second moto at Gopher Dunes last year.

I REMEMBER BOTH VERY WELL AND THOSE WERE DEFINITELY GREAT RACES. FINAL QUESTION, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS? Talon will be 17, Millie will be 15, and Poppy will be 12, so I’ll probably be dealing with them and hopefully still racing dirt bikes.

THAT WOULD BE VERY COOL. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TYLER AND GOOD LUCK IN 2019!

06 3 0 0 / // / M OMTOOTCORCORSOSS SP EPREFROFROMR AMNACNEC ·E M· XMPXMP AMGA. GC .OCMO M

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Time To Head West

2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series Preview

As we look ahead to the 2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series, which kicks off at Wild Rose MX Park in Calgary on June 1st, we think everyone will agree that the anticipation for this series is very high.

B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

WITH DOWNTOWN CALGARY IN THE BACKGROUND, WILD ROSE MX PARK IN CALGARY IS A FAVOURITE WITH THE RIDERS AND FANS.

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COLTON FACCIOTTI DOMINATED THE EARLY ROUNDS OF THE MXTOUR SERIES LAST YEAR. CAN HE DO THE SAME IN 2019?

L NEW TO THE NATIONAL SERIES IN 2018, MCNABB VALLEY RACEWAY PROVIDED SOME OF THE BEST RACING OF THE SUMMER.

ast year the MXTour wrapped up with a bang at Walton Raceway in Ontario with multiple battles in all four motos. In the 250 Pro/Am class, Honda rider Dylan Wright put on an incredible show to entertain the fans at Round 9, but in the end it was Yamaha pilot Jess Pettis who was crowned the National Champion. In the 450 Pro class, Honda rider Colton Facciotti held off a hard charging Cole Thompson to win this fifth Canadian National Championship. This incredible feat tied Colton with his old mentor JSR at five MX1 titles. Yes, 2018 was a very memorable year in the MXTour series and that is why they call it ‘The Great Outdoors.’

WILD ROSE MX PARK IS LOCATED JUST A STONE’S THROW FROM DOWNTOWN CALGARY, AND SINCE 2000 IT HAS BEEN A FAVOURITE STOP AMONG TEAMS AND RIDERS ALIKE.

For 2019, the eight round series will once again kick-off at perhaps the most scenic track on its circuit. Wild Rose MX Park is located just a stone’s throw from downtown Calgary, and since 2000 it has been a favourite stop among teams and riders alike. Not only does the Wild Rose track provide a large amount of excitement for the fans and the riders with its high speeds and large jumps, but away from the track the city of Calgary is the perfect place for the hype of an opening round. From the host hotel, the Hotel Blackfoot, which is located within walking distance of the track, to all of the local restaurants and places to see, Round 1 in Calgary is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of Canadian motocross.

From Calgary, the 2019 MXTour moves northwest to Prince George, BC for Round 2. Once there the teams will be greeted by an abundance of BC hospitality as this city loves its motocross. Even though the city of Prince George provides the same amenities as the week before in Calgary, the track for Round 2 couldn’t be more different.

Located a solid 40 minutes from downtown PG, the Blackwater track features loamy, dark soil and very steep eleva-

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tion changes. In fact, just twenty feet out of the starting gate the riders are thrust up a steep hill as if they were on a roller coaster. Of course, just like anything, whatever goes up must come down. And for the rest of the lap the riders travel up and down the Blackwater landscape until they cross the finish line right in front of the main spectator seating area.

This summer will mark the third year in a row that our National series has visited this beautiful track in Prince George, and each time Mother Nature has provided just the right amount of moisture to keep the track perfect for racing. Although it’s been cool and overcast for this event in the past, the Blackwater Track is one of the riders’ favourite of the series.

After the hills and altitude of Calgary, and then the elevation changes of Round 2 in Prince George, the 2019 MXTour Series heads east to the beautiful farm lands of Manitoba. The McNabb Valley MX Track in Minnedosa, MB is an absolute thing of beauty, with rolling hills, great dirt, and jumps that defy gravity.

Last year was the first time that our National Series made its way to this exciting track and in the end it provided some of the best racing of the 2018 series. This round was also well attended last year as fans came from all over to witness our top riders battle it out on Manitoba soil.

With this race being the final western round in 2019, the riders will be giving it everything they have before the series takes time off.

Time To Head West THERE ARE VERY FEW SPECTACLES IN SPORT MORE EXCITING THAN A GATE FULL OF 450S BLASTING OFF A STARTING LINE TO BEGIN THEIR INTENSE 35 MINUTE MOTO.

AFTER MOVING BACK TO THE 250 PRO CLASS FOR 2019, TYLER MEDAGLIA WILL DEFINITELY HAVE HIS HANDS FULL BATTLING WITH THE KIDS.

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THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE EXCITEMENT OF OUTDOOR MOTOCROSS IN CANADA.

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COLE THOMPSON CAME UP JUST SHORT OF THE 2018 MXTOUR TITLE. WILL HE FINALLY BE ABLE TO WIN IT THIS YEAR?

Time To Head West

After Round 3, the series will take a three week break before resuming in Ontario at one of the roughest tracks on the planet, Gopher Dunes. Each year when our National Series visits Gopher Dunes, everyone takes notice and spends just a little extra time preparing. From the deep sand, the heat of July in Ontario and the endless bumps, Gopher Dunes is always the most challenging round of the year.

After the riders and teams hopefully survive Gopher Dunes, the series heads to Sand Del Lee, Riverglade and Deschambault, before finishing up once again at Walton Raceway. Each of the eight tracks that make up the 2019 MXTour are very different and give the riders their own set of challenges. For years now our Canadian circuits have been the envy of national series all over the world. For 2019, our riders will once again have their work cut out for them.

With all of the tracks in place and everyone looking forward to the opening round in Calgary, let’s now talk about a few of the talented riders that will be lining up. In the 450 Pro class, all eyes will be on the impending battle between our two Canadian outdoor heavyweights, defending 450 MXTour Champion Colton Facciotti and last year’s Triple Crown Champion Cole Thompson. A few of their battles in 2018 were legendary and this will most likely continue this summer. Most feel that Facciotti holds the edge in the outdoor portion of the Triple Crown Series, while Thompson has proven to be a little better indoors.

However, as Thompson has matured in recent years he’s managed to close the gap to his longtime rival.

With this most likely being Facciotti’s final summer of racing, he will definitely want to go out on top with his record sixth 450 Canadian National Championship. But he will most certainly face some very stiff resistance from not only Cole Thompson, but also the Yamaha duo of Phil Nicoletti and Shawn Maffenbeier, as well as Kawasaki rider Matt Goerke. There are very few spectacles in sport more exciting than a gate full of 450s blasting off a starting line to begin their intense 35 minute moto. For this reason and many more, we cannot wait for the gate to drop at Round 1 in Calgary.

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THE 2019 ROCKSTAR ENERGY TRIPLE CROWN MXTOUR SERIES GETS UNDERWAY ON JUNE 1ST IN CALGARY. ONCE THE OPENING ROUND IS COMPLETE, THE SERIES WILL EMBARK ON A TWO AND A HALF MONTH QUEST THAT WILL TAKE THEM RIGHT ACROSS THIS INCREDIBLE COUNTRY OF OURS.

Time To Head West For 2019, the 250 Pro/Am class may be the class to watch. With a host of young and aggressive riders all ready to battle it out, you just know that all 16 motos this summer are going to be intense. Heading into the opening round the favourite has to be last year’s defending 250 Pro/Am MXTour Champion Jess Pettis. This summer Pettis has moved to the Red Bull Thor KTM Factory Racing Team, and if his early season finishes in the Monster Energy SX Series are any indication, he’s once again going to be tough to beat in 2019. However, for Pettis to repeat as champion this summer, he’s going to have to fend off a host of talented and hungry riders. From young rides like Dylan Wright, Tanner Ward and Marco Cannella, to experienced cagey vets like Brad Nauditt and Tyler Medaglia, Pettis is going to have his hands full. Not mention that the 250 Pro/Am class will also feature young

Ontario speedster Jake Tricco and most likely a few other yet-to-be-named entries. This class is always exciting to watch and 2019 should be no different.

The 2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series gets underway on June 1st in Calgary. Once the opening round is complete, the series will embark on a two and a half month quest that will take them right across this incredible country of ours. From energy rich soil of Alberta to one of our most stored tracks in Walton, ON, the 2019 MXTour Series will present the riders just about everything they can handle. Throw in the Women’s National Series, the new two-stroke races, and live television on Fox Sports Racing, this will be a series you definitely don’t want to miss.

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LONG LIVE MOTOCROSS MAGAZINES

BY M I KE MCG I LL / PHOTOS BY JAM E S LI SSI MORE AN D B I LL PETRO

I’ve always loved motocross magazines since I was a little kid, and recently. After perusing the latest issue of MXP Magazine I got to thinking that, hey, as far as writing goes, I’ve been doing this for quite a while now. Something that started as basically a whim for me back in 2010 has certainly turned into much more over the past few years and I have enjoyed the experience immensely. Aside from a few of the nice perks the job has afforded me, the absolute best thing about writing features for MXP Magazine has been the opportunity for me to speak at length with some of the true icons of our sport. The Canadian ones mainly but some Americans as well. The first few stories that I produced for MXP were available on the website only. They dealt with several wide-ranging topics such as fitness for motocross, motocross fashion and long-lost motocross tracks from days gone by.

My first feature to actually appear in print on the pages of the magazine showed up in the second issue of 2011 and was titled:

“THE CAN’T MISS KID – WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO STEVE BULYOVSKY.” Bulyovsky was an amateur phenom in Ontario back in the mid 1980s. He dominated the highly competitive 80cc class back then, and the program that his father put together for him and his younger brother was the envy of everyone in the pits - Pros included.

In an era that was still dominated by three rail trailers and pick up trucks, Team Bulyovsky would roll in to the track in a 40ft long Class A motorhome hauling a large air-conditioned enclosed trailer complete with workshop and multiple practice and race bikes. Steve’s father also hired former Canadian National Champion / Ross “Rollerball” Pederson’s mechanic Al Logue to be a full-time riding coach and mechanic for the kids. All of this

was unheard of at the time. Steve’s real claim to fame came in 1987 when he swept all six of his motos at the Junior National Championships at St. Jean de Baptiste, Manitoba, in route to winning the 125, 250 and 500cc National Championships. If that wasn’t enough, he followed that up a week later by doing the exact same thing at the Intermediate Nationals in Scotford, Alberta. Crazy, right? But it happened.

Within the span of a week Bulyovsky had captured six Amateur National Championships. An awesome feat that has, to my knowledge, not been duplicated before or since.

Based on these miraculous feats, the future was looking extremely bright for Bulyovsky in the following Spring of 1988. Yamaha Canada took notice of his amateur exploits and offered Steve a factory ride for his first full pro season, and all things considered it went quite well, but after a relatively successful rookie campaign, he decided to call it quits. His first pro year was also to be his last, and after that ‘88 season he disappeared completely from motocross. I always wondered, what ever

happened to Steve Bulyovsky?

I was able to contact Steve fairly easily with the help of a mutual friend and ended up having a great conversation with him. He was only too happy to fill me in on exactly what happened with his Pro MX career, and as it turns out, just like with most things, there were several reasons for his early departure from the sport. The Yamaha deal was good, for the time, but paled in comparison to the support his father had been providing him throughout his amateur career. His family had been, of course, his major support group throughout his amateur career but his father was now busy travelling the amateur circuit with his younger brother.

Bulyovsky went on to tell me, though, that probably the biggest reason for him dropping out of motocross was the fact that his father never went to College himself so it was his dream that his sons attend University and earn a degree. He knew motocross would not last forever, and he truly believed that it was extremely important for his kids to have an education to fall back on.

So, after a relatively successful rookie year, Bulyovsky walked away from motocross to concentrate on his

schooling. Steve’s father died at the age of forty-nine from a heart attack in 1999. Not before he was able to see his son graduate, however, from the University of Guelph with a degree in Economics.

Untimely retirements from the sport have always fascinated me for some reason and I’m sure many moto fans north of the border remember the story behind Darcy Lange’s career-ending situation in 2007. For those that didn’t, I dove into the subject for:

“DARCY LANGE IN 2007. A YEAR TO REMEMBER.” The winter of 2007 was quite an exciting time for fans of Canadian motocross, and for the 4th issue of 2012 I had the opportunity to speak with Courtenay, BC native Darcy Lange about this unforgettable season.

Lange, who, on top of winning his third consecutive US Arenacross title that year, was, somewhat surprisingly, given the opportunity to race for Mitch Payton and the all-powerful Pro-Circuit Factory Team in the East Coast rounds of the AMA Supercross series.

It was important to note that Lange raced year-round during his formative

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years and cut his teeth on the tight confines of arenacross by running not just one but two series during the winter months. The Two Trick Series, which was run by former Canadian Champion Al Dyck, and the Future West Arenacross Series. Without even really realizing it, Lange began to hone his arenacross skills, and Richmond Motorsports began to take an interest in Darcy. Their interest eventually would lead to support for the rising young BC star and a relationship was formed that would last throughout Darcy’s racing career.

Lange raced the CMRC Nationals and was a top contender for several seasons but surprisingly was never able to win a National Championship.

Injuries played a big part in that, and in 2003, feeling burned-out on outdoor motocross, Lange decided to concentrate on the US Arenacross Series. As Darcy relayed to me during our talk, this proved to be a great decision on his part, and with the continued support of Richmond and former Team Green Kawasaki Manager Dave Gowland, Darcy battled two-time defending Champion Josh Demuth on his way to winning his first Arenacross Title.

Lange and Demuth went at it again in ‘04 and once again Lange came out on top. The “Deputy” had arrived and was now the top dog in Arenacross.

Instead of milking his stats and racking up a few more championships, however, Lange decided to make the switch to Supercross for the ‘05-‘06 season. It was something he had always wanted to do. Lange admitted to me during our chat, and with the help of Richmond and Team Manger Billy Whitley, that he placed a very credible 5th in his first main event appearance. Competing against a strong field that was filled by names like Langston, Dungey, Short and Villopoto, to name a few, Darcy finished the series in 10th position overall even though he missed a couple of rounds due to a wrist injury.

Following the ‘05 Supercross season Darcy was forced to sit back and reevaluate his racing career. While Supercross had always been the dream, Arenacross had been financially very good to him in previous years. Knowing that a motocross racer’s career is a short one and could end at any time, he decided to go back to Arenacross for the following season. Teaming up once again with Billy Whitely, Darcy signed with the Babbitt’s Arenacross team for the 2006/07 season.

Lange went on to win the series by a whopping 125 points over his closest competitor, Tyler Bowers, that year. In fact, he was already in full relax mode when he got the call. Mitch Payton had seen and met Darcy while he was preparing for Arenacross at the Pro-Circuit test facility and had taken a liking

“THE WINTER OF 2007 WAS QUITE AN EXCITING TIME FOR FANS OF CANADIAN MOTOCROSS, AND FOR THE 4TH ISSUE OF 2012 I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH COURTENAY, BC NATIVE DARCY LANGE ABOUT THIS UNFORGETTABLE SEASON.” to the young Canadian. When Brett Metcalf went down with an injury prior to the opening round, Mitch decided to give Darcy a shot, and for his part Lange did not disappoint. At the opening round in Atlanta he went out and clocked the fastest qualifying time on the #105 Pro-Circuit Kawasaki. When it came to race time, Darcy showed everyone that he was up to the task as he battled a young Ryan Dungey for the win.The Canadian fans watching at home on television were obviously ecstatic as Lange had already accomplished something no other Canadian rider before or since had been able to do: Ride for a factory team in the U.S. and land on the podium in Monster Energy Supercross. The Series continued and Lange, despite a spectacular get-off in St. Louis, was still in the hunt for the title coming into the final round in Detroit. It was between Lange, his Pro-Circuit teammate Ben Townley and Suzuki’s Ryan Morais.

In the end it was to be Townley who edged out both Darcy and Morais for the championship by the slimmest of margins. Although he didn’t win the championship, his season in Supercross could not have been described as anything less than a spectacular success. He came in at the last minute as a fill in rider and battled for the championship right down to the wire. He provided his fans and moto fans throughout Canada with great

moments that they will never forget, and he showed everyone that the boys from Arenacross were every bit as accomplished as their Supercross counterparts.

This is, however, the part where the wonderful story of Darcy Lange’s storybook season took a dramatic turn.

It should have been party time for the B.C. native. For Darcy, however, the biggest battle of his life was only just beginning. The pain and swelling in his neck, which he had sustained in the St. Louis crash, just wouldn’t go away.

Immediately following Vegas, Darcy flew back to B.C. for an appointment with a specialist who confirmed that he had cancer - Hodgkin’s Lymphoma to be precise.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma or Hodgkin’s Disease is a type of cancer that is characterized by the spread of the disease from one lymph node group to the next, and symptoms include the enlargement of the patient’s lymph nodes, especially in the neck, shoulder and chest areas. Fortunately for Darcy, the cure rate for Hodgkin’s is high - around ninety percent, but that still doesn’t make the healing process any easier. Darcy was facing six long months of chemotherapy treatments.

After six months of invasive cancer treatments, Darcy was pronounced cured and given a clean bill of health from his physicians. He had won the battle against cancer and now it was

time to start thinking moto once again.

That’s when, as Darcy relayed to me in our conversation, something funny happened. While he had lucrative offers from both Babbitt’s Kawasaki and Pro-Circuit on the table, Darcy started thinking that there must be more to life than just riding dirt bikes. After all, he had just won a tough battle against cancer and had been racing constantly for over a decade since he was twelveyears-old. So, in a decision that caught most by surprise, Darcy decided to retire from the sport. After a whirlwind year in which he won another Arenacross title, narrowly missed out on a Supercross championship and battled and defeated cancer, Darcy Lange was gone from the sport.

It’s quite a story, and in speaking with Darcy back in 2012 I certainly thought I heard some regret in his voice about how it all ended so abruptly. That’s just my opinion of course and I could have been completely off base, but for someone who obviously loved the sport as much as he did and to be at the pinnacle of said sport to just retire like that, it had to have been tough. That’s what I remember thinking at the time.

There certainly is no shortage of interesting stories in the world of Professional Motocross. And one thing that former 500cc National Champion Mike Harnden has a talent for, besides riding dirt-bikes, is telling a heck of a good story, and I got the deluxe version of his when I had the pleasure of speaking with him back in 2016 for issue #2.

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“THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF RIDERS TO EVER BEAT THE ROLLERBALL STRAIGHT UP IN A CANADIAN NATIONAL SERIES. THE AFOREMENTIONED HARNDEN” “THE SHOWDOWN AT COPETOWN.”

LONG LIVE MOTOCROSS MAGAZINES

Harnden had been a top Pro in Canada for several seasons before winning his one and only title in 1984. He signed with Honda Canada in 1983 after previous stints on Can-Am, where he was actually teammates with Ross Pederson, and with Yamaha. In 1982, he finished 2nd overall in the 250 National Series for Yamaha. They wanted to keep him and Harnden liked the bike at the time, but Honda was really ramping up their program and the offer from them was just too good to turn down. Harnden repaid Honda with another 2nd overall placing in the 250 class in ‘83 then set his sights on the big prize for 1984.

Michael Harnden, as I learned, didn’t like to do things like everyone else. He was certainly his own man and that showed in the way that he conducted himself and his racing career. For instance, instead of heading down south to Florida or California to train during the off-season like his other Canadian competitors, Harnden instead chose to head across the big pond to the epicentre of 500cc moto-

cross racing and booked a pre-season training trip to Europe in 1984. While in Europe, Harnden was befriended

by Hank Tice, who was the owner of White Power Suspension at the time.

Through Tice’s contacts, Harnden was able to enter all kinds of big off-season races that actually paid start money.

Harnden’s European vacation certainly paid off. Not only did he get all kinds of valuable training and experience, he also came home with a set of A-Kit WP Factory Suspension, which he immediately bolted onto his Honda Canada Factory CR 480.

Of course, the main obstacle to Mike winning the ‘84 500cc National Championship was Ross “Rollerball” Pederson. Ross was in his prime in ‘84 and just didn’t lose Championships.

He rarely ever even finished worse than 1st in a moto, so Harnden certainly had his work cut out for him. The 500cc series was only four races back in ‘84 and things went well for Harnden at the first three rounds. So well, in fact, that he arrived for the final race of the series at Copetown, Ontario sporting a 16-point lead over Ross. Harnden was feeling confident. Pederson would have to go 1-1 and Harnden could do no worse than 4-5 in the motos and still win the championship.

Unfortunately, practice didn’t go well for Harnden, and things got worse from there as the first moto was a complete disaster. Harnden looped out the big CR500 going up one of the Copetown hills and had to ride back to the bottom before he could get going in the right direction again.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, in even more embarrassing fashion, Harnden executed a textbook high-side right in front of his mechanic Ron Fraughts and Honda boss Hank Howard who looked on in disbelief. He was able to battle his way back to 8th at the checkers but now it was all going to come down to the final moto.

Mike had to get 1st or 2nd in the final moto to clinch the title. Things started out well as the gate dropped for the second moto as Harnden jetted out to an early 10 second lead. By the 20-minute mark of the moto, however, Ross had closed the gap and was right on Harnden’s rear wheel, and that’s when things got really bizarre. Harnden, not wanting to tangle with Ross, let him pass. Pederson then slowed

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right down but Harnden, afraid of getting taken out by the big Suzuki rider, refused to get too close to Ross or to attempt to make the pass. Of course, this allowed third place rider Rudi Zackso to catch back up, but he was also under team orders from Honda not to make the pass on Harnden. A real log jam was forming at the front of the field as more Honda riders began catching up to the trio at the front.

As the 40-minute moto wound down and the last lap flag flew, Ross, now realizing that both a championship title and a big fat bonus check were slipping through his fingers, made one last ditch effort to turn things in his favour. Right before the finish line there was a little switchback and a deep rut had formed in the final corner. When Pederson dropped into the rut for the last time he just stopped and planted both his feet on the ground, determined to keep Harnden behind him. At least until another rider got through.

In somewhat of an ironic maneuver, Harnden rammed the Rollerball from behind moving him a little closer to the line. Then he backed up his bike a few feet while fellow Honda riders Couture and Zackso patiently waited and rammed him again, holding it wide open this time, eventually pushing the furious Pederson and himself over the finish line. It was finally over. Harnden had won the title if not the race.

What a story. I really enjoyed speaking with Mike and listening to his Championship winning tale.

Unfortunately, Mike Harnden never got the chance to really defend his 1984

500cc National Championship. Injury plagued his ‘85 season and for ’86, Honda completely dropped out of Pro Motocross Racing in Canada leaving Harnden without a ride. So, following the ‘86 season and a relatively short seven-year pro career, Mike retired from motocross to pursue a career in real estate.

There were only a couple of riders to ever beat the Rollerball straight up in a Canadian National series. The aforementioned Harnden, who wrestled the ‘84 500cc title away from Ross in a hard-fought battle, and Doug Hoover.

Hoover bested Ross a couple of times over the course of his relatively short career, taking the ‘85 125cc Championship and the ‘88 500cc title, along with multiple runner-up finishes in all three classes. Hoover was the real deal, and to this day Ross credits him with being the biggest thorn in his side and his toughest competition over those years.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Doug for the 5th issue of 2018, which featured:

“THE DOUG HOOVER STORY.”

Hoover bought his first real motocross bikes in 1980 - a Suzuki RM 100 and a RM 125. After a little tuning and modification, Hoover went on to win the CMA Big Wheel Schoolboy National Championship in Saint-Tite, Quebec in his first real season of racing. With the support of his father, 1981 turned out

to be another banner season for Team Hoover. Skipping the Junior class completely and moving straight to Senior (Intermediate), Doug lit up the Ontario motocross scene that year winning all three classes - 125, 250 and 500, in the Ontario Highpoint Championship, as well as the 1981 CMA National Motocross Senior 125cc Championship. And as if that wasn’t enough, Doug moved up to the Expert (Pro) class immediately following the Senior Championships and scored a 5th overall in the 125 National Championships.

By 1984, Doug had solidified himself as the number two rider in Canada. He finished second overall in the 125, 250 and Canadian Supercross Series standings to Ross, but the actual chances of him dethroning the Rollerball from the top step of the podium seemed to be

slipping away. It wasn’t until a chance encounter with Pederson in the spring of 1985 that Hoover finally realized what it was going to take for him to beat Ross. Staying at the same motel in St. Petersburg, Florida, Ross invited Doug out for a run one morning prior to doing motos. It was after this run that Hoover, who felt that he was in pretty darn good physical condition himself, came to realize just how good of shape Ross was really in. Hoover realized at that moment that if he ever wanted to beat Ross, he was going to have to pick up his game as far as training went.

And step up his game he did. In fact, Hoover started developing a Rollerballlike training regime of his own following their morning run in Florida. Doug took his training routine to a new level and the results were immediate as

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LONG LIVE MOTOCROSS MAGAZINES 1985 turned out to be a breakout year for Hoover. He went head to head with the Rollerball and won the CMA 125cc National Championship. Not only did Hoover win the 125 title that year, but he also took his Cycle World / Yamaha Canada sponsored bikes to 2nd overall in the 250 Nationals and 3rd in the 500cc division. Probably one of the most memorable and satisfying races of his career came that year for Hoover at the 250cc GP of Canada at Moto Park when Doug was able to score a 2nd overall podium position against some of the top GP competitors in the world.

“The Sweeper,” as former Yamaha factory mechanic and Team Manager Keith McCarty had dubbed him while training with Broc Glover down in California, was really on a roll. Things got tense between Hoover and Ross in ‘86.

Doug made the switch from Yamaha to Honda and secured a lucrative outside sponsor in the form of Esso Easy Mix Oil. Hoover had a solid season on the Honda in ’86, scoring podium finishes in all three classes in the Nationals that season. No Championships however, and it wouldn’t be until 1988 that Doug would hit the top step of the podium once again. That was the year that Hoover won the 500cc National Championship on board the big CR 500.

With a second National Championship freshly under his belt, some solid sponsors in place and just being twenty-four at the time, you would have thought Hoover would have only been entering the prime of his racing career at the end of the ‘88 season, but that was not the case. In fact, at the end of the season, in what was a surprise to many, Doug Hoover retired.

When I asked him about the sudden retirement, Hoover explained that both Honda and Esso Easy Mix were planning on cutting back on their support for ‘89. Yamaha offered him a deal, which would see him as Ross’ teammate, but Hoover just didn’t think that would work out too well. So, he decided to call it a day.

I’ve spoken with many retired professional motocross racers over the years and I’m always amazed at how their love of the sport is, in most cases, still so evident. I guess it is true what they say, when this sport gets in your blood you just can’t shake it.

The love of the sport was very evident when speaking with Doug Hoover, but unlike most of the others there is no sign of regret when he speaks of his past glory. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. When Hoover says he has absolutely no regrets regarding his motocross career you really believe it.

He got out while he was still healthy.

The number one plate was on his bike and he truly accomplished everything he set out to do.

Doug Hoover was the epitome of cool in 1980s Canadian moto. Always stylish and always smooth, he made riding fast look easy and his battles with Ross Pederson have become stuff of bench-racing legend over the years.

His career wasn’t all that long, but he certainly left an indelible mark on the sport in this country.

From the moment I began writing for MXP, it had always been in the back of my mind that if I stuck with it long enough, some day I would get the chance to speak to Ross Pederson. I’ve had the opportunity to chat and bench race with many legends of the sport both from Canada and the U.S. over the years, but it wasn’t until I penned the story

“THE ITALIAN JOB ROLLERBALL STYLE”

For the 6th issue of 2017 that I got the opportunity to speak to the man himself. I must admit I was a bit nervous. After all, Ross transcended the sport in Canada. For those of us who had the pleasure of watching him race during his heyday in the ‘80s, he was literally the biggest thing on two wheels. You could reasonably argue that Ross was even bigger to motocross in Canada than Wayne Gretzky was to hockey. He was just that good, and for me to this day, larger than life. Of course, there is also always the concern that - “What if he turns out to be a real jerk?” That’s never something that you want to find out about one of your heroes and fortunately for me, as I found out right away, there was absolutely no need to worry about that. Ross could not have been nicer or more willing to chat when

I was able to reach him to talk about the story. The story itself centered around Ross’ participation in a one-off, out of season money race put together

by Guiseppe Luongo at the famous Maggoria circuit in Italy. The year was 1987, the event was The Masters of Motocross and Luongo had invited top riders from around the world to participate. The event consisted of a three 30-minute moto format and the field was pretty much made up of a who’s who of professional motocross at the time. A couple of U.S. National Champions, Factory Honda riders Ricky Johnson and Mickey Dymond, made the trip to Italy along with multi-time World Champions such as Belgium’s Eric Geboers and Georges Jobe. They were joined on the gate by current 125 World Champion, Cagiva mounted Dave Strijbos from Holland along with former 125 World Champion and hometown hero, Italian, Michele Rinaldi. Several other notables were in attendance as well, such as American Factory stars Jeff Stanton, Keith Bowen and Ronnie Tichenor. The rest of the field was rounded out by a slew of impressive World GP Motocross regulars and of course our man Ross “Rollerball” Pederson.

Pederson was mounted on inferior equipment and had just come off of a rather serious knee injury sustained during the Canadian Nationals, but as he had done so many times before in his racing career Ross came through with an epic performance when he needed to. As the gate dropped for the start of the opening moto, Pederson rocketed out to a fantastic 2nd place start right behind the Honda mounted Eric Geboers. Mental strength and toughness were always a hallmark of Pederson’s riding style and he certainly mustered all he had on this day. As the moto wore on, Ross was looking great and showing no signs of having what had to have been a very sore knee. He continued to circulate in the top 3. Only Ricky Johnson was able to get by him late in the first moto and he held on for a very credible 4th place finish at the checkers, placing behind only Johnson, who went on to pass Strijbos, and hometown boy Rinaldi on the last lap for the win. It was a fantastic first moto result for our Canadian Champion and he was not done there.

Ross basically utilized a good gate pick

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“IT WAS A PRETTY DARN IMPRESSIVE RESULT FOR OUR CANADIAN CHAMP BUT NOT ALL THAT SURPRISING, AND JUST ONE OF A COUNTLESS NUMBER OF GREAT RIDES HE PUT IN OVER THE COURSE OF HIS LONG, ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER.”

and the same game plan in the second and third motos to score a 5th and 6th place position respectively.

His consistent 4-5-6 moto scores were good enough to garner a 4th place overall finish and a nice payday. While others, such as Mickey Dymond and Eric Geboers, would have better individual moto scores, Ross’ consistently good rides landed him his impressive result ahead of big names like Rinaldi, Geboers, Tichenor, Jobe, Bowen and Stanton.

Only Ricky Johnson, who was at the height of his formidable powers in ‘87 and went 1-1-1 in the three motos, current World Champion Dave Strijbos and US National Champion Mickey Dymond would finish ahead of Ross in the overall tally.

It was a pretty darn impressive result for our Canadian Champ but not all that surprising, and just one of a countless number of great rides he put in over the course of his long, illustrious career. Pederson, being the true champion that he is, was humble about his results when we spoke. He told me that “just knowing you can do it plays a huge role.” Ross went on to tell me about how much he loved to ride and that unlike a lot of today’s Pros he was willing to race pretty much anywhere or anytime. In fact, Ross, knee injury and all, raced 40 times during that ‘87 season.

My time speaking with Pederson flew by and we covered a bunch of topics not even pertaining to the story, and we discussed the status of a few mutual buddies along the way. A couple days after we spoke, Ross texted me and said how much he enjoyed our chat and thanked me for working with him. “The Rollerball” thanked me for working with him. How cool is that?

It really has been an experience getting to talk to and write about these legends of our sport, and there are still a bunch of stories out there that I would love to tackle. I’ve had the opportunity to chat with JSR and Blair Morgan on a couple of occasions but not for a feature piece yet so that so that’s on my list for the near future. So, there’s not much more left to say. Other than, long live motocross and long live motocross magazines.

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Running with a

Legend AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL B Y S H E L B Y M A H O N / P H O T O S B Y H O O S I E R O F F - R OA D S TA F F

W

hen you decide to run on the new Hoosier MX brand of tires, you’re running with a legend with deep roots in the history of American Motorsports. The one and only business of Hoosier Racing Tire has been the production of tires made specifically for racing in its many forms. The foundations of the company are built on the entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for racing.

In the 1950’s, Bob Newton,

the eventual founder of Hoosier Racing Tire, jumped into the driver’s seat and began his own career on the small asphalt tracks of northern Indiana. Stock car racing started its own history in the days of Prohibition when “runners” raced their increasingly modified cars filled with moonshine across the countryside while in hot pursuit by Johnny Law. Every now and then, when they weren’t being chased, these same runners became racers – testing each other for bragging rights. In the

late 40’s, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) was formed to bring together and conform the rules of the multiple grassroot racing leagues that had popped up across the United States.

Bob Newton was like a lot of young men bitten by the racing bug – he liked to go fast and he liked to win.

Sound familiar? But unlike his competitors, Bob Newton knew it wasn’t just about driving and having the stones to match the horsepower, it was about allowing those four small patches of rubber to find the traction to brake deeper into the corner and accelerate harder out of the apex that would also make a difference.

But there was a problem. The street tires that were used during those days had limited size options, hard tread compounds and couldn’t live up to Bob’s need for traction.

Adversity is the mother of invention, so Bob got to work in developing a lighter; softer compound tire designed specifically for racing. In 1957, Bob and his wife, Joyce, began producing their own race tires by re-treading street tires with softer compounds.

The Newtons chose the name Hoosier to honour Bob’s racing roots on the short tracks of the Midwest, and the iconic Hoosier purple you see today is the original colour of Bob’s #4 racecar.

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A Heritage of Winning In 1988, Hoosier Tire entered into the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (currently Monster Energy) claiming nine victories including the Daytona 500. Since then Hoosier has claimed thousands of podium finishes the world over earning their reputation for developing and manufacturing the world’s best racing tires born from a true passion for racing!

Initially based out of an old abandoned horse barn in South Bend, Indiana, the popularity of the racing tire produced by Hoosier quickly grew, with the company expanding into purpose built modern facilities. What has remained true to this day from the past is the Hoosier reputation for innovation combined with handcrafted production in the manufacturing of Hoosier racing tires.

To this day, Hoosier is a company born out of a passion for racing. It’s all they know.

Made Fresh in the USA Today, Hoosier Racing Tire has over 60 years of experience developing and producing tires specifically designed for racing and taking pride on being the largest racing tire manufacturer in the world. All Hoosier race tires are still proudly made in the USA and undergo thorough testing at Hoosier’s state-of-the-art, fullyintegrated production facility. This facility boasts its own 300-mph test wheel, technology center and hightech mixing plant! The MX Tires alone undergo 31 quality-testing steps, and only small batches of tires are produced at one time. This ensures the tires are fresh. Hoosier understands that rubber has a lifespan and needs a controlled environment through production and storage. With fresh tires coming out of the plant every six weeks you know your black doughnut is hot out of the oven and hasn’t gone hard sitting in a storage container.

Handcrafted with Pride Although Continental Tire purchased Hoosier Racing Tire in 2016, Hoosier operates independently still continuing the tradition of producing handcrafted racing tires designed to win championships. It’s evident the staff love what they do and proudly show off their ID signatures on the tires they produce during the highly sought and selective plant tours.

When Hoosier entered the OffRoad Powersports business, they applied the same thinking, as Bob Newton

“With the first Hoosier MX rear tires hitting tracks in 2018, the excitement and curiosity around the brand’s jump into off-road began to take off.” in the beginning – though they are already building the highest performing racing tires in the industry they recognized that it was about more than a tire but the lifestyle, and the needs of the families who support this sport, they recognized a gap and need in the sport so beyond just the creation of their new line of Hoosier MX and IMX tires with the same intensity and dedication that they’ve brought to their entire line of racing tires throughout their 60-year history.

They partnered with Roost Factory to not just provide tires but become the champion of trackside racing and the families that support this sport and mulit-billion dollar industry.

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Products That Perform: Lighter Unsprung Weight The first Hoosier MX rear tires hit the tracks in 2018, creating excitement and curiosity about the Hoosier jump into the off-road market. Soon, positive reviews at the professional and amateur levels were coming back and demand began to increase. Hoosier MX Tires are about three pounds lighter per set than the competition, which gives every Hoosier equipped bike a serious unsprung weight advantage!

With the end of 2018 quickly approaching, Hoosier knew they needed to begin making plans for 2019, and this is where the story of Hoosier Off-road and the Roost Factory begins.

More Than Just A Tire- It’s a Lifestyle: Supporting and Rewarding the Grassroots Racer Late last summer, entrepreneur Mark Rivers found himself not just dipping his toes into the waters of motorsports but LEAPING full speed into the dusty, adrenaline-filled river that is the world of off-road racing.

Mark was in pursuit of another business opportunity that took him to the Kenda Northeast 24 Hour Challenge in New York. While assisting the team he was there to watch, Mark was gifted the opportunity of being the water mule! As he made trip after trip, hauling hundreds of gallons of water back to the team, he met Chris Bach, a highly regarded Off-road Champion, Coach and R&D Consultant for Hoosier Racing Tire. With adrenaline at a fever pitch in the middle of the 24hr race, Mark was immersed into a world he had little experience, but also one that could benefit from his perspective as a business strategist.

Mark quickly built a friendship and a budding working relationship with Chris that would soon develop into Hoosier Off-road. After experiencing the 24 Hour Challenge first hand, and with his fresh view on the motorsports environment, Mark noticed two things: this multi-million dollar industry is

funded by two people, Mom and Dad, and very little is actually being done to show them support in return. Although we idolize the high performance 1% for their talent, efforts and abilities, the entire sport is sustained by the participation and involvement of the grassroots racer who receive little if anything but the joy of the sport for their efforts and abilities.

The Roost Factory Hoosier Off-road brand began to take shape as Mark pitched his untraditional and thought provoking ideas and plans to Hoosier Racing Tire President, John DeSalle, and Vice President, Paul Menting.

Mark’s passion, business model, and the team he gathered around of experts in their fields gave Hoosier all the confidence they needed to break rank on 50 years of their traditional distribution model. Hoosier embraced Roost Factory Hoosier Off-road’s commitment to grassroots racing, trackside support, innovative programs, schools and community with open arms. With their own heritage of grassroots racing, it only made sense to partner with a company like the Roost Factory that embodied and upheld those same beliefs. Four months after the Roost Factory presented by Hoosier Off-road’s official launch, they had gained national attention and started staking out their territory in the provincial and national pits across North America.

The Roost Factory’s strategic alliances with partners in the motorsports industry have awarded them prime sponsorships of the biggest motocross and enduro races in Canada. Three of their brands have been given the title of official products of the Rockstar Triple Crown Tour; Hoosier Offroad as The Official Tire; Rabaconda 3-Minute Tire Changer as the Official Tire Changer; along with BOXO as the Official Tools and Tool Storage Solutions.

With presenting sponsorship of the Promation National Enduro Championships, title sponsorship of the Border Battle XC series and Official Tire status of several series and clubs, the purple paddock has begun to spread across the continent.

Home at the Racetrack Mark’s realization that this industry is built on the backs of amateur racing families and his first-hand experience in helping at the 24 Hour Challenge spiraled into what would become the Roost Factory Hoosier Off-road Crew Chief and Ambassador Programs.

The Roost Factory’s commitment to amateur racing and the pro who’s trying to do it on their own is simple: when you join the Roost Factory you join a team, a community and a family of like-minded racers who have come together in the big purple paddock to work together to succeed on and off the track.

As CEO Mark Rivers explains, “The Roost Factory Ambassador and Crew Chief programs have been born out of the necessity to offset the rising costs of a physically and financially demanding passion. We understand what it takes to participate in this sport. We also understand what it takes to become an elite athlete. What we understand better than anyone is that this community of tight knit, hardworking individuals deserves recognition, rewards, incentives, and even the ability to break even. If you just want to offset the costs of your hobby for you and your buddies, we can help you. If your dream is to own and operate your very own race team, we can help you. If you have a child

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“After all is said and done the Roost Factory presented

by Hoosier Offroad consider themselves the Champions of grassroots racers.” who’s dream is to become that 1% elite level athlete, we have the roadmap to fast-track their success.”

The Roost Factory purple paddock has already popped up at national and regional events across Canada giving everyone a tease of what is to come. The Roost Factory purple paddocks are set to be trackside this summer at over 300 events across Canada and the US. The purple paddock is meant to give the grassroots racer the support they deserve along with knowledge, assistance, tools and the best place at the track to hang out! Ever show up to a race alone?

Ever consider traveling to another province or to another series? Need to change a tire? Forget something at home? Want to meet other racers and hang out after the day’s events? The purple paddock is the answer to those questions and many more! There’s no cost to gain access to the paddock, all you need to do is register with the Roost Factory at hoosier-offroad.com.

The Ambassador Program gives members instant access to the purple paddock and the ability to earn rewards through volunteering at events, participating in select races and becoming an ambassador of the Roost Factory. As members climb the ranks they will be privileged to more exclusive opportunities including level restricted pricing and discounts, surprise bonus boxes, private training, access to special and private events, VIP treatment at races and more. Members also have the option to build a race team to consolidate purchases and earn more with access to heavier discounts, sponsorships when riders perform on the track, private coaching for the team from an elite pro athlete, and an exclusive race team contingency.

Turning a Passion into a Business For those interested in turning their passion into a real business opportunity, the Roost Factory created the Crew Chief program. Mark Rivers

recognized that the traditional dealership model was broken and developed a model for the Roost Factory that shattered this traditional model.

Mark and his team created a system where revenue can be generated for racing families, individual racers, teams or even diehard fans! The Crew Chief program takes what you are already doing (you know, going to the track every single weekend) and turns that dedication into a successful mobile business opportunity. You become the trackside support dealer for your network of clients and friends with a comprehensive offering of exclusive and top-of-the-line products that serve all levels of riders.

Afer all is said and done the Roost Factory presented by Hoosier Off-road is positioned as champions of the

grassroots racing community. Their foundational goal is to be committed to the two people that prop up and fund this sport; Mom and Dad. With that in mind, moto families who are currently searching Facebook for used gear, packing their 30+ year old camper up or heading to Canadian Tire to finally buy one of those fancy pop-up camping tents can rejoice! The Roost Factory has developed an exclusive loyalty program and trackside support system that will recognize and reward families, teams and individual riders for what they do every day. The program subsidizes the grassroots racer’s budget allowing individuals or teams to earn real dollars for not just making purchases but for also racing, volunteering, participating in events or helping other racers.

Look for the purple paddock at these events You can find the Roost Factory Hoosier Off-road purple paddock trackside at every round of the 2019 Rockstar Triple Crown Tour. With three of their products as Official Products of the Rockstar Triple Crown Series, the Roost Factory has thrown their full support behind the Canadian National AX, MX and SX tour as well as the Sunday Amateur rounds of MX. The paddock will be available for riders on the Pro and Amateur days, pre-ordered products can be picked up on the Friday and the paddock will be trackside for the entire Walton National Trans-Can week! Find out more and become a Roost Factory member today by registering at hoosier-offroad.com.

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2019-05-03 11:18 AM

BEHINDTHE LENS OF THE KTM TEAM

PHOTOSHOOT B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY PHOTOS BY MIKE VIZE R

E

ach year around this time, all of our pro teams get together for their annual team photo shoots. In the past some of these photo shoots have been on Canadian soil, but these days with the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series beginning so early in the season, the teams have been forced to travel south to warmer climates to get the proper photos done. For instance, so far in 2019 the Kawasaki Team travelled to California in February for their photo shoot, the OTSFF Yamaha Team and the MX101 Yamaha Team used the ClubMX training facility in SC, and as for the GDR Honda Team, they will wait to do their full photo shoot at Gopher Dunes in May. That leaves us with the KTM Red Bull Thor Factory Racing Team, who in mid-March met at the famous GPF Training Facility in Cairo, GA to document their 2019 team on film.

GPF has been a popular training spot for Canadian riders for many years. Top riders like Colton Facciotti, Dylan Wright and Tyler Medaglia have all used the rough Georgia track to pound themselves into shape prior to the start of the national series in Canada. Even KTM Team Manager Jean Sebastien Roy has spent many months riding and training at GPF. With team riders Cole Thompson, Tanner Ward and the newly signed Jess Pettis all having ties to these tracks in southeastern USA, GPF was a perfect place to gather the Canadian orange team together. The only hiccup came the week before the planned photo shoot when photographer James Lissimore crashed while mountain biking and unfortunately broke his collarbone. At the last minute, the KTM Team had to call upon Mike Vizer to handle the all-important photo duties. With everything set, the team of riders, mechanics, Team Manager JSR, and KTM Canada’s new Marketing Specialist Kate McKerroll made their way to GPF to get their 2019 photo shoot underway.

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“The team was able to get the photos they needed, the riders got some important laps in on their new race bikes, and most importantly, everyone was able to get some much needed team bonding.�

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BEHINDTHE LENS OF THE KTM TEAM

PHOTOSHOOT

Obviously you already know this, but our trusty team photographer James Lissimore was all geared up for the shoot, but unfortunately broke his collarbone days before. It added a bit of drama to the situation.

Luckily, Mike Vizer jumped in at the last second and saved the day. We were really grateful to have him on board this year.

All three guys were thrilled to suit up in their brand new Thor MX gear and A-Star boots.

Watching them unpack the bags was like Christmas morning.

They were even more excited to throw their leg over their 2019 race bikes. Jess was particularly pumped to be back on a bike after his collarbone injury. It was almost impossible to get him to stand still for the photos.

Saying we are all looking forward to this season would be an understatement. See you at the races!” - Kate McKerroll

Like every photo shoot, this one began in a shop as the crew was busy putting the final touches on the bikes. You see, for these team shoots everything has to be right. The graphics have to be right, the gear has to match perfectly, and everything has to look professional. Since these are the photos that will be presented to fans, sponsors and the media, the slightest imperfection will be noticed. After all of the machines were prepared and all of the pleasantries are exchanged, the riders geared up for their big moments in front of the camera.

Over the years I’ve been a part of these photo shoots and I can tell you that at times it’s anything but glamourous. For what seems like hours, you focus of different sections of the track, hitting them over and over again while the photographer tries to get the perfect shot. Sometimes there’s too much roost, or the lighting isn’t quite right, or sometimes as a rider you just mess up what you’re trying to do. Either way, it’s not always easy trying to hit the same jump or the same rutted corner fift y times until the ultra-patient photographer gets the shot.

However, that is the price to pay if you’re a factory rider, and it always could be worse.

One of the coolest parts of a team photo shoot for the riders is that most times this is the first opportunity they have to test their fresh race bikes. Up until the photo shoot

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“Our annual team photo shoot is always an exciting time for the group as it signifies the beginning of a new race season together. This year the team met at the GPF Training facility in Georgia and we were joined by photographer Mike Vizer. With Jess Pettis now under the KTM Red Bull Thor Factory Racing tent, this photo shoot also gave everyone the opportunity to hang out and get to know Jess. With two defending champions in Pettis and Cole Thompson, and also a more experienced Tanner Ward on board, we are very excited for the 2019 race season, and I think as a team we’ve never looked better and Ready To Race like we are.” - JSR

the riders more than likely have just been riding their practice bikes. Trust me, regardless of how long a pro rider has been racing, there is nothing better than wearing some fresh gear and throwing your leg over your new race bike for the first time. Everything just feels so good and so in sync that as a rider you just can’t help but feel blessed.

The 2019 KTM Red Bull Thor Factory Racing photo shoot went off like clockwork.

The team was able to get the photos they needed, the riders got some important laps in on their new race bikes, and most importantly, everyone was able to get some much needed team bonding. As they say, even in an individual sport such as motocross, teamwork makes dreams work!

Heading into the 2019 season the KTM team has positioned themselves very well.

Not only do they still have the 2018 Triple Crown Champion Cole Thompson under the tent, but they also have Tanner Ward and last year’s MXTour and SXTour Champion Jess Pettis in the 250 Pro class. Some people in the industry have labelled this team a modern day “Dream Team,” comparing it to the old Blackfoot Motrsports Team.

However, with big expectations comes a large amount of pressure. The pressure to perform each and every race can be an enormous burden to carry. Every rider, though, regardless of the season they had prior, wants to win everytime they line up.

These three warriors are no different, and when the gate drops at the opening round of the 2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour in Calgary, they will be ready to race. But, for this warm March day in Southeastern Georgia, all the KTM team had to worry about was hanging out and looking good. The two important aspects of every team photo shoot.

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O CANADA OUR HOME AND NATIVE LAND B Y K AT E M C K E R R O L L / P H O T O S B Y K E V I N B R YA N

As Canadians we are blessed in many ways.

Our country has beautiful landscapes, universal healthcare, polite people (sorry, eh), and most importantly… strong beer.

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If you were to ask many Canadian citizens, they would tell you there is nothing they would change about their home. If you were to ask a rider that same question, they would tell you our country has one major downfall and it impacts us six months of the year…Old Man Winter. Winter drives us riders so mad that no amount of strong beer and poutine could prevent us from trading in our passports and heading somewhere south.

A

s each year comes and goes, it seems the same cycle emerges. The short season forces us to cram a year’s worth of riding into six months, and by the time fall rolls around, most of us are (almost) ready for a break. The burn out happens just in time for the busy holiday season, and once Santa has come and gone, we are left asking ourselves, “What do I do now?”

Some are lucky enough to pack up the toy-hauler and head to the sunny south for a few weeks of riding, some hit the indoor track, some hit the gym, some dust off the snowmobiles, and some start searching for alternative options. This is a story of three friends who finally got fed up with waiting around for spring and decided to take matters into their own hands. We knew there were a hundred reasons why it wouldn’t work, one being my bike not having any studs, but what was the worst that could happen? They are dirt bikes!

Like most riding weekends, our trip started much before dawn. We were loading up from downtown Toronto and headed out of the city. We had three bikes, three pals, two trucks, a few beers, a whole lot of layers, and fairly low expectations.

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We arrived at the pit and did a walk around the property to scout out some riding areas. Early in the morning the conditions were amazing. The sun was rising and the top layer of snow was perfectly frozen over. Seemingly, we were in for a treat. We unloaded the bikes and started ripping! It was so fun. Almost the entire pit was covered in a layer of ice. For the two of us who had studded tires, it couldn’t have been better.

Our plan was to pack our bags and ride from the trucks to the cabin. We were about five minutes into the day before that plan was scrapped. Only two of the three bikes we brought had studded tires. I knew it would be a bit dicey bringing my bike without them,

and I had my doubts about going anywhere fast with regular MX tires, but I underestimated how slippery the ground would be under the snow. If the ground had even slight elevation there was no chance I was making it up. I spent most of the day pushing my bike around, which made for a lot of laughs and some calories burned.

After lunch I loaded my bike back in the truck and gave up even trying to ride it. The boys and I decided that we would just take turns riding the two bikes with studs. The sun had come out which made for epic temperatures, but the heat from the sun had burned off the top layer of ice. The conditions got really sloppy, really fast. Before we knew it, even riding the bike in a straight line was impossible.

It soon became apparent why more people don’t try riding in the snow… the conditions have to be perfect, and as soon as it warms up, it is impossible to keep the front end from sliding out.

Our dreams of riding to the cabin were over, but after being outside all day and picking our bikes off the ground a hundred times, we were okay with grabbing a pizza and driving back to the cabin with the bikes loaded in the back of the trucks.

If there is anything I have learned in my 25 years on earth, it’s that most adventurous ideas are better in theory.

“Let’s rent a tiny shack and have a real outdoor experience,” Kevin proposed.

It sounded like a great plan until reality set in and we remembered that we would have no heat (besides a wood stove), no running water and no indoor toilet in the middle of the winter. We got very lucky with the warm temperatures and sun throughout the day, but after dark was a different story.

We tucked into our tiny cabin and shared a few stories over some welldeserved cold beers. It wasn’t much later than midnight before we were all sawing logs on our bunk beds. The first ride of the season takes a lot out of a person, especially if you have to pick your bike up ten times more than normal.

We were all so quick to fall asleep that we forgot to discuss one very important detail… who would have the responsibility of adding more wood to the fire. Interestingly enough, wood stoves only keep you warm if you remember to put more wood in them.

At 4:30am we were abruptly woken up by the sound of my alarm. I had forgotten to turn it off and it was set for the early morning of our departure from the city the day before. When the alarm sounded, I realized I was sleeping curled up in a tiny ball. It was absolutely freezing. In my sleepy state I immediately realized what had happened. No one had woken up to keep the fire going but something else also felt off. I could feel a strong breeze. I

looked around and noticed the cabin door was wide open. The wind had picked up significantly and there was a full-on storm happening outside. The wind must have been so strong that it pushed the door open. We were not only sleeping with no heat, we were also sleeping completely exposed to the elements in the middle of February.

Luckily, I was sleeping on the top bunk and I used that as an excuse to get out of having to climb down and restart the fire. Kyle was sleeping closest to the door, so he was voted as tribute to go outside in the storm and fetch us wood. In our exhausted state the night before we did not properly plan. We did not look around to find the light switches, and we did not ask the Air bnb host where the extra wood was kept. It took Kyle a good three trips outside in the rain to figure out where the wood was and to try to restart the fire. I was damn glad it wasn’t me down there fumbling around in the dark looking for wet wood.

O CANADA OUR HOME AND NATIVE LAND

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O CANADA OUR HOME AND NATIVE LAND I fell back asleep and when I woke the cabin was warm again. Thanks Kyle, for saving our lives! When we woke up the second time the storm was even worse. It was raining and hailing hard and you could hear strong thunder in the distance. The outhouse on the property had a janky wooden roof with close to zero rain coverage. I was sitting on the freezing cold toilet seat getting drenched when I realized this was the first time in my life I had ever heard thunder during a hail storm.

I also realized we likely wouldn’t be getting another day of riding in. Even though the weather was literally raining on our parade, the mix of thunder, lightening, rain and hail was a beautiful act of nature to witness.

We were all extremely sore, wet and cold by mid morning on Sunday. We decided to cut our losses and bail on riding the second day. As much as it was unfortunate to have to pull the plug early, we all had enough fun on Saturday to make the trip worth it.

Winter in Canada can be very long and very brutal. You can choose to stay inside and whine about it, or you can load up your bike and mess around in an icy field with some of your best buds. Although we had to overcome some adversaries to make it happen, and I spent the same amount of time picking my bike off the ground as I did sitting on the seat, there is nothing I would have changed about the weekend. It was an excuse to suit up, get our adrenaline pumping and have a whole lot of laughs. At the end of the day, aren’t those three reasons why we all started dirt biking? Even if the conditions are not perfect, it is important to take chances, mix up the routine and have fun.

I hope everyone had a chance to do something different this winter, whether it was on skis, a snowboard, a snowmobile, a dirt bike or a toboggan.

Even if the conditions are not perfect, being outside with friends is the most important part. With all of that said… summer, we are ready for you!

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MXP CHATTER

JYIRE

MITCHELL B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

Last summer when a lightening fast rider from Bermuda showed up at the Walton TransCan, very few people knew who he was. However, after a week of racing at Walton Raceway, pretty much everyone in Canada knew who Jyire Mitchell was.

Not only did Jyire put on a great show in the Youth Amateur class by winning the overall, but he also lined up on Saturday in BOTH pro classes and finished a very impressive sixth overall in the 250 Pro class. Fast forward to 2019 and Jyire is back in Canada after landing a deal with Mark Booker and his successful Teamholeshotmotosports/Roost Factory Hoosier Off Road Team. After being mostly an amateur team for the past few seasons, Mark Booker has made the leap into the pro class and plans to support Jyire Mitchell for the entire 2019 race season.

This extra support has been made possible by Roost Factory/ Hoosier Off-Road. To find out a little more about this fast 21-year-old from Bermuda, we sat down with him for this month’s MXP Chatter.

WE FIRST SAW YOU LAST SUMMER AT WALTON, YOU CAME UP THERE AND TURNED A LOT OF HEADS WITH SOME GREAT RIDING. IT IS NOW EIGHT MONTHS LATER AND YOU’RE RIDING FOR A CANADIAN RACE TEAM. IS THE PLAN FOR YOU TO DO THE ENTIRE ROCKSTAR ENERGY TRIPLE CROWN SERIES?

JM: I hope so! The plan right now is to do the AXTour and then see what happens for the rest of the Canadian Series. Everything has been going good so far, so we’ll see how it goes.

HOW HAS THE AXTOUR SERIES GONE FOR YOU?

Not too bad so far.

Things were a little rough in the opening rounds out west because we really hadn’t done any testing and my bike was pretty much stock. But we’ve been slowly adding parts and getting some stuff done so it’s been getting better.

I’ve made a bunch of mistakes at really bad times in the races, but I think I’ve been getting better and better each time out.

RACING IN A NEW COUNTRY AGAINST RIDERS THAT YOU’VE NEVER RACED AGAINST IS ALWAYS TOUGH. HOW HAS IT BEEN SO FAR IN 2019 RACING AGAINST CANADA’S BEST 250 RIDERS? You’re right, it’s always tough when you come to a new place to race and you really don’t know anyone you’re racing against. But I’ve been doing that my whole life when we used to travel to America from Bermuda to race. You show up and you don’t know anyone, but you still have to go out and do your best. That’s what a learned when I was younger and that’s what I’m trying to do now.

DO YOU HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE RACING INDOORS?

Last year I raced some of the Amsoil AX rounds but not the entire series. So I guess I have a little bit of indoor experience but not really as much as I need right now. We’re getting there though, each week we get better and I’m feeling more and more comfortable.

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I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT LAST YEAR WHEN YOU SHOWED UP AT WALTON AND STARTED WINNING, I HAD NO IDEA WHO YOU WERE. WHEN I ASKED PEOPLE WHO YOU WERE, THEY TOLD ME WHERE YOU WERE FROM AND THEY SAID YOU’D DONE GREAT AT LORETTA’S. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH HOW LORETTA’S WENT FOR YOU IN 2018?

I had a great time throughout the qualifying process as I won my classes. I spent some time training at the South of the Border Training Facility before Loretta’s, but because we didn’t get any suspension until we actually got to Loretta’s, I felt a little underprepared.

BUT YOU FINISHED PRETTY GOOD. I WOULD HAVE

LIKED TO SEE HOW YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IF YOU WERE PREPARED?

Thanks! I ended up 7th in the 250A class and 5th in the Open Pro Sport so I definitely had some people talking. I think I brought some of that confidence with me to Walton because when I arrived there I felt really comfortable.

IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THE NAMES OF THE RIDERS YOU WERE BATTLING AGAINST AT LORETTA’S IT’S LIKE A LIST OF THEIR TOP A CLASS GUYS. YOU’RE RAW SPEED IS DEFINITELY IMPRESSIVE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD BE A PODIUM RIDER IF YOU RACED THE ENTIRE MXTOUR SERIES? I think so once I got used to everything. Obviously the tracks would be

new to me, but honestly I’ve always been able to adapt well to new tracks. I think it will be a great series for me and I believe that we could be competitive in the 250 class. Finishing on the podium would be my goal each weekend, but Top 5 would also be good.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR HOME COUNTRY BERMUDA FOR A MINUTE. I RACED ONE EVENT THERE IN 2007 AND I REMEMBER YOU WERE JUST A LITTEL KID DOMINATING THE 65CC CLASS. IS THAT LITTLE SX SERIES STILL GOING ON?

Yes it is, same track, same everything. I actually don’t think the track has changed much since you were there.

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I LOVE THAT A SMALL COUNTRY LIKE BERMUDA STILL HAS SOME MOTOCROSS AND A GREAT GROUP OF PASSIONATE RIDERS.

For sure, as you said the group is not big but they sure love to ride.

Even now when I travel home each year I get to see everyone and all they want to talk about is racing.

THEY MUST BE SO PROUD OF YOU AND WHAT YOU’RE DOING IN NORTH AMERICA WITH MOTOCROSS. Yes, they’re all very proud and they keep a close eye on my results over here.

HOW OLD ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?

Right now I’m 21-years-old.

I’M NOT SURE WHAT THE DRINKING AGE IS IN BERMUDA, BUT

WHEN YOU’RE HOME DO YOU EVER INDULGE IN ANY RUM SWIZZLE?

The most famous drink in all of Bermuda (laughs). My Dad actually had to bring some people some Rum Swizzle when he flew up here this weekend. I guess it’s good stuff !

I REMEMBER WHEN I WENT TO THAT RACE IN BERMUDA, AS SOON AS I LANDED, THE PROMOTER SAID, “DO YOU WANT TO STOP AND HAVE SOME RUM SWIZZLE?”

I believe it. They sell it at the airport and people take it home.

I ACTUALLY DID BRING SOME HOME FOR MY WIFE. OKAY, LET ME ASK YOU A COUPLE OF ONE-OFF QUESTIONS: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD? Definitely fettuccine alfredo pasta with chicken. I eat that about four times a week.

THAT IS PRETTY GOOD. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO TRAIN? I guess I run a lot to stay in shape. I don’t like it, but I do it.

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC WOULD I FIND ON YOUR IPOD RIGHT NOW? Probably most would be rap with some other weird music on there.

ANYWAY JYIRE, THANKS FOR TALKING TO US AND GIVING US A LITTLE INSIGHT ON WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING. CONGRATULATIONS ON LANDING A RIDE WITH THE ROOST FACTORY/ HOOSIER OFF-ROAD HOLESHOT MOTOSPORTS TEAM. I HOPE YOUR SUMMER GOES WELL AND BEST OF LUCK IN 2019.

Thanks for talking to me and telling some of my story. I really like it here in Canada and I hope I can race here for some time.

ORANGE MOTORSPORTS YOUR ONE STOP KTM SUPERSTORE

613-473-4334

NEW LOCATION 104421 HWY #7 Marmora ON K0K 2M0

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“OBVIOUSLY THE TRACKS WOULD BE NEW TO ME, BUT HONESTLY I’VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT WELL TO NEW TRACKS. I THINK IT WILL BE A GREAT SERIES FOR ME AND I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD BE COMPETITIVE IN THE 250 CLASS.”

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NASHVILLE SUPERCROSS

GUITAR'S, CADILLAC'S, AND DIRT BIKES DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS AS THE MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS SERIES HAS EXPLORED NEW AND EXCITING CITIES TO TAKE THEIR TRAVELLING ROAD SHOW, NASHVILLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THEIR RADAR. WITH THE SPORT OF SX BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THINGS LIKE DIRT, EXCITEMENT AND TWO WHEELS, IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A PERFECT MATCH WITH THE OFFICIAL HOME OF COUNTRY MUSIC. B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y F R A N K H O P P E N

“HOWEVER, LIKE A SAD COUNTRY SONG BEING PLAYED IN A BAR JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM NISSAN STADIUM, FORKNER’S FORTUNES TOOK A DRAMATIC TURN FOR THE WORSE DURING PRACTICE AFTER A BAD CRASH THAT INJURED HIS KNEE.” S The local fans

love the sport of SX and cannot wait for it to return next year.

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A S In a season of big surprises, Martin Davalos followed the script by winning the 250SX East main event.

NASHVILLE

S Up until practice in Nashville, Austin Forkner had everything going his way.

fter all, I’m quite sure that there’s more than one country song that talks about getting dirty and having a good time. So when Feld Entertainment announced late last year that the very first Nashville SX would take place on April 6th, 2019, everyone was anxious to see what would happen when dirt bikes and race gas was mixed with country music and Tennessee Whiskey. When the Monster Energy Supercross Series roared into Nissan Stadium in Nashville for Round 14, there was a perfect storm brewing. Not only was everyone exciting to be headed to Nashville for the first time, but also the points battles in both classes were as close as fans had seen in years. In the 450SX class, the season long points tug-o-war between Cooper Webb, Musquin Musquin and Eli Tomac reached a feverish pitch as all three riders appeared ready to break away from the field. In the 250SX East class, Kawasaki rider Austin Forkner had pretty well had the series his own way as he’d only been beaten a few times by both Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper.

However, like a sad country song being played in a bar just a few blocks from Nissan Stadium, Forkner’s fortunes took a dramatic turn for the worse during practice after a bad crash that injured his knee. It was the first crack in Forkner’s confidence armour, and within a moment his 2019 championship hopes were in trouble. His closest rival in the points, Sexton, who had played second fiddle to Forkner at each round prior, was now singing a different tune as by the end of the night he had himself the

SUPERCROSS

S After struggling on the dry track, Musquin lost even more important points in Nashville.

points lead in the 250SX East class.

In the 450SX class, Cooper Webb was under assault by Musquin and Eli Tomac. Tomac was perhaps Webb’s biggest threat as he was the only rider in 2019 who has at times shown the most raw speed in the 450SX class.

Tomac won two main events in the past month leading up to the Nashville race and you could tell that the Colorado native was hungry for more. Tomac is a country boy at heart, and every time he battles back from some sort of adversity, I always think of Hank Williams JR’s song “A Country Boy Can Survive,” ironically another huge Nashville hit from over the years. However, on this night it was Cooper Webb who, after a few off weeks, came back and reminded everyone that he was indeed the rider to beat in the 450 class. Even though for the series regulars Nashville was just another stop of their 17 round North American SX Tour, with Forkner’s injury and Webb’s quick resurgence, the Nashville round ended up being one of the turning points of the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series.

In talking with people from Feld Entertainment in the days after the Nashville SX, they were extremely happy with how this first time event went. This is a market they’ve been trying to get into for some time as they knew the sport of supercross would be well received there. With the city’s long standing roots to both country music and motocross - don’t forget that the annual Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National takes place just an hour away - the Nashville area appears perfectly suited to the type of fans that Supercross wants to attract. For a first time event the spectator turnout was decent, and with mild spring weather surrounding the Nashville area for race day, early April seems like the perfect time of year to hold this event.

Of course, as with most cities that the Supercross Series visits, there is always more to do than just the race itself. For years the city of Nashville has been one of the top tourist destinations

S Zach Osborne had one of his best finishes of 2019 in Nashville.

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“WITH NISSAN STADIUM AT ONE END OF BROADWAY STREET, BRIDGESTONE ARENA AT THE OTHER END, AND NUMEROUS BARS AND CLUBS BLASTING MUSIC OUT THEIR DOORS, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT STREETS IN THE USA.”

S Chase Sexton

will look back at the Nashville round as the race that changed it all.

NASHVILLE SUPERCROSS

in North America. With popular tourism spots like The Grand Ole Opry, Riverboat Tours, a Nashville Predators NHL Game, and all of the bars on Broadway Street, there is always something to do in this city. With Nissan Stadium at one end of Broadway Street, Bridgestone Arena at the other end, and numerous bars and clubs blasting music out their doors, this is one of the most talked about streets in the USA. Even without SX, Nashville is a great city to visit, whether it’s for a day or a weekend.

On this particular weekend though, the sport of Supercross was the most talked about subject in town. As the stars of SX met and mingled with the stars of country music, for this one weekend it appeared to be the perfect union. Considering some of the riders

get some motivation from a few of the popular country songs, I wonder if a few of these musicians will use the subject of SX as the basis of their next big hit song? Only time will tell with that one, but the one thing that is for sure is that the sport of supercross is here to stay in Nashville and now we look forward to next year. As the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series wraps up and the championship trophies are handed out, it has definitely been a season of unpredictability. Who would have bet on Cooper Webb or Chase Sexton to be crowned SX Champions? Yes, we will most certainly look back on this season’s champions as the ones that nobody saw coming. In life and in sport, isn’t this the way it should be though?

Didn’t Nashville resident and country music mega-star Garth Brooks write a hit song about this very thing...The unpredictability of life! However, with all of these unknowns we face each day in our lives, the one thing that is predictable is that if you attend the Nashville SX in 2020, you will without a doubt have a great time!

S With Eli Tomac giving up a lot of points to Webb, the

championship writing was on the wall as well as on his gear.

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B Y A N DY

M

apping out a calendar to sync up all the races I would like to attend can be a bit of an arduous task, and anyone who knows me well can attest that I’m on the road a lot. When the MX schedules for the upcoming season become available, this is when I look at building my yearly travel schedule. The plan is to attend the important events that will get FXR the most return for their investment. I look over all the schedules and build a master calendar with pretty well every type of MX, SX and now off-road event listed. FXR is now supporting some of the top off-road riders around the world and it’s necessary for me to attend these events to make sure our dollars are being spent wisely. I have been travelling to SX and MX events for business since about 1998. That’s one heck of a lot of seat time on planes and sleeping in hotels around the world. I always get asked if I get tired of all the travel. Well, that’s an easy question to answer…sometimes. I do really enjoy meeting the riders and fans at the events, and I like hearing

PHOTOS WHITE /

VIZER ND MIKE WHITE A B Y A N DY

what the riders are up to and what they think of our product. One of the best parts of the job is getting a credential and being able to move around the stadium with ease. I guess long lineups are one of the items on the list I don’t really enjoy, and same goes for the super early international flights when you have to be at the airport two hours before your flight. Another item that really is no fun while travelling is the flight delays. I make a point of trying to take direct flights as much as I can, especially during the winter months. If you’re flying to California or to Florida, try not to take a flight that has a layover in Chicago, New York or Denver while heading west. No one likes sitting in airport for delays.

After much planning I have my schedule set for the year and it’s time to figure out what events to attend.

Obviously, Anaheim 1 is on the list.

You seriously need to be at Round 1 of the supercross series kick off. I also enjoy attending San Diego, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Las Vegas. Daytona SX is another one I really like to attend.

It’s also a good excuse to enjoy a trip down south in the winter and dodge

ACH. DAYTONA BE TO E M O LC E W

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some of the cold weather. The cool thing about hitting Florida at this time of year is it combines several events all slammed into one long weekend. I can attend the one-off special Tampa SX on Thursday night then head to Daytona for the SX, and then head west towards Palatka where you can check out the GNCC off-road event. This is the only weekend I know that you can see a ton of racing in a few days. If you really have lots of spare time you could slide in Dirt Track, Amateur SX and Vintage MX if you were so inclined.

I usually travel with a work colleague but this trip I invited Mike Brown to tag along. I have known Mike for a little over 10 years now. I met him when I brought him up to compete on the KTM factory Canadian MX team when I was the race team manager.

Now that I am with FXR I was fortunate enough to hire him to help brand our MX product. It’s amazing how many people walk up to Mike while we walk around the pit area. These fans see him and they just want to say hello.

Most of these fans have never met Mike face to face, and it’s interesting

the stories they share with Mike. Most fans just want to get a picture and say that they cheered for him when they saw him racing back in the day. That’s pretty cool. Now that Mike is slowing down a bit, I try to involve him in the marketing side of the business. Mike does get it and does a great job of networking with friends and fans.

“THE fiRsT eVeNT ON THE 4-DAY SCHeDUlE iS THE TAMPA SX SPONSOReD

BY PRO CiRCUiT. THiS eVeNT HAS BeeN ON THE CAleNDAR FOR MANY YeARS.”

DAY 1:

THE MID-WEEK RACE AT THE TAMPA MX TRACK WAS A LOT OF FUN.

The first event on the 4-day schedule is the Tampa SX sponsored by Pro Circuit.

This event has been on the calendar for many years. This is a great event for the privateer pro riders to practice their SX skills and make some extra cash at the same time. The payout for this event is pretty good. For example, if you win the Pro Open, you make $4,000. If you holeshot it’s an extra $1,000, and if you win your heat race it’s another $1,000. If you nail all three you walk can walk away with $6,000 in USD. Mike Alessi did just that and walked away with his pockets full.

This event is perfect for Mike. He is a holeshot master, he is a solid SX rider and he is fast. The competition was stacked this year with riders like Tyler Bowers, Thompson, Chisholm, Renzland and Miller showing up to get a piece of the 10k purse. The amateur turnout was pretty solid as well with all different levels of classes. Practice started off at 4pm and the races usually started at 7pm. The spectator turnout was impressive, too. I would have to guess there were probably just over 3,500 on hand.

THE GNCC RACE TOOK PLACE THE DAY AFTER THE DAYTONA SX.

THE DAYTONA SX THAT SHOULD BE IS DEFINITELY A RACE ONCE IN A LIFE ATTENDED AT LEAST TIME.

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: 2 Y A D

LOW ME FELT BITHLO O S G D A IN WATCHDIANS RIDE LOT OF GOO CANA GHT BACK A E. BROU RIES FOR M MEMO

Mike Brown and I headed to the Orlando MX track, formally known as Bithlo MX. One of my pro riders from Quebec, Bryan Cormier, stays there most of the winter to train. I wanted to say hello, hang out and talk to the other FXR riders that were getting ready for the Daytona Amateur SX program. As luck would have it, Bryan offered up his spare Yamaha 450 for Brownie to ride. It was good to see Mike showing some of the younger kids a few tips on how to improve their technique and their set up. It’s funny to see people’s reaction when they see #3 Brown on the track. They do a double take and everyone points. This is one of the reasons we hired Brown, not only can he go fast but he is also really good on giving the younger riders some feedback on their riding. So, after a full day of watching Mike do 500 laps it was time to head out and get some dinner and find the hotel.

DAY 3: WHEN M EVERYONIKE BROWN SPE AKS, E LISTEN S.

Off to Daytona SX. If you’ve never been I highly recommend you get there early. There is a lot to look at when you get to the speedway. Speed Week starts on the Saturday and lasts for the full week. If you enjoy people watching, this is the place to go. You can walk up and down the strip and see pretty well every model of Harley ever made and meet some pretty interesting people, too. I don’t usually stay too long in that area because it’s extremely loud. The SX track is

IF YOU DIDN’T FEEL LIKE WALKING AROUND THE DAYTONA PADDOCK, THERE WERE A LOT OF PIT BIKES.

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THE VIEW OF THE DAYTONA TRACK FROM THE CHEAP SEATS WAS STILL IMPRESSIVE.

located right in the middle of the pit lane area on the grass. This is probably the roughest SX track in the world. You get a good mix of outdoors and SX. You really need to be in good shape to ride this track.

The track gets chewed up and the dirt is a little soft in areas. The Dirt Werx team builds the jumps up pretty high so the fans in the upper seating can see the riders getting some big air. The pit area is a little unique because they allow the teams to use the NASCAR garages to pit in. The teams don’t set up the big awnings because there really isn’t any room.

If you are looking to get an autograph it’s the perfect place to go. The riders usually hang out near their bikes, because there is no rig to go tuck away in. Qualifying is done in the afternoon and the night show starts around 7pm. If you can work your way down to the actual banking of the oval track you can get up close to the SX track. One note on standing on the banking, your feet will be in pain after an hour or so; just a warning not to linger there for a long period. The nice part of being down by the track

“ONE PiECE OF ADViCE: iF YOU ARE GOiNG TO DAYtONA SX, DON’T PARK iN THE iNfielD. iT WilL TAKE YOU FOReVeR TO GeT OUT.”

is you can walk from one end of the track to the other. The walk will take you a good 30-40 minutes as most fans like to stand in that area so it does get a little crowded. Mike and I went to the upper area so you can see most of the track. Make sure to take binoculars if you venture way up to the top and don’t forget to take a jacket, too. The main events were great. Marvin looked like he had this one but somehow he kept making mistakes on the track. Tomac is usually the fastest guy here but he has been very inconsistent all year.

There have been plenty of theories on why he is so up and down. I personally think it’s pretty easy to figure out. The competition this year is incredible. Look who has won the mains so far: Baggett, Barcia, Webb and Musquin. Five riders have won mains, and that’s a stacked class in my view. It seems if you start well, you have a solid chance of winning if you are one of those five riders. The tracks are getting a little easier too, which helps, and the lap times are really close as well. The difference between the top riders are split by hundreds of a second. It’s almost like go kart lap times. If you don’t get a good start there is no way you can pull a Bubba and come from the back and win. Those days are long gone. These athletes are all in incredible shape and their teams have built them great bikes on which to compete. The Lites class has been dominated by Austin Forkner on the PC Kawasaki. I am very impressed by his speed and consistency, but I didn’t have him winning this number of races. One piece of advice: if you are going to Daytona SX, don’t park in the infield. It will take you forever to get out.

THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE LINING UP ON THE DAYTONA SX STARTING GATE.

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WATCHING MARCO CANNELLA PRACTICE WAS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY TRIP.

THE FINAL BEFORE THEMOMENTS RIDERS HEA GNCC ON THE TRACD OUT K.

DAY 4: After a good night’s sleep we were up early again and off to the GNCC off-road event in the middle of Florida.

I am not joking when I say you drive for about an hour deep into the woods and finally you see the arrows directing you to the small town of Palatka.

The actual ranch is a few minutes outside the town so make sure to stock up on water and food. You pull into the track location and you now have to figure out how to park somewhat close to the action. I found a nice spot not too far from the factory teams.

I then asked where the starting line was. I was told it was approximately a 20-minute walk down this road to the start. I asked someone, “Is that far of a walk?” and the response I received was, “Try and find a mini bike or a mountain bike.” Oh boy! After the long trek to the start I met up with some industry people that were on the same travel schedule I had been on for the past four days. It seems we all have the same system in place when you

come to Florida. I was impressed to see Heath Harrison pull the holeshot in his first ever GNCC race. He was competing in the XC1 class. It didn’t take long for some of the faster Pro riders to get by the Heath but it was cool to see him out front for a few seconds. The actual race is 3 hours long and each class has its own start. Each start is separated by about 15 seconds. I think there were approximately 14 different classes, and in total there must have been around 300 plus riders on the track at one time. There is a morning race that is only 2 hours long, which had a solid turnout as well with just over 400 entries split between all the classes. While the race is going on you are able to walk around freely and check out some of the areas that are a little more technical. The mud holes are usually the go-to place if you want to see riders struggle. Just look for where the fans are standing. That is a dead giveaway and a good place from which to watch.

Once the day was over it was back in the rental car to head back to the Orlando area for dinner and a good night’s sleep before heading back to Montreal. The following morning everything was looking good until I arrived at the check-in, when the Air Canada lady updated me that my

11am flight was delayed until 3pm. I dropped my bag off and headed right back to the hotel to relax. I thought this would be way more relaxing than sitting in an airport for four hours. I few hours later I had an update that the flight was delayed until 7pm. At

this point my day was a write off. I just smiled and ordered room service. I finally made it back home that night at 11pm. At least this time myself and my luggage ended up in the same destination. With air travel it’s always a roll of the dice.

IF YOU WERE RACING IN THE GNCC, YOU EITHER HAD TO DEAL WITH DEEP SAND WHOOPS OR NUMEROUS TREES.

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The Clews factory completed 39 bikes in 1972, ultimately enlisting an outside source to weld the frames. In 1973, they ramped up production and got the production line up to 20 units per month.

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B Y L AW R E N C E H A C K I N G / P H O T O S B Y B E N Q U I N N

CCM OR CLEWS COMPETITION MOTORCYCLES IS A COTTAGE INDUSTRY UK-BASED MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURER THAT IN THEIR HEYDAY CCMS WERE CONSIDERED THE ROLLS ROYCE OF MOTOCROSS BIKES. THE CCMS WERE TRICK, LIGHT, FAST AND THEY WON MANY RACES IN THE HANDS OF THE RAGTAG WORKS RIDERS WHO CAMPAIGNED THEM.

T

hese ultra-rare CCMs were the brainchild of an Englishman, Alan Clews. The demise of the BSA brand offered Clews the opportunity to purchase a dozen works bikes frames directly from the BSA competition department when the factory closed shop. In those days, motocross bike builders were focused on making bikes lighter. BSA used exotic materials such as titanium as frame material, however it was generally agreed upon that thinwall Reynolds tubing was the tubing of choice when attempting to build a bike that weighed under 250 pounds.

Ultimately, Clews bought all the remaining BSA B50 (a 500cc single cylinder) engine parts by the ton; he had enough parts to produce a small quantity of motorcycles each year. Once the BSA frames were used up, Clews started designing and building his own frames.

CCM frames were known to be works of art. They featured a minimalist design, the tubing used was hand-braze welded together by craftsmen. The Clews factory completed 39 bikes in 1972, ultimately enlisting an outside source to weld the frames. In 1973, they ramped

up production and got the production line up to 20 units per month.

CCM engines were based on the torquey 500cc BSA B50 that Clews bored and stroked to various configurations. The CCM factory was in Bolton, in the north of England, and over the years CCM struggled financially but still is in business to the day.

The motorcycle you see here has a truly unbelievable history; a Hollywood scriptwriter couldn’t invent a more compelling and colourful past to such a rare and exotic motocross bike. The bike is a 1973 CCM 550. That year the UK-based factory sent 119 bikes out the door; it was their first full year of production. This CCM is number 7359, so it was the 59th CCM built that year.

It was originally exported to Austria as confirmed by Alan Clews himself.

Its first owner, Count Otto Heberstein, was a wealthy aristocrat and motocross fan whose family owned the Schloss Heberstein, a castle that dates back to the 13th century.

The Count was enamoured with the sport of motocross. When the continental circus was in Austria you could often find the elite of Grand Prix motocross staying at the Count’s castle that was, and still is, one of the most famous and

extravagant in Austria. Factory CCM racers, John Banks, Bob Wright and others stayed at the Herberstein villa.

The story goes that they delivered the Count’s first of many CCMs in 1973. It is believed that the bike shown here is that motorcycle as documented in the book ‘Rolling Thunder’ that chronicles the history of CCM. How this CCM ended up in Canada is as unique a story as the bike itself.

Enter Lee Robison, a young American motocross kid whose father, Gary, was one of the innovative design engineers working at the Can Am factory in Valcourt, Quebec during the early years of development. Can Am was the motorcycle division of Bombardier Recreational Products or BRP. The young Robison was one of the up and coming Quebec-based motocross racers who enjoyed support directly from Can Am. In turn, Lee Robison did his share of winning, taking home a championship in 1972 on a Can AM prototype. As a reward, his father sent him to Austria for the 1974 season to race, train and work at the BRP owned Rotax engine factory.

The younger Robison met up with the motocross-smitten Count and was invited to ride at the private track located on the Schloss Heberstein grounds. On one occasion, Robison was offered the chance to ride a brand new CCM 550 that Count Otto in which recently taken delivery. Robison immediately fell in love with the CCM’s tractable power and stable handling. It was a mild mannered four-stroke beast on which he felt immediately at home.

“I think about that bike about 10 times per year, I really liked it a lot,” said the 60 plus-year-old Utah resident during a recent telephone conversation.

The mighty CCM left an indelible impression on the young rider; observers said he was going faster than the CCM factory riders who were at the same track a few weeks prior. At the time, the cocky teenager had a Can AM 250 preproduction bike in Austria that wasn’t really his. In speaking with the Count he mentioned he would be interested in trading the Can Am for the CCM. The Count agreed, they shook hands and an even trade was made. At the end of the

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season, Lee spent two final weeks skiing the Austrian Alps after having sent a crate of personal belongings including the CCM back to Valcourt. Upon his arrival home he was met with a sternfaced father who wanted to know on whose authority did he swap a factory Can Am prototype for a CCM. Of course, being a Can Am rider he couldn’t race the CCM so it sat in the family garage being ridden only on the back roads near his home. The winter passed and as in many young racers of the day the call to own a van was a strong one. His dad said if the younger Robison could raise half the cost of a van he’d cover the other half.

The following spring Lee placed a call to his friend, a fellow racer, Paul Corriveau, was another Quebec hot shoe youngster who was looking for every advantage in order to win races.

In order to raise his share of the money for the new Ford van, a deal was struck for the CCM. The price was $1300.00, quite a chunk of change in the day, and the CCM was on its way to become a winning ice racer. The CCM’s tires were laced with hundreds of ice-biting sheet metal screws making it ready for the ice racing season. Corriveau was a senior class rider when he pulled up on the start line of the first ice race that winter. No one expected him to factor in the results; the CCM was a bit of an oddity, the big thumper sounding out of place being surrounded by two-stroke singles.

Everyone including Corriveau himself was surprised at the result. The CCM stole the show. It took the start in front of the screaming hoards of two-strokes that were left spinning on the line while the thumper dug deep into the ice and disappeared.

“I looked back in the first turn and saw no one behind me. I won the race and went on to claim the championship that season,” said Corriveau of his good fortune.

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Ultimately, the CCM became less competitive as other bikes advanced.

Corriveau sold the bike to a friend and it was on to its next home. Its whereabouts was not clear until the big bore thumper reappeared in Quebec City.

The CCM went to the Bibeau brothers who were flat track racers that owned a successful motorcycle shop. The CCM had become long in the tooth in its current form and was converted to a fulltime dirt tracker. The BSA B50 based engine was replaced with something else, perhaps a Kawasaki motor judging by the photos. The shapely aluminum fuel tank, motocross seat and bodywork were all shelved for dirt track items, the short megaphone upswept exhaust was exchanged for a down pipe. In short, one of the most rare motocross bikes in the World was reduced to a shadow of its former self.

Then came John Lightfoot, the Ontario-based, exotic single-cylinder aficionado. Lightfoot acquired the CCM after his father noticed a classified ad in Cycle Canada. He thought it was a CCM trials bike but was surprised to see the big single when he went to pick it up. From there the CCM went through a partial resurrection. Lightfoot found and bought reproduction fiberglass bodywork, a new seat, fuel tank and fitted period Ceriani forks and new Rickman wheels front and rear. The stumbling block in Lightfoot’s progress was a severely weakened frame due to the rigors of ice racing. The high rpm vibration wreaked havoc on the lightweight tubing. Shoddy repairs had been made over the years, the motor mounts had been changed and the oil-in-frame CCM leaked like a sieve.

After the progress halted, Lightfoot’s interests shifted and the CCM languished in his garage for a decade.

It wasn’t until recently that the present owner was able to buy the CCM from John and a proper restoration began.

The frame needed more attention than anything else, and the motor mounts had been cut off to facilitate the different engine. The original chrome plating had to be removed, repairs made, and new motor mounts made, welded in place then re-chromed.

The CCM project needed an injection of newfound enthusiasm. It was immediately stripped, dismantled and the owner vowed not to leave it in pieces for any undue length of time. Other than engine parts and some minor parts like a chain, muffler, cables and ignition coil, the CCM was very near complete.

The bottom-end was found to be in fairly good shape, just bearings and seals were needed and a good cleaning, however the cylinder liner, on the other

hand, was cracked around the base gasket area and needed replacement as did the piston. Fortunately, a quick Google search had everything required for the engine rebuild in a few weeks.

The CCM needed some serious problems solved - the cylinder head had two broken fins that were entirely missing.

The two cooling fins were in between four others, two above and two below.

The only solution was to cut out the two upper fins, saw apart a donor head for raw material and weld the fins back in place one at a time in the correct order.

For this job the head was repaired by welder / fabricator Ryan MacMillan who plied his welding skills to the head, and after a quick bead blast the head looked as good as new.

The next stop was to Brian Olsen Racing Services in Acton, Ontario for the cylinder liner to be installed, the new piston fitted, and have new valve guides installed and valve seats cut.

Olsen had a difficult time pushing out the old liner until finally some innovation took place by way of welding steel bar cross pieces into the liner to have something to push against. After some deliberation the liner freed up and the new one slid in with only some minor machining needed.

The CCM engine is a straight forward build. With the help of the original manuals the re-assembly went smoothly. All new bearings, seals, locking tab washers and gaskets made the engine as oil tight and reliable as a British single could be.

The frame is the heart of such a special motorcycle; at close examination it was found to be nearly beyond repair, however there are experts out there that can work magic on such difficult and specialized jobs. Firstly, the frame was sent to Trenton, Ontario to custom frame builder Denis Curtis’ shop for two short pieces of tubing in the rear section that needed to be replaced because the originals were cracked so badly there was nothing left to weld.

This tubing is curved requiring Curtis to take his time to replace the tubes and make gussets to reinforce the joints.

Once this part of the frame’s restoration was finished the CCM structure went to Grimsby, Ontario to Bob Stevens’ machine shop. Stevens is a master at difficult jobs. He fixes the impossible on a regular basis – cracked cylinder heads and engine blocks, he does valve jobs on early engines that technology left behind and unusual engine rebuilds. Bob took the CCM frame and swing arm and magnafluxed them to find all the cracks - the prognosis was not good. The frame was on the borderline of being repairable, but Stevens

performed a miracle and hand welded each crack back together. Once fixed, the frame and swing arm went off to the platers to have its original chrome finish replaced.

Once the frame was re-chromed the slate was wiped clean, and after the engine was installed the CCM began to take shape. The yellow reproduction fiberglass bodywork is taken from CCM moulds. The original gas tank is now polished aluminum once again - it came painted black and a dent was found underneath the paint. The tank was sent to metal worker extraordinaire Ross Thompson in Alisa Craig, Ontario who removed the dent and polished the aluminum to a high sheen.

The second CCM shown in some of the photos is a newer 1975 model, also very rare and ultimately worthy of its own story.

The 1973 CCM number 7359 now resides in a private collection; it will appear at shows and vintage motocross races, yet another important part of Canadian motorcycling history is preserved for years to come.

The original chrome plating had to be removed, repairs made, and new motor mounts made, welded in place then re-chromed.

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ONE ON ONE WITH STEVE SIMMS B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

IN THIS COUNTRY WE HAVE HAD MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR LIVES DEDICATED TO THIS SPORT. STEVE SIMMS IS ONE OF THESE PEOPLE AS HE’S NOT ONLY A FORMER RACER BUT HE OWNS HIS OWN RACING BUSINESS, AND HE’S ALSO THE TEAM MANAGER FOR THE ROCKSTAR ENERGY OTSFF YAMAHA TEAM. STEVE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND IN THOSE YEARS HE’S MET A LOT OF PEOPLE AND GAINED A TON OF VALUABLE EXPERICENCE. IN 2019, HE WILL MOST CERTAININGLY NEED TO CALL ON ALL OF THAT EXPERIENCE AS HE ATTEMPTS TO GUIDE CANADA’S FACTORY YAMAHA TEAM TO A 450 PRO CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. STEVE IS A NO NONSENSE KIND OF GUY, AND AS YOU WILL READ IN THIS INTERESTING INTERVIEW, STEVE’S LIFE IS BUILT AROUND FAMILY AND RACING, THE TWO THINGS HE HOLDS MOST DEAR TO HIM.

“I WOULD SAY MY INVOLVEMENT IN REPAIRING BIKES STARTED AROUND 2000. MY DAD IS A DIESEL MECHANIC, SO I’VE WORKED WITH HIM AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.” HEY STEVE, HOW ARE THINGS GOING? Hey Palms, things are going well. Just had a good Easter with the family and back to work today.

THESE DAYS THERE REALLY IS NO OFFSEASON, BUT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR MUST BE YOUR BUSIEST.

I would say our busiest time is from December to March as we try to finish up all the loose ends from the year prior and get in shape for the current year. With having the AX, MX, and SX all running, we need to get the 2018 bikes cleaned and rebuilt for sale, and the 2019’s are already arriving. They need to be stripped to send the parts out and get them back in time for testing and Round 1.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOUR ROLE AND POSITION IS AT THE ROCKSTAR ENERGY OTSFF YAMAHA TEAM?

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE OTSFF GROUP?

I believe it was Montreal 2005 when I started talking with Andre. I drove there to meet him and talk about a position on the team as a tech. I went to GPF to help Jason Burke that winter, and during the time down there Tyler Medaglia was having issues with his Suzuki. I rebuilt the engine for him at GPF. From there it worked out that I would support Tyler for the next three seasons with the OTSFF group. After ‘08, Tyler went to Blackfoot and I left to focus on my own shop more and try some other things. Andre and I always kept in touch and I would help him on some demo programs. Then in 2015 OTSFF called me and I took a position as a tech again working with Matt Goerke. In 2017, and I took on the role of Team Manager. So, I guess you could say I’m going into my 8th full year with OTSFF.

My current role would be Team Manager and Crew Chief. Teams in Canada don’t have the same funding as the American teams, so we usually have a much smaller group of people making the team work. Everyone on the team must do much more taen just one position to get all the work done.

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PRIOR TO YOUR TIME WITH OTSFF WHAT TYPE OF THINGS DID YOU DO? HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN MOTOCROSS?

I would say my involvement in repairing bikes started around 2000. My Dad is a diesel mechanic, so I’ve worked with him as long as I can remember. I would spend Saturdays at the shop with him cleaning up and cutting grass when I was younger. As I got older, the shop (Galer Farm Equipment) let me do a little more and then would hire me during the summers. I worked on and off there a few times over the years in full time and part time roles. Then dirt bikes came into my life and I started switching over to working on them. My Dad and I would do most of the work on them. By high school my racing had peaked and I decided I needed to focus on getting a job. That’s when I went to Bill Burr looking to be his apprentice. He was very hesitant about saying yes, but he gave me some info and a few days later I went back and said I wanted to do it. I couldn’t be more thankful that he allowed me to piggyback on just about everything he did. From engines to suspension, he never tried to hide anything and was always willing to explain anything I asked. Most shops just use apprentices to help clean up, but Bill went out of his way to help and taught me how to be serious about working on bikes.

THAT IS A LONG TIME. A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. DOES THE ADDED TECHNOLOGY OF TODAY’S BIKES MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER OR MORE DIFFICULT? Yeah, since I started a lot has changed on the bikes. I was always willing to get my hands dirty, so I enjoyed working on carbs and things. It was always great when you finished a repair and it ran clean. Now we have fuel injection, and along with it comes expensive and complicated computer programs and other data collecting equipment. If someone were to try to just jump in and learn it all now, I think it would be pretty hard. I’m not sure it has made my job any easier, as now we have way more electronics and a lot of the adjustments we must do are done through a computer and wires.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF YOUR JOB?

I would say how up and down days, or situations, can be. It seems like when things are good, they are good, but on the bad days it almost seems like things just can’t go right. There’s a lot of pressure and the emotions can be a lot to handle, but I try to focus long-term to improve myself and the team each year.

WE KNOW THAT PHIL NICOLETTI CAME ONTO THE TEAM LATE IN 2018 SO HE’S NOT REALLY NEW. BUT WITH HIM AND SHAWN MAFFENBEIER UNDER THE TENT FOR 2019 IT’S A NEW LOOK FOR THE TEAM. HOW HAS EVERYTHING BEEN GOING SO FAR WITH YOUR NEW RIDERS? Yeah, we brought Phil in last fall, which was nice as we all got to learn about each other at those races, and he got to see how race days in Canada go, etc... Shawn and I have known each other quite a while now and I think that has helped with his transition back to OTSFF. Both guys have totally different personalities, but it’s good. I think we have a good group of guys and we get along great. Everyone involved with the team wants to win and they are willing to put in the hours to do so.

BOTH RIDERS COME WITH A TON OF EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS IN THE PAST. HOW HAS THE TESTING GONE SO FAR?

Yes, both guys have lots of experience.

We went down to Club MX twice this winter. The first trip at the beginning of January was just to get Phil and Shawn settled in and try some things right away.

Then we went back down for two more weeks in February. This was for mostly for suspension testing where we brought in Joe Skidd from SSS. Once that was done, we had the team photoshoot with Mike Vizer. We did make some time for fun when we got to go to the Atlanta supercross as a team.

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ONE ON ONE WITH STEVE SIMMS PHIL IN PARTICULAR HAS HAD SOME TIME WITH FACTORY TEAMS IN THE USA IN RECENT YEARS, HOW IS HE DOING AND DOES HE LIKE RACING IN CANADA SO FAR? Phil has been doing good. It took some time for him to get settled in on the Yamaha but I believe we have found some good settings for him, and he is putting in the time to be ready for the big battle in the outdoors.

YOU ALSO HAVE AN UPDATED 2019 YZ450F TO RACE THIS SEASON. WE ALL RODE THIS NEW BIKE BACK IN SEPTEMBER AND I THINK WE ALL LOVED IT. HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT BEEN ON THIS NEW BIKE SO FAR? The updates to the 2019 were small but all good. Our main platform stayed the same, which was nice. Yamaha has a very good bike out of the box.

YOU HAVE A NEW BIKE AND TWO NEW TOP RIDERS FOR 2019. SOUNDS LIKE IT’S TIME TO WIN ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP.

Yes, we are going to dig deep and work on winning another championship. That is the goal of the team and all the people involved in it. It’s a long season, so we are just going to keep digging and see where we land at the end.

TALK TO ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BOSS ANDRE LAURIN. HE’S DEFINITELY BEEN ONE PERSON WHO HAS HELPED CARRY THIS SPORT IN CANADA FOR THE PAST DECADE OR MORE.

Yeah, Andre has been around this sport for quite some time. I believe he got involved in the team side of things in and around 2000/01. Andre’s passion for this sport is great, and I think that passion is what keeps him coming back for more each year. He still gets excited about races as if it were his first year. I have been fortunate enough to not have to go from team to team for work, and he has kept me busy for many years. For that I will always be grateful. Thank you Andre and Monique.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR JOB, AND ALSO YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE?

I would say my favourite part of my job is when all the hard work of the team comes together and we have a good weekend.

It’s such a good feeling. Calgary is a great example of this. My least favourite would be injuries in general.

YOU ALSO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY AT HOME AS WELL AS A SUCCESSFUL SIDE BUSINESS. CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AS WELL AS STEVE SIMMS RACING? Yes, I do. Our little girl, Evalina, just turned 3 at the end of March. She has a PW50 that she likes to get on and ride once in a while. Katerina is always busy with Evalina as I am gone a lot. She also has her own Massage Therapy business and is doing online schooling. As for my business, it is plenty busy for me.

Andre and I teamed up, and have been busy selling Sunoco Fuel to Motocross and Snowcross racers. I now pick and choose which work I bring in to my shop as I don’t have a lot of time to do

the work. With SSR, I have tried to help people as much as I can when it comes to racing. I have supported Jason Burke for many years. In recent years, I started helping other up and coming riders. I helped Macro Cannella in his last year of amateur racing quite a bit, from bike repairs to complete race engines. Last year I helped Jake Tricco and Sam Gaynor with their YZ250F’s, much like I did with Marco the year before. This year OTSFF and I have stepped up to help Sam Gaynor at a higher level, as he will be in his rookie year on a YZ450F as a support rider at all the outdoor rounds with the Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha team. I also support Team Holeshot with Bill’s Pipes, Ride Engineering Triple Clamps, and Sunoco Race Fuels.

OTHER THAN RACING OR BEING AT THE TRACK, WHAT THINGS DO YOU LIKE TO DO?

THAT’S AMAZING. EVERY RIDER NEEDS A LITTLE SUPPORT REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE OR SKILL LEVEL AND IT’S GREAT THAT YOU HELP PROVIDE IT. SO DURING THE RACE SEASON YOU MUST BE ONE BUSY DUDE.

Yeah we are, haha... I hear you and Ayrton riding as if its in my own front yard all the time in the summer. Hopefully we can make it over a time or two this summer. I guess I need more than the 5-minute heads up you give me when you ask me to come ride, haha…

I do what I can with what I have. I have also kicked off the Pirelli Canada support program in 2019 for racers looking for support. Pirelli has been a great supporter of the OTSFF team for many years and it was fitting that they asked me to fill this roll in Canada. With all this going on, you can say I have many late nights.

“I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP OF GUYS AND WE GET ALONG GREAT. EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THE TEAM WANTS TO WIN AND THEY ARE WILLING TO PUT IN THE HOURS TO DO SO.”

Much of my life is spent at the track, even when I’m not at the Nationals, as my wife Katerina and I both ride. Any time we can get out, we head back to a track. If Evalina takes it up and wants to start riding more, then away we go to the track some more…

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THIS BUT WE’RE PRACTICALLY NEIGHBOURS. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO COME AND RIDE AT MY TRACK?

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME STEVE AND GOOD LUCK IN 2019

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. Before we end this, I would like to give a few special thank yous to some people. First would be Bill Burr for investing as much time into me as he did, to teach me all he knows. Second would be Andre and Monique Laurin for allowing me the opportunity to fill my dream of managing a race team, and then taking it one step further by allowing it to be done from my place of business. I would also like to thank my wife for allowing us to run the race shop on our property and understanding the many late nights we have. I’d also like to thank the entire team for working hard to make all this possible. Without the hard work of Risi George and Cam Callaghan this wouldn’t be possible.

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2019-05-08 11:07 AM

ARE YOU CONNEcteD @MXPMAGAZINE

@MXPMAGAZINE

@MXPMAG

THE SOURCE FOR ALL YOUR CANADIAN MOTO AND OFF ROAD

MXPMAG.COM

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2019-03-07 3:33 PM

YOUNG PRESENTS

AND ON THE

RiSE iSE R WITH

CAMPBelL SeARlE WO R DS AN D PH OTOS BY CAR R I E S B ROWN

CAMPBelL SeARlE iS A VeRY TAleNTeD AND VeRY DeTeRMiNeD YOUNG RiDeR WHO APPeARS TO BE iMPROViNG eVeRY TiME HE GetS ON THE TRACK. CAMPBelL RECeNTlY RACeD AT THE MONsTeR eNeRGY SUPeRCROSS fUTUReS eVeNT iN iNDiANAPOliS THiS PAsT MONTH; HE’S WelL ON HiS WAY TO BECOMiNG A CONTeNDeR AT ANY MOTOCROSS eVeNT HE eNTeRS. WE RECeNTlY CAUGHT WiTH HiM AT GOPHeR DUNeS PRActiCiNG FOR THE UPCOMiNG SeASON.

MXP: Hi CAMPBelL, CAN YOU TelL ME HOW OlD YOU ARE AND WHeRE YOU AND YOUR FAMilY CAlL HOME? CS: I am 14-years-old and I’m from St. George, Ontario.

OH NiCE, sT. GEORGE iS A BeAUTifUL TOWN. CAN YOU TelL US ABOUT YOUR HOMeTOWN? Sure, my family moved here seven years ago. St. George is famous for Apple Fest and home to Jacqueline Legere who has held the title of Red Bull Crashed Ice World Champion for several years. I love living in St. George because it is a quiet small town and I can easily walk to see my friends. The only thing that would make it better would be if we had a motocross track in town.

OH, i THiNK eVeRY TOWN SHOUlD HAVE A MOTOCROSS TRACK, TOO. SO, YOU’RE GRADUATiNG THiS YeAR, ARE YOU eXCiTeD ABOUT HiGH SCHOOL? Yes, I graduate from St.George German Elementary School this year and move on to high school next year.

I’m excited but also nervous. My new school is huge and I’ve heard that the work can be quite a bit harder, so that definitely scares me. I guess I just have to keep on top of my schoolwork and I’m sure I will be fine. I’m trying not to overthink it right now and just enjoy being at the top of my school.

WHAT RACE ClUBS AND OR SeRieS DO YOU COMPeTE iN? I started my race career with CMX and CMRC. I am currently a member of Steel City Riders and have been for many years. Plus, I completed the Rockstar Triple Crown Supercross series with MRC. I am also a member of the American Motorcycle Association.

Last season I rode my 2017 YZ125, and this season I’ll be riding both the YZ125 and the YZ250F. WHAT iS YOUR FAVOURiTE TRACK AND WHY? I would have to say Motopark is my favourite track. I used to hate it because it was so big and it really scared me. I worked really hard to overcome my fears and now I rock that track! I love the clean lines and big jumps that Motopark has to offer.

I have gone to summer camp there a few times and really learned how to ride the track well.

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“i lOVE THE CleAN liNeS AND BiG JUMPS THAT MOTOPARK HAS TO OffeR. i HAVE GONE TO SUMMeR CAMP THeRE A feW TiMeS AND ReAllY leARNeD HOW TO RiDE THE TRACK WelL.” YOU RECeNTlY RACeD AT THE MONsTeR eNeRGY SUPeRCROSS. CAN YOU TelL ME ABOUT YOUR eXPeRieNCE? WAS THeRE ANY DiffeReNCE iN THE CANADiAN RACiNG TO THE MONsTeR eNeRGY SUPeRCROSS? This was my first American race so I was definitely nervous, but I had just spent a lot of time riding in Alabama and Georgia so I felt prepared. I would have to say that American racing is definitely a faster pace, and motocross is huge there. There were 575 riders registered to race that one day. Lucas Oil Stadium was gigantic and I raced on the same track as the world’s top pros. They only changed one jump, and the track was intimidating to say the least. I feel I did pretty well, though. I was the only 13-year-old. Most of the other riders were 16, and I finished with a respectable 11th out of 22 riders.

SOUNDS liKE AN UNFORGettABlE eXPeRieNCE. WHO iS YOUR FAVOURiTE RiDeR AND WHY? Chad Reid is my favourite rider because he is phenomenal on a dirt bike. He has won so many titles over the years and is still killing it as an older guy in a young man’s sport. He inspires me to do better and I really hope to be as good a rider as he is one day.

WHAT CANADiAN PRO RiDeR DO YOU lOOK UP TO UP AND WHY? I don’t really have a favourite Canadian Pro rider, but I look up to many of them. Some that I like to watch and learn from are Tanner Ward, Marco Canella, Jess Pettis, Colton Facciotti, and Cole Thompson. There are so many amazing Canadian riders out there it is too hard to choose just one.

WHAT ARE YOUR BiGGesT ACCOMPliSHMeNtS? One of my biggest accomplishments was competing in the KTM Junior SX Challenge at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

I made the podium with a 3rd place and got to make a speech to a packed stadium. I had a bus load of friends and family there to cheer me on. It was an incredible experience and definitely unforgettable.

WHAT iS YOUR FAVOURiTE PART ABOUT GOiNG TO THE RACeS? We have an amazing moto family that always has a great time together. I also love the adrenaline rush I get sitting at the starting gate, and seriously, spending the entire weekend doing what I love is pretty awesome.

WHAT DO liKE TO DO WHeN YOU’RE NOT RACiNG? I have a trampoline that I love to do flips and tricks on. I also have a cool dirt jumper bike that I love to ride, and I’m lucky enough to have an amazing bike park ten minutes from home. I also love to swim and hang out with my friends.

OKAY CAMPBelL, THANK YOU FOR TAKiNG THE TiME TO CHAT WiTH ME TODAY, BUT ONE lAsT QUesTiON, WHO WOUlD YOU liKE TO THANK? I have to thank my sister, Graceyn, because most of her summer is spent at the track instead of doing what she wants to do. I also have to thank my parents, without them I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today in this sport. I’d like to thank my sponsors Yamaha Canada and Brantford Motorcycles. Plus, a special thank you to Steve Simms Racing and Pirelli Tires Canada. Without all their support I definitely wouldn’t be racing as much as I have been.

The future of Canadian Motocross is definitely brighter with Campbell Searle at the starting gates. Good luck next season Campbell, and we’ll be looking forward to seeing you at the track this upcoming season.

YOU HAD AN AMAZiNG 2018 SeASON. WHAT ARE YOUR GOAlS FOR THE SeASON OR lONGTeRM GOAlS? HOW AND WHAT ARE YOU GOiNG TO DO TO ReACH THeM? This year I plan on making top ten at the Walton Trans Can Grand National Championship. I would also like to make top five in the Rockstar Supercross and Arenacross Series, too.

To reach these goals we are working on finding a coach to help with my training. I am also racing with three different associations this year, which will give me a lot of extra seat time.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 95

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2019-05-08 10:32 AM

THE MENTAL SIDE

BY SEAN POITRAS

A CLEAN SLATE THE START OF A NEW SEASON MARKS MORE THAN JUST A CLEAN SLATE IN THE WINS AND LOSSES COLUMN. IT IS A NEW AND EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS, SET NEW GOALS AND BUILD UPON EVERYTHING YOU ACCOMPLISHED, OR SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH THE YEAR BEFORE. TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT BACK ON LAST SEASON. DID YOU ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING YOU SET OUT TO ACHIEVE BY THE END OF IT? IF YOU DID, WHAT SEEMED TO WORK SO WELL FOR YOU? WAS THERE A METHOD TO YOUR APPROACH? WHAT DO YOU SPECIFICALLY ATTRIBUTE TO YOUR SUCCESS? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE THIS YEAR?

I

f you failed to accomplish all of the goals you set last season, what adjustments would you like to make this year in response to how last season unfolded? Take out a piece of paper and a pen and write the new season year at the top of the page. I want you to write out some areas you feel compelled to improve in your performance this year. Be sure to focus only on those adjustments that are within your control. Things to consider may include your preparation, your attention to critical details, your competitive drive under pressure, and your focus on and off the track. Be sure to include all four pillars of performance; physical, technical, tactical and mental skills that you believe can be attended to and improved upon.

Once you have completed your list, go through each point and provide a specific example of when that skill was tested the previous year. For example, you could write down for attention to critical details, “In my last race of the season I think I paid too much attention to my opponents and what they were doing, where I should have been focusing on my own race and the next turn.” The more aware you are of when specific improvements could have been made, the more likely you will make the adjustment in the future. This will help provide you with a more contextual base

to seek out similar opportunities when they present themselves this year. It is important for us to learn from our experiences and recognize any chance to turn weaknesses into our strengths. These events, however, are not meant to dwell upon. They are valuable insight towards skill development and mastery. One trick to help maintain a more proactive focus is to pay attention to the wording you use in writing out your objectives for this season. You should make specific, action-focused statements of intentions.

Always state what you want to happen, and avoid stating what you do not want to happen. Creating a new list at the start of each season is a great way to wipe the slate clean and provide some structure to your performance right from the start.

Far too often athletes wait for something to spark their season and give them a reason to find that next gear. This is usually a gamble, as it takes all control out of their hands and leaves fatefulness behind the wheel. Looking inward and deciding for yourself where improvements need to be made and how to go about making them is something that you are in total control of.

Having that clean slate is definitely something that is important to start a season. For some athletes, a clean slate is important to start every race, event or performance. If you find it difficult to get over a missed opportunity or poor performance, this may apply to you. If you find that you lack consistency following success or a poor performance, this may apply to you. If you find yourself reliving

or even fearing past events in your performances, it may be important for you to make the conscious effort to wipe the slate clean following every event.

Mental skills tip: Identify a task or an action that takes place almost immediately following a race or event (ie. removing your helmet, drinking a sport drink, changing out of race gear, etc.). Following your performance spend a short amount of time reviewing everything that went well, as well as those things that did not. Try to find a moment to yourself if you can to reflect on everything that just happened. Identify which goals were achieved and which goals need to be adjusted and met in future performances. Once you feel as though all aspects have been reviewed and adjustments have been noted, continue on with that symbolic task. This will represent the end of all retrospective thinking and will pave way to more positive and eager thinking towards your next performance. This helps to practice the art of closure and forward thinking.

If the mind is fixated on something that has already taken place, it occupies valuable space and energy, which could

“ONCE YOU FEEL AS THOUGH ALL ASPECTS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN NOTED, CONTINUE ON WITH THAT SYMBOLIC TASK. otherwise be used in completing future events to its highest potential. No two performances are exactly alike and your preparation going into every new performance should reflect that. Make it a part of your goal setting this new season to make the effort to view each performance in its own light. Do your very best to attend only to what’s important now in this event. Feel content that you gave all past performances the respect they deserve for all of their successes and failures. However, this is one event that you have never raced before, and in that fact alone it is already different than all the others. Take advantage of this opportunity and prepare that blank slate to be decorated.

Your mental game is busy enough preparing for the performance at hand.

It is a very strategic practice to ease the workload of each pillar including our mental performance. The best way to prioritize your mental skill set, for those who have been following along, is to ask yourself “What’s Important Now?” The WIN mentality will always assist you in shifting your focus to where it needs to be.

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2019-05-08 10:37 AM

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2019-05-03 12:02 3:09 PM 2019-05-08

THE INSIDE LINE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

WITH ANDY WHITE

GOLDEN BROWN

BACK IN APRIL I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE TWO-STROKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT GLEN HELEN. ANYTIME I CAN DOUBLE-DIP ON MY TRAVEL PLANS, YOU CAN BE SURE I WILL WORK MY HARDEST TO SQUEEZE MORE THAN ONE EVENT INTO MY SCHEDULE. I WAS IN TOWN FOR THE 2020 FXR MX GEAR PHOTO SHOOT AT PERRIS RACEWAY WITH A FEW OF OUR TOP PRO SX RIDERS. I THOUGHT, WHY NOT SCHEDULE THE SHOOT AT THE SAME TIME SINCE I WILL HAVE MIKE BROWN AND COTY SCHOCK FROM DELAWARE WITH ME? I KNOW BOTH THESE RIDERS WOULD LOVE TO RIP ON TWO-STROKES AT THE ROUGHEST TRACK IN CALIFORNIA! GLEN HELEN IS WELL KNOWN LOCALLY AND HAS ESTABLISHED A NAME FOR ITSELF INTERNATIONALLY AS ONE OF THE HOT SPOTS TO RIDE IN NORTH AMERICA. IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD OF THAT TRACK, YOU NEED TO GO AND EXPERIENCE IT IN PERSON.

O

nce the shoot was over we headed over to Glen Helen on Friday for some practice. The track looked perfect and the track builders did a great job of designing a safe, fun layout that was vet-friendly and still challenging enough for guys like the 2001 AMA 125 Outdoor Champion, Mike Brown. I really enjoy attending these races with riders like Mike. I don’t know how many times I get asked how old is Mike Brown. I usually say, “What do you think?” They look at me and say, “Hmm... 40 ish?” I laugh and tell them he is 47-years-old. I then get the “Are you for real” look. Yes, I am 100%! I think we would all agree that it’s pretty incredible that a 47-year-old can ride at that level, sustain a solid ride at that pace, and finish consistently at the top. I can tell you that Mike still takes it

very seriously. Training is the key to the story. I never see him eating junk food or drinking a soda. He is very focused on what goes into his body, even after so many years after being at his peak.

Okay, so maybe he has the odd glass of wine or a scoop of ice cream.

We arrive at the track on Saturday morning and practice kicks off at 8:00 am. The track is like a highway, perfect for the kids and the vets. By the time the pros hit the track, the downhills are already starting to get really rough.

The line choice changes by the minute when the track has sand in it. Now that we have the practice out of the way, it’s my turn to look over the YZ250. Oh wait, I forgot to tell you I am the fill-in mechanic for Brown. It wasn’t really part of my plan but hey, what are friends for!? I filled the gas, changed the air filter, torqued all the bolts, lubed up the chain, and hand washed the bike

HE IS VERY FOCUSED ON WHAT GOES INTO HIS BODY, EVEN AFTER SO MANY YEARS AFTER BEING AT HIS PEAK. OKAY, SO MAYBE HE HAS THE ODD GLASS OF WINE OR A SCOOP OF ICE CREAM.

with a rag and some simple green. We are ready to race! I turned and looked at Brownie and asked, “When was lunch being served?” Brownie looked at me and said, “Ya, when?” Nice, man, now I am the cook as well?

Moto time. First item on the list is to break out the FXR gear for the guys, because I need them to look great. Now comes the fun, preparing the starting gate area. This is where you can win or lose in a race. I would say 80-90% of the race should be focused on the start. If you start in the top 5, you have a much better chance of winning than starting back in 15th. Picture this: I am holding Brown’s bike behind the starting gate, Mike is now kicking the rocks out of the trench on the start, he makes sure the launch pad is nice and smooth.

As he’s doing this, one of his fans/ friends walks over and decides to give him a hand in preparing the start area.

The fan/friend pushes with his foot all the soft powder dirt in the rut. I know what you’re thinking, do I kick the dude in the ass or do I thank him for his hard work? Well, I politely asked the dude to please stop and let the rider set up his own start area. Wow, thanks fan/friend!

The gate drops and Brownie and Coty are top 10. Life is good. The two rid-

ers slowly move up, lap after lap. I am pit boarding Mike and Coty at the same time. Talk about multi-tasking! This is not so easy when both riders are side by side most of the race. I put the board out, it says 7 -8. I am thinking, man, I hope these two figure it out! Next lap I put 6-7. I did this until the 20 minute plus 2 laps were over. The good news is the guys went 4-5 and nothing fell off either bike. Thank God! Back to the pit area and it’s time to wrench on the bike and get it ready for Moto 2. Everything goes well, both riders are happy with their results and are pumped for the second moto. I would say three hours later we are back up to the gate. Mike finds a good gate and starts preparing it for a holeshot. I look around and don’t see the fan/friend this time, so this is good. I noticed at this race you can prepare the dirt on the other side of the gate. I am thinking, okay, I need to get out there and farm a nice line to the first corner, but that would take me a day or so to do that. I give Mike the bike, I get out front and game on, I think every mechanic had the same idea. Who would go the distance? We only had a few minutes before the gate dropped but we did get a chance to build a nice take-off area.

The gate drops and the two riders are battling each other again back in 9th. The race was pretty well a carbon copy of the first in results. At the end of the day, Coty Schock finished 3rd and Mike Brown 4th overall, and I am feeling relieved the day went well. No parts fell of the bike, Mike and Coty are both okay with the results, but I know they both would have liked to have won. I am just happy to have a safe, fun day with some of my friends. It’s always a good day when you’re at the race track and you know your friends are back at home shoveling their driveways and walking around with their winter jackets on.

Man, I love my job!

98 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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