MXP 21.04 - December 2021

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

TEEN WOLF JACOB PICCOLO

DECEMBER 2021 $4.95

COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS COLT NICHOLS

2022 PRIME STATUS RACEWEAR

NEVER STATUS QUO.

2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS 2022 PRIME STATUS

#THEFEELOFMOTO

2022 ALPINE TR AIL E2 GREY/BLACK

VISIT WWW.MARINBIKES.COM FOR THE FULL RANGE OF BICYCLES

PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE GDR HONDA TEAM

CONGRATULATIONS DYLAN WRIGHT 2021 TRIPLE CROWN 450 CHAMPION

@ MARINBIKESCANADA

OFFICIAL BICYCLE OF THE ROCKSTAR TRIPLE CROWN SERIES

OFF-ROAD

2021 YAMAHA YZ 2-STROKES Undisputed Power and Lightweight Fun Instant Throttle Response I Affordable I Easy to Maintain I Smile Inducing

Discover More Yamaha – Genuine Parts & Accessories, Service and Finance Professional rider depicted on closed course. The riders shown are highly skilled, professional riders, and their actions are not intended to be duplicated in any way. Ride within the limits of your skills and experience, never beyond them.

Never engage in stunt driving or riding. Avoid excessive speed. Always wear required and/or recommended riding gear. Never drive or ride under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Ride safely, respect and protect the environment, and observe all provincial and local laws. Beginners should be extremely cautious and allow extra time and distance for manoeuvring and braking. Yamaha recommends taking an approved training course. Read your owner’s manual and product labels, and inspect your Yamaha vehicle before operation. Some U.S. models and/or optional accessories may be shown.

YZ65

YZ85

YZ125

YZ250

ALL-SEASON FUN! To see the complete Slane Ebike lineup and Find A Dealer near you, visit www.o2ride.ca

Slane All-Season SANTIAGO Fat Tire Ebike in Black, Metallic Orange or Champagne

M O T O C R O S S

P E R F O R M A N C E

V O L U M E

32 COVER STORY

Jacob Piccolo Teen Wolf

2 1

/

I S S U E

4

FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES CALL:

416-633-1202

PUBLISHER: Charles Stancer V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING: Charles Stancer EDITOR: Chris Pomeroy SALES MANAGER: Al Jaggard SENIOR WRITERS: Andy White, Mike McGill SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Shelby Mahon STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: James Lissimore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: James Lissimore, Drew Robertson, Leticia Cline, Andy White, Matt Wellumson, Sean Poitras, Lawrence Hacking, Kate McKerroll

FEATURES

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Virgil Knapp, Clayton Racicot, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Frank Hoppen, Summer Denzler, Mike Vizer

36 2021 WALTON TRANSCAN

A closer look at this iconic event

COVER PHOTO: James Lissimore

42 2021 ECAN IN DESCHAMBAULT

This great race returned this summer in Quebec 46 DAVEY FRASER: THE ULTIMATE JOURNEYMAN

Mike McGill tells the story of this East Coast legend 52 THE RED BULL OUTLIERS

Palms heads to the Alberta Badlands 58 PAINTING THE TRANSCAN GREEN

The Team Green riders find success at Walton Raceway

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.

46 52

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT:

58

Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement# 41831514 MX PERFORMANCE is published 7 times per year

64 INDUSTRY PROFILE WITH COLTON FACCIOTTI

Our 6-time Champion has found a new path in life 68 MXP CHATTER WITH MIKE BROWN

Andy White sits down with this legend 76 RED BULL ROMANIACS

A trio of Canadians headed over to Romania this summer

Charles Stancer 416-633-1202 charles@mxpmag.com mxpmag.com

CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to: 199 Armour Blvd., Toronto, ON M3H 1M3

SPECIALS

16 EXPOSED 82 CAUGHT ON CAMERA

70

COLUMNS

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

26

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

by Chris Pomeroy

28

GUEST COLUMN

by Dylan Wright

12 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

30

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE with Jackie Riess

80

INSIDE LINE with Andy White

MX PERFORMANCE IS PRINTED IN CANADA

LESS IS MORE

NEW 2022 AIR LITE NEW LIGHTER POLYMER REAR MOUNTS NEW REVISED COLOURS/GRAPHICS NEW MORE AFFORDABLE PRICE SAME EXCEPTIONAL USER EXPERIENCE SAME UNMATCHED FLEXIBILITY SAME CATEGORY LEADING INNOVATIONS ATLASBRACE.COM

PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

WORLD TRAVELLER This summer Darian Sanayei added Canada to the list of countries he’s now raced in and he liked it here so much that he took home the 250 Triple Crown Series overall championship.

16 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

PHOTO BY NIKL AS HAM PIN E N

THE ITALIAN JOB Dylan Wright and his Canadian teammates gave it everything they had as they battled through the mud at the 2021 MXoN event in Italy.

18 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

20 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

FENDER BENDER Marco Cannella does his best to try and move Tyler Gibbs out of the way.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 21

PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

LITTLE RED RIDER At the Gopher Dunes SX it was great to see a thirdgeneration Schuster on the track.

22 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 23

24 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

GOING FLAT PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

Julien Benek demonstrates how well a YZ250F handles in the horizontal position.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 25

FAMOUS LAST WORDS WITH CHRIS POMEROY

PHOTOS BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

MOTO VARIANT I SUPPOSE I SHOULD BEGIN THIS COLUMN BY ASKING THE QUESTION THAT MANY OF YOU MAY BE ASKING. WHERE HAS 2021 GONE? BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, WE WILL BE INTO NOVEMBER AND IN ALMOST ALL PARTS OF CANADA, OUR LONG WINTER WILL HAVE BEGUN

I

hope it’s has been a good year for you as you’ve once again had to navigate your way through the Covid-19 pandemic. Hopefully, that little flickering glow we see out of the corner of our eye is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel as far as this virus is concerned. It has certainly been a rough 18 months for humankind but thankfully we’ve had dirt bikes to use as a coping tool. Last summer and again this past summer there were numerous occasions when being at the track with my friends and family felt like the only normal activity we had in our lives. Being outdoors with the sights, sounds, and aromas of motocross is both an addictive and soothing combination, and thank God we all have it. It’s been another entertaining season in Canadian motocross and off-road racing, and we’ve witnessed some incredible performances by riders both here at home as well as on the world stage.

Obviously, there were too many in this

26 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

relatively short column but here are a few that stood out to me.

Coming into this season we all knew that Dylan Wright would be difficult to beat in the 450 class. Having healed up from his late-season knee injury last year, Dylan was able to head to ClubMX during the early spring this year to get some training in with his old nemesis Phil Nicoletti.

I remember talking to Phil prior to the opening round of the 2021 Triple Crown Series at Walton Raceway and he told me that no one would be able to beat Dylan this summer. Well, despite some serious challenges from 450 class rookie Jess Pettis, Phil was dead on with his prediction. It wasn’t easy for Dylan as he battled through some new injuries as well as trying to figure out a brand-new motorcycle.

He persevered, however, and he and his GDR Honda Team deserve a ton of credit.

In keeping with Dylan Wright, how about his Saturday performance at the MXoN in Italy? His raw speed put

him in the spotlight with the MXGP regulars and in the end, it translated into some support for the final five rounds of the 2021 MXGP Championships. As I write this, Dylan is back in Italy preparing for the three rounds in Trentino and the final two rounds in Mantova. Dylan will be fun to watch during these races and, honestly, I can see him getting some very good results. Dylan has the perfect ‘go with the flow’ demeanour for an adventure like this, so he should be in a very good place mentally and physically when the gate drops. Not to mention, he will have his trusty GDR Honda CRF450R with him as he heads into battle against some of the world’s best riders.

Earlier I mentioned Jess Pettis and the resistance he gave Dylan Wright this past summer. In the end, Pettis came up short, but along the way he was sure impressive in his rookie 450 season. Especially given the fact that he was coming off his second serious knee injury in the past year and a half. When Pettis injured his knee in mid-January at the opening round of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series and forced to undergo reconstructive knee surgery a few weeks later, not many believed he

“LIKE DYLAN WRIGHT, PETTIS IS CURRENTLY PREPARING FOR HIS OWN BIG BATTLE AS HE WILL ONCE AGAIN BE LINING UP IN THE MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS SERIES IN JANUARY 2022.” would be ready for the opening round of the Triple Crown Series on Canada Day weekend. But he was, and not only was Pettis on the starting line, but after two days of racing, he was standing on top of the 450-class podium. It was a remarkable recovery, and it further cemented the fact that Jess Pettis is as tough as nails.

Like Dylan Wright, Pettis is currently preparing for his own big battle as he will once again be lining up in the Monster Energy Supercross Series in January 2022.

This brings me to another Phil Nicoletti prediction and that Jacob Piccolo would be a National Champion in 2021. Coming into this season we all knew that MXP Magazine’s newest cover boy would be extremely fast in the 250 class. However, given his young age and inexperience, there weren’t many who thought he could win this title. But week after week, Piccolo rode fast and smart and when the final checkered flag flew at Walton Raceway in August, he outlasted his older competitors to win his first-ever pro title. For his accomplishments Piccolo not only receive the cover of his issue, but he also got himself a factory ride from the Red Bull Thor Factory Racing Team for 2022.

In this issue, we cover Wright, Pettis, and Piccolo on the cover, but we also feature stories on the Walton TransCan, the return of the ECAN in Quebec, as well as journeymen Davey Fraser and Mike Brown. Even though this issue is about a month and a half later than I anticipated, I’m still very proud of it and I think it perfectly captures the summer of 2021. With any luck, 2022 will see even more of a return to normal in our daily lives.

But if it doesn’t then at least we know that we have dirt bikes and races to help us through whatever challenging times might still lie ahead. Please have a safe off-season and I will see you in 2022.

Photo: J. P. Acevedo – Adaptation: Kiska GmbH

ENTER THE PRO RANKS 2022 KTM 125 SX

Arguably the most successful of the KTM 2-Stroke motocross stable, the KTM 125 SX is the perfect mix of usability and performance. Boasting an unrivaled power-to-weight ratio, this is the ultimate weapon to kickstart your racing career.

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 models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

GUEST COLUMN WITH DYLAN WRIGHT

PHOTOS BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

THE HARD ROAD T

he biggest headache was getting the dang FIM medical form filled out. So, normally I would just be able to go to my family doctor, get him to fill it out, sign on the dotted line and it was good to go. But it turns out the clinic I would normally go to was shut down and my family doctor isn’t practicing anymore. You’d think that my file would get transferred to another clinic, but that didn’t happen. Now I was stuck with having to go into a walk-in clinic where they don’t know me at all, and they don’t even know what a motocross race is! If you don’t know what the FIM medical form looks like, it’s quite detailed and I guess this scared some of the doctors off from signing it for me. After trying at multiple places all over eastern Ontario and Quebec, I was finally sent a different form about four days before we left that a doctor agreed to sign, and I was finally good to go. Thanks to my amazing fiancé for keeping my hopes

28 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

up, because really at one point I was annoyed and honestly pissed off with the situation.

After getting all that I needed done, I headed to Gopher Dunes for one last day of practice before taking our flight to Italy the following day.

Our flight was from Toronto to Milan.

When we arrived, we picked up our rental car and headed to the hotel in Mantua, which is about a two-anda-half-hour drive away. The drive was a little wild as we were driving a standard car, and you’d think I would be able to drive this thing well, but I couldn’t. I let my mechanic Brayden drive before I had a bigger bill than I would’ve liked on the return of the car! Then, along the highway, there were a bunch of tolls to go through. With all three of us in the car not speaking a word of Italian, reading the signs to figure out what to do was not ideal, so we screwed the first few up. I apologized to the toll collectors for us being dumb tourists, but we finally made it to the hotel a little while after. We were staying in the town of Mantua, about

“IT’S ONE THING TO WIN A MOTO OR A RACE ANYWHERE BUT THE LAST MOTO OF THE DAY ON ONE OF THE ROUGHEST TRACKS ON THE PLANET IS A FEELING THAT IS REALLY HARD TO BEAT.

10 minutes from the track, which was nice. The town is super cool and historic. There is a big castle in the middle of the town which we went to check out on our first afternoon after arriving. I felt like a dang zombie after the flight and with the time change. Let me tell you though, nothing will wake you up like a true Italian espresso. I had a couple of those and my first piece of pizza on the trip.

I had never been to Italy so that was on my list of things to do day one!

The following day was practice day to make sure everything was all good on the race bikes. We headed to the SMAction shop where our bikes were located to uncrate them and get them ready. Brayden did a great job getting my bike all set up and ready to go. After getting everything ready to go, Nicola loaded our bikes and we all headed to a practice track about 15 minutes down the road.

Tyler was in heaven as this track looked like it hadn’t been watered or groomed in three months. I am not one to complain about a track, so I looked for the positives. The

elevation was unreal, and the layout was super cool. I was excited to ride and spin some laps. I ended up doing a warmup and a little testing. Then I finished my day with a 30-minute moto, and some starts on a grate to be dialled in for the weekend. When practice was over, we all headed back to the shop for the mechanics to get the bikes washed and ready to bring to the track. That Thursday night also happened to be my 24th birthday. Carl invited us out to a nice team dinner at a local restaurant that was fantastic. Thanks Carl and everyone on the team for an amazing birthday dinner.

Friday, it was game time as we headed to the Mantova track to check out our pit setup and to take a closer look at the track that we would be racing on during the weekend. We started out by waiting in line for an hour for our passes. Then we arrived at our semi for the weekend, and I was able to set my gear and stuff up. I then went right onto prepping my goggles. This is a ritual for me: I must always prep my goggles alone the day before the race to clear my mind. After all my stuff was set up, I hung out with the crew, did some interviews, and helped where I could. Then I was getting a little anxious to head out and walk the track. It was cool. We did it all as a team so we could talk about our different points of view on sections and passing lines. When the track walk was finished, the mechanics were on the clock for tech inspection. This is about the time that my Fox Canada

gear was delivered and, as usual, they did an amazing job! With tech inspection passed and the stress of sound test out of the way, the relief on my mechanic’s face was a welcome sight! We were finally ready for battle!

I do have to admit that waiting for opening ceremonies was long, so I had a little nap in the meantime.

With opening ceremonies coming up it was sweet to see the other teams in front of us being introduced. Then it was our turn and, honestly, even though we were far from home, getting a bunch of cheers is always amazing! As we were leaving, some drunk fans stopped by our rig, and we all had a good laugh. This made me really realize what it was going to be like the following day.

So, everyone saw how qualifying went. The track was good, and I felt amazing on the bike. I just made one little mistake that I would’ve liked to have back, which dropped me from third to 11th, but I’ll live and learn from that mistake. Even though I wasn’t the happiest after the race, I was still happy with my speed and my ability to run with the top guys.

Then came Sunday! We woke up in the morning and checked the forecast, which called for rain all afternoon. But, to our delight, it started

early, raining during our practice in the morning. That set the tone for the day. Prep the roll offs, extra pairs of Oakley goggles and some Fox gloves in case of a tip over. I got off to some pretty good starts in both motos but was run into both times and ended up going down. Shitty, but not the end of the world, as I still had 30 minutes to do work.

In the first moto, I was able to move through the pack well. But in the second, the track was very single file which made it extremely tough to pass. If you got off the main line, it was just soup everywhere!

I tested that out and ended up falling in a big pile of it. I had mud everywhere and just did my best to finish. In the end, I really feel like it was a great learning experience for me. I know what I need to work on to get to the level with the top guys.

Now, I must get back to work and make it happen. I’m off for a week of vacation being a tourist around Italy, so until next time, thanks for all the support!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 29

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE WITH JACKIE RIESS

PHOTOS BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

SECOND HOME IN JULY 2019, I PACKED UP MY RAM PROMASTER CITY WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING I OWNED AND HEADED NORTH TO COMPETE IN THE CANADIAN TRIPLE CROWN WMX EAST SERIES. AFTER TALKING ABOUT COMPETING IN THIS SERIES FOR YEARS, I FINALLY DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO GIVE IT A TRY.

I

was determined to make the trip happen, and the only way to do so was as a solo privateer. I was prepared to play every role: racer, driver, chef and mechanic. I filled my van to the brim with everything from my dirt bike, extra gear, parts and lubricants, a few of my favorite foods, and my travel mascot, a dabbing unicorn with shutter shades.

Yeah, I know, but this mascot was a funny piece of home to take with me. I eventually made it to the home of the only Canadian person I knew at the time, Dawn McClintock. She took me in like a second mother and helped me to prepare for my first Canadian National at Gopher Dunes. She eventually connected

30 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

me with the Gaynor family, who were outstandingly hospitable. As the series went on, I met more and more people, who I now think of as close friends and miss dearly. After finishing seventh overall in WMXE, I decided to race the Walton TransCan and improved upon my best finishes with a fourth overall placing. I could go on and on with stories about the summer of 2019, but that is another story for another day.

Each year following this experience I’ve yearned to return to the series.

The strong competition and camaraderie among the women drive this desire. But with border restrictions in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to return.

However, I wanted to stay involved with the series. I was Face Timing my friend Lindsey Bradley when I mentioned to her that I had recently received a copy of MXP Magazine.

She shared that they were looking for writers, and soon connected me with Chris Pomeroy. I started by writing a story entitled “The Boom” in a previous issue. But I really hit my stride while covering the five rounds of the 2021 THOR WMX Series. I was able to recap the races from afar by watching the TV coverage on FloSports.

The 2021 WMX season had so many story lines. Will Eve Brodeur claim another championship? Will the underdog, Sarah-Kim Villeneuve, upset her? And seriously, Malia Garant made SO many passes over the course of the season. The KTM/ Quebec trio showed dominance throughout the season. Eve continued her win streak (she hasn’t lost a race since 2019) and captured her sixth WMX championship.

“EACH YEAR FOLLOWING THIS EXPERIENCE I’VE YEARNED TO RETURN TO THE SERIES. THE STRONG COMPETITION AND CAMARADERIE AMONG THE WOMEN DRIVE THIS DESIRE.”

As a great role model and activist for women in motocross, it’s easy to cheer for Eve. And as a friend, I wanted to see her continue her dominant ways. But a part of me was always cheering for Sarah-Kim. It’s the perfect underdog story, and I wanted to see her win a moto. However, as she was gaining momentum, she suffered a shoulder injury that visibly held her back from riding her best.

Though the top three were a solid group, positions four through 10 were ever changing, and it made for exciting racing. Ani Ferguson was the only rider to break into the top three overall, which she did in the sands of Gopher Dunes. She went on to finish fourth overall and was consistently around near the top five.

Bailey Orbanski and Breanna Rose both missed the first round at Walton Raceway but were able to have great finishes in the remaining four rounds to finish in the top ten overall in the series. Overall, the 2021 season fielded strong competition from across the country, and even hosted one U.S. rider, Carrie Davis, at the final round.

I think the future is bright for Canadian WMX. With an average of roughly 28 entries per round of Canadian riders, I predict that, if border restrictions lift in 2022, the WMX Series will again see full gates of racers. I know I’m eager to get back to racing this series! Additionally, Eve explained there are intentions of returning to the east-west format of regional racing if these restrictions are lifted as well. Although this change could draw from the number of entries at each round, I still believe there will be a strong showing in the 2022 WMX Series.

Cheers, and see you in 2022!

JACOB PICCOLO

TEEN WOLF 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

32 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

A

year ago, Jacob Piccolo was a rider who many agreed had an abundance of raw speed and talent. However, those same people also agreed that he lacked in physical strength, fitness and that he was at best a few years away from challenging for a 250 Triple Crown Series Championship.

Well, here we are a year later, and Piccolo has proven everyone wrong. In August, he was crowned the 2021 250 Triple Crown MXTour Series Champion.

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Jacob is just 18 years-old and not only did he win his first title this summer, but he also was chosen to represent Canada at the Monster Energy MXoN event last month in Italy. With fellow teenage sensation Jett Lawrence tearing up the outdoor tracks in the U.S. this past summer, Jacob Piccolo showed all of us here in Canada what happens when hard work blends seamlessly with pure teenage talent.

While he was growing up as a young rider in beautiful British Columbia, everyone who watched

him marvelled at his talents on a dirt bike. He made riding look easy and success soon followed. Thankfully, so did support, as at an early age Piccolo was part of the Canadian KTM Orange Brigade program as well the Fox Racing amateur support program.

Piccolo rewarded his supporters with numerous amateur titles, but something was missing and some in the industry wondered if he would be able to find success in the dog-eat-

dog world of professional motocross.

In fact, at times it was speculated if Jacob knew just how talented he was. Set to compete this summer in his sophomore 250 season against hard-working riders like Tanner Ward and Marco Cannella, would Piccolo be able to exceed or even match the work ethic of his competitors?

Well, clearly the answer was a resounding yes. Right from the opening weekend of the 2021 Triple Crown Series, Piccolo was as strong as any rider in the field. After a productive off-season training in South Carolina at the ClubMX training facility, Piccolo was both physically and mentally ready to win races. He began his pursuit of a 250 title with a pair of second place finishes at the opening round of the series at Walton Raceway. Two days later he backed up those consistent finishes with his first-ever national moto win at Round 2.

“After a productive off-season training in South Carolina at the ClubMX training facility, Piccolo was both physically and mentally ready to win races.”

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 33

JACOB PICCOLO

TEEN WOLF So, had Piccolo finally silenced his critics? Sort of. Although he won his first national moto, the format that day had the riders racing three shorter 15-minute motos instead of two traditional 30-minute races. Those short motos once again proved that Piccolo had the speed to win, but everyone already knew that. The question remained: could the 18-year-old phenom win in the remaining rounds when the motos returned to their normal length?

Thankfully we only had to wait a week for an answer to that burning question, when Piccolo put in a ride that left everyone in attendance speechless. After finishing fifth in the opening moto at Gopher Dunes, Piccolo hole-shotted the second 250 moto and disappeared. On the track that many riders said was the roughest track they had ever ridden, Piccolo pulled such a big lead that he could have stopped for refreshment and still won by 30 seconds.

For 30 minutes, Piccolo remained strong while almost every other rider

34 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

on the track struggled with the challenging conditions. In the end, Piccolo won that moto by almost a minute, proving once and for all that his fitness was now on par with his speed and talent. It was most certainly a statement ride and one that finally cemented

Jacob Piccolo as a true 250 Championship contender.

With his incredible Gopher Dunes weekend in the rear-view mirror, Piccolo and his family travelled east to Sand Del Lee where he continued his solid riding by finishing in second overall.

At the time, Piccolo was embroiled in an entertaining championship battle with Ryder McNabb, Tanner Ward, and Darian Sanayei. All four riders were exchanging moto wins as they jockeyed for position at the front of the pack in the 250 class. Piccolo not only remained consistent throughout this intense battle, but he also won again at Round 6 in Deschambault, Quebec.

Even with a small mechanical problem at Round 7, Piccolo would enter the final round at Walton Raceway with a small lead in the points chase with a chance to close out his remarkable 2021 championship run.

Apart from speed and fitness, one of Piccolo’s biggest strengths during the 2021 250 Triple Crown Series was his ability to get away from the starting gate well. Time and time again, Piccolo was near the front of the pack on the opening lap as his reflexes were quick

“In what would be a perfect ending to his incredible summer, Piccolo rode smart that day to not only finish on the podium but he also clinched his first-ever 250 Triple Crown Series Championship.”

and his mechanic Al Dyck had his Sky Racing KTM tuned to perfection.

Together, Piccolo and Dyck entered the final two motos at Walton Raceway with something to prove!

In what would be a perfect ending to his incredible summer, Piccolo rode smart that day to not only finish on the podium but he also clinched his first-ever 250 Triple Crown Series Championship. All his hard work had paid off and he had firmly stamped his name in the Canadian Pro motocross record books.

It was most certainly an unforgettable season for Jacob Piccolo, his sponsors, as well as his family. Obviously, his time at ClubMX was well spent during the off-season and that training helped to give him the missing tools he needed to reach this high level. As I mentioned earlier, Piccolo has always had the speed, the style, as well as the technique to win races, but this summer he showed us that he now has that X-Factor that every rider strives to have. As mentioned, Piccolo was rewarded by being named to Team Canada for the MXoN in Italy. In that event, Piccolo held his own against the best 250 riders in the world and assisted his team in their solid 14th overall finish.

So, what is next for Jacob Piccolo?

Well, considering he’s still a teenager he’ll most likely spend some time hanging out with friends and enjoy being a kid. After that, he will begin preparing for the 2022 season where he’ll now reside under the KTM Canada Factory tent as a member of the Red Bull Thor KTM Racing Team. It’s been quite a transformation for Piccolo and his riding, but something tells me that the best is still yet to come.

If that’s true, then his competition is surely in trouble.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 35

36 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

The riders at the 2021 TransCan were certainly on the GASGAS.

The 2021 Walton TransCan

ANOTHER MOMENT IN TIME B Y M E L O DY H O D G S O N / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

T

he Walton TransCan, for me, has always been beyond words. It’s a feeling, one built from months of anticipation and hard work that accumulates into handing out trophies on stage and watching fireworks light up the sky on Saturday evening. It’s seven days of every imaginable scenario in the moto world taking place at a venue that used to be cornfields and cow pastures – 29 years of such scenarios, to be exact. So, to find the proper words to paint an adequate picture is nearly impossible. However, I will try.

TJ Scott took this prestigious award home as he won all motos entered.

When I think back to the event, I see it in moments: Krista Freiburger making her way to the amateur podium after her son, Sam Matthews, received his first golden bib ever. Ryan Gauld and Ryan Lockhart cheering on their kids’ 50 motos before the sunset on Thursday after an impossibly rainy start to the week. The grandparents who drove out from B.C. to watch their grandchildren race after having missed their entire 2020 season due to Covid-19 pandemic. Barry, our track guru, sleeping on a folding table after 24 hours of navigating rainstorms and salvaging the track so that every class could have their three full-length championship motos. It’s an indescribable feeling that leaves me with nothing but absolute pride for everyone who has a hand in this race. It’s things like this that I see when I think of the Walton TransCan, and in 2022, when we celebrate the 30th anniversary for this incredible event, I can’t wait to witness some more amazing moments.

The first race of the 2021 Walton TransCan heads into Turn 1.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 37

As always, Steve Simms gave it everything he had in the 30B class.

One of the highlights this year was Dylan Kaelin racing a CR500 in the 25Plus class.

During opening ceremonies Newf and Gauldy kept everyone entertained.

“It’s an indescribable feeling that leaves me with nothing but absolute pride for everyone who has a hand in this race.”

To our staff, family, and friends who never fail to rise to the occasion, the riders who filled our gates to the highest numbers they’ve been in more than 15 years, the families that dedicate their summers so that their kids or partner can stand on that championship podium: thank you. Thank you for trusting us to deliver on a promise, to hand you a coveted iconic award to acknowledge your achievements and most importantly, to give you the Canadian Amateur National Grand Championship you deserve. Thank you for giving us another year of memories.

August 2016 marked my best friend’s final TransCan. The date is on my mind as I write this because her birthday recently passed. Or rather what would have been her 48th birthday, were it not for breast cancer. What always stood out to me was the fact she made the effort to be at TransCan that year no matter how tired and sick she was, or how afraid. Not realiz-

ing at the time that one month later she would receive a terminal cancer diagnosis and that she would be leaving behind her four children, a loving family, and countless friends two short months later. I remember sitting on the bleachers beside her as she sat in her green folding chair. We watched the start of a few races, but she had no interest in motocross, as a rule, her eyes were tired, and her body limited

Brett Lee was happy to see fans back at Walton Raceway this summer.

Golf carts as far as the eye can see at the TransCan. 38 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

The Walton TransCan represents so many things to Melody.

The 2021 Walton TransCan

West Coast Walton Raceway sunsets are the best.

how long she stayed. But she wanted to be here – it was a priority to her and not because she suspected it would be her last TransCan, but because she recognized how important this race was to us and to every racer on site.

There were a million moments I was able to share with Sandra over the years, and as always with the gift of time, some memories become stronger than others. Now, at each

Once again Fox Racing Canada was the main sponsor of the Walton TransCan.

2021 Walton TransCan Champions and Award Winners: 50 4-6- Austin Kukielka 50 7-8- Parker Hatt 50 GP- Parker Hatt 65 7-9 Alex Guadagno 65 10-11- Jonathan Bergeron 85 7-11- Jonathan Bergeron 85 12-16- Dylan Rempel Supermini- Dylan Rempel Schoolboy1- Tanner Scott Schoolboy2- Sebastien Racine Two Stroke- Sam Gaynor 250 JR- Tanner Scott Open JR- Tanner Scott 250 Int- Sebastien Racine Open Int- Wyatt Kerr 25 Plus- Tyler Medaglia 30C- Matt Koricina 30B- Devin Train 40B- Dan Tricco 40A- Marc Dionne 50 Plus- Dan Tricco Pro/AM- Cole Thompson Girls 9-16- Malia Garant Ladies- Eve Brodeur Youth- Leith Ness Fox Racing Instinct Bronze Boot: Tanner Scott Atlas Brace Top Mini Award: Parker Hatt Rick Joseph Memorial Award: Zach Ufimzeff Yamaha Factory Ride Award: Hayden Jameson DMX Total Devotion Award: Wyatt Kerr

All signs lead to Walton Raceway.

Just as she’s been for the past number of years, Eve Brodeur dominated the Ladies class at the TransCan.

Manufacturer’s Cup Award: KTM Wiesco Performance Most Improved Award: Josh Bryan

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 39

Even the kids had little trouble with the deep Walton Raceway ruts.

TransCan, I sit in those bleachers and remember that moment with immense gratitude. It helps remind me that this event is special for many reasons to many people. Sometimes when your identity is tied to an event, your ability to recognize what that same event looks like to everyone else is lost in the daily grind. But it’s moments like these, or watching a rider receive their first golden bib, or a tyke on the podium holding their plaque high above their head, that brings it all into perspective.

The Walton TransCan exists because we aren’t the only ones who believe in recognizing and celebrating Canadian Amateur Motocross. Our fields are full each August with people who believe in the same things that Brett and I do.

When the TransCan began three decades ago it was based on an idea that Canada needed a race that basically followed the same format as the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Championship in the U.S. A format where riders and their families would travel to Walton, Ontario from all over this great country to race three challenging motos against the best riders in Canada.

The Facciotti Family threw caution flags to the wind during the annual golf cart parade.

40 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

TJ Scott won all the motos he entered as well as the coveted Fox Racing Bronze Boot Award.

The 2021 Walton TransCan gave the riders a little bit of everything.

Well, I might be biased but I believe we have pulled it off. Over the years we’ve fought Mother Nature, the politics of this sport and, most recently, a global pandemic, yet the Walton TransCan is still here and it’s stronger than ever. So please everyone, have a safe off-season, and then let’s all meet at Walton Raceway in 2022 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Walton TransCan!

The Shift Holeshot Challenge was once again a fan favourite at the TransCan.

The 2021 Walton TransCan was a massive success.

The 2021 Walton TransCan

42 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

GOING BACK TO

Deschambault 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

A

s we’ve done our best to navigate through the past 18 months, one of the words used most frequently has been ‘cancelled’. Games have been cancelled, so have weddings, and even culture has been cancelled to some degree. Last summer in Canadian motocross one of the premier events that also had to be cancelled was the ECAN in Deschambault, Quebec. This event had been a favourite among the riders in the east as it featured not only multiple days of competitive amateur racing, but also a pro-national as it was part of the Triple Crown Series. Seeing ECAN cancelled last year was tough to digest as it’s always one of the best races of the year in Canada.

Well, fast forward to this summer and the ECAN was not only back but it was better than ever, in my opinion, as the 2021 version featured a streamlined amateur program as well as two days of pro racing. The event was staged at the Deschambault MX track and training facility, a property that Daniel Thibault and his crew worked extremely hard on during the past 365 days. Not only was the paddock area made larger to accommodate all riders, along with their families and motorhomes, but Daniel also added in a small swimming hole and a full bicycle park. These upgrades were needed and trust me when I say that they were much appreciated by all ECAN attendees. So, the ECAN was back on this summer and along with the new facility upgrades, it received an unexpected boost.

With the 2021 ECAN scheduled just ten days before the opening day of the Walton TransCan, it allowed a few families from Western Canada to begin their summer moto-cation early. Ryan Lockhart and his family were there from British Columbia, as were Alberta natives JC Seitz and his family. It was great to see the addition of some riders from west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, especially during these challenging times. For Ryan Lockhart, it was his first time

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 43

GOING BACK TO

Deschambault

It was good to see Ontario riders like Cole Pranger make the trip back to Deschambault.

“With the 2021 ECAN scheduled just ten days before the opening day of the Walton TransCan, it allowed a few families from Western Canada to begin their summer moto-cation early.”

44 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

Vet rider and KTM team truck driver Marc Dionne had a good time at the ECAN.

back at the famous track in Deschambault since he won his first national moto there in 2003. This track has a special place in Ryan’s heart so not only was he happy to be back, but it also meant a lot for him to have his family there as well. In fact, his young son Meston was also racing the 50cc class which made this trip even more special for Newf.

One of the things that almost every rider can agree upon when it comes to the ECAN is that from the moment you drive into the gates of Deschambault MX you’re instantly taken back at the beauty of the track and facility.

From the tree-lined paddock to the track that features flowing corners, steep elevation changes, as well as a

few eye-catching jumps, this place is one of the most beautiful circuits in Canada. Even the ECAN newbies from the west coast were impressed with how nice everything looked when they entered the facility and made their way around the pristine pit area. Yes, it was good to be back in Deschambault for the time since 2019. Two years felt more like ten years for all motocross families.

As I mentioned above, the 2021 ECAN featured a more condensed amateur program than in years past.

Everyone welcomed the change as the Friday-Saturday race schedule meant that you didn’t have to be at the track until Thursday evening for sign-up and opening ceremonies. There were open practice sessions in between the rain showers on Thursday afternoon, but it was most certainly a more work-friendly schedule. On Thursday evening, Daniel Thibault took to the main stage to thank everyone for coming and just like that the 2021 ECAN was back and officially opened for business.

The next morning at precisely 8 AM, the gate dropped on the opening moto and even with the overnight rain, the sandy track was in excellent condition. Like the picturesque scenery of the paddock and surrounding area, there aren’t too many riders who dislike the Deschambault track. The soil is a mixture of sandy loam and, as I mentioned earlier, the jumps and elevation changes make it a technical dream for most riders. This is one reason why racing is always exciting at the ECAN because the track lends

itself to close competition. This year was no different as we watched riders like Sebastian Racine, Dylan Rempel, and Hayden Jameson dominate their classes. Ryan Lockhart also won all of his 30A motos so it was cool to see him stand on top of the Deschambault podium again after an 18-year absence. All riders in attendance enjoyed themselves during the two days of amateur racing and other than the rain showers on Thursday evening, Mother Nature gave us great weather during our entire stay in Quebec.

When the amateur racing concluded on Saturday evening it was time for the trophy presentation and closing ceremonies for the 2021 ECAN. It was also time for the track crew to get busy as Sunday was Round 6 of the Triple Crown Series. Even though there were only two days of amateur racing the riders were still able to get three long motos completed in each class and it was bitter-sweet to see them on the podium accepting their hard-earned trophies.

As always, Mathieu Gervais did an incredible job on the microphone all week long as he bounced perfectly back and forth from French to English.

I don’t know how he does it, but honestly, no one does it better. We also paid tribute to referee and all-around great guy Gilles Braun who is retiring from the sport. Gilles has been around for a long time, and he’s been one of the best referees in Quebec as well as one of the nicest individuals you could

The man behind the ECAN Daniel Thibault welcomes everyone back to Deschambault.

ever meet. The 2021 ECAN was a great event and Saturday night’s closing ceremony was a perfect way to both honour the riders as well as say, “Au Revoir” until next year!

The following day we awoke to the sound of the pro riders taking to the exact same track as the amateur riders had ridden for the previous two days. With almost all amateur riders and their families still in attendance, it gave them an excellent opportunity to see how the more experienced pro riders navigated the challenging track. All summer long the pro riders of the Triple Crown Series had been battling hard and, in the end, they put on a great show in Deschambault.

Whether it was Dylan Wright charging hard through the pack in the 450 class, teenagers sending it in in the 250 class, or the sight of the riders jumping the famous Deschambault

Jonathan Bergeron leads the 65cc class over one of the many sandy hills at the ECAN.

Ben Leclair was the top Yamaha rider of the week in Deschambault.

The track in Deschambault is one of the most beautiful in Canada.

Double Jump, the fans were entertained all day long.

When it was finally time to load up and begin our journey back to Ontario, I took one long glance into my rear-view mirror before leaving the facility. As always, I love going to Deschambault but I sure hate leaving. With big plans already in the works for 2022, Daniel Thibault and his crew are looking to build on the

“As always, Mathieu Gervais did an incredible job on the microphone all week long as he bounced perfectly back and forth from French to English.”

momentum created this year with the return of the ECAN. So, thank you Quebec for welcoming us back this summer. For some of us, it represented a return to Deschambault and the ECAN, for others it was their first time at this event, but for all of us it was a welcomed sight on the 2021 race calendar and we all cannot wait to go back!

Merci Deschambault MX!

Ryan Lockhart and his family travelled all the way from BC to race the 2021 ECAN.

Even the kids were flying in the sandy loam of the ECAN track.

Congratulations to all of the riders who made it on the Deschambault podium.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 45

URNEYMANTHE

46 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

Davey Fraser:

JOURNEYMANT

BY M I KE MCG I LL / PHOTOS BY JAM E S LI SSI MORE

Journeyman is a common term, used regularly in sports when describing an athlete who is “technically competent but does not necessarily excel,” or who has, “plied his trade for an extended period, generally for a number of teams.” When it comes to motocross there have been no shortage of journeyman racers who have travelled the circuits for many a year, always there, always battling, usually mid-pack without much fanfare but without these individuals where would the sport be?

H

alifax, Nova Scotia native Davey Fraser is one such individual. Davey raced his first Canadian Pro National way back in 2004 and is coming off one of his best seasons at age 32. A season that included a top 10 placing in the outdoor Nationals, and a well-deserved podium appearance in Supercross. For those that follow the sport here in Canada the sight of Davey uncorking the champagne at Gopher Dunes last month was a welcome one indeed. Not only did Davey podium in Rounds 3 and 4, but the Carlson Racing Rider also finished up the 4 Round 450 Supercross Series in third overall, behind only Cole Thompson and Westen Wrozyna.

Davey’s racing story started out a little differently than a lot of motocrossers. As a child growing up in Nova Scotia, he spent many weekends at the local road racing facility, Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. Davey’s father and his uncle were both avid

road racing participants and in Davey’s words he, “pretty much grew up at that track.” As he got a little older, it was Davey’s turn to get in on the action and his father purchased him a cool little Yamaha TZ 125 road racing machine. In fact, Davey would continue to race the pavement right up until the age 18 and even scored a few Amateur wins aboard his Suzuki GSXR 600 along the way. “I was about ten when I got my first dirt bike, and I really enjoyed that. That’s what I was really interested in doing,” he recalls.

So even though pavement was in his blood, dirt was to be in his future.

Davey embarked on a solid, if not spectacular amateur career which eventually landed him in the Pro Class at the age 15 in 2004. He soon realized that if he wanted to race Pro he would have to be, in his words, “all-in” and his family backed him one hundred percent on his decision. “My parents were separated but they both supported me as much as they possibly could in their own ways, so that was great and really helpful for me,” Davey recalls.

He toiled away on the National circuit for a few years with varying degrees of success. Some years he would make it to most of the rounds, other seasons not as many and for a few he would only be able to race locally and attended only his home National. “2006 and 2007 were pretty good years,” he recalls, “but then in ‘08 I dislocated my wrist pretty badly. That injury still bothers me today. It took me a while to recover from that, and in ‘09, ‘10 and ’11, I just raced pretty much at home and only did one National a year. Then in ‘12 and ’13, I started doing more again.”

Things started to pick up even more for Davey in 2016 when he hooked up with his current sponsor Brent Carlson and his Carlson Racing Team.

“That’s when I started racing the full series and ‘16 and ‘17 were probably my best years.” Fraser finished up the 2016 season seventh overall in the 250 class on his 250 2-stroke Husky and followed that up with an eighth in points finish in 2017.

“Those two seasons really opened some doors for me,” states Fraser.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 47

Davey Fraser:

THE JOURNEYMAN Carlson Racing Team owner Brent Carlson has fond memories of those days as well. Carlson’s eldest son Trevor had just turned Pro at that time and he and Davey became good friends while travelling the circuit.

Carlson had two other sons who were racing as well and, “we just kind of took Davey in as part of the team and part of the family.”

Of course, when you are a journeyman in Canadian motocross, you certainly don’t make enough money to survive on racing alone. “No,” chuckles Fraser. “I work a day job.” A carpenter by trade, Fraser re-located to Abbottsford, B.C. a few years ago so that he could be closer to Carlson Racings Headquarters. Currently Fraser works for Westwood Construction which is one of Carlson’s sister companies. Other companies and businesses under the Carlson umbrella or Westwood Group include sand and gravel operations, excavating and new home construction.

“Brent’s into a lot of things,” explains Fraser. “I basically live with them and race for them. It’s been great for me.” Fraser goes on to describe that the Race Team is more of a passion for Carlson, as he just loves the sport and not only do they run their own team but this past season they have also helped both Keylon Meston, who rode for MX101 and Casey Keast on the PR-MX Team.

“Our own Team was smaller this year, but this was an opportunity for me to keep helping these guys even though they were racing for another team,” explains Carlson. The situation is obviously ideal for Fraser who can also be found working in the race shop quite often. “If you want to keep racing this is what you need to do,” explains Fraser.

Fast forward to the Covid season of 2020. The year started well for Fraser when he lined up and just missed qualifying for the night show at the Daytona Supercross in early March.

We all know what happened right after that as the global pandemic shut everything down for a while. After a credible 13th overall finish in the stacked 250 outdoor series, Fraser set his sights on the final Canadian Supercross rounds of the season.

Feeling confident and fast, Fraser’s optimism for a top placing was short lived as he crashed badly and shattered the talus bone in his ankle. The crash was bad enough that commentator Ryan Gauld wondered aloud on an episode of the Pulpmx Show

48 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

“HE SOON REALIZED THAT IF HE WANTED TO RACE PRO HE WOULD HAVE TO BE, IN HIS WORDS, “ALLIN” AND HIS FAMILY BACKED HIM ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ON HIS DECISION.”

later that fall if perhaps Fraser should consider retirement. “Well, I’m sure he was just concerned about me,” comments Fraser. “It doesn’t bother me. I generally don’t listen to stuff like that anyways.”

Undaunted, Fraser pressed on into the 2021 season although the ankle continued to hamper his efforts to train for the upcoming season. “It still hurts a lot,” laughs Fraser. “I lost my balance in the shower and brought down the whole curtain. Half the time it looks like I can barely walk.”

While Fraser can find some humour in the situation, his inability to run or even walk all that well certainly put him behind the eight ball regarding preparation for the upcoming outdoor series. “I’d never really mountain biked before, but I really started getting into it this past year as a training exercise. And I really enjoy it,” states Fraser who was, in fact, on his way home from a mountain biking trip in Whistler, B.C. when I spoke to him for this story.

In what Fraser himself describes as “a pretty deep class,” he had one of his best summers ever in 2021 as he completed the entire eight round series and piloted his Carlson Racing Husqvarna to an extremely respectable 9th place overall in the final tally.

“It was a lot of fun this year,” remarks Fraser. “Battling with all the kids out there keeps you young.” Fraser was extremely impressed by the amount of young Canadian talent in the field this season as there was basically only one U.S. rider, Kawasaki’s Darien Sanayei, lining up in the 250 class.

“Yeah, I’d be battling with all these

young Canadian kids. Guys like Ward, McNabb, Canella and Piccolo. They are all fast. Sometimes it was for fifth, sometimes 15th, but they were all great races. It was cool. It was a lot of fun.”

Fraser jumped up to the 450 class for the final 4 round Supercross Series. All of which took place over the course of a couple weekends on the purposely built Supercross track at Gopher Dunes. Fraser was feeling good and while the field of top 450 riders had been depleted to a degree by injury, Fraser felt that his past Supercross experience, as limited as

Photo: Kevin Francois Photography

Davey Fraser:

THE JOURNEYMAN it may be would still serve him well.

“Thompson (KTM Factory Rider Cole Thompson) is on another level, but after that I felt as if I had enough pace and experience to put in a top 5 finish.

In fact, I kind of thought I could probably cruise to a top five,” Fraser says.

Fraser’s prediction proved to be pretty accurate as he logged a fourth and fifth overall on the first two days of Supercross competition. “I felt I was riding pretty well. The first night there were a lot of crashes, stalling, I hit Casey Keast in the whoops but honestly, I didn’t think I would really need to push it that much harder to close the gap. You know, I thought I could probably go a little faster,” Fraser states.

And that’s exactly what he did on the following weekend at rounds 3 and 4 of the Series. Fraser hit the podium in third place on both nights after spirited battles MX 101’S Westen Wrozyna. “On the first night I actually got the holeshot,” states Fraser. “I was just thinking to myself, C’mon Cole pass me and get it over with so I can concentrate on my race.” When asked about his race strategy Fraser keeps it pretty simple. “I just tried to be smooth,” he explains. “I felt pretty natural, I was having fun and I thought my speed was good. I would have liked my chances, even if a few more of the top guys were here.”

Fraser goes on to explain that some of the things he learned from ace mechanic Scott Donkersgoed, who worked for the team in 2020, really helped him during his outdoor season and Supercross run this year. “I really learned a lot from his approach to bike set-up. He’s so experienced and so particular when it comes to things like chassis set-up. Especially on the steel-framed Husky. He taught me a lot and I used that this year to help me,” Fraser says.

Former pro racer and team owner Josh Snider came on board this year as the Eastern Team Manager for Carlson Racing, and he turned the wrenches for Fraser during the season. “I’ve known Josh since I was ten years old,” explains Fraser. “We get along well, and he helped out a lot this season.”

And so, after 17 years of professional motocross racing, countless motos, practice laps, miles travelled, crashes, bruises, broken bones, aches and pains, money spent and a little money made, Davey Fraser stepped onto a professional motocross podium for the very first time. The look of joy and

50 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

“FRASER GOES ON TO EXPLAIN THAT SOME OF THE THINGS HE LEARNED FROM ACE MECHANIC SCOTT DONKERSGOED, WHO WORKED FOR THE TEAM IN 2020, REALLY HELPED HIM DURING HIS OUTDOOR SEASON AND SUPERCROSS RUN THIS YEAR”

satisfaction on his, and the faces of those close to him pretty much said it all as he uncorked the champagne for the only time in his long career. Fraser finished the series just as he had on the final two days, in third place overall. He’s in the record books now and no one can ever take that away from him.

“We were watching from home,” comments Carlson. “It was so awesome. We were so happy for him.”

Carlson and the rest of Davey’s cheering section back in Abbottsford were all on the edge of their seats as the racing progressed. “It was so exciting,” continues Carlson, and as the laps wound down, they started to believe that “it was actually going to happen,” he chuckles. “It couldn’t

have happened to a better guy,” he says. “He’s been working so hard for so long; it was great to finally see it happen.”

Currently, while not working, or enjoying his new love of mountain biking, Fraser hopes to take the speed and confidence that he built up during the summer and apply it to the Future West Arenacross Series which began in Chilliwack, B.C. on October 16.

Fraser admits that he’s feeling pretty good about his chances even though there are expected to be some heavy hitters in attendance. “I’ve heard Tanner Ward, Jacob Piccolo, Tyler Gibbs and Julien Benek are all planning on being there. A few other fast guys as well I’m sure, but I feel pretty good about my chances. And it’s right in

my own backyard basically so that’s really nice.”

As for next season, Fraser’s plans as well as Carlson Racing’s were up in the air as this story was being written.

“I’m just playing it by ear right now,” says Carlson. “We love it and would like to go racing again. I’ve been speaking with JSR (Jean-Sebastien Roy, KTM Canada Red Bull THOR Race Team Manager) regularly and we are hoping to work something out for next season,” he says.

Fraser also hopes to be back aboard his familiar Carlson Racing Husqvarna next season but worries about the current state of the Canadian Nationals in the Covid era.

“It just doesn’t seem the same anymore,” states Fraser. “With the Series being basically based out of Ontario for the last couple of years it doesn’t seem legit. I know the team owners are concerned,” continues Fraser.

Davey also feels that many teams, riders and spectators alike are beginning to lose interest. “If we can’t get back to a truly National Series next year, I just don’t think it’s going to survive.

I don’t think the manufacturers are going to support it anymore” Hopefully we can get back to a more normal type of Series next season and we can see Davey lining for an eighteenth pro season once again on his Carlson Racing Husqvarna.

It seems that, at age 32, he’s just getting started and, who knows, in the next few years maybe we can look forward to perhaps seeing a few more podiums from the Journeyman.

2021

Red Bull

OutlIer TAMING THE BADLANDS B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y M A S O N M A S H O N

When you look up the definition for outlier, the dictionary states: “a person or thing differing from all other members of a particular group or set.” After travelling to Calgary and competing in the first-ever Red Bull Outlier event back in September 2019, it was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before.

52 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

ers

T

his unique event consisted of two separate days of competition. On the first day, a small Endurocross took place in downtown Calgary, while the second day was supposed to be a challenging day spent riding 2.5 hours east of the city near Brooks, Alberta.

Unfortunately, a freak September snowstorm cancelled the second day and everyone in attendance was left thinking about what could’ve been.

Well, after being forced to take last year off due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Red Bull crew were determined to make this incredible event happen again in 2021 and in late August everything came together.

Since I was fortunate enough to compete at the Red Bull Outliers event in 2019, I always had the mindset that the moment it happened again I wanted to be there. When Red Bull Canada contacted me this summer to say the event was back on, I just knew I had to be there in some capacity. So, just five days after the final round of the 2021 Triple Crown MXTour Series concluded at Walton Raceway, I was on a plane bound for Alberta.

I’ve always loved and embraced the travel that comes with my job, so it’s been quite an adjustment during this past year. Coincidentally, I had travelled to Calgary earlier this year to visit my brother, but apart from that trip, I have been grounded since March of last year. With that said, I cannot overstate how good it felt to head to the airport, board a plane, and then take flight across the farmlands of our prairie provinces and eventually touch down in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at Calgary

International Airport. The stage was set, and I although I wouldn’t be competing in this year’s return of the Red Bull Outliers, I was still extremely excited to be a part of it.

Unlike the drive to the track in 2019 when the roads were snowy and icy, the weather was perfect this time around. As I drove east out of Calgary, I couldn’t help but notice that the breathtaking scenery. In perfect contrast to what the drive west is like from Calgary, the journey to Steveville, Alberta provides a glimpse into Canada’s heartland, one of the engines that drive this country.

From the outskirts of Calgary right until the front gate of where the Outlier’s event was being held, all you see is one massive farm after another. It is a very impressive sight as you just imagine the amount of hard work that goes into farming this land every year. Whether you’re an Alberta farmer or you decided to enter the 2021 Red Bull Outlier event, hard work and adversity are most certainly two things you have to deal with if you wanted to find success.

Driving into the park where the Outliers event was being held is something that must be seen to be believed. In the matter of one mile, the landscape changes from flat and grain-filled fields to a canyon of some of the most unique scenery you can imagine. Sitting on the banks of the Red Deer River, the Badlands of Alberta is a combination of almost moon-like soil and elevation changes that defy logic.

After speaking to a few local residents, I learned that the Badlands got its name from the early settlers who were making their way up the Red

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 53

Next

Phase Phase Phase

2021

Red Bull

OutlIers Deer River from the south. Apparently, everything was going smoothly until they reached this area and almost got stopped in their tracks. Their journey instantly became a lot more challenging, and they were forced to dig deep and use their imaginations to traverse this section of Alberta. I’m sure the riders of this Outliers event could empathize with what those early settlers went through as they did their best to deal with the challenging landscape as well.

After arriving at the course, I made my way around the paddock to see how everyone was feeling. I wanted to get a sense of the competitor’s emotions before the start. Were they excited? Were they scared? Or were they feeling a little bit of both? The first rider I ran into was female motocross and off-road sensation, Lexi Pechout. Lexi was there to compete alongside the men in the Amateur class and she was very excited to be a part of this awesome event. As I said, Lexi is a multi-purpose rider who, over the years, has excelled at everything from motocross to extreme enduro as she’s competed in events all over the world. She is also and a great person off the bike and always a pleasure to speak with.

Another top rider competing this

54 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

year was KTM Canada Factory rider and Red Bull Canada athlete Trystan Hart. At 24 years-old, Trystan has become one of the biggest names in the sport as his recent success at the Red Bull Romaniacs event in Romania, as well as the Hard Enduro Series in the U.S. have vaulted him to stardom. As I would witness later in the day, this

kid is a phenom and I was blown away seeing the things he can do with a motorcycle. Also, like Lexi and almost all riders in the paddock, Trystan is a class act off the bike, and he was more than happy to talk me through his unbelievable riding after the race.

So, after a year’s hiatus, the stage was set for the ‘shotgun’ start for the

2021 Red Bull Outliers. And when I say shotgun start, I mean there really was a guy in an Australian Oilskin jacket with a shotgun. So, with a bang this exciting event began, and the riders were off and into the unknown of Dinosaur Country.

It’s hard to put into words how challenging this race was. The riders weren’t twenty feet off the start when they had to traverse a steep rocky hill. From there the 135 riders made their way around the course facing one difficult ‘Outlier’ obstacle after another. The idea for this hard enduro event was to have the competitors ride the 10 km course for roughly nine laps or four hours, whichever came first. After each lap was completed a new Outlier, or alternate line, was introduced.

Basically, the race would get more difficult with each lap, sadly eliminating rider after rider until only a few brave and talented souls remained. It was a unique format, and I must congratulate Red Bull for getting involved with such a cool event. Especially after being forced to take a year off due to the pandemic. But the Red Bull Outliers was back this year and for 2022 it sounds as though the event is going to be even bigger and better.

As I was travelling back to Calgary after the event and the Alberta Badlands were firmly in my rear-view mirror, I began to think about what things stood out to me regarding this unique and entertaining event. The first thing that comes to mind is the incredible landscape where the race was held.

As I said, the terrain must be seen to be believed. And the fact that the riders were able to make it around the course was also something to behold.

The second item is the incredible riding by our Canadian off-road and enduro phenom, Trystan Hart.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have watched a plethora of great riders over the years in all types of disciplines. However, for what he does this

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 models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

Photo: R. Schedl, H. Mitterbauer

husqvarna-motorcycles.com

Fully adjustable WP XACT suspension

Floating brake calipers from Formula

Accessible seat height of 34.4 in

T C

Aim high, lean low, go far.

the journey to success isn’t easy. it will take you on many tracks, over countless ruts, and will have your elbows out more times than you can imagine. the 2022 tc 85 will guide you on your way.

85

2021

Red Bull

OutlIers kid is one of the best and he’s a joy to watch. In fact, on more than one occasion while watching Trystan traverse one of the challenging Outlier obstacles I thought out loud just how easy he made them look. To me, that is the true complement to any rider.

Finally, the third thing that stood out to me was just how cool this event was overall. I mean, it wasn’t really a surprise as these days Red Bull doesn’t lend its name to any event that doesn’t take your breath away in some regard. However, whether it was the scenery, the high calibre of riding, or just the fact that

for at least one day a group of talented individuals all came together in one of the coolest places this great country has to offer to ride dirt bikes was truly remarkable.

We were in the great outdoors doing what we all love to do and to me that is what freedom is all about. And these days we all could use a little more freedom. I can’t wait until next year to see what Red Bull can come up with for this event. Who knows, I might even try channeling my inner Trystan Hart or Lexi Pechout and compete in the 2022 Red Bull Outliers. We shall see what the future holds – I’m not sure if I’m ready to be an outlier again.

Interview with Shane Cuthbertson SHANE, IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DID THE RED BULL OUTLIERS EVENT GO THIS YEAR? SC: We nailed it this year!! Everything went according to plan as we were able to put together a challenging course for all skill levels, as well as host a diverse ridership from across four provinces including eight ladies who put on a great show! The excitement was high all around as everyone was pumped to experiencing this world-class event with us.

HOW WERE YOU AND RED BULL ABLE TO PULL IT OFF AND BUILD BACK MOMENTUM AFTER CANCELLING THE EVENT IN 2020?

2021 RED BULL OUTLIERS RESULTS: PRO 1. TRYSTAN HART 2. SPENSER WILTON 3. BRANDEN PETRIE EXPERT 1. JEFF STEBNICKI 2. TOM BODROVICS 3. AARON RICHARDSON VETERAN 1. JACK SAWATZKY 2. WAYNE REIMER 3. MICHAEL DOBOVICH AMATEUR 1. RUSS PHILLIPS 2. DOMINIK BAFIA 3. LEXI PECHOUT

56 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

SC: We have definitely had our challenges since the inception of this event and having to cancel day two in 2019 due to a crazy snowstorm and then having to cancel altogether because of the pandemic in 2020.

Building back the momentum however was easy as we know this event is special and something that we have been waiting patiently to showcase to the world!

THIS YEAR WAS A MASSIVE SUCCESS. HOW DO THINGS LOOK HEADING INTO 2022?

SC: We have had extensive conversations with the group from WESS Promotion GmbH and it is looking very positive that we will join the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Tour in 2022! Should this happen, we will celebrate putting Canadian Hard Enduro on the map by making Red Bull Outliers a multi-day event, hosting two separate days in downtown Calgary as well as returning to the Canadian Badlands! Next year is going to be epic!

THIS IS INTENSE TH E

A L L

NE W

I NTE NS E

TAZER

The fir st MX inspir ed E -Mou n t Backed by four tim e SX Champ and other MX & SX gr eats, M i t Car son Mum for d, Hunter Yoder

Look for the INTENSE TazerMX at select Parts Canada retailers.

Ask your retailer about our all new Bicycle Catalogue.

M X

a i n bi ke. i o n , Ry a n Du n g ey ch Ol den bu r g , a n d Jeff E mi g .

Painting Walton Raceway Green THE TEAM GREEN RIDERS FIND SUCCESS AT THE 2021 WALTON TRANSCAN

B Y 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

For the past number of years, we’ve witnessed every Canadian OEM get behind the Walton TransCan and show their support. Whether it’s sponsoring a few of the TransCan awards, putting on special events throughout the week, or being there in person and having a large display in the paddock. This year Kawasaki Canada and the Thor/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Team went above and beyond with a Team Green dinner on Friday evening as well technical support for all Team Green riders throughout the week. This support was very much appreciated and in return the Team Green riders represented the brand with some great results and absolute professionalism all week long. But don’t take it from us, here is how a few of the Kawasaki-supported riders fared at the 2021 Walton TransCan beginning with Dylan Rempel, who took home two TransCan Championships.

DYLAN REMPEL #138

85cc 12-16 Champion Supermini Champion Schoolboy 1: 4th Overall

58 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

The 2021 Walton Trans-Can event was one for the record books for Canadian Kawasaki and Ontario-based Dylan Rempel. Dylan signed an Amateur contract with the Thor/Kawasaki/ Pro Circuit Race Team to compete in both the 85cc class for ages 12-14 and Supermini classes. The program with Thor/Kawasaki/Pro Circuit put forth a huge effort to help bridge the gap from the Team Green Amateur programs that dealerships across Canada support to the professional race program managed by Thor/Kawasaki/Pro Circuit race team.

Dylan had amazing starts and speed all week long winning all six of his races in the 85cc and Supermini classes. This is a great accomplishment that has never been completed

before and it was also the first double class title for a Kawasaki rider. Dylan showed that Canadian motocross has a bright future. Off-track, Dylan always had a long line of fans and fellow riders that followed him throughout the week. This fantastic week of riding was concluded with the Thor/Kawasaki/Pro Circuit Team Green dinner.

With a great 2021 season under his belt, he will head to Florida in November to compete at the Thor/Winter Olympics over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend. The Thor/Kawasaki/Pro Circuit team is excited to announce that Dylan will again be back on the team in 2022 as he continues his progress towards the professional ranks and last week started ridding the KX250F machine.

PAYTON MORNINGSTAR #292

AYRTON POMEROY #26

250 Intermediate- 9th Overall

Supermini- 9th Overall

Open Intermediate- 5th Overall

Schoolboy 1- 11th Overall

Schoolboy 2- 4th Overall

This was my first experience at the Trans Can and I really had no expectations coming into the week. All week I just wanted to be inside the top five in every moto. My highlight of the week was finishing third in one moto and going up onto the podium. I had some good and some bad motos due to some crashes and a couple of bad starts had me always playing catch-up on the track.

At the beginning of the week, the weather wasn’t on our side, turning the track into a mud fest, but it was probably the most fun moto I had all week. I had some good battles in the mud and ended up grabbing a top five finish followed by a lot of clean up. The first moto of the week in 250 intermediate class went well. I got off to around a top 10 start and made some quick passes up to fourth place and that’s where I stayed for the rest of the moto.

The track was by far the best it was all week in that moto!

The next two motos in 250 intermediate class weren’t that great. In moto 2 I ended up fifth and in moto 3 I had a crash on the third lap which put me way back and I couldn’t catch back up.

I ended up ninth overall. Open intermediate went a lot better as my 5-8-6 moto scores got me a fifth-place finish overall! My starts weren’t too great in that class either with all the 450 bikes

(I was racing a 250 machine), but we made it work and it was fun battling against the bigger bikes.

The Schoolboy 2 class was the most fun I had in racing all year! In the first moto, I had a great battle with Brennan Schofield, and we were going back and forth for the entire moto. I ended up making a good pass on him with a few laps to go and I finished third. It felt so good to get up on the podium with the boys! The next two motos were tough when the track got smoother and had fewer lines to pass, but I stayed consistent and finished fourth overall.

It was a super fun week hanging out with some friends and ripping around on golf carts after the racing was done.

Overall, it was a good experience, and I met some cool people on and off the track. This season was first racing in Canada, and I have nothing but great things to say about it! We raced the AMO Series all summer and it was great. Soon I will be heading down south to start preparing for 2022. I’d like to send a big thanks out to McKee Sport and Garden for all of their support this year, as well as Chad Goodwin, Gerhart Huber, and everyone at the Thor/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Team.

They really helped me get through the week at Walton. I cannot wait for next year and to be able to head back to Walton Raceway.

Well, my week at the 2021 Walton TransCan had a little bit of everything. Off track, I had fun hanging out with my moto buddies as well as eating fajita lunches with my family. My mom always keeps us well fed at the track. On the track, I was lucky to not have to go out for a mud moto as my races were either before the rain or well after. One of Schoolboy 1 motos was a little slippery and really rutted, but I ended having one of my best motos of the week. Sadly, during all three of my Supermini motos, the track was smooth and passing was hard. Before the TransCan I had done a lot of training on a rutted track at the Compound 138 Training Facility, so I was hoping for a more technical Walton track.

Overall, I was happy with how I rode all week as I passed a lot of riders in all six of my races. But I wished I could’ve found a way to get better starts as it seemed like in every moto I was having to come from behind. Anyway, it was fun to have to make so many passes, but it affected my overall results. My goal coming into the Walton TransCan was to finish on the podium in at least one moto during the week. The closest I came was a couple of seventh place moto finishes so I was a little bummed out at that. However, there’s always next year as I’ll be back in the Schoolboy 1 class, only this time on a 125cc bike.

When the racing was over for the week it was fun to sit back and watch the pros race on Sunday. It was also cool to watch my buddy Sebastien Racine go 9-9 in the 250 Pro class. Considering it was his first time racing the pro class at Walton Raceway it was a very good finish. I had a great week, and I couldn’t have done it without all the support of my sponsors, as well as the support during the week from Chad Goodwin and the Thor/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki Team. They were there all week helping all of us Team Green riders and it was greatly appreciated. As I said, I cannot wait for next year when I will be back at the TransCan on a 125.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 59

Painting Walton Raceway Green

WYATT KERR #164

250 Intermediate-2nd Overall Open Intermediate Champion

The Walton TransCan week was very good, we (my dad and I) had some great times and we also had to work through some challenges that week as well. I have raced and ridden Kawasaki bikes since I was in the 65cc class, so I know them very well. We intended to compete in the Intermediate classes for 2021 and then transition into the 250 pro classes at the week of Walton TransCan. However, because of Covid-19 restrictions, we were not able to race Loretta Lynn’s this year. We decided to race both the Intermediate class as well as the 250 Pro Series this summer.

Leading up to TransCan we had some great races in the amateur races and 250 Pro Series. One of the biggest challenges this year was parts and prod-

uct availability. I had my bikes set up for the AMA “limited classes,” so both of my bikes were stock.

We struggled to get performance parts and thanks to Gord at Inglis Cycle and Chad from Thor/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki Team we were able to get an exhaust and suspension mid-way through the season. The Team Green program and their involvement with the Kawasaki race team were much more supportive this year. It was great to have their support at the races this year. In fact, the Team Green guys in the U.S. also helped me out at the Texas Nationals this spring.

We were confident that we had everything prepared coming into the week of Walton. The guys from Thor Kawasaki Pro Circuit/Team Green were helping

DEVYN SMITH #30

250 Intermediate- 17th Overall Open Intermediate- 9th Overall

60 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

us out all through the season with parts, suspension set up, and race advice. I even got to ride and practice with pro team riders through the summer as their shop is five minutes from where I live. Coming into Walton I felt ready!

During the Intermediate classes, my results were solid with first and second place finishes. The first Open Intermediate race was deep sticky mud. I knew this was to my advantage riding a stock 250 against the 450’s and modified 250s. I was able to capitalize on the muddy conditions and I was very happy with my result as I took the win first in this moto.

I ran into some mechanical issues during the Schoolboy 2 motos but the guys from the Kawasaki team were right there to help me out. I swapped the motor from my practice bike, and the guys took on rebuilding the motor for us. We had some struggles getting parts for the motor rebuild and my dad drove to Inglis Cycle in London, McKee in Delhi, and the Kawasaki Dealer in Mitchel to get parts all before 10:30 a.m. on Friday. I am very thankful to everyone that came together to help me get the bike back racing.

We also had a couple of issues with my practice motor, but we were able to keep it running to finish the week off. I am very thankful for everyone that helped us out the week of the TransCan. The crew from Thor/ Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Team were incredible and the support from Team Green was a huge help.

Winning the Open Intermediate class and receiving the Total Devotion Award were the highlights of my week. Looking back, I have to say I am thankful to all the people that are there to help us out.

We got through the week healthy, and it was cool having more fans come out to watch all the racing.

We are a small team, and I am very thankful to our friends, family, riders, and the moto industry. It was a great week.

I had an awesome time this summer racing all the nationals – it was a great experience! I had some ups and downs throughout the summer, especially during the second weekend of racing at Gopher Dunes. During qualifying, I made a mistake and ended up with a small tear in my left rotator cuff which held me back from racing the mains and was tough for me racing the next couple of rounds.

Walton came around super fast and by then my shoulder was all healed up!

The day before racing Ryan Lockhart, Tanner Ward, and Ryder McNabb set up a track walk for all the B.C. racers, and it was cool to learn some neat lines they might be taking in the races that weekend. The first day was a mudder which worked out well for me since I have done a lot of racing in mud, and I probably got my best finishes of the week that day. I finished ninth overall in 250 intermediate and 17th overall in open intermediate after a bad crash in the last moto. I was super happy with

my racing at the TransCan as it was my first racing in the Intermediate class.

After the amateur week was done, it was the pro day which is what I was super excited for. I have always wanted to try lining up with the top pros at Walton to see what I can do!

The experience I had racing in the pro class over the summer at all tracks was awesome. Being behind the gates when they drop for a pro moto is so cool! I want to thank Kyle Beaton for all his help in giving me a training program for the summer and all my sponsors that help me out. I couldn’t do all of it without them, and I also want to thank my dad for taking me around Canada to race. I would also like to thank Jason Hughes and everyone at Canadian Kawasaki for their continued support since I was riding in the 65cc class, and Chad Goodwin from the Kawasaki team for their trackside support. It was also cool to meet and line up with other Team Green riders from across Canada.

CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG CHRISTIAN CRAIG

2022 PRIME THEORY RACEWEAR

LIGHT UP THE TRACK. #THEFEELOFMOTO

Painting Walton Raceway Green

ISABELLA MORGAN #92 Girls 9-16- 2nd Overall Ladies- 6th Overall Supermini- 21st Overall Heading into the 2021 Walton TransCan I was honestly nervous as it is by far my biggest race of the season. This year I was racing in three classes and with the weather forecast calling for some rain during the week, I knew I’d have a couple of mud motos. As it turned out, I had one bad mud moto and one that was sort of muddy. The rest were okay, so I guess I got lucky.

The class I was really focused on was the Girls 9-16 class as I knew I could do well there. Thankfully, I was able to get good starts and stay out of trouble. I was happy with how I rode in this class, and I was excited to finish on the podium. When I was standing on the podium collecting my second-place trophy, I was proud of all of the hard work my family and I had put into the season. I spent a lot of time riding and training, and it was cool to see it all pay off.

I was also happy with how I rode in the Ladies and Supermini classes. In the Ladies class, I was racing against some talented girls who were riding bigger and more powerful bikes. I thought I held my own in that class and I was excited to finish up sixth overall. I also was able to beat some girls who raced all summer in the WMX class at the pro nationals, so I felt good about that.

In the Supermini class, I thought I rode hard against the boys, but I was never able to get good starts in any of the three motos.

That class is fast and it’s hard to come from behind if you don’t get a good start. Oh well, I had fun, and considering the class had a full gate of 40 riders, I was happy to finish 21st overall.

Overall, my week at Walton Raceway was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to head back there next year. I know now what to expect so I think I’ll be able to prepare even better in 2022. I would also like to thank my parents for their hard work and sacrifices, as well as McKee’s and Amsoil.

62 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

NATHAN SNELGROVE 85cc 7-11- 8th Overall

Supermini- 23rd Overall

I was riding with Kenzie at HMX for a bit before Walton to do some training. We headed to Walton TransCan on Tuesday and pulled into a pretty good parking spot close to the track so I could watch the races easily. We signed up and spent the day having fun with friends and just running around.

On Wednesday I did my practices and had my first Supermini moto.

I ended up around 20th in that first moto. I am one of the younger kids in that class, so it wasn’t too bad.

I also remember walking by the food trucks and me and my brother begging to get some fries. Don’t worry, we eventually got our fries!

The second day started with a bunch of rain. I was in the sixth moto of the day, and it was muddy.

I went to go watch the classes before mine and the track did not look fun with all the mud. I remember watching the older 85 class and only seeing half the kids come by, I was scared. The starting line straight was very muddy and I knew I needed to get off the gate well. I got a pretty good start coming out around second on the hole-shot.

I went around the track and was afraid to fall, because if I did then I knew I would have a hard time getting up. I came around the first lap in a three-way battle for first.

Then we came around the next lap and all three of us got stuck in a

#158

pile-up. It took a while for me to get up from that, but I eventually got up and went down again. I got stuck again and couldn’t pick my bike up. I eventually did get it up about 10 minutes later. I ended up finishing around 20th in that moto.

I think I would have finished close to the podium if I didn’t fall the second time.

I had a second Supermini moto later in the day when the track was in much better condition. I was running 15th in that moto until I had a crash in the corner. I got the wind knocked out of me, but I got back up and finished the race.

The next day some of my family came to watch which was cool. I had an early morning moto when the track was smooth. On the first lap, I ran over someone’s bike in the whoop section and made quite a cool save. I didn’t ride my best in that race but ended up in fifth place. Later that day I had my final Supermini moto, but I don’t really remember how that went exactly. I think I finished around 20th again which wasn’t horrible. Overall, I ended up finishing eighth in the 85cc 7-11 classes. If it wasn’t for my opening moto result in that class, I might have been able to get on the podium. I had a great time all week at the Walton TransCan and I cannot wait to go back there in 2022.

ADAM CIANCIARULO MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI

2020 450 MX ROOKIE OF THE YEAR / 2019 250 MX CHAMPION

PEAC MAXIMA’S EXCLUSIVE ADDITIVE SYSTEM

PEAC additive system was developed by Maxima and tested with factory teams like Monster Energy Kawasaki, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki and Geico Factory Connection Honda. PEAC was designed to significantly improve performance in several critical areas: engine cleanliness, clutch performance, power & acceleration. This unique additive system is exclusive to the Maxima 4-stroke engine oil line-up.

OEM Approved & Guaranteed by Maxima Racing Oils / Made in the USA / MaximaUSA.com

Industry Profile:

Colton Facciotti 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

A

s we’ve witnessed so many times in all sports, transitioning from the life of a pro athlete to a more normal life can at times be very challenging. In fact, many individuals in this situation have struggled both mentally as well as physically. But for our six-time Canadian 450 Champion Colton Facciotti, he didn’t even let the engine cool down on his CRF450 before he found something to do after he raced his final moto at Walton Raceway in August 2019. In a matter of just a few months after his professional racing career was over, Colton exercised his love for setting up his own bike to helping others set-up theirs. Under the watchful eye of Joe Skidd, Facciotti became a suspension tech for SSS Suspension and for the past 18 months he’s been modifying riders’ suspension in his new workshop located at Gopher Dunes. So far, it’s been a steep learning curve for Colton but just like when he was a racer, it hasn’t taken long for him to find his groove.

Earlier this season I gave Colton the suspension off my 2021 Sturgess Cycle KX450 as I’ve never tried a set of SSS Suspension. Once Colton had finished working on it, we met at Gopher Dunes and spent almost an entire day testing and getting it set up for me. Then, throughout the race season in Ontario, Colton delivered helpful technical support for each different track and condition I faced. When Colton was winning races not long ago, he was always known for his attention to detail when it came to his bike set-up and training. Now, when it comes to everyone else’s bike, Colton has brought those same intangibles over to his new job. I sat down with Colton for this month’s Industry Profile.

MXP: COLTON, IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT’S BEEN TWO YEARS NOW SINCE YOUR FINAL RACE. TIME FLIES! WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER THE MOST ABOUT THAT DAY AT WALTON IN 2019?

CF: Wow! Yes, it sure does feel like it’s been a long time. I think the thing I remember most was just being a bit nervous. I don’t usually get super nervous but with it being the last race and a championship at stake I really wanted to make it a good one. It would’ve been a bit sweeter to get the King of Walton Sword again, but damn, Phil made that one hard on me.

64 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

MXP: LOOKING BACK DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS? MEANING, DO YOU WISH SOMETIMES THAT YOU HAD DONE ANOTHER SEASON OR TWO?

CF: Not at all! I knew at the beginning of [2019] that I just didn’t have the fight and wasn’t able to hang it out the extra bit like some of the younger guys. I think that is where my smarts come into play and probably could’ve used that in my younger days of racing.

There were a couple years where if I just backed it down five percent or took fewer chances, my old body would feel better now or maybe I’d have another championship. That’s all part of moto, though, and it teaches you a lot.

on that. He’s been a great teacher along the way, just as he was as we were together on the old Blackfoot Motorsports Team. I’ve really enjoyed the process of learning things from him.

MXP: YOUR CLIENTELE MUST BE GETTING LARGER BY THE WEEK. HAVE YOU BEEN BUSY IN 2021?

CF: Yes! It has surprised me a bit for sure and there have been some long days at the bench. I’ve been working hard on all the minibike suspension so that part of it has grown a lot. At the level our sport has grown a lot in the past year or so I wanted to give riders on those bikes some suspension options.

MXP: I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE INTERNALS OF MODERN-DAY SUSPENSION. ARE ALL THE BRANDS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO LEARN IT ALL? CF: For the most part, a lot of it is the same but with a few exceptions. It’s crazy how close some of the internals are from back in the 2000s. Right now, I’m still learning and sometimes I’ll get the odd item in where it’s a bit tougher, but most times I’m able to figure it out or after a quick call to Joey gets it sorted out.

MXP: WHEN YOU RACED YOU WERE KNOWN FOR BEING VERY SPECIFIC ON YOUR BIKE SET UP. HAS YOUR METICULOUS NATURE HELPED YOU IN THIS NEW JOB? MXP: IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE YOU’RE EVEN BUSIER NOW THEN YOU WERE WHEN YOU RACED. YOU WEAR MANY HATS THESE DAYS. MOTO DAD, SUSPENSION GUY, GDR TEAM ADVISOR, AND THIS SUMMER YOU WERE EVEN A MOTO HUSBAND FOR A WEEKEND. OVERALL, HOW IS LIFE TREATING YOU THESE DAYS AND WHAT IS YOUR SCHEDULE LIKE?

CF: My wife must have told you that [laughs] because I’ve missed a few dinners this year for sure. It’s been great and my schedule has been busy and really it hasn’t been a whole lot different from racing, other than it’s been a little easier on the body now and I don’t have to force myself to hit the gym or get on the bicycle.

MXP: YES, I GUESS THIS JOB WOULD BE A LITTLE EASIER ON YOUR BODY. ALSO, YOUR SON KEAGAN SEEMS LIKE HE’S ENJOYING RIDING MORE AND MORE EACH YEAR. HOW COOL IS IT TO SEE THE SPORT THROUGH HIS EYES NOW?

CF: Yes, that’s where all my grey hairs are coming from. Seriously though, it has been awesome to see both my kids enjoying it and progressing. They don’t seem super into it, but I also don’t push it on them at all either. I do feel like it’s

more stressful watching them race it was racing myself. However, the joy I get from seeing them is far greater than how I feel on the bike now.

MXP: OKAY, LET’S TALK ABOUT SSS SUSPENSION. I’LL BE HONEST, I DIDN’T SEE THIS LIFE DIRECTION COMING FOR YOU. BUT THEN AGAIN WHAT DO I KNOW! WAS THIS A JOB YOU THOUGHT ABOUT AFTER YOU RETIRED FROM RACING OR WAS IT SOMETHING YOU WERE PLANNING? CF: As a little kid, I used to always take toys or LEGO apart and try to put them back together again. I’ve also always been inspired to do things with my hands, and I have a very fine attention to detail. Suspension was always something that I was super intrigued with and although it was a bit of a leap.

Overall, I’m happy with my decision.

MXP: HAS IT BEEN AN EASY TRANSITION?

CF: I think the toughest part wasn’t even the suspension side of things, it was the whole business side of things and learning how to do all those items properly. The actual suspension side of things has had its more challenging moments, but Joe (Skidd) has been great

“When I raced, I wanted my bike to be the best and now I want my customers to have the best suspension set up.”

CF: I think so, especially with just starting out. I may not have been the fastest but have always wanted a good product so that has always come first. It’s crazy though how much I’ve learned racing applies to doing suspension. When I raced, I wanted my bike to be the best and now I want my customers to have the best suspension set up.

MXP: WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF THE SUSPENSION BUSINESS TO LEARN?

CF: I would say the older stuff is a bit of a struggle sometimes. Also, it’s been challenging with Covid-19 to gets the parts and product in a timely matter.

Hopefully that begins to improve in 2022.

MXP: I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT ONE OF YOUR JOBS WORKING WITH GDR HONDA RIDERS. WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE GDR TEAM?

CF: Basically, I assist the riders in any way possible on the weekend. It’s great to share some of my experiences or whatever it may be to help them succeed. Overall, that’s been great also as we have a very talented team put together.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 65

Industry Profile:

Colton Facciotti MXP: WHO IS HARDER TO DEAL WITH, ONE OF THE GDR RIDERS OR A FEW OF YOUR SSS CUSTOMERS [LAUGHS]?

CF: That is the easiest question you’ve ask me so far, Palms. The three GDR Honda riders most certainly are harder to deal with [laughs].

MXP: ON A SERIOUS NOTE, THOUGH, I’VE HEARD FROM DYLAN, TANNER AND RYDER ABOUT HOW HELPFUL YOU’VE BEEN AND HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT EXPLAINING THINGS TO THEM. DO YOU ENJOY THE PROCESS OF SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH YOUNGER RIDERS? CF: I’ve enjoyed it and to see how they have progressed is great to see. As a top pro athlete, you need as much support as you can get. Obviously, you must be self-motivated and selfsufficient, but there are times when you need some direction. Especially, if you’re a young rider.

MXP: WELL, ALL THREE RIDERS WON RACES IN 2021 AND ONE REPEATED AS THE 450 CHAMPION, SO YOU GUYS MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT AS A TEAM.

CF: For sure, I couldn’t be happier with all three guys. They all put the work in prior to the season and fought hard the whole series.

MXP: IF YOU COULD PICK ONE WORD TO BEST DESCRIBE THE THREE GDR HONDA RIDERS WHAT WOULD IT BE? CF: That is a tough one as I think I’d need a paragraph to explain these guys. If I had to pick just one word, here it goes: Wright: Wild Ward: Fighter McNabb: Grit

MXP: YOU AND I HAVE SPOKEN AT LENGTH ABOUT JUST HOW IMPORTANT PROPER SUSPENSION SET UP IS ON A MODERN-DAY DIRT BIKE. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE SOME AMATEUR RIDERS ARE MAKING WITH REGARDS TO SUSPENSION?

CF: I think the biggest mistake is taking the screwdriver out of the toolbox. A lot of people seem to detune the suspension based on feel and not on lap times.

Most of the time it’s usually something as simple as setting the sag or torquing all the bolts on the bike properly. It could be many other things, but usually start with the simplest stuff first.

66 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

MXP: I KNOW HOW HARD THE TRANSITION CAN BE FROM FULL-TIME PRO RACER TO A WORKING MAN. SO, I’M HAPPY THAT YOU’VE MADE THE ADJUSTMENT WELL. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING THIS FOR A WHILE? CF: I have been enjoying it so far, so I really look forward to continuing it for years to come.

MXP: HERE IS A QUESTION THAT I’M SURE EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW. DO YOU STILL RIDE AND WHEN WILL WE SEE YOU ON THE STARTING LINE AT THE WALTON TRANSCAN? SORRY, THAT WAS TWO QUESTIONS.

CF: I rode twice this year. I tested Dylan’s race bike and that was fun – there’s nothing like a fresh race bike!

As for when you’ll see me at the starting gate, I think I will have to wait another couple of years for that. I’m still too competitive for that and would want to make sure it’s fun and not something that I have to push myself to do.

MXP: SOUNDS GOOD! IF SOMEONE WANTS TO REACH OUT TO YOU FOR THEIR SUSPENSION NEEDS, HOW DO THEY GET IN TOUCH?

CF: They can visit www.superiorsettings. com and all of my info is on our website.

MXP: COLTON, THANKS FOR DOING THIS AND ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE!

CF: Thank you for calling, Palms! It was good to be able to do your suspension this year and hopefully we can do even more testing in 2022.

3.5 GEAR KIT // 4.5 GEAR // 5.5 GEAR

GEAR UP & RIDE 2022 MOTO COLLECTION

No matter the fit, the weather or your style, we have the gear for you. We are thrilled to introduce the 2022 Moto gear line, our cleanest, most stylish designs to date’. Packed with high grade materials and the latest technology to help you enjoy that dirt life.

DISTRIBUTED BY:

www.kimpex.com

THE SCIENCE OF THRILL

68 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

MXP CHATTER WITH

MIKE BROWN

B Y A N DY W H I T E / P H O T O S B Y F X R R A C I N G A N D J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

I

t’s a long and winding road following the career of legend Mike Brown. As many of you know, I have known Mike Brown for more than fifteen years. As a racer, I have followed him when he raced for Pro Circuit back in 2001 when he won the outdoor 125cc championship. Times are a little different these days for the 49-year-old from Tennessee. These days he calls Orlando, Florida home. Mike has been working with Aldon Baker at the Baker Factory for the past two years. And we all know that’s where champions are made. I had a chance to check in with Mike to see how life is these days. I know it’s a little different from the days when he was 25 years-old, or are they?

Before Mike started at the Baker Factory in 2020, he was still competing at a high level. Not only was he racing almost well every weekend in the U.S., but he was also jetting off to events all around the world. That was only a few years ago. These days, believe it or not, he is still boarding

flights for events in the UK to compete at the Vet vintage MXdN at Farleigh Castle. Funny story, Mike raced the same track back on a Honda CR125 and now he is back racing two-strokes against the same riders. A few weeks prior to that he was competing at Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National. We caught up with Mike to see what’s next for the rider who just loves to ride dirt bikes.

MXP: IT’S BEEN A BUSY SUMMER FOR YOU. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO?

Mike Brown: Well, it’s been a crazy one again. I have been working with Aldon Baker for the past two years. I have lots of responsibilities here. It’s a full-time job and more. I have also been riding and racing most of the year as well. It’s time for a vacation!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 69

MXP: WHAT DOES A WEEK LOOK LIKE FOR MIKE BROWN THESE DAYS?

MB: Monday to Friday, I am at the Bakers Factory from sunrise to late afternoon. I meet the riders nice and early. I watch them put in laps and give them pointers on where they need to work on. These riders are among the best in the world, but they still need a little guidance. I make sure the track is technical enough to test their skills. I want the riders to get a good work out, these tracks need to be difficult. After the riders have done their motos I will put on my cycling gear, and we will head out and pedal for ninety minutes. Then we will head to the gym to stretch or work on their core. Each rider has a special program. We will do this for five days.

We will probably do 120 miles a week on the road bikes. I am right there with them.

70 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

MXP: IS THIS WHAT YOU DID BACK IN THE DAY? MB: Funny enough I was one of the lucky ones, I was able to train with RC. Aldon was the trainer back then.

MXP: SO ARE YOU IN BETTER SHAPE TODAY?

MB: I think I am in pretty good shape.

I try to hang with these twenty-yearolds. I am still very competitive.

I think all racers are. If I don’t win a vet race, I still get pissed off. Ten minutes later I am fine. I think that the racer in me, right?

MXP: I CAN IMAGINE IT GETS A LITTLE TENSE AT THE TEST TRACK? MB: Last year the Canadian rider Jess Pettis was here to train. The other 250 riders thought, “ok cool, we can show the kid what’s up.” Well, before you knew it, they were pushing each other pretty hard. I knew Pettis was a good rider and just needed some time to

MXP CHATTER WITH

MIKE BROWN

MXP: I THINK EVERY CANADIAN WAS PULLING FOR JESS LAST YEAR. LET’S HOPE HE CAN KEEP IT ON TWO WHEELS THIS YEAR. MB: I will do my best to make sure he is ready!

MXP: IT MUST BE COOL TO SEE SOME OF THE BEST RIDERS IN THE U.S. RIDE EVERY DAY HERE AT THE BAKER FACTORY.

MB: These riders are like you and me!

They put one leg in the MX pants one at a time. Yes, they are great riders. They train very hard. They are hungry for the win. I do enjoy helping them!

get his timing on the whoops. It didn’t take long before he was passing the factory 250 riders. One day Pettis and Stilez Robertson got into it. They were chasing each other around for a while until Stilez centre-punched Pettis back to Canada. I thought, “oh here we go!”

Apparently, Stilez rear brake suddenly didn’t work and he couldn’t stop. I will let you figure that one out.

MXP: DOES JESS PETTIS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GOOD SUPERCROSS RIDER? MB: I would say yes. He gives it 110 percent. He was looking really solid.

I expect I will see an improved Pettis this year. He knows the program. He knows what it takes.

MXP: DO YOU GET TIRED? YOU’RE NOT TWENTY-NINE.

MB: I am in bed early most nights [laughs]. I don’t have to do the motos during the day. It’s not an easy job for sure, but I do enjoy it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here, right?

MXP: WHEN PARENTS TALK TO YOU ABOUT THEIR KIDS, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM?

MB: I tell them that if you put in the time and do it right you will see results. It’s not rocket science. Put the effort in and you will see. Training and being in shape are very important.

Yes, having a bike that’s set up right is also very important. Any one of these bikes today is very competitive.

MXP: ARE YOU STILL MOTIVATED TO RACE AS YOU WERE, SAY, TEN YEARS AGO?

MB: I would say yes. I love to ride or race and will do so for as long as I can.

I don’t like losing! I won the +45 class at Loretta’s this year. That was fun.

I didn’t win the +25 class. That sucked.

I am already thinking about next year at Loretta’s. I want that top spot on the podium. I will be fifty next year!

I should be racing the other age groups, but I feel If I can still win in the younger classes so why not.

MXP: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST MEMORIES OF RACING IN CANADA?

MB: There are a few, actually. I think the first time I came up was to race the Montreal supercross. That year they had the Endurocross event as well. I ended up racing both classes. I won the Endurocross event. That was a tough event.

I remember rushing over to the podium then ran to the starting line and raced the main in the 450 class. I think I finished tenth. That was a strange weekend. One minute I’m riding through water and over huge rocks then the next minute I’m jumping a triple.

Another fun memory was when KTM released the new 350SXF. I was invited to race at St. Julie national. I remember thinking I should do well. Then I got my ass kicked by the Canadians, and I was like, “Wow, these guys can ride.”

MXP: IN 2019, YOU CAME UP AND RACED IN MANITOBA, IT WAS QUITE MUDDY. YOU FINISHED ON THE PODIUM.

MB: I raced on that track the year before in the dry and it was lots of fun.

The next year it was one of the muddiest tracks I have raced on. I enjoyed that race. I was a little surprised they cancelled the second moto. It’s not easy on the bikes. I am sure the privateers were happy we didn’t go out for the second moto.

MXP: WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU ON THE CALENDAR?

MB: I have a bunch of local events, then I will get ready for MiniOs. I think I can race five different classes this year.

MXP: THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK – IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO CATCH UP WITH THE LEGEND! MB: Thanks guys.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 71

THE ALL-TERRAIN CHOICE IS CLEAR TESTING THE TERRAMAX A/T IN THE TOUGHEST CONDITIONS

With the continued popularity of trucks, crossovers and SUVs, Sailun needed to offer a wide range of proven, rugged and affordable tire choices. For optimum comfort, lasting performance and enhanced confidence in some of the most challenging road conditions, the Sailun Terramax lineup of products has exactly what you need – from daily driver to all-terrain and everything in between.

72 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

T

he most notable member of the Terramax family is the mighty Terramax A/T, designed to deliver great all-terrain performance and excellent road manners at a surprisingly affordable price.

The Terramax A/T is engineered for superior traction on SUVs, pickups and crossovers both on- and off-road, plus it’s also one of the first tires in the value-tire segment to be approved for severe snow conditions and designated with the 3PMS (Peak Mountain Snowflake) symbol for true winter use.

So how does the Terramax A/T measure up in the wild? Well, it’s been put to the test with professional drivers winning multiple classes in the Taklimakan International Rally and countless hours of R&D lab testing to make sure it performs and provides exceptional handling with impressive on and offroad stability.When it comes to competition use, Sailun’s partnership with the championship Zhengzhou Nissan Navara rally team has helped develop the key features and attributes found in the Terramax tire lineup. Facing tough competition and harsh conditions with only 73 out of 101 vehicles finishing the race, the Nissan team has successfully defended its championship with back-to-back wins in two classes of the Taklimakan International Rally, while also clinching five of the nine coveted ‘Golden Helmet’ prizes.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 73

THE ALL-TERRAIN CHOICE IS CLEAR

STABILITY AND TRACTION IN ALL CONDITIONS: Aggressive open shoulder design increases stability and traction in all weather conditions.

Trapezoidal claw design on the shoulder edge increases traction in snow and mud, dissipates heat and enhances durability.

AGGRESSIVE TREAD DESIGN:

Still not convinced the Terramax A/T is the right all-terrain tire choice?

While it may not have a fancy big name brand stamped on its sidewall, Sailun stands behind their product quality so much so, that the A/T features a 30 Day Risk Free Trial and is rated to last up to 80,000km for added peace of mind.

That type of product confidence is a convincing argument itself.

The Terramax A/T is a versatile all-terrain choice for those who seek everyday comfort, but also crave a fully capable all-terrain tire. The Terramax A/T will still take drivers onto the trail while delivering exceptional handling and a quiet, comfortable ride on pavement. Its aggressive tread expels water, snow, slush and mud, while its solid centre rib and extra-deep sipes provide superior comfort and control.

It also offers the added bonus of being winter tire tested and 3PMS approved.

With their quality, their engineering and their warranty coverage, Sailun Tire is easily among the best in class, and the rugged Terramax A/T gives tire retailers the perfect opportunity to please even the toughest truck and SUV customers.

Jagged edge tread blocks improve grip on ice and in the mud providing superior traction. Zig-zag grooves and a continuous centre block provide outstanding grip and superior handling.

STONE EJECTORS: Stone ejectors withstand harsh road conditions.

A TRUE YEAR-ROUND TIRE: 3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake Certified (3PMS) for severe snow performance.

74 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

THE ROAD THETHE ROAD IS YOUR ROAD IS YOUR PREY IS YOUR PREY PREY

YOU YOU YOUNEED NEED NEED BETTER BETTER BETTERTIRES TIRES TIRES That’s why That’s Blackhawk That’s why Blackhawk why gives Blackhawk you gives more gives youfor more you less; more for more less; forcontrol, less; moremore control, more control, value moremore and valuevalue and and more confidence moremore confidence confidence on the on road. the on With road. theBlackhawk road.

With With Blackhawk you Blackhawk getyou theget you same the get strength, same the same strength, strength, agility and agility razor-sharp agility and razor-sharp and razor-sharp grip found grip in found grip thefound powerful in theinpowerful the bird powerful of bird preyof bird itself. prey of prey itself.itself.

Command Command the Command road theahead road the road ahead and never ahead and look never and never back. look look back.back.

BLACKHAWKTIRE.COM BLACKHAWKTIRE.COM BLACKHAWKTIRE.COM

76 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

RED BULL ROMANIACS 2021

BY SCOT T THOR NTON PHOTOS BY R E D B U LL M E DIA AN D OU R CANADIAN CR E W

D

o you ever get the feeling that you may have bitten off more than you can chew?

This has happened to me a few times, but I’ve always found a way to get it done.

This time was different. I’ve been an athlete my entire life, most notably, as a hockey player with a career that spanned 18 seasons in the NHL. I’m usually not afraid to test myself, and I’m usually confident that I can get it done, no matter how hard it may be.

Romaniacs, however, was a different story. I had almost two years to prepare for the race since the Covid-19 pandemic changed our plans to travel in 2020. As it turned out, I needed the

extra year to prepare. I was registered to race with my two good friends and riding partners, Lance Webb and English Paul Hallett. Both are fantastic riders with a lot of experience and, most importantly, are willing to put the work to prepare.

We made two trips to Calgary to train with Shane Cuthbertson who is a two-time top-ten gold class finisher at Romaniacs. Shane and his Rad 2.0 company helped us immensely and the lessons he taught us were invaluable in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania.

We arrived in Sibiiu, Romania on Thursday afternoon, a good four days before the race started. Although we

V E R T I C A L

M A D N E S S

were a little jet-lagged, we managed to get our rental bikes all set up at the Ride X Power HQ that afternoon.

I brought my suspension over with me, but the other guys just had to install their bits and pieces that make the bikes feel like our own. These include items such as handlebars, brake tip, snack packs, and GPS mounts.

Friday was our first warmup ride to make sure everything on the bikes was set up the way we liked it. Off we went on what turned out to be one of the most humbling easy rides ever. We weren’t 20 minutes into the ride when we dashed into our first hill climb and immediately had a sinking feeling. Oh shit. The rest of

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 77

the group took off out of sight up the hill, while the three of us pushed, and struggled and fought our way to the top. Welcome to Romania. As it turned out, it was an advanced group, but we didn’t’ know it at the time. Two of the riders, Rigor Rico and Michele Bosi are both gold class riders and finished 16th and 18th overall!

The prologue that we see usually see with all the logs and obstacles was cancelled for the second year due to Covid restrictions, so that first day was replaced by a proper time trial to set our starting order. The loop was

about 14 kilometres, but it gave us a good look at what the course would look like, in terms of terrain, ribbons and signage. The race is a GPS-led event, but they do an amazing job of posting signage and ribbons all over the course. The prologue for me was meant to be a good confidence builder.

My strategy was to ride in control and ride smooth and settle into the pace of the terrain, however with all my experience with competition, I still got way too amped up and my forearms blew up within the first couple of kilometres. I failed on the first big hill again, and my confidence started to fade.

My prologue time was about 34 minutes. Not fast, but I got it done.

I felt relieved to be done with the day, and now had time to prepare for the first big day in the mountains. The other boys had similar experiences – a couple of bobbles here and there, but we were all in, and close to each other for the start of Day 1.

OFF-ROAD DAY 1 – 130 KM

This was our first taste of the real race. The three of us chatted and agreed it was about 30 percent tougher than we expected. The terrain is relentless. You are never riding on flat ground, you’re either going up long steep climbs, descending gnarly technical descents, or you’re sidehilling across steep off-camber hills.

All require a ton of focus and almost no mistakes or you’ll pay the price with energy and time. The heat was brutal, in the high 30s Celsius, and I miscalculated my water consumption and ran out for a couple of hours, which saps your energy. My goal was to ride about 6 hours each day, but at the end of Day 1, ride time was 7 hours, 50 minutes, 20 seconds. Both Paul and Lance had pretty good days and finished a bit before me, but we were all within 20 minutes of each other. We all felt tired and humbled, but we tried to convince ourselves we’ve got this, and only had 3 more big days to go!

OFF-ROAD DAY 2 – 130 KM

Day 2 started out great for me.

I found a good rhythm and was riding well for about the first 60-90 kilometres. The three of us started close together, so it was nice to run into the boys every now and then on the trail.

Sometimes you play a little leapfrog with your boys depending on the time of day and your energy level.

All was going well until we got to, “THE HILL”, as we later referred to it.

When I got to the bottom of the hill, I could see English Paul about halfway up working a switchback line. There were about twenty guys strewn about the hill all fighting their own battles. I made three different attempts to reach the upper switchback train, struggled,

“It challenged me, physically and mentally and pushed my skill level up a notch or two.

I am so glad I had two good friends there to share this with.”

78 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

RED BULL ROMANIACS 2021

V E R T I C A L

M A D N E S S

and fought before I finally made it to that point. Once I settled into the lineup of guys on the switchbacks, I realized I was out of water again. The heat and difficulty in terrain made me so thirsty I was blasting through my water. More rookie mistakes.

The Hill took me over an hour to ascend and the energy I spent on that hill almost broke me. I limped along for another couple of hours with no water until I finally reached our support trucks at the lunch stop. We had a mandatory 40-minute rest there and I needed every second. Lance rode into the lunch stop shortly after I arrived and helped convince me to keep going.

I made multiply attempts to buckle up my helmet, but my hands kept cramping and would not work. Eventually, I got ready and just started riding. Keep the wheels turning was a bit of advice I received, and it turned out to be a strategy that worked.

Lance and I ended up riding mostly together the rest of that day and we found a good pace and finished the day strong. The last couple of kilometres was an extreme downhill to the river valley where our Bivouac campsite was set up for the night.

They hammer you right to the finish line every day. At the end of the stage, Lance and I were both about 7 hours, 45 minutes of ride time, and Paul beat us by an hour! Well done, Paul – THE HILL almost ended my race.

BIVOUAC

The Romaniacs crew stole this idea from Rally races, where you ride for the day out to a location, and camp out in tents for the night. No mechanics and support crews are allowed. It wasn’t a big deal for us, but for the pros, I think it’s a bit of a challenge.

Anything you break on your bike you must fix with the tools on your bike.

No new tires either. I quite enjoyed it.

There was a DJ mixing music, beers were being consumed, there was a lot of really good food and even a nice cold shower. All the pros were very

accessible and willing to chat and give advice. We became the official support crew for our fellow Canadian Trystan Hart who was competing in the gold class, so we had some time to hang with him. The tents were small, but it didn’t matter, we were all so tired, once your head hit the pillow you were out for the night.

OFF-ROAD DAY 3 – 129 KM

This one started out with a bang.

Straight up out of the valley and then turn around and come back down. It took us an hour to travel 1.8 kilometres! Many riders struggled to make it up the hill, before walking or bulldogging our bikes back down.

The descents over there are ridiculous – so sketchy. There were bikes tumbling down the hill all around us.

If you made one mistake, you could be 40-50 feet down off the track, which could end your day. Once we got back down to the valley floor though it was an amazing stage. There were many beautiful rivers to ride up, down, and across. It was very technical riding – you needed all your trials skills, but it was very enjoyable. The stage

finished in a little town, where we had to ride a wooden berm across the riverbed. There were spectators all around the bridge, which added to the pressure, but it proved to be easy to ride across. Overall, it was my shortest stage of the week, with a total ride time of 6 hours, 30 minutes. The other boys were both around the same time, so we had a small celebration at the finish line arch and even sipped a beer. I think we were all feeling elated that we had completed 3 days already, and the end was in sight.

OFF-ROAD DAY 4-149 KM

This one tuned out to be a crazy long day again. The race organizers told us it was only 116 kilometres in length, so we thought it might be an easier day. It turned out to be just under 150 kilometres – what a mind game they played on us to end the race! As a group we decided to ride together on the last day. This journey was a group effort, so we thought it would be fitting to cross the finish line together. As it turned out, there were a few challenging sections where we needed each other’s help

to keep going. All in all, I was so glad to be riding with Lance and English Paul on the last day. We rode the day more like a trail ride and paid the price with our time which was just over the 8-hour time cap! We weren’t even aware we were that close to timing out. We played around on the final hill climb, laughing and goading each other for one more go of it. The time didn’t matter to us. We crossed the line together and raised our hands. We were all Red Bull Romaniacs finishers!

My overall impression is that this race is no joke. It challenged me, physically and mentally and pushed my skill level up a notch or two. I am so glad I had two good friends there to share this with. We supported each other every day, and I’ll never forget the struggles but also the laughs we shared. Cheers – you boys you did great.

English Paul Hallett: “The toughest thing I’ve ever done on a bike. Physically and mentally demanding from the start of day 1 right through to the very end of day 4. It was so rewarding to cross the finish line together with Scott and Lance.”

Lance Webb: “Romaniacs pushed me further than I knew I could go. It was a real roller coaster of emotion.

Sitting off the bike at the bottom of a hill on Day 2 I thought about quitting. I had just tried 4 times to climb it. I was out of water and physically drained. Maybe this event is bigger than me. I may have to come back here next year better prepared. We had been coached many times to just keep the bike moving and after a mental reset, that’s what I did. I eventually found Thorty, and the two of us rode together to the finish. I remember the high of riding under the Red Bull arch that day – I had tears of joy in my eyes. I had finished Day 2! I have an expression that goes like this: “Your favourite rides are the ones that suck at some point. Those are the ones you talk about the most.”

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 79

THE INSIDE LINE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

WITH ANDY WHITE

PHOTOS BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

SUPPLY CHAIN TROUBLES TICKING OFF THE MONTHS ON THE CALENDAR, AND WE ARE ALMOST TWO YEARS INTO THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC. AT THE TIME OF WRITING, WE ARE FINALLY HEARING THAT CANADIANS WILL BE ABLE TO CROSS INTO THE U.S. IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT WE HAVE BEEN SHUT OUT FROM CROSSING THE BORDER INTO THE U.S. FOR THIS LONG. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT THAT WAS SAYING NO TO THE OPEN BORDER, BUT WHEN CANADA OPENED OUR SIDE ON AUGUST 9, AND THE US SAID NO I WAS LIKE, “WHAT THE?” ANYWAY, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE BORDER IS OPENING BACK UP ON NOVEMBER 9TH, SO I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO ATTEND SOME EVENTS AND MAYBE SQUEEZE A VACATION IN TOO.

O

This pandemic has been good and bad for business. Over at FXR, our product is taking much longer to arrive in our warehouses. The logistic department at FXR has been working overtime to find solutions for getting products in to sell to our customers. The demand has been there and it’s stronger than ever but it’s hard to deliver when there is little to no product to offer up. When you sell twelve months of product in a seven-month window that’s usually a good problem to have.

Well, not really. The issue is the next load of product is sitting in a port in some country waiting on a container vessel to pick it up. Once it gets picked up it’s on its way to a port like the one in Long Beach, California.

Normally there is a boat or two in line to get unloaded. Today, you can expect to be in line for an extra four weeks behind 50 to 60 other vessels.

You read that right. That’s unreal! Is there another port to drop off? Nope, says the logistic manager.

I was told that shipping container costs were around $5,000 pre-pandemic. Currently, they are knocking

80 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

on the door at around $20,000 per container. That’s outrageous! Who’s paying the difference? That’s a great question. I would say the client, right?

Some companies might increase the retail cost a bit to help, but it’s the company that usually absorbs the cost. I asked the logistic manager what their thoughts were on air freighting some of the products. Well, good luck finding a plane first! And yes, the cost of air freight is out of control as well.

I received an email from a rider that was not happy that he had to wait an extra month for some FXR gear, and I said if they really need gear why don’t they buy some gear from a local dealer that sells our product? He said that he had tried to do so, and no one has any gear to sell. I asked him why he was so upset with me then. He explained that he loves wearing the gear and he wants to look “fresh”. That’s the new favourite word from these kids today.

I get it, it sounds like all gear companies are dealing with the same issues.

Supercross is only a few short months away and it looks like almost every team seat is already filled. I think there are way more teams today than a few years ago or teams are bigger than before. Star Racing Yamaha has

the most riders with roughly eight on their team. That’s not including the amateur riders that are a few years away from winning championships.

Last year was probably one of the best years ever for close racing and it sounds like we are in for the same situation again this year. Will Tomac on the Star Racing Yamaha be a little more consistent? Will Jason Anderson make it to all seventeen rounds? It sounds like Zach Osborne has not retired after all. Will the 2021 outdoors champion Dylan Ferrandis be a championship contender for supercross? Will the schedule stay the same as first one promoted? I don’t think anything is set in stone. I am certain that we will some changes. I for one can’t wait for the 2022 season to kick off.

Over these past two years I have been following European MXGP racing.

I am now a big fan of the series and I have gotten to know the riders a little better and am really enjoying the races. However, I am a little surprised by some of the tracks they must compete on. The French MXGP track has not been used for some time apparently. I get that it’s not easy to do with Covid, but wow that track was not one that I would really want to ride. Some of the regular tracks like Matterley Basin in the UK are real GP tracks, in my opinion. I attended a GP in 2019 and was surprised as a spectator that you can stand just about anywhere

“THE ISSUE IS THE NEXT LOAD OF PRODUCT IS SITTING IN A PORT IN SOME COUNTRY WAITING ON A CONTAINER VESSEL TO PICK IT UP.” and see a big portion of the track. The pit area was well set up where you can walk through and check out all the setups. The track had five lines in each corner too. That’s a real racetrack as far as I’m concerned.

Dutch rider Jeffrey Herlings is a true champion, and this rider was out of the championship fight just four rounds ago. I think he thought he was out of contention too. You never know what’s going to happen, with a little bad luck for riders such as Slovenia’s Tim Gajser and Spaniard Jorge Prado. Jeffery is back in the lead with the red plate, and I can tell you the other teams are lucky the tracks are not all sand because this guy would lay down a clinic.

The series is a long one, and I think the next seven rounds are back-toback. You need to be in shape and smart to stay on top. I sure hope Tony Cairoli can stay healthy for the balance of the season as this is his last official year. It would be cool to see this Italian legend compete in the U.S. next year at a few rounds!

M

X

P

M

A

G

.

C

O

CANADA’S SOURCE FOR MOTOCROSS AND OFF ROAD NEWS FOR THE PAST 22 YEARS @MXPMAGAZINE

@MXPMAGAZINE

@MXPMAG

M

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

S Oh Captain! My Captain!

S Trying to put his great season into words.

S Two of the Queen’s of Canadian moto.

S Gauldy thinks it’s 1999 again.

S What happens when you spend your summer

S TransCan’s headmaster goes over the rules

S Always listen to a girl in cowboy boots.

S Every young rider needs someone to lean on.

S Barry takes a break from his week-long fight

S Two strokes and mud just seem to go together

S Kids at Walton always get the royal treatment.

S Moustache or no moustache, CT still gets

S The face of a rider who just left it all on the

S You’re always in good hands with Ron.

S Many will agree that the track is a pretty cool

S Another year another podium photo with Eve.

S Great riders and great buddies.

S Marco’s up and down season drove his

S Donk makes sure his rider is listening to him.

S Happy belated Mother’s Day Divina!

in Ontario.

with Mother Nature.

Walton track

82 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

for the week.

girlfriend to drink.

place to grow up.

the girl.

GET OUT AND PLAY

The street-legal KLX300 extends the playing field with high-grade dual-sport performance.

Learn more at Kawasaki.ca.

2020 Canadian Kawasaki Motors Inc. Always ride responsibly. Always ride within the limits of your skills, your experience and your machine.

Wear an approved helmet and protective clothing. The actions depicted here took place under controlled conditions with professional riders. Accessorized model shown.