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
T O H N LA Y D
D ER AUGUST 2019
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G U A
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P E R F O R M A N C E I S I N T H E D E TA I L S
U A R D I A N Built with industry leading technology, the Guardian MX utilizes a pressure fit comfort liner with integrated EN 1621-1:2014 Level 1 back protector to reduce impact energy transmission. No pressure points, no rivets, just lasting comfort and coverage so you can make your next moto, your best moto.
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MEMBERS HAVE PRIVILEGES Purchase your Hoosier Tires from the Roost Factory and you can benefit from a revolutionary new loyalty & ambassador program with access to savings on a complete range of performance products. Plus you’ll have access to our trackside purple paddocks. Welcome home!
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WIN LIKE A WARRIOR Racing and war have a few things in common. Like the importance of having the right gear, preparation and sweating the details. Whether it’s a battlefield or a start line, you want to saddle up knowing you’ve already won before the first shot is fired, or the green flag drops. Getting that kind of confidence starts with racing on a true racing tire. Hoosier has been crafting racing tires for over 50 years – and only racing tires. They have never produced a tire for civilian use. So you can trust the new Hoosier MX tires you buy to always be the same ones provided to the pros. That’s not something a consumer based tire company can claim. Fight your next battle with the unfair advantage that only a true racing tire can offer.
LIGHT WEIGHT You can save over three pounds with a set of Hoosier tires compared to competitive brands. Lighter unsprung weight wins races. It’s that simple.
HAND MADE It might sound like craft beer. But Hoosier MX tires are hand made in small batches and immediately shipped for freshness. Racing on mass produced old rubber is like racing on hockey pucks. The rubber will last, but you’re not going anywhere.
THREE COMPOUNDS Choose from three levels of firmness. The MX20 is the softest compound for grabbing traction off the gate and providing race-winning cornering speed in soft soil. The MX25 is best suited for muddy conditions and the MX30 for hard pack conditions. All compounds are the same as what the pros ride on.
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MO D E L SHOWN: HAWK HI LL 3
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DYLAN WRIGHT
250 ARENACROSS CHAMPION TEAM GDR HONDA
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COLE THOMPSON
2X-450 ARENACROSS CHAMPION TEAM REDBULL KTM
TRAIN LIKE A PRO! MARIN BIKES WISH ALL OUR RIDERS SUCCESS IN 2019 • MIKE ALESSI @ M A R I NB I K ES CAN ADA
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OFFICIAL BICYCLE OF THE TRIPLE CROWN SERIES
CHAMPIONS’ CHOICE!
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250 OUTDOOR CHAMPION TEAM REDBULL KTM
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5X-450 OUTDOOR CHAMPION TEAM GDR HONDA
• SHAWN MAFFENBEIER • MARCO CANNELLA • TYLER MEDAGLIA • TANNER WARD & MANY MORE! V I S I T WWW.M ARIN BIK ES .CO M FO R T HE FU L L R AN G E O F BICYC L ES
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FEATURES 32 COVER STORY Dylan Wright is Red Hot! 38 2019 MXTOUR WEST RECAP How the west was won. 46 1997 The year we met Blair Morgan. 52 THE HOOSIER TIRE STORY Don’t get left out in the roost. 58 SHERCO OFF-ROAD MEDIA LAUNCH Lawrence Hacking goes to Italy. 62 THE CMA STORY Is it time for change?
DYLAN WRIGHT
68 THE BETTER HALVES A look at four incredible women. 74 THE EVOLUTION OF FITNESS Our sport’s coolest new phone app. 80 MXP CHATTER WITH MARSHAL WELTIN Andy White chats with the MXTour’s latest sensation.
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86 THE 2019 FXR RACING RIDE DAY FXR’s top riders gather in Manitoba. 90 ONE ON ONE WITH KEVIN TYLER Palms sits down with the man behind the MX101 Yamaha Team. 94 YOUNG AND ON THE RISE Matthew Cermovic is ready to win in 2019.
SPECIALS 14 EXPOSED 22 CAUGHT ON CAMERA
The Evolution of Fitness
74
2019 MXTour recap
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RED HOT 86
MXP CHATTER
YOUNG PRESENTS
MARSHAL
WELTIN
AND ON THE
RISE 94
COLUMNS
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by Chris Pomeroy
by Salina Cannella
by Tyler Medaglia
by Sean Poitras
by Andy White
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
FEMALE PERSPECTIVE
GUEST COLUMN
THE MENTAL SIDE
INSIDE LINE
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R I D E
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C O M P A N Y
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a NEW MORE POWERFUL ENGINE • NEW STRONGER BRAKES • NEW COIL-SPRING FORK ©2019 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.
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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E
THE CHASE At Round 2 in Prince George, Nicoletti and Facciotti put on quite a show.
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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E
THE URBAN TRACK Each year the Wild Rose MX Track provides the setting for some incredible photos.
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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E
CLEAN AS A WHISTLE If there was ever a good time for a holeshot, this is it!
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PHOTO BY FR AN K HOPPE N
AIRBORNE AT RED BUD Fast Freddy Noren goes ballistic over Larocco’s Leap.
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Your bike deserves
THE BEST
Hand your engine over to an expert .
MOTORCROSS PERFORMANCE VOLUME 19, ISSUE 3
FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES CALL: 416-633-1202
PUBLISHER: Charles Stancer/Mark Stallybrass V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING: Charles Stancer EDITOR: Chris Pomeroy SALES MANAGER: Al Jaggard SENIOR WRITERS: Brian Koster, Mike McGill SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Blake Breton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: James Lissimore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: James Lissimore, Drew Robertson, Leticia Cline, Andy White, Matt Wellumson, Sean Poitras, Lawrence Hacking, Kate McKerroll CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Virgil Knapp, Clayton Racicot, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Frank Hoppen, Summer Denzler, Mike Vizer COVER PHOTO: James Lissimore MXP has the exclusive rights to the MRC’s mailing list of racing license holders. Every MRC license holder from coast to coast receives and reads each issue of MXP. In addition to this exclusive list of readers, we are partnered with several motocross and off-road enthusiast organizations across the country including the FMSQ. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT: Charles Stancer 416-633-1202 charles@mxpmag.com mxpmag.com
Parts & accessories
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA
A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL FROM RACES AND EVENTS THROUGH OUT THE YEAR.
S Things are always good under the OTSFF Yamaha tent.
S This looks like Stu’s fake smile.
S Clear rain jackets are one of this sport’s coolest items.
S Our 5-time champ sure knows how to make people smile.
S Prior to riders’ meeting, everyone has their race face on.
S Even the KTM Canada boss got in on the celebrations in Calgary.
S The GDR-PulpMX staring contest was intense at the opening round.
S Even the race winners were muddy in Manitoba.
S FXR ponchos were the most popular item at Round 3.
S So far, the 2019 season is bringing a big smile to Halstead’s face.
S This was all Facciotti needed to win the second moto in Prince George.
S After a few pre-season injuries, Jess Pettis was happy to be in Calgary.
22 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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PHOTOS DERRICK BUSCH
M X / X X AVA I L A B L E O N L I N E SHIF TMX .CA
22 Y E A R S O F P R O G R E SS I V E R E B E L L I O N . N O OT H E R B R A N D H AS B L E N D E D C U LT U R E W I T H C R A F T Q U I T E L I K E S H I F T. W I T H I N N OVAT I O N A N D D E S I G N T H AT E L E VAT E C O L L E C T I O N S TO N E W L E V E L S , W E ’ R E P R O U D O F T H E P R O D U C TS W E ’ V E O F F E R E D R I D E R S F O R OV E R T W O D E C A D E S .
W H AT M A D E U S C O N T I N U E S TO G U I D E U S . T H E P E R S O N AS T H AT H AV E I N S P I R E D S H I F T, A N D A L L O F U S T H AT P U L L A S H I F T J E R S E Y OV E R O U R H E A D , A R E E Q U A L LY AS I M P O R TA N T TO O U R F U T U R E ; A N D T H E P O SS I B I L I T I E S A R E E N D L E SS – F R O M N E W P R O D U C TS , TO N E W M O M E N TS T H AT W I L L D E F I N E M OTO C U LT U R E , TO R I D E R S N E W A N D O L D W H O P U S H T H E E N V E LO P E F U R T H E R .
E V E RY T I M E YO U T H R OW YO U R L E G OV E R A B I K E , YO U R P O SS I B I L I T I E S A R E E N D L E SS AS W E L L . E N D L E SS N E W L I N E S , E N D L E SS N E W WAYS TO A P P R OAC H E V E RY C O R N E R , W H O O P A N D J U M P L I N E . S O, L E T ’S R I D E TO G E T H E R I N O U R P U R S U I T O F C R E AT I V E F R E E D O M A N D T H E E N D L E SS W O R S H I P O F S P E E D .
PHOTOS DERRICK BUSCH
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A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL FROM RACES AND EVENTS THROUGH OUT THE YEAR.
S You just never know what JSR is thinking when he’s at the races.
S Kristen gets the scoop from MA800 after a tough moto in PG.
S KT$ shows his 2019 summer game face.
S The green team discusses how Goerke was going to win in the mud at Round 3.
S Our bet is that Phil will have everything set up just right for the east.
S Trust us, Newf is smiling on the inside.
S The stories Skip Norfolk must have in the vault.
S This just makes you want to get on the podium at every round.
S Tony gives his predictions at the opening round in Calgary.
S Steve Simms takes a break from texting to cheer on his riders.
S I think I messed with Benoit during timed practice right over there.
S Tanner Ward was super happy about the beginning of the MXTour Series.
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2019 KTM SX DEMO TOUR
Photo: R. Schedl
»www.ktm.com
CALL YOUR LOCAL KTM DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK A DEMO RIDE
2018 MX1 TRIPLE CROWN
CHAMPION CONGRATULATIONS COLE THOMPSON
WINNING THE PRESTIGIOUS TITLE AFTER THEIR SUCCESS ACROSS ALL THREE DISCIPLINES; ARENACROSS, MOTOCROSS AND SUPERCROSS, COLE THOMPSON AND THE KTM RED BULL THOR RACING TEAM CLINCHED THE 2018 MX1 TRIPLE CROWN 450 CHAMPIONSHIP ABOARD THE COMPETITION CRUSHING KTM 450 SX-F
Professional on a closed Always wear proper safety equipment. Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear rider protective safetycourse. gear. The illustrated vehicle may vary in selected details from the production model and feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
PARTICIPANTS MUST BE 18+ TO DEMO
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FAMOUS LAST WORDS WITH CHRIS POMEROY
“IN AN ERA WHERE SOME RIDERS ARE EASILY DISTRACTED, DYLAN IS A THROWBACK TO THE DAYS OF ROSS PEDERSON AND DAMON BRADSHAW WHEN ALL THEY CARED ABOUT WAS RACING.”
TICKING CLOCK
WHEN I THINK BACK TO ALL OF THE YEARS THAT I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SPEND IN THIS GREAT SPORT, EACH ONE HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN DIFFERENT IN ITS OWN WAY. THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT WINNERS IN MANY RACES, AND OF COURSE MULTIPLE HIGHLIGHTS AND LOW LIGHTS. BUT I MUST ADMIT THAT AS DIFFERENT AS EACH YEAR HAS BEEN, THEY ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAVE THE SAME FLOW AND FEEL.
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uring the early part of the season there is always that eagerness to find a dry track to ride as soon as the snow melts. Then the weather is hit and miss and we end up having to practice and sometimes race in adverse conditions. It can be stressful and rewarding all at the same time. Spring then turns into summer, the air dries out, the temperature rises and the races slowly become more meaningful. Soon it’s time for the Walton TransCan, then it’s back to school and of course one of my parts of riding dirt bikes, our short but glorious fall riding season. After 45 years of riding this motocross merry-go-round it has at times become a little predictable, but oh how I still love it. I also believe that some of that deep love still remains because I’m able to sit back and watch my son go through some of the cool things that I got to do when I was his age. That last sentence is a perfect segway into the next subject as one of the things that I pray my son doesn’t have to deal with is a sanctioning body like the CMA. For whatever reason or reasons, the CMA
saga has been going on for a long, long time, and it appears that almost everyone has a less than desirable story about this association. Regardless of whether or not you followed all of the rules set by the CMA when you raced or tried to organize an event, it doesn’t matter. One thing that all of us can agree on is that over the years the CMA, at the very least, has been hard to work with, and in many circumstances I think that’s putting it mildly. I could go into multiple stories about my family and our dealings with the CMA since we began racing in 1981 but I’m not sure there are enough words available in this column. Thankfully, we have one of our trusted contributors, Lawrence Hacking, to tell his story in this issue. Lawrence is a long time, passionate, motorcycle loving man who has spent almost his entire life around the sport. When he wants to speak about important issues in our industry, I always make sure I listen. Who knows where all of this boycotting the MXON talk will go and if it will affect anything moving forward, but I think it’s definitely time for a change. One modern day rider who I know would’ve hated racing under the CMA
umbrella is our latest Coverboy Dylan Wright. Prior to the opening round of the 2019 MXTour I made the decision that the 250 rider who got off to the best start in the series was most likely going to get this cover. Even though Marshal Weltin took the red plates into the beginning of the eastern rounds, I don’t think too many people can argue that Dylan Wright was the best 250 rider in the opening three races of the MXTour series. Whether it’s his hard charging style, his fierce determination, or just his overall focused demeanour, it’s hard not to love what Dylan Wright brings to our sport. I know at times that his competition may not like what he brings to the track, but he’s a racer at heart and that will never change. In an era where some riders are easily distracted, Dylan is a throwback to the days of Ross Pederson and Damon Bradshaw when all they cared about was racing. Even though he didn’t end up getting the win at Round 3 in Manitoba due to a five position penalty for cutting the track, I don’t think I’ve seen a moto where a rider has raced with so much determination. Using mud riding skills that I perhaps wouldn’t teach to any young rider, Dylan powered his way to the moto
win. It was pretty remarkable to watch and it was a shame that the win was taken away with the penalty. One thing is for sure, Dylan will be fun to watch in the eastern rounds, and the way he attacks a race track is something that I would most certainly teach any young rider. So, in this summer issue of MXP Magazine we have Dylan Wright on the cover, an entertaining Guest Column by Tyler Medaglia, and of course a ton of other awesome stories. We also are lucky enough to have KTM Canada’s former Marketing Specialist Claudie Lapointe write about the Women’s West National Series, as well as look at the lovely and ultra-supportive wives of four of our top pro riders. I’m very proud at how this issue came together and I really hope you enjoy reading it. According to my trusty motocross clock it’s time to finish up the eastern rounds of the MXTour and then head to Walton Raceway for the 2019 TransCan. I hope everyone has a safe and successful summer, and I will see you all at the races.
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FEMALE PERSPECTIVE WITH SALINA CANNELLA
WESTERN ADVENTURE
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, THE TRAVEL TO CALGARY DRIVING TWO DAYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE MOTORHOME TO ROUND ONE OF THE ROCKSTAR TRIPLE CROWN SERIES. IT’S SO AMAZING HOW MOTOCROSS IS SUCH AN AWESOME FAMILY SPORT WITH SO MUCH SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER.
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ravelling across the country, seeing the most beautiful sights, bodies of water, wild animals and stunning sunsets; the best part - no cell phones or timelines. Going out west is always a trip we look forward to as a family. The anticipation is always a nail biter. Our team, MX101/Yamaha/ Royal Distributing/FXR, works very hard, as do all the teams, to arrive early, have everything set up and ready to go. With all the testing being done at home ahead of time, the race bikes and set ups are all ready to go. It’s great to see all the team owners, team managers, riders, mechanics, wives, and girlfriends. It takes an army to make this sport succeed. When we arrived to the track Friday morning the smoke surrounding us was unbelievable. It was very hard to breath and see far ahead of us. There were for-
est fires in the surrounding areas and the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, so it was going to be a concerning issue. During the day we spent some time with Iain Hayden and Drew Robertson (owner of Evolved Sport Science). Drew is Marco and Logan’s trainer and for the past month; they’ve been working together with the new Motofit.app. Everything you need to know with training, fitness videos, all uploaded to your finger tips on a cell phone. My kids have both been using it and it works wonders. It’s very user friendly, and they are held accountable by Drew, which is the best part from a parent’s perspective. After a great day at his gym with a hardy workout we joined them at Drew’s house for dinner. With the wind changing direction the smoke was clear, and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner on his patio with his fantastic wife and two kids; a night to remember - friendships for life. Back to
the motorhome for a good night’s rest and some family time. When morning arrived, off to the races we went. The track looked awesome, excitement was in the air and the team was ready to go. As parents your nerves are always crazy on race day so no coffee for me. This track is always rough with big ruts and lots of chop so you have to be ready to watch. For us, the first race is the hardest. Marco is always nervous, and then there’s arm pump and holding your breath, so we always hope for the best. A little secret, I never watch starts as it’s always been the most difficult part of this sport. So Logan sits near me and gives me the okay to make sure Marco made it through okay. After two long motos with some decent finishes (considering he had a sinus infection) racing was over. We have a great teammate again this year, which makes racing all the
more fun. Luke, Hayden and Marco get along great and always have encouraging words for each other. Kevin Tyler, the Team Manager, is always positive and keeps the boys in great spirits. At the end of the day everyone helps tear down and clean up to get the rig ready for its travels to Round 2. After that it’s back to the hotel for a nice dinner all together; everyone was happy and healthy. The next day we were back to the gym with Drew for our last session (it was inspiring), then off to Elbow Falls for a hike and a picnic. The mountains, blue water and wild animals are truly remarkable like no other. It was the perfect day with the sun out and a dip in the fresh cold water. Remember, this helps heal the muscles after racing. After a great day together it was time to say goodbye. Logan and I were off to the airport to return home, to go back to work and school. Sam and Marco were off to Prince George in the motorhome; what an adventure it was going to be. They travelled with the team rig and a few other riders. Mountain biking, sight seeing, swimming, running and riding, and all kinds of different tracks. Lots of laughs, memories, wonderful photos and sharing lots of recipes with a few coin tosses for who was making dinner. Surrounding yourself with great people helps fuel the mind, body and soul. After racing Round 2 & 3, the motorhome made its way back home to Ontario for a few weeks off and to prepare for the East rounds. Starve your distractions. Feed your Focus! See you all at the races.
“KEVIN TYLER, THE TEAM MANAGER, IS ALWAYS POSITIVE AND KEEPS THE BOYS IN GREAT SPIRITS. AT THE END OF THE DAY EVERYONE HELPS TEAR DOWN AND CLEAN UP TO GET THE RIG READY FOR ITS TRAVELS TO ROUND 2.”
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GUEST COLUMN WITH TYLER MEDAGLIA
ASK ME ANYTHING
PHOTOS BY JAM E S LI SSI MOR E
AS I SIT IN FRONT OF MY LAPTOP THAT HASN’T BEEN OPENED IN QUITE SOME TIME, I WONDER HOW LONG IT’S BEEN SINCE I’VE ACTUALLY WRITTEN ANYTHING BESIDE MY DAILY 500 SLANGFILLED TEXTS. I AM LIKELY GOING TO NEED A REACTIN FROM THE DUST ON THE KEYS, ALSO THE RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF RANDOM POP-UPS COMING FROM GOD KNOWS WHAT THAT I’M X-ING OUT TELLS ME IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME. WITH AN OPEN CANVAS IT USED TO BE EASY TO SIT AROUND AND COME UP WITH ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT CREATIVE TOPICS.
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hese days I’m constantly thinking or worrying about what these three maniac kids are up to, what I have to do for training, or when does Heidi need to take off to do something, etc. Let’s take right now, for an example, I’m in my room but I can hear the baby pushing a chair over to the island so she can climb up and check for chocolate. We have moved the chocolate but put fruit up there, so is that a lateral move or a step in the right direction? With all that being said I went to Instagram to ask for suggestions for this column because I knew as soon as I agreed to do it that it would be left to the last minute. Here are a few that caught my attention: “The days of top Canadians racing the US on off weekends, and how did you and your brother do it to get better?” That was a trend that my Dad noticed when we were on minis. We would go down to the states, get spanked, then
come back home, do better, then go back down, get spanked a little less, and on and on until we started winning down there, too. When we first turned pro we only had eight pro races a year so it only made sense to go down and race as much as possible. First goal was qualify, then to get points, then to get a national number, then top ten finish, so there was always a carrot to chase. My first AMA National was in 2006. I finished 18th overall in the Lites class at Southwick, and the last one I did was last year when I finished sixth overall in the 450 class at Ironman Raceway. It’s harder to get down to them these days since we have 15-16 pro races a year now in Canada and a lot more is on the line. The expectations from the teams and sponsors are higher, and for me the off weekends mean that I’m enjoying time with my family. I do plan on lining up for a few this season again though. The next suggestion I received via Social Media was to write something about every type of racing I have done (MX,
SX, MXON, ISDE, GNCC) also the races I would like to do? We can start with MX. The first thing that comes to mind is winning Gopher last year. 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. That’s one of the reasons why I’m still racing, which is because that feeling is still attainable. My SX career wasn’t very long since my primary focus has always been MX. One thing that still blows my mind is how you can have an exact replica of the SX track outside without the stadium, banners, people, noise, lights etc., and ride and feel one way. Then you can ride at the race the very next day on the same bike and feel like you have never ridden a motorcycle before. The power of the energy that supercross brings is unbelievable. Unfortunately, that energy also increases the pressure, and sometimes it’s hard to just relax and ride like you know how. It definitely takes some getting used to. Being at an MXON in Europe is pretty mind blowing the first time; the amount of people is crazy. In Italy one year it was like the track went through a field of people, you could not see clear space at all. I think there were at least 80, 000 people there. One of the corners where the dutch people were watching, you would ride through orange smoke bombs and could barely see where you were riding. ISDE is probably the coolest race I’ve ever done. It takes a bit of time to figure out the format of the event, and there are probably fifty different rules you need to know, but it was the best way to see a country. Ride on roads, through cities, farmers fields, mountains, then
“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.
do an eight-minute corner track as fast as you can. Then there’s the GNCC events that I’ve raced. Just imagine six 30 minute motos without a break. There are still a couple races I would like to try. Erzberg would be cool to try. I have always wanted to do that one, and now that I have been riding my ZX-10 a lot lately, it would be fun to try a road race at some point. One of the questions I got was about bike set-up? This is obviously really important at the pro level because at some point there is a group of guys that can all go the same speed around the track, so the only real difference is how fit your are and how good your bike works. For me, it’s been tricky since I haven’t spent an extend period of time on the same bike/chassis for more than a couple of years. So it has been crucial for me to get comfy quickly and that’s why we have specialists on the team to help sort out issues fast. Adam Robinson has helped me for the last few seasons because he always sees places where things need improvement, even on days where I feel great and don’t think the bike needs to be touched. Chris Bondi is always available to help me with my engines, and Rob from Race Tech takes care of my suspension. As you can tell I’m pretty fortunate. I also got a few training questions to answer. In my opinion, cross training is the key to a long career because you have something away from MX to distract you while improving your fitness at the same time. Even though I have a structured training plan with Migration Unlimited, I have a hard time focusing in the gym at times. There may have been a couple upper body days that have been replaced with trail building days, or some recovery cycles replaced with front yard soccer games with the kids and friends. Structured training has been getting easier with the newer tech that’s available now. With Garmin and Training Peaks you can closely monitor what’s going on with your training and recovery. People like Brad (Migration) who understand the body, and apps that allow you to just follow along and let you know when it’s time to take a break or keep the throttle on. On the riding side you can monitor all your laps with GPS now. I use www.mypitboard.com. It’s similar to Litpro but you don’t need to look at your phone or download anything. It’s real time lap times that come up on your bar pad. Going through some of these suggestions I feel like I could write a full book. That’s it for this issue though, hopefully I’m able to do a few more of these in the future. Thanks to Palms for this platform and to my Monster Energy Alpinestars Pillers Kawasaki for my job!
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DYLAN WRIGHT
RED HOT 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
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o far, 2019 has been an incredible season for Dylan Wright. Not only did he win the 250 class title in the AXTour earlier this year, but he also had a great start to the outdoor series. During the first three rounds of the MXTour Series, Wright won an overall in the 250 class, and had two big moto wins. Each time the gate drops you know that Dylan is not only going to be entertaining to watch but there is never any doubt that he’s going to give it everything he has. For those who were able to witness any of the opening races of the MXTour it was quite clear that Dylan was overall the fastest rider in the 250 class. Now as the series moves east, will he be able to maintain his feverish pace? To celebrate Dylan Wright’s success in 2019 we decided to feature the GDR Fox Honda rider on the cover of this issue. For the cover story we reached out to Dylan to get his thoughts on the his season thus far.
CONGRATULATIONS DYLAN ON YOUR NEW COVER, IT’S CERTAINLY WELL EARNED. YOUR 2019 HAS DEFINITELY GOTTEN OFF TO A GOOD START. ARE YOU HAVING FUN OR WHAT?
First off, thank you very much! It’s definitely an honour to be on another cover of MXP. That is fun, for sure! As for the racing, 2019 has been going fairly well for me. I’m finally in a good position in the championship coming out of the West, but there are definitely some motos that I would like to have back. I feel like there was some stuff that maybe I could change, and then there were other things that were just plain bad luck and were really out of my control. Despite some of the issues, I have to admit that things have been clicking! It feels so good when all the effort made in practice translates into wins on the track. It’s unfortunate that the points do not accurately reflect my achievements to date, but we are coming to the East and I am optimistic.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, YOU WON THE 2019 AXTOUR 250 CHAMPIONSHIP, YOUR FIRST TITLE AS A PROFESSIONAL. HOW GOOD DID THAT FEEL AFTER ALL OF YOUR OFFSEASON TRAINING?
I never imagined that my first pro championship would be in arenacross. AX may be popular in the West, but as I was growing up, there was no such thing as AX that I was aware of. That meant that I had to put in the work in the off-season to develop my skills in the tighter, more technical stuff. It was an absolutely amazing feeling to reach the end of the AX tour and to be crowned the champ. I know that a lot of people may have doubted my indoor skills, so to come out and prove the doubters wrong was a huge source of satisfaction. At the first round, I really didn’t put myself in a good position for the championship because it was super muddy. In the second moto I got together with another rider off the face of a jump and ended
up landing on some tough blocks and went down. I think I actually ended up finishing seventh. Going into Round 2 in Calgary, I knew that I had to win if I wanted to get myself back into the championship race. I did just that! I got off to a great start and was able to get out front early and take the win. Given my results at Round 1, it came as somewhat of a surprise to learn that I would head out of the stadium as the holder of the red plate. I don’t know if people realize this, but it was my first time ever holding the red plate as a pro. After Round 3, I got another win and had a little bit of a points lead heading into the last round. I was feeling really good at Round 4 until I got taken out in the heat race and missed out on the Clash for Cash. Heading to the main, I knew what I had to do; put that Honda Canada GDR Fox racing machine on the box! If I did, I would take home the championship. After feeling the pressure of leading the series, it was such an amazing feeling and relief to get the first pro championship of my career under my belt. What a great confidence booster leading into the outdoor season.
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I’VE WRITTEN A FEW TIMES SINCE THE FINAL AXTOUR ROUND IN BARRIE THAT YOU APPEAR TO BE RIDING WITH MORE MATURITY AND PURPOSE. DO YOU FEEL DIFFERENT SO FAR IN 2019 OR IS IT JUST YOUR NATURAL PROGRESSION?
Thank you very much for the compliment! I realize that I have been known to be an aggressive, persistent and sometimes unpredictable rider. I worked really hard this off-season on being smoother and more efficient when I’m riding. I honestly slowed down to go fast and just brought it back to the basics. I finally figured out what this advice actually meant! I think a little bit of it is definitely natural progression, but I definitely put a lot of emphasis on things like breathing, timing, and race strategy this off-season. I feel like I have really made some good progress in my riding, and it’s really cool to have people like you point out that you see the difference.
MOVING ON TO THE MXTOUR. YOU DEFINITELY CAME OUT SWINGING AT THE OPENING ROUND IN CALGARY. DID YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ON THE WILD ROSE TRACK?
Round 1 is where we all find out who has done the work and if our efforts were enough to edge out the competition. No other round is filled with more confidence and optimism! As for me, I have always been a fan of the Wild Rose track. I like the flow of the track, and the first moto went super well for me despite the fact that I didn’t get off to the best of starts. I had to pass some title contenders to make my way to the front. As I did, I must admit that I was taking some alternate lines on the track and just felt super comfortable. I was
able to get out front and ride my own race. It’s always nice when this happens for the first moto of the year. Sadly, Moto 2 was more reminiscent of what some described as the “old” Dylan. But when you slide out on an over-watered, hard-pack track, drag racing for the holeshot and find yourself at the back of the pack, there is no other option than to put your head down and take a few more risks than usual if you’re going to try to turn faster laps than the leaders so you can catch up with the lead pack. Sometimes these efforts work in your favour, sometimes they don’t. Overall, I am proud of my come-from-behind ride and that my efforts were rewarded with a 6th place in that moto and a 3rd place overall on the day, keeping me in the championship hunt.
“I WORKED REALLY HARD THIS OFFSEASON ON BEING SMOOTHER AND MORE EFFICIENT WHEN I’M RIDING. I HONESTLY SLOWED DOWN TO GO FAST AND JUST BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE BASICS.”
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DURING THE SECOND MOTO IN CALGARY YOU HAD A SMALL OFF-TRACK EXCURSION. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED?
That second moto was one of those motos I would like to have back. Off the start, I slid out while almost getting the holeshot. A short while later, I went down again with another rider on the first lap and found myself way back from the rest of the field. I knew that I had to pass as many riders as I could and was pushing a little too hard. I caught all the way back up to the lead pack, right behind Tyler Medaglia. While running behind him, trying to make a pass, I hit a rock that sent me sideways off the face of the little table top. Unfortunately, this off-track excursion sent me right into the flagger that was sitting on the side of the track. I felt sooooo bad because it was my mistake and I had some serious speed when we collided. I was really worried about the injuries I may have inflicted on him. I went and checked on him after the moto was over and the following day. Thankfully, he was alright, just a little banged up. I was just really bummed because of how good I was riding that day, but live and learn I guess. It just reminded me of the focus of my off-season training as I promised myself to make every effort not to make that mistake again.
“MY HEART SANK AS THE BIG LEAD I HAD ACQUIRED EVAPORATED AND THE RACERS I HAD PASSED EARLIER IN THE RACE WERE NOW PASSING ME AND WOULD TAKE ALL THREE SPOTS ON THE PODIUM. BUT, I STILL MANAGED TO SALVAGE A FOURTH PLACE IN THAT MOTO.”
BUT THEN YOU CAME BACK AND WON THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND IN PRINCE GEORGE AND TOOK THE COVETED RED PLATE IN THE 250 CLASS.
Yeah, I honestly just put Moto 2 in Calgary behind me and moved on to Prince George where I have enjoyed some success in the past. I got off to two very good starts off the concrete and made my way past a couple guys in both motos to take the lead. Everything was coming together nicely … until things started falling apart … literally. In the first moto, with about 5 laps to go, my sub-frame actually broke into two pieces underneath me. There would be no more sitting down for me in that moto. I hugged that bike as hard as I could and prayed I wouldn’t get black flagged and that my bike would make it to the checkered flag. But, I never give up unless the bike stops moving or I physically can’t ride anymore. So I limped the bike to the finish. Towards the end of the moto, the bike had no power and could barely make it up the hills at PG. My heart sank as the big lead I had acquired evaporated and the racers I had passed earlier in the race were now passing me and would take all three spots on the podium. But, I still managed to salvage a fourth place in that moto. My heart now filled with joy as I realized that I avoided a very costly DNF and salvaged some precious championship points. Back at the pits, the mechanics worked feverishly to switch things up and to prep my backup bike, which I had never even ridden a lap on. I knew it was going to be a little bit of a challenge, but after a good start, the first couple of laps allowed me to adjust. I was able to put myself in the lead and ride my own race. For the second time in 2019, I held that elusive red plate heading into Round 3.
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DYLAN WRIGHT
RED HOT BEFORE WE GET INTO ROUND 3 IN MANITOBA, LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR GDR FOX HONDA TEAM. WITH MIKE ALESSI NOW ON THE TEAM, THINGS ARE A LITTLE BUSIER UNDER THE TENT THIS SEASON. HOW HAS THE VIBE BEEN SO FAR THIS SUMMER WITH THE TEAM?
Mike has been a great addition to our team. He is such a nice person and an awesome guy to hang out with. He also comes with a bunch of experience and knowledge. Having two guys under the tent with the credentials that they have is pretty amazing for a younger guy like me. I actually went and stayed with Mike and his family in Hilliard, Florida. It was incredible to go down there to ride and train with Mike. We became pretty close friends during that time. So I don’t find it any different under the tent other than maybe it’s a little more crowded upstairs in the rig where we get dressed. But to be honest it’s been awesome and we all work as a team. With 250s generally taking to the track first, it’s nice to sometimes be able to share some of what I noticed with them before they go out.
OKAY, YOU DOMINATED THE RACE AT ROUND 3 IN MANITOBA, IN THE MUD WITH NO GOGGLES ON. IT WAS A PRETTY BIG EFFORT ON YOUR PART. HOWEVER, AFTER THE RACE YOU WERE DOCKED FIVE POSITIONS FOR CUTTING THE TRACK. CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION?
I had one of the greatest mud races of my career, regardless of the outcome and no matter what anybody says. It was muddy mayhem in Manitoba! Right off the start, I found myself behind other riders and my goggles were immediately covered in mud. I couldn’t see a thing. When I went to pull the string on my roll-offs, the string snapped! I had zero visibility heading into the first turn. As you mentioned, I tossed my goggles in the second corner. I knew I was going to have to be smart and pick my places to pass to avoid getting my eyes filled with mud. After I was able to get into the lead, I was able to find some pretty good lines and pull a nice gap. I was never so happy to see the checkered flag and to cross the finish line first in those conditions. There are no words to describe how truly deflated I was to learn that I was being stripped of my first overall position and was getting docked 5 positions for missing a little piece of track in the first turn. Regardless of whether or not you agree that the penalty fits the crime, the ruling has been made and there’s nothing we can do about it. The only thing left to do now is to put it behind me and focus on winning the rest of the races this year.
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RED HOT OBVIOUSLY, THE CONDITIONS WERE DIFFICULT AND THE TRACK WASN’T MARKED VERY WELL. LOOKING BACK NOW, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D DO DIFFERENTLY?
Honestly, I couldn’t see anything due to my goggle situation. If I was put in the same situation again, I wouldn’t change a thing. At that moment, I couldn’t see who was ahead of me or beside me, let alone where yellow markers were. I didn’t even know I went off the track; I had so much mud on my goggles. I was also distracted by the fact that I just broke the pull string on my goggles and would have no eye protection for the rest of the race. Suffice it to say that I am someone who learns from his mistakes. All I can do now is do my best not to let it happen again.
IT WAS DEFINITELY A TOUGH DEAL AS YOU NOT ONLY HAD THE WIN TAKEN AWAY BUT ALSO THE RED PLATE. HOWEVER, I’M SURE YOU’RE NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO ROUND 4 AND THE REST OF THE EAST ROUNDS.
Yeah! It turned out to be a pretty tough deal! Not only was I stripped of my first place finish following what I felt was a solid ride, but I had quite a few points taken away, the red plate taken away, and the win bonus I would have received was gone. During the break, I have opted to take my frustration and turn it into motivation moving forward to the East rounds. I have been good in the East in the past and am looking forward to the opportunity to do it again this year!
OVER THE PAST FEW SEASONS YOU’VE PROVEN THAT WHEN THE CONDITIONS GET TOUGH YOU REALLY STEP UP YOUR GAME. DURING THESE EAST ROUNDS, WE COULD DEFINITELY SEE SOME EXTREME TRACK CONDITIONS AS WELL AS SOME VERY HOT WEATHER. ARE YOU READY?
Absolutely! I am somebody who loves it when the track gets rough and technical. I am looking forward to the rounds with a little more sand and some tougher racing conditions. I am 100% ready! I have been working my butt off in the gym and on the bike, and am fuelled by the confidence and motivation I have accumulated over the past few weeks. Bring on the heat, humidity and rough tracks!
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LATE LAST YEAR YOU MOVED TO QUEBEC TO LIVE WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND. HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING LIVING THERE?
It was a huge move for me. Last fall, before the supercross season, I moved to Drummondville with my girlfriend. Honestly, I love it there! I have my own space and can just focus on me, my girlfriend and my program with no other distractions. There is something to be said for having a place of your own, a routine and a great home life. I believe that when you have a great home life during the week, it shows on the track on the weekend. YOU’RE FLUENT IN FRENCH SO WE’RE SURE THAT HELPS. ARE THERE SOME GOOD PRACTICE TRACKS AROUND WHERE YOU LIVE?
Being fluent in French definitely helps, but when I met my girlfriend, I had almost lost my French, because I rarely used it after I finished high school. But since we’ve been together, my French has not only returned but has improved. I speak the language better than I ever have. As for your question about tracks, Quebec loves its motorsports. As a result, within 1.5 hours of where I live, there are like 8 different tracks for me to ride. This gives me lots of options for different soil, which is awesome.
“I HAVE BEEN GOOD IN THE EAST IN THE PAST AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.”
WITH HAVING EXPERIENCED TEAMMATES LIKE FACCIOTTI AND ALESSI, WE’RE SURE ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU’VE LEARNED IS THAT IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE TRACK, YOU HAVE TO LEAD A SIMPLE AND PRODUCTIVE LIFE AWAY FROM THE TRACK. YOU APPEAR TO BE DOING THAT AND YOU’RE RACE RESULTS REFLECT IT.
That’s exactly it! Like I said earlier, I believe that if you have a good home life, it shows on the track. I am very lucky that my girlfriend is so supportive and knows how hard I have to work. She is there for me no matter what. Leading a simple and deliberate life is one thing that Colton and Mike have taught me and I am working hard to implement that in my life. Not only do I enjoy a good home life, but I also benefit from a good “pit life,” which also shows on the track. I count myself very lucky enough to be a part of a supportive team that believes in me.
BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS THESE DAYS TO TRANSITION FROM THE INTERMEDIATE CLASS TO THE PRO CLASS? YOU WERE A MULTITIME AMATEUR CHAMPION AND WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO LAND A GREAT RIDE ON THE MX101 YAMAHA TEAM FOR YOUR ROOKIE PRO YEAR, AND IT WAS STILL VERY DIFFICULT. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR THE NEXT GROUP OF FAST AMATEUR KIDS COMING UP THROUGH THE RANKS?
The transition to the pro ranks was definitely harder than I thought it was going to be. I am very grateful to the MX101 team forgiving me the opportunity to become a pro racer. They did everything they could to make the transition as easy as it could be for me. They emphasized learning and experience. They did not impose the pressure of winning championships, although they always believed I could do it and they encouraged me to strive for it. We set realistic goals with increasing expectations with every passing year. Even with all of that, it still was not the easiest thing to do. To go from regular wins to fighting to be in the Top 10 can be a cruel adjustment. Amateur racing just isn’t the same as the pro stuff. The racing is a lot tighter and more intense, and the races are a lot longer. You’re racing against the same guys week in and week out, and there are a lot more FAST guys! The one word of advice I would give kids coming into the pro ranks would be to not put too much pressure on themselves and to set realistic goals and gradually keep raise the bar. Trust the process and the results will come. The one mistake I made my first year was to put the same pressure and have the same expectations in terms of results in the pro class as I did in the Intermediate class. This is simply unrealistic. There truly is such a thing as “trying too hard.” DYLAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW COVER. GOOD LUCK FOR THE REST OF 2019!
Thank you very much for reaching out to me and for selecting me to be on the cover. To be acknowledged in this way is a huge privilege! I am very excited for this issue to come out!!
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How The West Was Won LIKE LAST SEASON, FACCIOTTI MANAGED TO COME OUT OF THE WEST WITH THE RED PLATES.
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
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THE FIRST START OF A NEW SEASON IS ALWAYS AN EXCITING ONE.
O
ROUND 2 IN PRINCE GEORGE DEFINITELY GIVES AWAY THE BEST TROPHIES.
ver the years, outdoor motocross has proven to be such a great live sport. While supercross has found a way to reach and entertain audiences through their televisions and computer screens, the best way to watch an outdoor motocross event still remains to be standing on the sidelines letting your multiple senses be wowed with what you see and smell. This is just one reason why the motocross world now refers to outdoor motocross as “The Great Outdoors,” because as much as we all love gathering around our televisions during the winter to watch each round of the Monster Energy Supercross Series, or the early season rounds of the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series
WITH THE 2019 MXTOUR BEING JUST EIGHT ROUNDS, THE STARS OF THIS SERIES KNEW THAT THERE WAS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
AXTour, nothing replaces the sights and sounds of watching 40 of our top outdoor motocross riders blasting off the starting gate with their throttles pinned and their teeth gritted as they head out for 35 minutes of fun. With the first leg of the 2019 Triple Crown Series, the aforementioned AXTour, in the rear view mirror, all of the riders and teams arrived in Calgary for the opening round of the middle and most cherished part of the series. For the past few years, Wild Rose MX Park has been the host of the opening round of the outdoor series, and this year was no different. With its proximity to downtown Calgary and thousands of die-hard motocross fans, this round is certainly the jewel of the series. The Wild Rose MX track is also unique by nature as its huge jumps and steep elevation changes make it a rider and fan favourite. So with the Saddledome in the background, the stage was set for one of the most anticipated outdoor series this country has ever seen. Coming into this summer’s MXTour, there was obviously a lot of questions that could only be answered by dropping the gate. In the 450 class, the questions were mostly centred around
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JOSH OSBY CAME OUT SWINGING AT THE OPENING ROUND AND GRABBED THE WIN.
How The West Was Won
KEYLAN MESTON WILL BE LOOKING FOR BETTER FINISHES IN THE EAST.
the top guns as many wondered how they would stack up against each other. Could the defending 2018 Champion, Colton Facciotti, win his record sixth 450 title? How would newcomer Phil Nicoletti fair in his inaugural season in Canada? And finally, could Cole Thompson find a way to duplicate his indoor success on our challenging outdoor tracks in 2019? Ironically, from the moment the gate dropped at Round 1 we were able to get a few of the answers that we were looking for. Not only did Facciotti and Thompson split moto wins on the technical Wild Rose track but Nicoletti finished second in both races serving notice that he most definitely would live up to his advance billing this summer. Sometimes at the opening round riders have been guilty of playing it safe and not showing all of their cards, but this was certainly not the case in Calgary as every rider on the track was going for it. With the 2019 MXTour being just eight rounds, the stars of this series knew that there was no time like the present to make things happen. In the 250 class, the battle for the Round 1 bragging rights was intense as Dylan Wright, Josh Osby, Marshall Weltin and Jess Pettis all battled for top spot. Wright used his aggression and speed to draw first blood as he won the opening moto of the series. In Moto 2, it was Josh Osby who outlasted everyone else to take the win and the overall for the day. It was a great day of racing, and the new condensed race schedule brought on by the new live television package ran like a charm. As the riders and teams packed up and headed Northwest to Prince George for Round 2, the red plates were firmly attached to the KTM of Cole Thompson and the Yamaha of Josh Osby. The differences in the venues of the opening two rounds were as big as the miles between them. While the track is Calgary is mixed neatly within the urban sprawl, the Blackwater MX Track in Prince George shares nature with endless rows of trees and wild animals. Even though Round 2 is so far out in the middle of nowhere that cell phones struggle for signal, the track is an exciting masterpiece that winds up and down the natural landscape. The riders love Blackwater MX Track, and the quality of racing reflects that every year. Both classes that day provided us with some unforgettable racing as Marshall Weltin and Colton Facciotti took the overall victories. Although Weltin is new to our series, he brings with him a lot of experience. He also has a smooth riding style that appears to be perfectly suited to our Canadian tracks. In Prince George, Weltin simply stayed out of trouble and let his competition make the mistakes. For Dylan Wright, his race was once again filled with drama, as while he was leading the
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DYLAN WRIGHT WAS MOST CERTAINLY THE FASTEST 250 RIDER IN THE WEST.
MARSHAL WELTIN IS OFF TO A GREAT START IN THE 250 CLASS.
the technical track threw at them. When Facciotti wouldn’t say uncle, Nicoletti was forced to settle for a hard earned second. It was an epic battle and one that we’ll most likely see a few more times this summer. With this being Facciotti’s final year of professional racing, he clearly wants to go out on top. For Nicoletti, this is his first year of racing in Canada and he wants to make his mark. One rider on his way out and one rider on his way up, this has the makings of a perfect racing story as they battle for this 2019 450 title. On this day, Facciotti took the overall win, his first ever on this track, and with his win he also took control of the red plates. From way up in Prince George, the riders and teams made their way back east to the small town of Minnedosa, Manitoba for Round 3. Unlike the opening two rounds of the series that took place under bright sunshine, the third race of the series represented the first mud race of the season. With light rain falling and cold temperatures, the McNabb Valley MX track was a water logged mess as the gate dropped for the opening 250 moto. For the third race in a row, our cover boy, Dylan Wright, caught the eye of the race stewards as he went off the track in Turn 2. Although he went on to win the race, Wright was later docked five positions that would not only cost him his Round 3 victory but also the red plates heading into his team’s home track race. Dylan’s misfortune opened up the door for Yamaha rider Luke Renzland to take his first win of 2019. With Matt Goerke also soldiering through the mud to take his first win in the 450 class, this meant that we saw three different overall winners in both the 250 class as well as the 450 to kick off the 2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series. Now it’s on to the very challenging eastern rounds with Marshall Weltin and Colton Facciotti atop the point standings. As history has shown us so many times in the past, the western rounds can be just a warm up, and the real series begins in the east. With hot and humid temperatures expected and three of the five remaining tracks being made up of sand, these rounds can either make or break a rider’s series. So buckle up, get some water and find some shade, these final five races are sure going to be entertaining. The riders that find success are the riders who can endure the suffering the best during these intense races. As they say, if you can embrace the suffer then you might just taste victory. We shall see which riders will come out on top when this series concludes in Walton, Ontario.
COLE THOMPSON HAD MIXED RESULTS IN THE OPENING THREE ROUNDS.
ROUND 3 IN MANITOBA SAW COLD TEMPERATURES AND A LOT OF RAIN.
42 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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COLTON FACCIOTTI IS ALL SMILES AS THE MXTOUR HEADS EAST.
MATT GOERKE DOMINATED THE 450 CLASS IN MUDDY MINNEDOSA.
ON THIS DAY, FACCIOTTI TOOK THE OVERALL WIN, HIS FIRST EVER ON THIS TRACK, AND WITH HIS WIN HE ALSO TOOK CONTROL OF THE RED PLATES.
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2019-07-11 10:32 AM
These Girls Are Good BY CL AU DI E L APOI NTE / PHOTOS BY JAM E S LI SS I MOR E
T
he Western Women’s motocross series has been really exciting again this year. I think it is fair to say that most of the excitement came from the amazing battles that the top three ladies gave us at the first three rounds. I am talking about Shelby Turner, Avrie Berry and Eve Brodeur. The orange trio really made a statement by separating themselves from the rest of the riders at every single event, exchanging positions and giving the crowd a real good show. Don’t get me wrong, we have seen great racing on the West coast in the past and good battles throughout the pack, but rarely did we get those non-stop, very tight, three-way battles after every single gate drop… and I loved it.
“WHEN I ASKED THEM WHAT THEY LIKED THE MOST ABOUT RACING IN CANADA, EVE SAID THAT SHE LOVED THE FACT THAT THE WMX WAS BACK ON RACE DAY.”
With that being said, I decided to sit down with all three of them to ask a few questions and learn more about our fast-three, and trust me, being fast seemed to be their only big point the have in common. If you are from the Canadian West Coast and have followed WMX, even just a little bit, you have to know Shelby Turner. Born and raised in Alberta, Shelby has a pretty long winning resume, including 3 Canadian Western WMX titles, 2 Canadian Cross-Country titles and, to top it all off, 2 AMA Endurocross titles. She was out in 2018 due to a leg injury after she compound fractured her tib and fib, but never lost sight on the racing scene in Canada. At only 23-years-old, Shelby is the oldest of three girls and the only one who had ridden any of the tracks they raced on in 2019. If you are more into East Coast racing, then maybe Eve Brodeur is a more familiar name to you. The 19-year-old French Canadian is a 4-time Canadian Eastern WMX Champion, on top of some very impressive US results. Before 2019, Eve had never made the trip to the western provinces but had done her research and knew from the get-go that both Shelby and Avrie would be her biggest competition. She admitted being nervous about the amount of hard pack tracks in the schedule, as she is known to be a good sand rider. Finally, if you are more into International WMX racing then you might have heard of 18-year-old Avrie Berry. Originally from Washougal, Washington, Avrie splits her time in between her hometown in Belgium and Alberta. It was when she turned 15 that she decided to take motocross more seriously. Fast-forward to two years later, with the dying WMX scene in the USA, Avrie decided to give MXGP a try. After getting a top-10 in 2018, Avrie is at the top of her shape and is really excited to get the chance to race across the globe. While she hadn’t tried any of the tracks, she was more familiar with the hard soil that the PNW has to offer and was looking forward to racing against the other two ladies. When I asked them about winter training, I was surprised to hear three completely different stories. Shelby had spent time in the hospital getting some hardware removed from her leg but had focused most of her energy on training for Endurocross in Phoenix, Arizona. So, obviously, it was a real bummer for her to hear that the AMA Endurocross series was going to be cancelled for 2019. ‘’When I heard the news, it was too late to get into any other Off-Road series, but I will be able to attend some hard, technical off-road events like the Tennessee Knock-Out and I’m really looking forward to that.’’ Shelby also mentioned having to get back to Canada during
44 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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These Girls Are Good “EVEN THOUGH THEIR TRANSPORTATION MODE IS DIFFERENT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE GIRLS ALL HAVE PRETTY GOOD SUPPORT FROM THEIR PARENTS.”
the winter, to get back to work as a Paramedic in her hometown. For Eve, it wasn’t work but school that limited her winter training. She was still able to get a month of riding in Florida but kept her main focus on completing one more year of college and training in the gym at home in Laval, QC. She told me that she was trying to use the West coast rounds as training for her main objective, the East Coast nationals. In previous years, she would travel across the USA to complete her race preparation, but with the US WMX completely gone, she decided to use the western rounds to get ready to compete for her 5th eastern title. After getting the call from Frank, the Manluk Team Manager, Avrie spent a lot of time with her new team getting ready for the 2019 season. We got to see Avrie this winter in the AX Tour series where she dominated and won every race, but we now know that it was just the tip of the iceberg. Her main goal, when she decided to race the Canadian nationals, was to be able to keep the same
training program that she is on in Belgium for MXGP. She wanted to make sure the transition would go as smoothly as possible when she had to return to her main focus, MXGP. Obviously, she also wanted to win, and after doing her homework, she knew Shelby and Eve would be the two girls that could stop her from achieving this goal. Even though their transportation mode is different, it seems like the girls all have pretty good support from their parents. While Avrie travels with the Manluk team and their big trailer, Eve goes across the country with her dad in their motorhome. Her dad’s job allows for him to be on the road, and as long as her exams are over, they become free to travel to any races they want. Being from the West Coast, Shelby didn’t have as much travel and made her way to every round in her sprinter with both her parents supporting her during race season. Avrie mentioned that her parents had been able to make it to every round so far and that she really appreciated having them at the track, since, in the past, they have had to miss most of her GP races due to the ridiculous extended traveling. When I asked them what they liked the most about racing in Canada, Eve said that she loved
the fact that the WMX was back on race day. According to her, it is probably part of the reason why the USA WMX went down. Shelby mentioned the full gates and the number of women racers willing to make it to every round as well as the level of competition. “We used to have to go down south to measure ourselves against the best, now it is all up here, and you also get full gates. This is pretty hard to beat.’’ She also said that she appreciated the media coverage that was given to women racing in Canada compared to what she was used to in Off-Road in the USA. Avrie also liked the full gates, but she was mostly impressed with how laid back and nice the people were, as well as the tracks we got to race in the MX Tour series. On the opposite side, Avrie would have loved longer practice and motos. “I usually become faster as the race goes on and as the track gets rougher. So, on one side, I was happy with the race being at the end of the day but I would also take a 25-minute race if I could.’’ The one thing that Eve confessed on disliking was the 5-hour break in between the heat races, while Shelby had a different response when asked what she would change about the Canadian WMX series. The Alberta racer told me that she wished that
the big teams would support the girls more. Ultimately, by putting them under the factory tent and giving them support, but even if it is was just for transport at first, she would just like to see an increase in women support within the industry. As far as the track goes, Eve knew from the beginning that Prince George would be her favourite track and to no surprise to her it was. “I heard it was the softest track of the series, so I knew it would be my favourite right away.’’ Avrie had no expectations about the tracks and was just happy with all of them in general. We could see her at ease on the hard ground of Calgary, especially during the second moto when the track got rougher. Being the West Coast veteran, Shelby knew exactly what track was her favourite and even repeated it a few times during our interview. “At first, I wasn’t a fan of going back the other way to Kamloops for the final round and then I was like... hold on Shelby, what are you talking about, you LOVE that track. I would go back there in a heartbeat.’’ Obviously, the fourth round in Kamloops was part of our discussion. Eve and her dad made the decision to not participate in the fourth round. “We would have had to wait for two weeks and travel all the way back to BC, to then head on a five day journey back to Quebec. It made a lot more sense to just head home when we were already half way there in Manitoba.’’ For Avrie, the whole team will be making the trip to Kamloops with her in hopes to win her first Canadian championship. I finished all three of my interviews with the same question and surprisingly, for once, they had a pretty similar answer. I asked them, “Is it hard to be a girl in the sport of Motocross?” and here is what I got. ‘’Our bodies are different, we are not as strong, it can definitely be a struggle,’’ one said, “girls don’t play as rough, so you can only truly rely on your speed and skills,’’ said the second one. “I feel like sometimes we have to grow a pair of imaginary balls to be respected,’’ said the last one laughing. At the end of the day, all three agreed to tell me that even though it definitely wasn’t easy, it made the success even sweeter. I really liked getting to know all three of them in more depth and I find it super interesting that three girls at this level are on very different paths. I think we are lucky that their respective journey brought them all in Western Canada in the same year and I hope we get to see them battle again in the future. I honestly wish I could have had more time to talk with them to go even deeper as their stories are very particular and contrasting. From the Alberta native Off-Road Champion, to the USA born MXGP racer and the French Canadian motocross focused 4-time champion, I thank them all for making 2019 one of the best seasons for WMX in Western Canada. Make sure to follow them on social media to stay updated on their singular journeys. Shelby Turner : @shelby50turner Avrie Berry: @avrie_berry Eve Brodeur: @ebrodeur41
46 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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2019-06-24 1:59 PM
1997-THE YEAR BLAIR MORGAN WE
MET
THE MID-NINETIES WERE A TIME OF RAPID TRANSITION AND GROWTH FOR PROFESSIONAL MOTOCROSS IN CANADA. THE CMRC NATIONAL SERIES, WHICH OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN 1993 AS A ONE-DAY EVENT IN WALTON, ONTARIO, HAD GROWN BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN ONLY A FEW SHORT YEARS. THE 1997 SEASON TURNED OUT TO BE A REAL HIGH-WATER MARK YEAR FOR THE SERIES AS TEAMS PACKED UP AND HEADED WEST FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR INAUGURAL ROUNDS IN NANAIMO, BC AND ANTLER LAKE, ALBERTA. THE SERIES TRULY WAS GROWING ON A NATIONAL SCALE, AND ANOTHER FIRST IN 1997 SAW THE ADDITION OF A MUCHNEEDED TITLE SPONSOR - VALVOLINE. ANOTHER HUGE FIRST FOR THE SERIES CAME IN THE FORM OF TELEVISION AS THE FIRST FIVE ROUNDS WERE SHOWN IN HALF HOUR BROADCASTS WITH THE FINAL ROUND RECEIVING AN HOUR OF AIR-TIME ON THE GLOBAL TELEVISION NETWORK, A FIRST FOR CANADIAN MX. BY MIKE MCG ILL
A
s far as the racing went, 1997 turned out to be a breakout year for Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native Blair Morgan as the Two Wheel Motorsport supported rider swept the Pro classes, taking the titles in both the 125cc and 250cc divisions. Morgan basically came out of nowhere and dominated like few have before or since. It was a great story, and in honour of Blair’s fantastic 1997 season, MXP Magazine decided once again to jump into the old time machine and revisit that great year with some of the principals who were directly involved. BLAIR MORGAN 5-Time CMRC National Motocross Champion
CHRIS POMEROY CMRC National #3 in 1997
MARK STALLYBRASS CMRC Pro Racing President 1993 – 2017
RON ASHLEY Owner Two Wheel Kawasaki and Blair’s Mechanic in ‘97
ON TURNING PRO BLAIR: 1993 was my first year as a Pro. I was 18-years-old but pretty much just raced locally that season. Then in 1994 I did the CMA National Series for the first time. At the time it was just a four round series and all the races took place in the West. I won the 125 and the 250 titles that year. That was my first taste of success as a pro racer I guess you could say. In 1995, I went to Walton for the final round of the CMRC Series for the first time. I went with my brother-in-law and we had a great time. I did pretty well, too. I think I even managed to get a 2nd in one of the motos. Nobody really knew who I was (laughs). Just my brother-in-law and I privateering it in the van. RON: I knew a bit about Blair in ‘94. He was out west doing the CMA Nationals, and that was pretty much a gong show. Then in ‘95 he came to Walton with his brother-in-law to race the final round. His bikes were rats. They were just trashed, with leaky fork seals, the whole bit, but he and his brother-in-law seemed like good guys so I offered to help him out a bit. And you could see it in the guy, even then. His talent, things like line selection, flashes of brilliance, really.
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‘96 TORONTO SUPERCROSS BLAIR: Yes, I won a night of the Toronto Supercross in 1996. It was totally unexpected, really, as there were a lot of top-notch riders there. J.S.R. and Marco Dube were there, obviously, as well as a bunch of good Americans. Guys like Mike Jones, who had won it the previous three years, Ray Sommo and Matt Crown. I think Brock Sellards was there too. The track, as I remember, was really soft. The dirt was soft, and it rutted up big-time. It was hard to do the jumps because the faces were so rutted up, but for some reason, I was able to get a flow going. In the final I got a good start and was second right behind J.S.R. and that’s where I was able to stay for the whole race right up until the last lap. Then on the last lap there was a sketchy jump right before the finish line and J.S.R. played it safe and didn’t go for it. I decided I would. I kind of landed on his front fender, and I wasn’t sure at the time but I later found out that he went down. He was able to scramble back up and still get 2nd and I got the win. That was obviously a huge win for me. J.S.R.’s father-in-law bugged me about that for the rest of my career. In fact, I saw him just last year and he was still on me about that incident (laughs).
“THAT WAS A BIG YEAR. THE NATIONALS WENT WEST FOR THE FIRST TIME, PLUS WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE A TITLE SPONSOR FOR THE FIRST TIME AS WELL. VALVOLINE CAME ON BOARD TO FILL THAT ROLE, AND THE ENTIRE SERIES WAS TELEVISED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE GLOBAL TELEVISION NETWORK.” 1996 SEASON RON: I convinced Blair to come east for a few rounds in 1996. I felt like I just clicked with him and his family the previous year at Walton. His brother was a nice guy, his family was great; I just can’t say enough good things about them. I tied it all into his Kawi deal at the time. He was sponsored by Battleford Super Cycle in Saskatchewan to do the CMA Nationals at the time. Of course he was doing well but I was able to work out a deal. I was already doing his suspension for him and I lured him here (laughs). I told him that the future was here. I was closer to the Eastern U.S. races and I offered a place for him to live, which happened to be my parents’ house in Fergus, Ontario. Even though he only rode two rounds in ‘96, he scored enough points to secure the National
NUMBER 7 FOR THE NEXT SEASON. MARK: In 1996 the CMRC Series was starting to take off. The CMA was on its last legs and riders and teams were starting to recognize the CMRC Series as a legitimate option. Also, the economy was starting to improve within the industry and the manufacturers really started getting involved with the CMRC Nationals. The Morgan Racing Team was back for another season in ‘96, John Nelson was getting more involved with his Yamaha/Honda Machine Racing Team, and so was Ron Ashley with his Kawasaki supported Two Wheeled Motorsports Team. In ‘96, Ron decided to go big. BLAIR: I did a couple rounds of the CMRC Series in ‘96. I did Barrie and Walton along with the Toronto Supercross, and I liked what I saw with the CMRC Series. The CMA, who had been running things forever, was really dying off at the time. They just didn’t seem like they were putting in the effort. That’s why we were so happy about what Mark was doing with the CMRC National Series. You could see that he was working extremely hard. It was great that he did it, and the racing side of things came back strong and the riders appreciated it. I remember at Walton that year Ron brought “Chicken” (Jeff “Chicken” Mataisevich) in to race the final round of the series. He was always a bit of a hero to me, so I thought that was cool to have him on the team that weekend. I won a moto that day and beat him too, so that was pretty cool. RON: We also had Jason Thorne, Chris Lemmon and Bill Wallin on the team that year, but I was always looking for a way to expand Kawasaki’s profile in Canada. What better way to do it than to bring in Chicken? He was the Japanese National Champion at the time and a star in the U.S. I tried to keep it quiet, but as soon as people found out, word spread like wildfire. It took a bit of the spotlight away from Blair, but it was pretty cool.
1997 PRE-SEASON CHRIS: Blair won a night in Toronto the previous year, which was totally unexpected. He also won a moto at Walton. That was definitely a stacked field that day so that was impressive, but I won a few motos and one overall in ‘96 so I was feeling really strong and confident coming into the season. There was an arenacross in Niagara Falls prior to the start of the ‘97 Nationals. We got the word that Blair was going to race the full CMRC National Series that year, and he showed up for the arenacross as well. I won the Dash for Cash, but Blair ended up winning both the 125 and 250 classes that night. All our top guys were there, but still, no one thought for a second that he was going to be as dominant as he turned out to be that year. His wins that night were kind of surprising. I didn’t really know all that much about him so I still figured I had him covered.
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1997 THE YEAR BLAIR MORGAN WE
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‘97 NATIONALS MARK: That was a big year. The Nationals went west for the first time, plus we were able to secure a title sponsor for the first time as well. Valvoline came on board to fill that role, and the entire series was televised for the first time on the Global Television Network. CHRIS: Everyone was on board and everybody was pumped. It was really starting to become a legit series and it was an exciting time as you could really feel the momentum building. The factories were starting to spend money again, and hey, anything was better than the CMA. Unfortunately, I got off to a bit of a slow start as I had trouble adjusting to the new ‘97 Hondas. That was the year they switched to the aluminum framed 250 but the 125 was still the steel frame. I really struggled, adapting to the new 250, and then when you got on the 125 it was a totally different feel. I have to say that Blair caught us all a little bit by surprise that year. He got great starts all the time, and his confidence just grew and grew. He was always running up front and was tough to beat. BLAIR: Well, as you know, I signed with Ron and Two-Wheel Kawasaki for ‘97. I got to know Ron well in the previous couple years and the CMRC Series was really becoming a true National Series, so obviously that’s where I wanted to be. And the Kawasaki Two Wheel Team was great. It was the closest thing you could get to being on a real factory team in Canada at that time. We had a pretty big team that year, too. Kip Stulla was there. I still keep in contact with him. Bill Wallin was on the team as well, and the Two-Wheel Suzuki team had Jason Thorne, Chad Fleck and I think Chris Lemmon as well, although I’m not sure if he went west or not. Anyways, it was a big team and very professional. Ron invited me to live with him in Fergus, so that was my base for the next three years during the season.
RON: It was my parents’ place, actually. My parents owned a campground north of Fergus near Durham, Ontario at the time so they were at home very little during the summer. Blair and I had the place to ourselves for the most part, and we were close in age, so we really became more like brothers. I was his all-in-one guy in those years. I was his sponsor, mechanic, and roommate. I was the rudder of his ship. I put him on a schedule or a routine if you will. The other Pros at the time, to my knowledge anyways, didn’t adhere to any strict training routines and I think that played a big part in Blair’s success that season. I got him a mountain bike so he would get up in the morning and ride around Bellwood Lake. Then he would come to the shop in Guelph, we would go over the bikes, discuss the week’s schedule and then in the afternoon he would go riding. We had three or four good practice tracks in the area and a few other fast guys. Kip Stulla and Joel Rickert were always around so it was good. The routine was awesome. Blair: I was still young then. I don’t know if I really trained all that hard but I rode a lot. I’d always been like that. Heck, even when I was a kid, me and my buddy, Landon Wilson, who would go on to play in the NHL, rode our BMX bikes so much that half way through the summer I had to replace the tires. I wore the tires out (laughs). But yes, I rode a lot. Actually, Landon and I both feel that it was all that bike riding that gave us our base fitness that helped us so much in our professional careers. Riding my snowmobiles was part of my training as well back then. In Saskatchewan, in the winter you couldn’t ride dirt bikes so I would ride my sleds on my practice tracks all the time. People thought I was crazy because I was breaking the things up all the time, but that’s how I learned to ride snocross. It was all just part of my training for motocross. The thing that was great with Two Wheel, and something that I never had before, was practice bikes. So, I could just ride and ride and not have to worry about trashing my race bikes. The race bikes were always fresh when it was go-time. And the Kawis that year were good. Emig was doing well on them in the States. They were good bikes. I was really happy with them.
RON: I saw most of the mechanics in the pits in those days as glorified parts changers. Not only was I the team owner but I was Blair’s mechanic as well. As a rider I was a career Junior or Intermediate rider, but being a mechanic was my life. I dropped out of school and talked my parents into sending me to MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute) in Florida for six months. That’s how into it I was. The bikes in ‘97 were good to begin with, and I knew those bikes from the ground up. I would do pretty much anything to make the bikes better, even if it meant paying out of my own pocket for something if I felt we needed it. Hell, I even bought a dyno for the shop at Two Wheel. Pro Circuit supplied a lot of stuff for the bikes, although I wouldn’t hesitate to modify something. MARK: Brent Shury spoke to me quite a bit about Blair. He was very high on him. He told me that this kid was a bit of a phenom and how great he was going to be for the CMRC Series. That’s really about all I knew about him coming into the ‘97 season. Blair was a big part of the changing of the guard in Canadian motocross. Ross was retired of course, and so were guys like Al Dyck and Carl Vaillancourt. I’d have to say that the other favourite for the title that year would have been Marco Dube. Marco was the defending champ. Pomeroy was looking good for Machine Racing, and you never knew if guys who were riding in the States like J.S.R. or Doug DeHaan would show up for selected Nationals. There was great competition. All the guys rode both classes at that time and Blair was the class of the field that year. I couldn’t have
been happier. He was a great guy and he really helped legitimize the series, coming over from the CMA. RON: So, the first race of the season, Ste-Julie, Blair gets off the gate with a 20th place start. I’m standing there in disbelief, my head in my hands, like what the hell? Of course, by the end of the moto he had annihilated everybody and won by like 20 seconds...in all four motos. He just kept getting stronger as the season went on, both mentally and physically. CHRIS: Right from Round 1 in Ste-Julie, Blair was good, really good. I think he even won the first six 125 motos. After the first two rounds he had a big point lead as the rest of us struggled to beat him. It wasn't until we headed out west that Dube and I got closer. But with just six rounds and Blair not making any mistakes, it was tough to make up any ground. The most entertaining motos came in the second half of the series when we all began to battle for race wins. Eventually, I was able to get a set of factory Honda forks for the 250 from John Nelson. It was a big secret though. I wasn’t allowed to talk about them. We were forbidden to open them up. The rumour was they were a pair of Jeff Stanton’s but Nelson would never admit to where he got them. That’s Nelson though. Bondi also got a modified ignition for my 125, and these changes made a big difference. We made it tough on Blair to win motos after Round 3, but he was never challenged points-wise. It was an incredible summer for him, and he earned every point.
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ONTARIO PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS CHRIS: I always took the Ontario Provincial Series very seriously. I didn’t really like it when guys from out of Province or from the States would come and race. I really wanted to beat them, let’s put it that way. I guess that was the reason I always did well at them. It really frustrated me that I could beat Blair at the Provincials that year and then have nothing for him at the Nationals. I remember getting into it a bit with Blair and Ron at the Auburn Provincial in ‘97. Blair and I had a great race. When we tangled late in the second moto, I chirped him a bit when I came off the track, then he and Ron told me to get lost. I think that’s what made racing good back then, though. The fact is we didn’t really like each other that much. We (me and Blair) would eventually become friends, but I have to say it took time, years as a matter of fact. It didn’t happen overnight. BLAIR: I just never got into those Provincial races as much as some of the other guys, I guess. I treated them a little more like a training day than a race day maybe, and guys like Ryan Gauld, Chris Pomeroy, even Matt Crown from Michigan would take it more seriously and could beat me once in a while. I remember that Auburn race. Things got a little heated between me and Pomeroy that day. We never had too many problems, though. The one guy that I always came together with it seemed like was Marco (Dube). For years we would always end up together on the track. It seemed like every time we raced each other we would tangle. We were never really friends.
“‘97 WAS A MEMORABLE YEAR IN MANY WAYS. ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ABOUT THAT YEAR WAS WHEN BLAIR ALMOST LOST MY DOG (LAUGHS). ANYONE WHO WAS AROUND IN THOSE DAYS WILL REMEMBER BEAR. MY HUNDRED-POUND ROTTWEILER.” BEAR
MARK: Cordial and nasty. That’s how I would describe the atmosphere in the pits at the Provincials and Nationals. Especially between the Two Wheel and Machine Racing teams. As far as I could tell they got along fairly well but they absolutely hated losing to each other. Healthy competition, that’s how I saw it.
RON: ‘97 was a memorable year in many ways. One of the things I will always remember about that year was when Blair almost lost my dog (laughs). Anyone who was around in those days will remember Bear. My hundred-pound Rottweiler. The boys were heading west for the series that year. I sent them in the cube van and stayed back as I was going to fly out on the weekend. I think it was Manitoba somewhere, and Blair, and whoever was with him, I forget at the moment who it was, stopped at a truck stop for a break. They got gas and then they let the dog out while they went and got their snacks and drinks. They got back to the truck, jumped in, took off and left the dog sitting there at the truck stop, laying in the grass. Luckily, for those guys and the dog, they got about half an hour down the road and realized what they had done. They went flying back to the truck stop and there was Bear, still laying in the grass right where they had left him. Thank God! I loved that dog.
RON: Back in ‘91 when I started Pro Action Suspension, it was just a little garage out in the back of the Two Wheel shop. Back then, Nelson at Machine Racing would put me down and make jokes. So, by ‘97 when I had Blair and he was dominating, it was very satisfying to me. That’s the type of thing that motivated me. When Blair signed with Blackfoot in 2000, I admit it, I was pissed. He signed with a cheque book, in my opinion. That’s all they had to offer. I was bitter. I still am a little bit.
BLAIR: Oh yeah, that was bad. Ron tends to exaggerate that story a little bit, but yes, we did leave his dog at a truck stop. I remember being just outside of Regina and I’m going to say we were only ten minutes down the road when we realized that we had left the dog. We turned around quickly, went back and the dog was sitting there right where we had left him. I was in a panic for a few minutes, though. It would not have been good if we had lost Ron’s dog.
THE SEASON CHRIS: Blair kind of changed the game for all of us in ‘97. You have to remember that back then we all rode four motos in one day, so we would obviously go as hard as we could but at the same time pace ourselves so we could last the whole day. Blair brought a sprint speed that none of us had really encountered before. He would sprint out to an early lead and then pace himself, if he could, towards the end of the races. It was kind of a new strategy that both Marco and I got better at as the season went on, but by then it was too late. We made a bunch of changes, which helped, and we realized we just had to get better, which we did. We had some great battles in the second half of the season. By Ulverton we were all a lot closer but I came up a bit short. In the end I was a couple of points behind Marco and finished 3rd overall for the championship. Looking back, it was great. We battled hard. As I said before, no one really liked each other much, we never talked, but that’s kind of what made it cool. MARK: The 1997 season was a big year for the series, and I was happy for Blair to have won it. Personally, I would rank him right up there in my top Canadians of all time along with Ross, JSR, Vaillancourt and Al Dyck (post 1980). Blair would be right in there. BLAIR: Those really were the good old days I guess you could say. I won both championships again in ‘99 and I finished second a bunch of times as well, but ‘97 really does stand out. It was the first true National series and to win it that year was a real accomplishment. Of course, when you are young you think that kind of stuff is going to happen all the time, but you soon find out it doesn’t really work that way. Everything changed for me. Man, I think I won just about every 125 moto that year. I was always somewhat of a 125 specialist. Usually it took me a while to get going every year but in ‘97 I felt great right from the start. Having Ron with me as my full-time mechanic, it was just a big adventure, really. Yeah, those were the good days. Blair went on to have a long and illustrious career, not only in motocross but in the relatively new sport of snocross as well, where he was a pioneer. Blair dominated that sport in the early years and won eight straight X-Games medals, five of them gold, along with countless Nationals and National Championships. In fact, along with Tucker Hibbert, he became the face of the sport and an international superstar based on his snocross accomplishments. With the tremendous success he achieved on the sleds you would think that would have been his number one priority, but Blair will be quick to tell you that he was a motocross racer at heart, and that was and always will be his true passion. So, there you have it, 1997 was a great year for Blair Morgan, arguably his best. That shining season certainly laid the groundwork for a long and successful professional career, a career that landed him in both the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame (2010) and the Snowmobile Hall of Fame (2013), and cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats of Canadian Motocross.
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Don’ t Get Left Out of the
ROOST The Roost Factory is committed to the grassroots racer instead of the elite few
WO R DS AN D PH OTOS BY S H E LBY MAH O N
H
ave you ever showed up to the track and not known anyone? Ever wanted to travel to other events across the country but couldn’t convince your friends to join? We know you’ve jumped in to the driver’s seat of your truck so excited to get to the track that you forgot your cooler full of food and drinks. Sometimes we all need an extra hand on the start line, to borrow a tool, an extra set of goggles or a spare bottle of water. Every racer who joins the Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad community, and runs Hoosier MX Tires, automatically has the chance to pit under the Roost Factory
Hoosier Offroad banners at every race they attend. That’s right. ALL RACERS. Amateur, Pro, Vet, School Boy, Junior, Supermini and any other class. All racers are welcome and encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities the Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad team is giving them. It’s pretty amazing to walk through the pits at any round of the Rockstar Triple Crown National MX Tour and see amateur after amateur prepping their bikes and hanging out in factory row under the big purple Roost Factory banner. Whenever the Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad big purple paddock and big rig is involved you can expect amazing hospitality and outstanding meals throughout
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the event! The sweet delicious scent of BBQ and smoker are often smelled floating throughout the pits, teasing riders and spectators alike. Some of the meals so far have included flattened chicken, pulled pork, smoked ribs, local sausages, pork loin and even 60lbs of Alberta prime rib! And that’s not including the huge spread of sides and drinks. We hear whispers of burritos, bison and duck in the future! Mark Rivers the Roost Factory CEO and Founder says “When I was first introduced to this sport, and the events, I had just seen the latest Mad Max movie and immediately what came to mind was this wild Mad Max village. Every weekend all across North America for thousands of people, this environment is their cottage. Instead of going to the lake and watching loons they go to the track.
“It’s pretty amazing to walk through the pits at any round of the Rockstar Triple Crown National MX Tour and see amateur after amateur prepping their bikes and hanging out in factory row under the big purple Roost Factory banner.”
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“I really like the environment of the team. Everyone is very caring and wanting the best for each other. Good race or bad, they’re there to keep your spirits high.” – Talan Hansen #328 (Pro 250) from Kenosha, Wisconsin This is a lifestyle, not just a sport, it’s a way of life. How I describe the Roost Factory is that we are the love child of Mad Max and Formula 1; an elevated contribution that is committed to supporting and serving the heart of this sport; the families. This is an intense, extreme and expensive commitment by these families, but it’s family.” Hospitality, community, and everything that goes with family, fun and performance is what the Roost Factory brings on an elevated level, like a Factory team experience for amateurs. Mark explains how important the hospitality side is, “Great food and healthy nutrition trackside is a part of that, accessible trackside without breaking the bank, and it makes such a difference, people appreciate a warm hospitable environment and a healthy option to the traditional of-
ferings available. As a member of the Roost Factory that’s what’s included. It doesn’t take much extra effort to deliver a great food and hospitality experience.” Aside from providing great food and products to racers during the National race days, the Roost Factory 53” ft. trailer is the only factory rig that remains at the track for the Sunday amateur day races in order to support their amateur riders. At Round #1 of the Rockstar Triple Crown Tour at Wild Rose Motocross in Calgary, Alberta, ten Amateur riders pitted under the Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad tents on factory row. During Saturday’s Pro National racing the Roost Factory riders prepared their bikes with help from other racers and Roost Factory members. Staff from PRO-AM Motorsports, the brand new and exclusive Roost Factory Hoosier
Offroad dealer in Calgary, Alberta, was on hand to help change tires, give advice, assist with mechanical issues and show you why you needed a set of Hoosier MX Tires, a pair of X Brand goggles or that insanely fast 3-Minute Tire Changer from Rabaconda. You can find PRO-AM Motorsports at 630 46 Ave NE #117, Calgary AB and online at www.pro-am.ca. The Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad program incorporates brick and mortar dealers throughout North America along with mobile Crew Chiefs who attend races and deliver our Purple paddock experience trackside! Hospitality, PIT support, wash stations, tire changing and vending all trackside, every weekend everywhere! Having these localized relationships means Roost Factory members receive exceptional service and hospitality at every race a dealership
or Crew Chief attends! Carson Koster #359 (250cc Junior, 450cc Junior and Open Junior) from Alberta said, The Calgary National was great with the Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad team and Pro-Am Motorsports. I landed on the podium in all my classes with the help of their staff and those unreal Hoosier tires! Best tires I’ve ever run. They are lighter and stickier. With hospitality like no other, the racers had the chance to relax, concentrate on their racing and take the time to get in the right mental state to truly perform at their best, in a setting that is factory level presence and environment. Plus, the delicious and nutritious meals served over the weekend helped give racers that extra push of energy while out on the track. Taylor Coates #830 Vet, Open Junior and 250 Junior) from Red Deer,
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Alberta was lucky enough to join the Roost Factory team for Round #1 and he said, “The experience was incredible. Mark and the team made me feel right at home from the start! They set up my bike and tools right away. They had guys doing tire changes for me and getting my bike ready to race! They made sure all of us were always fed and hydrated and the meals were incredible! The coolest experience I have had as an amateur racer!” It wasn’t just the racers getting 5 Star treatment. Everyone’s family, friends and pit support were welcomed at the Roost Factory. Comradery and support are two of the biggest things you will witness in the purple paddock. Moto Mom Darlene Koster took notice of the unique experience the Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad delivers, “Amazing people!! We had a fantastic weekend!! We can’t thank the Roost Factory enough for their support, enthusiasm, encouragement, hospitality, and complete generosity. Everyone was treated like royalty!” Round #1 in Calgary was followed by Round #2 in Prince George, British Columbia where another group of amateur riders had the chance to pit on Factory Row with the Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad team. Six more riders had the chance to enjoy a factory pit experience when they weren’t ripping around the beautiful track at Blackwater MX Park on their brand new Hoosier MX Tires. Round #3 in Minnedosa, Manitoba was set to be another fantastic round with another dozen riders getting ready in the purple paddock. However, foul weather, broken machinery and some bad luck had the weekend’s events cancelled. Despite the poor weather, Roost Factory members and the series staff enjoyed 30lbs. of perfectly cooked prime rib, pulled pork and all the pasta and potato salad you could eat. Not to mention, the Roost Factory provided a great place to stay dry, warm up and watch some of the intense racing action that did take place on Saturday. You can find the big purple Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad rig and paddock at all of the upcoming Rockstar Triple Crown motocross and supercross events. The Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad paddock will also be set up the entire week of the Walton TransCan Grand Na-
tional, the three day Western Canadian Amateur Nationals, along with another set up for the National ECAN Motocross Deschambault. So make sure you stop by the big purple paddock for contests, product demonstrations, and to purchase products that are designed to help you win. The Roost Factory expects a huge turnout of members at these exciting amateur nationals so they highly recommend you reach out in advance to let them know you are coming. Stay tuned for announcements about a Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad Crew Chief or Dealership coming to a track or town near you! The Roost Factory is committed to the grassroots racer instead of the elite few. Their entire business model
is focused around providing support for amateur racing, the families who spend their hard earned money every weekend, and the riders who put their blood, sweat and tears into racing. They understand that this industry is built on the backs and piggy banks of Moto Moms, Moto Dads and the few lone wolves doing it themselves. The Roost Factory offers the only program that truly recognizes those who support the sport – a multi-billion dollar sport funded by two people – Mom and Dad. This program recognizes them and their efforts, their sacrifices, their commitments and the money they spend. Where would we be if there were no new amateur riders moving up the
ladder and funnelling into the National Pro series? If parents stopped supporting their children’s dreams of racing there would be no one to take up the call for that life behind bars that we all love so much. Without new racers and new fans our industry would not exist. The Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad team is taking up arms and turning riders into warriors in their fight for amateur racing! And they want YOU to join them. There is a desperate need for support of the grassroots racing industry, and the Roost Factory’s goal is to assist everyone they can by providing first and foremost a unique trackside experience, coupled with proven performance products and brands
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that truly give the rider a performance edge, recognition, incentives, sponsorship dollars, marketing assistance and business opportunities as Crew Chiefs and exclusive Roost Factory dealers. The Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad program focuses on everything that it takes to make you or your racer a winner. The Roost Factory team understands that winners aren’t born, they are made through years of hard work and dedication, support from family and friends, and top tier products that perform on and off the track. The Roost Factory team provides everything that will help make you a winner, instead of waiting like the rest for you to try and make it on your own.
By becoming a Roost Factory member you can up your game and be part of something special with some pretty impressive benefits! • • • • • • • •
Access to pit at the purple paddock on factory row Factory Team Pit experience at National events Hospitality experience at National events Professional tire changing staff at select events Advice from pro riders and coaches Fellow members to assist with mechanical issues and questions Contingency program that grows Access to training days and camps
You can sign up for Roost Factory membership by simply heading over to www.Hoosier-Offroad.com and selecting Join Today! The Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad is more than just a place to buy great products; it is your trackside home away from home no matter how far the drive to get there.
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MXP CHATTER
MARSHALL
WELTIN B Y A N DY W H I T E / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E
Who exactly is this Marshal Weltin guy anyway? Not too many people north of the border have even heard of him. I remember seeing his name while I was over in Europe attending the MXPG in the UK last year. I sometimes check to see if there are any riders from the US competing overseas. In 2018 at Matterley Basin near Winchester, Marshal had a solid first moto on his Kawasaki 250F and finished 5th. Unfortunately, the second moto didn’t go as well for him, but at the end of the day Marshall finished 8th overall at a World Championship event. His best result in the MXGP series was a 6th overall in Bulgaria, which is pretty solid for a rider that I really had never even heard of before. To be honest, I don’t recall ever hearing his name at any top amateur events prior to that. Where did this kid come from? A few weeks ago, after Round 3 of the MRC Triple Crown MX Tour, I had the opportunity to sit down with Marshal. It’s a pretty amazing story as to how he has travelled the world, to now sitting in a restaurant with me in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I am pretty sure he has never visited or heard of Winnipeg. Back in November 2018, I was introduced to Marshal through one of my rider reps based in California. My rep called me and said he bumped into Broc Tickle at one of the test tracks and was training a rider from the east named Marshal Weltin. Broc wanted to know if FXR would be interested in signing him for the upcoming SX season and possibly the outdoors. I remember thinking, “Okay, I remember this kid from the MXGP series, he would be a good rider to work with.” I am always thinking how this rider would help FXR somehow, and does signing him make sense? Well, before long, we had Marshal signed to a one-year contract, and both parties were excited about the next twelve months. I really didn’t know much about him so when I was asked to connect with Weltin and put a story together for the magazine. I figured this would be good opportunity for me to actually get to know my rider a bit better. The day I had the chance to sit down with Marshal we had a few other FXR riders hanging out with us. Oddly enough, one of Weltin’s good friends and training buddy is Phil Nicoletti. I do remember asking Phil before I signed Weltin if Marshal was a rider FXR should support. Phil responded with, “Marshal is a great kid with lots of potential and he will always give 100%. I think it would be great to have him on the program.” Another rider that was sitting with us that day was his current teammate, Cade Clason. I asked him the same question back in November as well. Cade added, “The kid rips, man. I think he will turn some heads, for sure! I think his strength is outdoors. If you are looking for a rider that can make the top 10 in the US, he could be that rider.” That made my decision pretty easy. The rest is history as they say. Here’s a quick chat I had with Marshal to learn more about his career.
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HOW ARE YOU?
Doing well. I just finished racing the 3rd round of the MRC series.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
I was born and raised in Ubly, Michigan, which is about an hour from Baja Acres, my home track.
WHEN DID YOU START RIDING A DIRT BIKE?
“OVERALL, THE UK ISN’T THAT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE USA, BUT MY FAVOURITE COUNTRY WOULD PROBABLY BE THE NETHERLANDS. THAT’S WHERE I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME.”
I started when I was 3. My Dad made me and my two brothers (Bryce and Roman) a deal: when we were able to ride a two-wheeler without the training wheels, we could try our luck on a dirt bike, so we all started right around the same age.
HOW DID YOU START? WAS YOUR DAD INTO BIKES OR WAS ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER?
My old man was into drag racing street bikes but never into moto. We got started through my Aunt Sandy. She worked at Marshall’s Distributing (a power sports distributor) and she just bugged my Dad to take us to the track. My Dad finally caved one day, and we were as green as the grass. It was all downhill from there!
WHEN DID YOU FIRST START RACING?
At a local track 30 minutes from my house called MPX, but then we moved to bigger, more advanced tracks like Baja Acres and Freelin MX.
DID YOU, LIKE MOST YOUR RACERS, CHASE THE DREAM AND HIT ALL THE AMATEUR RACES?
Honestly, no. Until the age of 17 I just took it as fun and went to high school full time. It was never about being a pro. I just loved racing. I was never competitive at a national level, just a good local racer. I did do Loretta’s one or two times but no other big races. In the Spring of 2013, I did a camp at Club MX to get ready to race in Michigan for the year and get back in the swing of things. I made so much progress and advanced so quickly. I just finagled my way to end up coming back and staying for three years [laughs].
IN 2017/2018 YOU WERE COMPETING AT THE MXGP LEVEL ON A 250F. HOW DID THAT ALL HAPPEN?
Yeah, I raced for a few teams in Europe. I started with Bud Racing. My buddy, Darien Sanayei, raced for them the year before and they happened to be looking for a last-minute rider for the year. They asked Darien and he mentioned my name, so I ended up taking the offer!
RACING AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL MUST HAVE BEEN INTERESTING, WITH SO MANY COUNTRIES AND SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRACKS. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE COUNTRY YOU RACED IN?
Yeah, it was an incredible experience. Not all happy days, but looking back I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My favourite country/track would probably be Matterley Basin in the UK. Overall, the UK isn’t that much different from the USA, but my favourite country would probably be the Netherlands. That’s where I spent most of my time.
WHAT COUNTRY DID YOU NOT ENJOY?
Russia was sketchy, and Spain wasn’t my favourite.
YOU RACED TWO YEARS IN EUROPE THEN YOU DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO THE US AND CHASE THE SX DREAM. YOU MOVED OUT WEST AND STARTED TRAINING WITH BROC TICKLE. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN GOOD. Yes, Broc and I worked really well together. He’s very self disciplined and is very strong mentally. We basically spent every day with each other for three months. He’s helped me a lot. I felt prepared coming into SX. My bike was great, my fitness was there, and my riding was even okay at the practice track. Just when I got to the race, I couldn’t piece it all together. I think I was just lacking the experience.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO RACE THE EAST COAST INSTEAD OF THE WEST?
I thought I would have more time to prep because I hadn’t spent much time on the SX course, and also because it’s easier for me to be stationed back east because I have a few more connections.
AS THE SX SEASON WAS MOVING ON YOU STARTED TO GET READY FOR AMA OUTDOORS. THE NEXT THING WE HEAR, YOU ARE HEADING TO CANADA TO COMPETE ON A SKY/HUSKY/FXR 250F. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? Yes, I was planning on doing the 450 outdoors as a privateer because I didn’t have many other options, but the opportunity came up with Sky at the last minute to race in Canada. I thought it would be cool to go up and race for the podium, rather than fight for 10-17th every weekend.
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“HONESTLY, MY THOUGHTS HAVEN’T CHANGED MUCH. I HAVEN’T BEEN THE FASTEST GUY AT ANY OF THE RACES, AND I KNOW THAT IN MY HEAD. ”
NOW THAT YOU HAVE COMPETED IN THE LAST THREE ROUNDS, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON RACING IN CANADA?
I had a small taste of what to expect coming into the season because I did a few rounds a few years ago, but it’s kind of what I expected, only the tracks are actually better than what I was thinking. So far, I’ve really enjoyed every track we have raced at!
WE JUST HEARD THAT A FEW RIDERS WERE DISQUALIFIED AT ROUND 3, WHICH NOW PUTS YOU IN FIRST PLACE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP. YOU HAVE THE RED PLATE GOING INTO GOPHER DUNES. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS NOW?
Honestly, my thoughts haven’t changed much. I haven’t been the fastest guy at any of the races, and I know that in my head. In this threeweek break I will work on getting my shoulder back to 100% and try to find a bit of speed. I feel I’m a contender for this championship, but if I want it I have to put full focus into everything I do, which I have been. I hope I can come out and make a statement at Gopher!
YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINING AND TESTING AT CLUB MX FOR SO LONG, SO YOU MUST BE LOOKING FORWARD TO RACING IN THE EAST COAST NOW. I HOPE YOU LIKE SAND!
I do enjoy the sand. As much as I would like to say it’s my strong suit, I believe I’m pretty well rounded everywhere. Club has been really hot in the month of June, and I’m hoping for some high temps, which has made for good training. I got to race some sand last year in Europe and I’m hoping I can put it to use at Round 4 in Courtland.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE BALANCE OF THE SERIES. ANYONE SPECIAL YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?
Thanks!! Yes, I would like to give a shout to Sky Racing, International Motorsports, Vesta Properties, Park Ridge Homes, MH Holdings, MMCR, Heli Realtor, Caro Motorsports, FXR, my parents and brothers for always being there to support me. Also, Ride 100%, Arai, Dunlop and Alpinestars.
YOU HAVE HAD SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE LAST THREE ROUNDS. DO YOU CHANGE YOUR FOCUS OR JUST RACE ROUND BY ROUND?
My focus has just been enhanced. I’m not looking to change much; I’m just trying to tune into the details as much as possible!
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TIME FOR CHANGE WHEN MXP MAGAZINE ASKED ME TO WRITE A STORY ABOUT THE SITUATION CONCERNING THE UPROAR OVER THE CANADIAN MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION (CMA) AND ITS DECISION TO OUST THE MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS TEAM MANAGER, KOURTNEY LLOYD, I WAS A LITTLE HESITANT TO WANT TO GET INVOLVED. AFTER SOME THOUGHT I THEN REALIZED THAT COLIN FRASER, THE PROMOTER OF THE CANADIAN SUPERBIKE SERIES OR CSBK, AND I ARE AMONG THE FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OVER THE YEARS TO MAKE SOME VALID COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT. B Y L AW R E N C E H A C K I N G / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E A N D B I L L P E T R O
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Y
ou really need to know the history of motorcycle competition in Canada to understand how things have evolved into petitions, social media uproar, name-calling and our top motocross riders taking a stance. So let’s start at the beginning. The CMA was formed in 1946. This was back when life was simple, you rode your race bike to work and to the races, you took the lights off to race then put them back on to ride home. The CMA became affiliated with the world wide governing body called the Federation Internationale Motorcycliste, or FIM, in 1950. The CMA was the only valid and continuous sanctioning body in Canada, from 1946 until the 1990s. During that time they issued licenses and event insurance policies, organized international teams, sanctioned races and held national championships. One of the first clubs to break away from the CMA was the successful Wild Rose club in Calgary back in 1980. It
wasn’t until Mark Stallybrass came along and decided to run his own national motocross series and form the CMRC to license and sanction motocross in Canada that the CMA faltered. Since 1990, the grip the CMA had on Canadian racing has lessened to the point where virtually no one in Canada today needs a CMA license to race locally. These days only a few clubs and tracks use the CMA for event insurance. Bear in mind that the CMA is still the FIM affiliate for Canada. One of if not the first time a Canadian team attended an international event was the International Six Days Trial or ISDT in 1967. Carl Bastedo was on the team, his brother Larry Bastedo also attempted the grueling event. They, along with another rider, Rudi Marczi, sent their Yamahas to Czechoslovakia (the country doesn’t exist anymore). None of the riders finished, however Canadians have attended the ISDT or ISDE ever since. At that time Larry Bastedo’s first wife was Marilynn Bastedo. They lived in Hamilton and raised
their son Pat, who went on to become a top ten ranked motocrosser in the mid 1980s. Both Pat and Larry are great people who I consider friends; Larry was an accomplished racer over many years and owned a shop in Hamilton called BK Motorcycles. He was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in recent years. If you want to hear some incredible stories, sit down with Larry and buy him a beer some day. Pat is still involved with the Steel City Riders club, and helps out at my Grand Prix de Snow every year
running the flags. Marilynn Bastedo is currently the CEO of the CMA; she had been employed at the CMA prior to 1971 when she became General Manager. At one stage she actually quit (see attached photo), and the news made the front page of Cycle Canada in the November 1980 issue. In case you are not aware, Cycle Canada was the go-to magazine for many years. The 39-year-old story inside quotes her as saying “I am very tired, I’ve worked seven days a week for so long…. I am very tired.” The story also cites that ‘the money just isn’t there…” It continues on to finally say if anyone was interested in her job they could send their resume to the CMA head office. In reading the entire story it seems like the board of directors found the extra money she needed, and according to the story, she has been in the role as General Manager in some form or another of the position since 1971. If you do the math, why does someone who is at least 80-yearsold, who I assume has never raced
“IT WASN’T UNTIL MARK STALLYBRASS CAME ALONG AND DECIDED TO RUN HIS OWN NATIONAL MOTOCROSS SERIES AND FORM THE CMRC TO LICENSE AND SANCTION MOTOCROSS IN CANADA THAT THE CMA FALTERED.” MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 65
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TIME FOR CHANGE
Team Canada was all smiles at the 2017 MXoN in England.
In 1987, Canada sent Glen Nicholson, Doug Hoover and Jeff Surwall to Unadilla for the MXoN.
A few years ago, at the Toronto SX, Ross Pederson and Jim Holley flank CMA officials Andy Bokma and Marilyn Bastedo.
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a motorcycle and who has never appeared in recent decades at a motorcycle race in Canada, been controlling the destiny of international motorcycle competition in Canada since 1971? Why is she is still in place? One thing for sure, it is a complex story that is not fully understood or even common knowledge among many people who currently race. In fact, unless you are selected to ride on a national team or want to race internationally you probably have no idea the CMA exists or what its mandate is. There are generations of riders who never race outside of their own province and they get a lot out of their racing as a fun recreation; the CMA has almost no bearing on those riders. Most racers have no real aspirations of racing at a professional level. Let’s move on to more background information. Both Colin Fraser and I have been involved for a very long time in most facets of the sport at a fairly high level and we are still involved. You could make the case that either Colin or I may be among the only people around who know much of the story, not all, but a lot for sure. The accounts of what you are about to read are factual, in fact, I chose some of the best stories that can be corroborated by the people mentioned and I welcome you to do so. The inaugural season of the CSBK was 1997 and I worked for the series that first season as the Event Director. At that time, Colin and his partner, Dave Hatch, brought road racing back to the forefront and put it on television with industry support. 2019 is the CSBK’s 22nd season and is going strong. Here is a quick bit of insight into the goings on behind the scenes in Canadian motorsports. Back in 1997, so 22 years ago, Colin scheduled a meeting with all of the Canadian motorcycle manufacturer representatives, the new CSBK people, and the CMA executives were also invited. The meeting was upstairs at Yamaha Motor Canada in North York. Colin, Dave and myself were there as
“THAT WEEKEND IN JULY I DO REMEMBER MS. BASTEDO TELLING ANYONE WHO WOULD LISTEN THAT OUR EVENTS WERE ‘A NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT.’”
was Marilynn Bastedo and the then President of the CMA, Joe Godsal. As Ms. Bastedo and Mr. Godsal arrived, they promptly asked us to leave the room. We stood around outside the meeting in an empty room for a few hours and kicked around a paper ball. Finally, Bastedo and Godsal left and we were invited back into the room. We were told Colin and Dave’s proposal to resurrect Canadian road racing with a National superbike series in conjunction with the CMA had been rejected by the CMA. At the time the CMA rulebook had road race classes that were so archaic they actually listed a pushrod engine class. It was a historic moment. The CMA rejected the proposal and the CSBK flourishes and has enjoyed manufacturer’s support ever since. As it is written today, the CMA road racing rulebook, in 2019, has a rule in place that reads as follows: “Starts may be either clutch starts with the engine running or push starts with a dead engine.” I am not aware of a push start being used in road racing since the FIM eliminated the practice back in the ‘80s because of the massive accidents caused by front row riders running alongside their bike trying to get it to fire while back row riders streamed past at 120 kph or more. The collisions were ghastly. Yes, the CMA still has a provision for this in their rulebook. I first purchased a CMA racing license in 1971 and have raced ever since. The license cost $7.00 and I had to borrow some money from a friend to pay for it. Asking my Dad to sign the application form was nerve wracking. I wasn’t sure he would but he did, probably to get me out of his hair. Having that license and my own ‘official’ racing number (640) gave me an identity, I felt like someone special, a motorcycle racer. At 17-years-old, my entire day was spent dreaming about racing motorcycles, working on my 100cc Hodaka Super Rat, or cutting lawns to afford gas. Nothing meant more to me than racing. I was a devout CMA member. I am no longer a member in good standing of the CMA, in fact, last summer (2018) I applied for a CMA membership because I also applied for an FIM one-event license to compete in an enduro in Japan that I was invited to. I didn’t get the license from the CMA. I was turned down but saved all the documentation. In fact, Heather Marshall, my contact at the CMA, was apologetic and very professional to deal with throughout the application process. Finally, I received a letter from the President of the CMA, Joe Godsal, saying I had been turned down because I have attempted to take the FIM affiliation away from the CMA since 2007 (see attached photo).
I assume they have a good source for their information. I didn’t really care that I didn’t receive the FIM license from the CMA. I still went to Japan, raced and wrote the story that appeared here in MXP. If there is anything 48 years of racing motorcycles has taught me is that there are no problems, only solutions. Lateral thinking around problems is the same whether you are riding a motorcycle or trying to get things done when bogged down in bureaucracy. Why I was turned down is another long story. It started in 2005 when, along with my good friend and business partner Sean Wiesner, we organized the last FIM sanctioned event to be held on Canadian soil, the World Enduro Championships held in Parry Sound, Ontario in 2006 and 2007. After those two events, I vowed to never deal with the CMA, and its now Chief Executive Officer, ever again. The events were an incredible amount of work. We spent more than a year and a half prior the first one organizing this major race, and stuck our neck out financially and reputation-wise. We worked on getting the WEC to come to Canada months in advance of anyone else in Canada knowing about it, including the CMA. I contacted Alain Blanchard of ABC Communications, the promoter of the FIM’s enduro World championship, after hearing that they had interest in bringing the series to North America. We moved the event so far along that when the 2006 schedule was announced at the FIM level there was no turning back, I knew a stick would have been jammed in our spokes if we did it any other way. Our first meeting with the CMA General Manager, Ms. Bastedo, went just the way we thought it would. We had to each write a cheque for $2,500 just start the process. At that time the CMA had no current FIM stewards that were needed to oversee the event. A seminar was held to license volunteers to become FIM stewards. Sean and I were allowed to attend but “The organizers were not allowed to have an FIM stewards license,” according to Marilynn, even though we passed the exam and paid for the seminar. As we moved along we couldn’t get a firm cost on the sanction fees that we were to pay the CMA for the event. Finally, we were sent an invoice that was three times more than the US organizers paid for their event the following weekend. That weekend in July I do remember Ms. Bastedo telling anyone who would listen that our event was a “national embarrassment.’ It should be noted that before our WEC events, the CMA imposed a four month deadline for entries and arbitrarily decided which Canadian riders could or could not
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TIME FOR CHANGE We are definitely a patriotic bunch when we’re at events like the MXoN.
This year, Colton Facciotti was the first pro rider to stand up and say that the CMA must change their ways.
“WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING ENDURO RIDERS STILL SPEAK HIGHLY OF OUR EVENTS TO THIS DAY.”
Will we be able to witness a scene like this at Assen in September?
enter. A few of Canada’s best enduro riders stayed home because the CMA didn’t allow them to enter their home World Championship event. Fortunately, both races were a huge success due in large part to the enormous amount of work done by the hundreds of volunteers, most who are our friends. World Championship winning enduro riders still speak highly of our events to this day. David Knight, 5-time World Champion, says our 2006 extreme test along the Georgian Bay waterfront was possibly the best he had ever ridden. Prior to our WECs, no other FIM events had been held in Canada for decades. I can’t remember the last time a motocross Grand Prix was held in Canada, I think it was 1984 or ‘85, probably both. Low and behold I was involved in those events as well but
in a different role. I was the marketing and racing person at Yamaha Motor Canada (YMCA) during the 1980s. I worked at YMCA from 1980 until 1988, after which I went to work in Europe for another two and a half years at Yamaha Motor Europe, working on new model media launches and special events all over the world. I worked closely with Yamaha’s 250 motocross team. We had the then current 250cc World Champion, John van den Berk, and the #2 rider, Pekka Vehkonen, on the team. I travelled to all the 250 Grand Prixs and sat on the FIM juries at most events as the industry representative. Back in 1984, I just started full time at YMCA as the Racing Coordinator. In those days, I took care of everything: the road race team, motocross, dealer support riders and the contingency
program, and this was done before cell phones or even computers. Our secretary in the tiny marketing department was Gloria Stallybrass, you guessed it, Mark’s mom. Gloria would tap away on her Underwood typewriter, and the other people in the department would stack up work for her. Mine would often get placed on the top of the pile because Mark liked racing so she did too. At the time, Mark worked at a dealership (Cycle World). When I left, Mark was working in the Accessory Department at YMCA then took over running the racing program at YMCA. Again, the Stallybrass side-bar story will appear in part 2. In fact, Mark continues to be part owner of MXP Magazine. One of the first jobs I did at YMCA in 1984 was to take care of a backlog of sponsorship proposals. At that time,
Marilynn and I spoke on the phone often and we worked on different projects together. I actually arranged for Yamaha Motor Canada to become the title sponsor of the Canadian 500cc Motocross Grand Prix that was held at Moto Park in Ontario those two years. My contact for sponsorship of the GP was a fellow by the name of Dan Gregeroff, who at the time was involved in a personal relationship with Ms. Bastedo, which was common knowledge among the community. After the deal was done and agreed upon, Gregeroff was relentless in his effort to extract more money from Yamaha. I had just started work at Yamaha full time, I finally put an end to the calls by saying that I asked my Japanese bosses to the point where if I asked for any further increases I thought they would fire me. The race went well, but virtually no spectators showed up due to a lack of advertising, even though the top 500cc motocross riders of the era were there. Former World Champion Hakan Carlquist raced as the Yamaha GP rider. He had a rough weekend and went home with few points. Most of the Yamaha signage we were promised either didn’t materialize or was pulled down during the event, and our Yamaha tent was stolen during the night. The invoice for the GP sponsorship showed up at Yamaha’s office on CMA letterhead. For Part 2 of this saga we will look into the case of the still unresolved libel lawsuit the CMA filed against Cycle Canada Magazine, the current state of affairs and what we can expect in the future, including what is realistic for the future of the sport of motorcycling in Canada, the CMRC story, plus more from Colin Fraser and other interesting anecdotes.
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THE BETTER HALVES
R BY CL AU DI E L APOI NTE / PHOTOS BY JAM E S LI SS I MOR E
TO THE RETIREMENT QUESTION, HEIDI REPLIED THAT TYLER WAS MORE THAN WELCOME TO JOIN HER IN HER BAKING BUSINESS, BUT SHE THOUGHT HE ALREADY HAD SOME BUSINESS PROJECTS OF HIS OWN.
Robin Hutchinson is from London, Ontario. Shawn Maffenbeier is from Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The couple have been dating for three years now. They are not married, but they just bought a house together in beautiful British Columbia where Robin can go to school while Shawn focuses on his racing career. Somewhere in between Florida and Ontario, Chloe and Cole Thompson are celebrating their first year as a married couple. After being introduced to each other in 2012 during a motocross race in Texas, Chloe’s home state, the couple started dating and are now running on a solid seven years of love stories. Heidi Cooke is known as one of the fastest female rider to come out of Canada. She has her brother, Mitch, to thank for officially introducing her to his 2008 Suzuki OTSFF teammate, Tyler Medaglia. A couple years later, Tyler left Ontario to join Heidi in her hometown of Brookfield, Nova Scotia where they are now raising three kids together and celebrating ten years of love. The last couple has been going strong for thirteen years. They will soon be celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary and are the proud parents of two young kids. Jocelyn and Colton Facciotti live together in Aylmer, Ontario, just a couple minutes away from where Jocelyn grew up. Colton made the move to Ontario from BC to be with his future wife, but also to focus on his Motocross career.
What do they have in common? All four ladies are dating or are married to a Canadian professional motocross racer. What differentiates them? Pretty much everything else in their individual stories. I decided to interview Robin, Chloe, Heidi and Jocelyn to get a better grasp on how their lifestyle and responsibilities have changed since they became a motocross wife / girlfriend! I was really excited to receive Jocelyn’s answer to the questionnaire I had sent. I have personally never known either Jocelyn or Colton without each other, so I was looking forward to learning more about their perfect moto love story. Jocelyn hasn’t always been a mom and a wife, and was known for many years as a top Women’s motocross racer in Canada. The Facciotti love story actually began during the Ste-Julie National in 2006 where they were both racing, and another industry member, Steve Simms, introduced them to each other. It is easy to assume that there were instant fireworks, and it wasn’t long before they were considered an official power couple. After living the long-distance relationship for a while, Colton moved to Ontario and soon proposed to Jocelyn during his championship podium ceremony in Walton. Nine years later, things have evolved, and the couple is now parenting two young children, Keagan and Kamryn. Jocelyn describes her life outside of motocross as a little chaotic. She works full time as a Communication Coordinator in Public Health and mentioned spending all of her nonworking time taking care of the kids and cleaning up messes. Obviously, with a husband who’s now a 5-time Canadian
Champion, their life still revolves around moto for the most part. “Obviously, motocross runs in our family so both kids are really into it, and we spend a lot of time at the track watching them ride.’’ For Jocelyn, the hardest part to overcome about Colton’s job is the couple of months he has to spend down south every winter. She also mentions having to go to events and parties on her own during the summer, as her husband is most likely on the road, somewhere across Canada. Since they were both racers and knew what they were getting into since the beginning, motocross did not negatively impacted their relationship or life goals as much as it could have, but it did make them drift apart from some long time high school friends and miss some other close friends’ memorable events. When asked what she loved the most about the moto world, Jocelyn replied ‘’The people and friendships I’ve made in the industry. It’s become like our extended family, since we spend so much time at the track.’’ On the other side, when asked what she would change about moto, she did not elaborate and mentioned as a joke, “Where to begin?!’’ A big part of being the wife of a professional athlete is often to take part in their training and racing program. Jocelyn says that her main job nowadays is to keep their home life as stress free and organized as possible, so that Colton can focus on his training. Apparently, Colton is also a very independent man, so she doesn’t feel the need to be there all the time but will happily step in if she knows that he is not feeling 100%.
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THE BETTER HALVES
Where do they see each other when moto is over? Jocelyn says that, yes, they have been talking about professional racing retirement and the “after,’’ and that they obviously have a plan, since you never know what can happen when they have a family to support. The plan might not be set in stone, but she praises Colton’s mechanical and handy skills, saying that he has a couple avenues he can take even though she believes he will continue his post-racing career in the industry. He could definitely be successful in a career outside of the motocross world. “Motocross is a huge part of our life – it’s what brought us together and now it is what will keep our family together for many years to come. We look forward to spending many more years at the track after Colt retires.’’ The second super woman of this story is Chloe Thompson. I’ve been close to Chloe for a few years now but had never really asked her how her love story with Cole started and how she thought motocross impacted her life. Chloe and Cole met in 2011 when Cole was racing the Oakhill Amateur National, which was actually taking place in Chloe’s hometown in Texas. Chloe was not into moto at all before meeting Cole, but after spending a little bit of time with the guy who would become her husband, she knew it would take a major place in her life. When they are not at a race or a practice track, you can find the Thompsons out on the water. They love riding SeaDoos together when they are in Canada, or just relaxing on the beach when they make their way down to the US.
Chloe is very dedicated to her husband’s career, and when asked how dating a professional athlete was impacting her life, she answered, “Cole’s racing program is my full-time job and has been for the last seven years, so I don’t really know anything different.’’ Chloe doesn’t feel like Cole’s job as a professional athlete has restrained any life plans, as she says that they are not the kind of people that make too many plans anyway. As an example, they got married on a beach by themselves after making the decision two days earlier. Her favourite thing about moto is the happiness it brings to her husband as well as the opportunity it gave them to travel the world together. On the other side, she really dislikes flying, so if she could change anything, even though she knows it’s not possible, she would make the races all within driving distance. When asked how she would define her role into Cole’s program, Chloe jokes saying that she is the chef, the maid, the accountant, the manager and the practice mechanic. She basically does everything she can to make things easier on Cole so he can focus on his training and racing. I finished our conversation by asking her if they were ever talking about what would come when Cole retires from professional racing. “We sometimes talk about it briefly, but we are really just focused on the now.’’ Our third story is probably one of my favourites. Heidi Cooke is a real all-inone woman. She made her name by being one of the fastest female Canadian racers. She is now a mom of three, an amazing supportive spouse to Tyler, and on top of it all, she is an accomplished business owner. Her relationship with Tyler was not one that was expected, but after ten years and three kids, there is no way to imagine these two without each other. Both Heidi and Tyler were so heavily involved into motocross that very little changed when they officially became a couple. Heidi, having raced at the level she did, had a good grasp on what Tyler was going through, and the both of them enjoyed a few years of racing together before she had to hit pause due to baby duties. When I asked her how moto is impacting her life, Heidi answered honestly, “Moto, for me now, sometimes is a pain in the ass. One minute
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things are rolling along nicely at home, and then, boom, he’s gone for weeks at a time to either train, test or race.’’ On the flip side, when Tyler is home, Heidi describes him as super hands-on with the kids and very available. She even goes on to mention that when he is there, he ‘’runs the show.’’ She also sees some positives about moto, like the intensive training and all the opportunities to travel and cool adventures it has brought them over the years. I also asked her if there was anything she would like to change about the motocross industry in Canada and she replied that her main problem with how things are going right now was that the money was not well broken down in between the top riders, and that if it was up to her, not only the winner would be making a good pay cheque by the end of the season. Heidi is not really involved in Tyler’s racing prep as she believes he knows what he needs to do. They live a fairly active and healthy lifestyle, and she makes sure they have good food to fuel up and a babysitter when it’s time to go on an adventure. To the retirement question, Heidi replied that Tyler was more than welcome to join her in her baking business, but she thought he already had some business projects of his own. Tyler, alongside her brother Mitchell, already own a gear company, Callus, that they wish to keep growing as time goes on. Finally, Tyler has apparently been pushing his training to a new level by creating an app that would help with moto training, so she could see him pursuing that field as well. Even though they do not have a clear idea of what will come after racing, multiple plans are already in place and nothing will stop the Cooke/Medaglia family from taking over Brooksfield, Nova Scotia! The last but not the least is Robin
Hutchinson, who has now been officially dating her own professional athlete, Shawn Maffenbeier, for over three years. She was also a rider before she met Shawn, and the two were officially introduced when Shawn came to spend time in Ontario and started racing for the Redemption Racing team, which was also supporting Robin. She was quick to point out that she was working in a gym back then and also had access to a truck, so she knew that her and the newly imported Shawn Maffenbeier would become best friends. They started riding together a few times a week, training together on a regular basis, and the rest is history. When I asked her what was different in between her involvement with moto before and after Shawn, Robin says that not much has changed for her, except that nowadays she knows that when she is a the track with him it’s like being at his workplace and it has to be more serious. Their life outside of moto mainly revolves around their newly acquired fixer-upper home and their full-time work. While he is 100% focused on his
“AFTER LIVING THE LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP FOR A WHILE, COLTON MOVED TO ONTARIO AND SOON PROPOSED TO JOCELYN DURING HIS CHAMPIONSHIP PODIUM CEREMONY IN WALTON. NINE YEARS LATER, THINGS HAVE EVOLVED, AND THE COUPLE IS NOW PARENTING TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, KEAGAN AND KAMRYN.
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THE BETTER HALVES professional racing career, Robin works with the Ministry of Environment, doing research on mosquitos and saving our beautiful environment. She says that her day to day life is obviously impacted a lot by moto. “I usually tell my peers that my man is ‘seasonal’ and I always get a laugh!’’ She believes women need more credit for their support to the sport. “This sport is so mental. It can become our responsibility to make sure they are in a good headspace and sometimes that means sacrificing our own.’’ Robin also doesn’t think that motocross really changed her life plans. She had thought before about putting her life on hold and heading south, but she had come to realize that as much as she loves the sport, it did not make sense to let it alter her life plan. Like many, her favourite thing about motocross is the people. For her, the moto family is amazing, and she mentions that the majority of her friends are involved in the scene, one way or another. She also has her things she doesn’t appreciate as much, or all the “petty B**S**”, as she calls it. She would like to see more professionalism in the professional sport of motocross, and feels like this would help bring more investment and exposure to the sport. Robin used the expression, “Team Sport” when asked about her role in Shawn’s program. She describes herself as the secretary - booking the flights, paying the bills, cooking the meals, and most importantly, being Shawn’s principal support system.
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Even though the couple hasn’t really talked about what will happen after moto is over, Robin mentioned being excited that Shawn will have a blank slate to start a new chapter of whatever he pleases and that is good enough for her. ‘’Shawn and I love moto! He works so hard and it’s so awesome getting to be a part of his dream. This sport comes with a lifestyle, and as much as I swear, I’d love for it to be over. I know we’ll continue doing this together until it’s time for a new chapter.’’ I consider myself good friends with all four of these exceptional ladies and I am amazed with everything I learned about their journey in becoming a Canadian MX wife. I truly believe that no matter what level of involvement and support they have in their spouse’s training / racing program, their help plays a big part in their significant other’s success and happiness. THESE INTERVIEWS WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN COMPLETE WITHOUT ME ASKING THEM ONE MORE QUESTION: WHAT TYPE OF SIDELINE WIFE ARE YOU? JOCELYN: “I’m usually fairly quiet but I can get a little excited at times when there is a good battle going on. I’m absolutely not the confrontational type so I don’t like to run my mouth or comment much on social media. As Colton’s wife, my actions and the things
that I say have a huge impact on his image and reputation. The moto industry is small, and you can’t afford to burn bridges or make a bad name for yourself.’’ HEIDI: “I’m more of the crusty sideline wife, lol. Not a ton of empathy but understanding that it’s racing, and a lot is out of your control. Racing is definitely a roller coaster of emotions’’ CHLOE: “I used to be the one screaming as loud as I could at the side of the track. Now I’m the one who watches quietly and prays for the best.’’ ROBIN: “I’m the low-key crazy one that probably saw Shawn dab his foot in the back-left corner and that’s why his 8th lap was .9 seconds slower. Haha. Just out here watching your every move, honey!’’ I hope you enjoyed learning about our favourite moto couples as much as I did, and do not be afraid to wave and say ‘Hi’ to any of these four ladies if you see them at the races. They are very nice and totally worth a little chat.
mal NCE
TED
ETIC 519-836-1957 888-469-1128 Ext 221 5624 Highway 6, North Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6J2
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The Evolution of Training B Y D R E W R O B E R T 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 A N D M X P S TA F F
A LITTLE BACKGROUND; I HAVE BEEN A STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW, AND I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY IN THAT TIME. WEIRD SHAKE WEIGHTS, THE THIGH MASTER, LIFT WEIGHTS, DON'T LIFT WEIGHTS, SQUATS ARE BAD FOR YOU, THIS EXERCISE IS THE BEST AND SO ON. SOME OF THE CHANGES HAVE BEEN GOOD AND HELPED PEOPLE, OTHERS HAVE GONE THE WAY OF THE DINOSAUR. NOW WITH TECHNOLOGY AND THE AMAZING THINGS WE CAN DO WITH OUR PHONES HAS BEEN A DEFINITE PLUS IN MY INDUSTRY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE TRYING TO BREAK DOWN A MOVEMENT LIKE A POWER CLEAN, WE WOULD HAVE TO FILM IT AND THEN UPLOAD IT TO OUR COMPUTER AND USE FANCY AND EXPENSIVE SOFTWARE TO DO THIS. NOW WE CAN USE OUR PHONES, SHOOT A VIDEO IN SLOW MOTION, USE AN APP, MARK UP THE VIDEO AND SEND IT BACK TO THE ATHLETE!! WE WILL COME BACK TO THE ADVANTAGES OF THE MODERN PHONE IN A MINUTE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING AND HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE AN APP INTO YOUR ATHLETIC FUTURE. 76 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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“OVER THE LAST COUPE OF YEARS, I HAVE REACHED OUT AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE, LEARN AND WORK WITH SOME OF THE ATHLETIC DIRECTORS AND STRENGTH COACHES DOWN IN THE STATES.”
I
have worked in Motorsports since 2003. I was working as a strength coach, dealing primarily with hockey players. A friend of mine took me to a race at Wild Rose Motocross Park and I was hooked! I couldn’t believe what these athletes could do on a motorcycle! I started working with some local pros, and was fortunate enough to work with Gavin Gracyk, helping him clinch the #2 spot in the 450 class the next season. Since then I have had the opportunity to work with Dean Wilson, Kyle Beaton, Iain Hayden, Logan Christan, Parker and Jared Allison, Dylan Hall, Yannick Boucher, Marco Cannella and the amazing young talent that comes through the MPA (Motopark Academy) each summer. A couple of years ago I took a step back from the Motorsports industry, and continued to work with a few athletes, focusing on Football and Rugby locally, working with High School, University and even some professional players. Football is a
big money sport with lots of funding and lots of research, especially south of the border in the US! The big schools down there like Georgia (Go DAWGS!!), Ohio State, NDSU, SFU, or FSU spend a ton of money to make sure their athletes are well taken care of and trained to play at the highest of levels!! Over the last coupe of years, I have reached out and had an opportunity to communicate, learn and work with some of the athletic directors and strength coaches down in the US! Recovery, tracking, programming load increases, volume, intensity, it’s been incredible!! Some of these schools have 300-400 athletes they need to track, program and look after, and pen and paper is not going to cut it. They use these digital platforms to track and assess the progress of their athletes, how they are feeling, how stressed they are, how sore they are, and how intense was the workout. Now we could talk about screen time and how we should be encouraging young athletes not use their phones, but the genie is out of the bottle, let’s
use the power of technology to help make them better!! Rewind to a few months back, I have clients all over the US and Canada, we were using Drive Files and other forms of digital communication to deliver their programs. I would get 4-5 emails a month with kids looking to train under my company, but because programming, delivering the program and then trying to maintain oversight on how they were recovering was so time consuming, I was unable to take them on. Then I was talking to a long-time client and good friend of mine, Iain Hayden, about ways we could improve tracking and delivery, and we came up with the idea of an app using the platforms that the big US schools were using to manage all of their athletes. MotoFit was born!! We have multiple programs available to Motorsport athletes through our website: Motofit.app. We guide each person to the program that best suits their current fitness level, the number of years they have been
working out, and the time they can commit to training. This was designed based on the Long Term Athletic Development model used in so many other sports. It looks at Peak Height Velocity (period where maximum rate of growth occurs). It is the onset of PHV that is the best determining factor of when to increase the training focus on aerobic and strength development, training age, and how many years they have been training, and then we take into account the needs of the sport as well as injury prevention. With keeping to this model, we aren’t just developing young motocross athletes but future champions and athletes who will be able to ride their whole life. Motofit programs start as low as $30 per month. Athletes can post workout numbers and compete against other athletes all over the world, ask our coaches questions, and every exercise has a video that populates right in the app!. Some of the tools we access through the app is our readiness survey, five questions that you answer on a scale from 1 to 5, resulting in a readiness score. If this score starts to drop, we get notified and can reach out to the athlete and check in. How is your sleep? How is your diet? This way we monitor how they are responding to the training. The app has an AI (Artificial Intelligence) built in; the longer you use the app the better it gets to know you and how much you should be lifting, your output on rowing and various other performance parameters, which allows each program to customize to each athlete!!
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The Evolution of Training HEY DREW, HOW ARE THINGS? Palms, great to see you out in Calgary, next time you need to bring your gym gear. Things are good and busy. My daughter just graduated high school so that was a big production - hair, dresses, boys are way easier! Business-wise, I have two employees, and I’m looking to hire a third so we are growing. The biggest thing is trying to manage the quality and making sure that my guys are up to speed on how I want things done so that we continue to deliver that best product. WHICH SEASON IS BUSIER FOR YOU, WINTER OR SUMMER? Well, it used to be winter but now we tend to stay busy year-round. I love getting out to Motopark every summer, it’s great to see all the guys out there. WE KNOW YOU AS ONE OF THE BEST MOTOCROSS TRAINERS IN THE BUSINESS, BUT YOU TRAIN A PLETHORA OF DIFFERENT ATHLETES, CORRECT? Thanks Palms, I appreciate your support, and belief in my program. The last few years I've gotten back into more traditional sports; hockey, football and rugby specifically. I mainly work with High School and University aged athletes.
EVEN THOUGH YOU TRAIN DIFFERENT ATHLETES FROM VARIOUS SPORTS, ARE YOU STILL ABLE TO APPLY SOME OF THE SAME TECHNIQUES TO EACH PERSON YOU TRAIN? It's funny you say that, because I was talking to a couple of trainers the other day about this. The layout stays the same; always warm-up, activation, then depending on the sport and time of season, and what part of the program they are in to move into a workout. The other thing I find is strength makes life easier, so I always try to get my athletes moving weight. For Moto, we have to watch that they don't add a lot of size, but bigger doesn't always mean stronger. Stronger is stronger.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION THAT MAKES RIDING MOTOCROSS SO TOUGH? There are a bunch of factors that makes it so intense. Unlike team sports when the game / race starts, you are out there on your own for 30 plus minutes. If you make a mistake, athletes can get caught up in their head and really compound that mistake, adding a ton of stress, riding tight and making more mistakes, so the mental piece is a big part. Physically, Iain and I were talking last night. He took me through a lap at Motopark. We counted 40-45 squat jumps every lap just about, and over 10-12 laps you are looking at over 500 squats. Then every time you accelerate you need to be able to hang on so you don't go off the back of the bike, decelerate and you need to be able to push and keep yourself centred and over the bars. Oh, then take an hour off, wash your bike, eat and do it all over again!!!
I NEVER REALLY BROKE IT DOWN LIKE THAT BUT THAT IS PRETTY AMAZING. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU TRAIN RIDERS THEIR PROGRAM VARIES WITH WHAT LEVEL THEY'RE AT. IF YOU WERE A RIDER WHO HAS NEVER REALLY TRAINED BEFORE, WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU'D HAVE THEM DO? Learn to warm-up!! By going through our warm-up and asking them how they feel, they get to know their body better. When Iain Hayden started with me, we spent three days going over the warm-up and activation!! YOU'VE BEEN AT THIS A LONG TIME. IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR APPROACH TO TRAINING MOTOCROSS ATHLETES CHANGED OVER THE PAST DECADE? I think it was 2002 when I started working with Moto athletes. Man, I'm old!!! That's a big question because the kids today don't run, jump and play like we did growing up in school, so I've really had to go back to basics. How to squat, how to lunge, single leg hops, land a squat jump, how to pull-up, all things we did on the playground. Physical literacy is way down, which means we have to adjust back our starting points. I often talk about training age versus actual age, or the time a young athlete has been in a proper training program.
MAKES SENSE. LET’S TALK ABOUT MOTOCROSS ATHLETES. WE ALL KNOW HOW INTENSE THIS SPORT CAN BE, IS THERE ANOTHER SPORT THAT YOU FEEL COMES CLOSE? Motocross is intense, no doubt. Other intense sports would be Rugby and MMA. Those two pop into my mind right away. Rugby athletes have to run, tackle, get up and drop down for two 30-45 minute halves!! MMA, well just try grappling for two minutes. It’s crazy how intense it is!!
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The Evolution of Training
PHYSICAL LITERACY, THAT IS A GREAT TERM AND ONE THAT I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE. NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT OR ANYTHING, BUT WHO IS THE FITTEST RIDER YOU'VE WORKED WITH? HAHAHAHA, oh boy, I could get into trouble on this one!! What does fitness mean? You could be fit, to run a marathon let's say, but get destroyed playing hockey, so I'll skate around this by saying that I have worked with some incredible athletes that have been at the top of their sport!!
I work remotely with a lot of clients, and I'm always looking for ways to communicate my program more efficiently and effectively. Dealing with bigger dollar sports, more like football the last couple of years, I came across this platform that big US Schools were using to track, measure and communicate with their athletes. Iain and I started the Moto Park Academy in 2010 and struggled with what to do with the kids when they are not at Motopark. How can we keep them on a program and have it not cost them a crazy amount of money? Well, combine the platform and our experience, and BOOM, the app came to be!!
UNLESS YOU'RE DOING THIS SPORT AS A JOB, FINDING TIME TO TRAIN CAN BE DIFFICULT. HOWEVER, YOU AND HAYDEN HAVE CREATED THIS FITNESS APP THAT REALLY SIMPLIFIES THE PROCESS OF TRAINING. HOW DID THIS IDEA COME TO FRUITION? One of the big things both of us want to do is educate more people. There is not a whole bunch of information and truth be told. A lot of the information on training is a little off, to say the least. If you play hockey, how many times does training come up with the guys? People say, why do you need to train for motocross, all you're doing is sitting on a bike?!!
THIS IS A GREAT APP FOR EVERY RIDER OUT THERE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE OR SKILL LEVEL. FOR OLDER RIDERS IT’S SO SIMPLE, AND FOR YOUNG RIDERS WHO ARE SO GOOD WITH THEIR PHONES, ANYONE CAN USE THIS APP. Yeah, we work with our clients asking for feedback, and use it ourselves trying to make the experience for our clients the best it can be!! We offer so many different programs via the app there is something for all ages and levels of rider!
AS A TEST WE HAVE WE HAVE MY 11-YEAROLD SON USING IT AND HE LOVES IT. HE HAS A PHONE AND THE APP TELLS HIM WHEN TO WORK OUT AND WHEN NOT TO. ALL HE HAS TO DO IS GRAB HIS PHONE AND FOLLOW THE WORKOUT THAT IS GIVEN TO HIM. IT'S PERFECT! HE NOT ONLY GETS A GOOD CUSTOMIZED WORKOUT IN, BUT HE ALSO FEELS A SENSE OF INDEPENDENCE. He’s killing it! I check in with him via the online chat in the app and he is crushing the workouts!!
IF SOMEONE READING THIS WAS INTERESTED IN NOT ONLY THIS NEW APP BUT ALSO IN CONTACTING YOU, HOW WOULD THEY DO BOTH? First, our website walks you through how to download the app, and more importantly, if you follow the online form, it will guide you to the program that best suits your level, your needs and the time you have available. They can email me at drew@motofit. app Go to the web site: Motofit.app THANKS FOR YOUR TIME DREW, AND GOOD LUCK WITH THIS NEW VENTURE. It's always great to chat with you. Let’s stay in touch, and I will keep an eye via the app on Ayrton!! Take care pal!
“MOTOFIT PROGRAMS START AS LOW AS $30 PER MONTH. ATHLETES CAN POST WORKOUT NUMBERS AND COMPETE AGAINST OTHER ATHLETES ALL OVER THE WORLD, ASK OUR COACHES QUESTIONS, AND EVERY EXERCISE HAS A VIDEO THAT POPULATES RIGHT IN THE APP.”
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SHERCO I S S T Y LI N G I N M I L A N B Y L AW R E N C E H A C K I N G / P H O T O S B Y B E N Q U I N N
LAWRENCE HACKING GOES TO ITALY TO TEST RIDE THE 2020 SHERCO LINE-UP
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nique to motorcycling these days, Sherco, the French motorcycle manufacturer, has been operated from the time of its launch by one man, Marc Tessier. This wasn’t so unusual a hundred years ago, however these days Sherco is the only brand that is owned by its founder and remains that way. Aside from being unique, the concept of being solely owned carries over into the philosophy of Sherco motorcycles and how they are designed, produced and supported. The end result is uncompromising bikes that have a track record to prove it. Tessier was a French national championship level trials rider who branched out from his family’s business to form, along with a partner, the Scorpa brand of trials bikes. His run at Scorpa was short lived as Tessier decided to set out on his own to produce motorcycles because he wanted to design and build proprietary engines rather than use another manufacturer’s power-plants. That was 20 years ago, and now Sherco has developed into a burgeoning company manned by a great number of young, talented people who operate like a big family that shares the same vision.
Sherco was originally called Bultaco as Tessier acquired the rights to the name for Europe except Spain, a situation that proved problematic. The following year the brand became Bultaco by Sherco then simply Sherco. Sherco started producing trials bikes in 1999 in Nimes, France. The company grew quickly and in fact claims to be the fastest growing motorcycle manufacturer in the world. The name came from the word ‘Sherpa,’ which was Bultaco’s moniker for their trials bike line, and ‘CO,’ the last two letters of the Bultaco brand. Originally, six people produced 100 bikes the first year. Now the company has grown to 100 employees and has two manufacturing facilities, one in Nimes in the south of France and one in Barcelona. Sherco produces 1,700 motorcycles and mopeds annually and has 65 distributors worldwide, including a new distributor in Canada. Canadian Motorcycle Imports, or CMI, recently took over the Canadian distributorship, with the General Manager on the Sherco side being Guy Giroux, a well known off-road racer, Dakar Rally finisher and industry insider. Guy also attended the 2020 launch in Northern Italy and stayed for the distributor’s
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meeting that saw many of the Sherco personnel travel from all corners of the world to try the new bikes and get up to speed on the company’s future plans. When asked about CMI’s plans for Sherco in Canada, Giroux replied, “We are actively seeking good dealers across Canada. We had a container of bikes land on June 1, so once the deliveries are complete to our existing dealers we will begin our promotion of the brand at events across Canada. We have our parts supply and after-sales department up and running, which should be a vast improvement over how things were done in the past.” Of the 1,700 units sold worldwide, 25% are trials bikes, mopeds and small commuter bikes. In the works are larger street bikes on the distant horizon. The enduro bike segment is 75% of its production and is growing annually. The Tessier family has a long history in business, and the son of Marc Tomas is 29-years-old and has assumed the role of General Manager of Sherco. When I sat down with him, our conversation shed some light on the philosophy of their business. Here is what he had to say: “My grandparents had a small ‘epicerie,’ or grocery store, in our small town. From there my father built it into a large company that develops commercial real estate, large shopping centers, and things like that. The company is in a very strong position. At Sherco it is our money on the table. When we make a business decision we write the cheques - every day. We don’t have shareholders to answer to. We know our business and our customers, we all ride, and many of our employees are young, energetic and passionate, with many under 30-yearsold. For example, one of our sales managers is 22; he takes care of 35 Sherco distributors. When I finished business school I immediately went to Australia when I was 23-years-old. I had a credit
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card and stayed there six months. We grew our business there by 10 times in that six months, and now Australia is one of our strongest markets,” Tomas explained. Clement Dasilva is Sherco’s International Marketing Manager. On the final day of the launch he walked with us on the grounds of the Castello dal Pozzo grounds, just North of Milan, Italy, the site of the launch. It was obvious that no expense was spared in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the company and the introduction of the 2020 models. Clement said, “We use racing to prove our product. If you have racing success nothing more needs to be said; our bikes are proven winners.” Sherco has one of the most proliferate racing efforts in the motorcycling world, and employ no fewer than 17 full-time factory racers to contest various world championship series and major events, including the World Trials Championship, the Enduro World Championship and the FIM World Cross Country Rally Championship along with events such as the Dakar Rally. Jordan Curvalle is their main development rider on the enduro line up. Curvalle is a former World Enduro Champion who acts as the enduro team’s manager. The five Sherco factory enduro riders race production bikes. Most of the factory riders are young but have already notched up success in the Enduro Grand Prixs. Sherco’s rally team has four riders, including Frenchman Michael Metge being the first to bring a Dakar Rally stage win to Sherco earlier this year. The 450 rally bikes are custom built in the Sherco factory race shop and are some of the most exotic bikes in the rally world. Rally hardened Dakar veteran David Casteu manages the team. Casteu is a well–versed rally rider in his own right and heads up an effort that has a total of ten staff members. The team riders include Spaniard Lorenzo
Santolini, Adrien Metge and Aravind KP from India. It should be noted that Sherco has a line of small mopeds and commuter bikes, and India is the largest motorcycle market in the world. The Sherco rally team is heading to the Silk Way rally in July. Two of the most talented extreme enduro riders are also on the Sherco roster. South African Wade Young and Spaniard Mario Romain both have many podium finishes in the toughest extreme events, who contest the World Enduro Super Series, or WESS. Romain is a very likable guy who recently finished third at the Erzberg rodeo before attending the press launch then jetting over to Israel to conduct riding schools. You can follow him with 126K others on Instagram at MarioRomain74. The Sherco trials team has five riders, including World Female Trials Champion Emma Barstow. There is a distinct pattern with Sherco; the number of young people involved in the company is immediately noticeable by the age of most people involved in the group. The youthful exuberance is evident when you observe the team in action. Sherco has been producing enduro motorcycles since 2004, and feature a full line of trials, enduro, cross-country and recreational bikes. The design process is largely based on input from their racers, and their R&D department is laced with former or current champions, including Fabian Planet, 4-time World Champion, with the French ISDE Trophy teams who are responsible for quality control or endurance testing. So when it comes down to brass tacks riding, the new Shercos are all they are cracked up to be. The top shelf components abound, the motorcycles are highly developed and the ride experience is complimented by razor-sharp chassis geometry that takes very little time to get used to. I personally gravitated to the factory 250 four-stroke enduro bike that comes complete with Kayaba
suspension, and forks and shock that don’t come cheap yet the retail price is within $500 of its competition here in Canada. The Tessier’s admit to spending a lot on the suspension but consider an investment that is well worth it both from a customer’s point of view as well as their own. In the new model briefing, many seemingly minor details are explained in depth; details such as lighter clutches that have been incorporated in the enduro bikes. Amazingly, the test riders and engineers have found less inertia keeps the front wheel on the ground under hard acceleration. By making the clutch baskets lighter it allows a freer revving engine - the changes were 196 grams in difference. I came away from the briefing thinking these guys really knew their stuff when it came to testing and developing motorcycles. Another key change made was solely to make owner performed maintenance slightly less frequent, a simple washer that was added to the suspension linkage bolt producing less friction. Shercos are clearly bikes that are designed and
developed by real riders for riders who do their own maintenance. There were a number of other differences to many of the models. The launch itself was one of the lavish I can remember. I believe it was more of a celebration of Serco’s 20th Anniversary than anything else. Either way, Sherco is a force to be reckoned with and will be growing quickly here in Canada.
“SHERCO HAS ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFERATE RACING EFFORTS IN THE MOTORCYCLING WORLD, AND EMPLOY NO FEWER THAN 17 FULL-TIME FACTORY RACERS TO CONTEST VARIOUS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES AND MAJOR EVENTS, INCLUDING THE WORLD TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP, THE ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE FIM WORLD CROSS COUNTRY RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ALONG WITH EVENTS SUCH AS THE DAKAR RALLY.” MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 85
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FXR RIDERACING DAY Back in 2006, FXR was still a relatively new Canadian gear company on the scene, so when the Canadian Nationals rolled through the west, FXR held a ride day at a rural Manitoba track just down the road from their previous headquarters to bring their riders together and promote the brand. Since that original ride day, this incredible event has grown to feature multiple top riders and industry people. Between the riding, food and endless bench racing, everyone looks forward each year to the FXR Ride Day. B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y A D A M O R V I S
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his year started off a little differently as the entire Province of Manitoba received a good dousing of rain in the days prior to the event. Because of Mother Nature’s gift of water, the riding portion of the day had to be delayed serveral hours until the track dried. As much as the group of riders had to wait patiently with their itchy throttle hands, no one appeared to mind as it gave everyone a chance to do more bench racing. Once the track had dried enough to ride, the sound of laughter quickly turned to the sound of dirt bikes as the track quickly became busy. From there, talented riders like Mike Brown, Cade Calson, Phil Nicoletti, Shawn Maffenbeier and the rest of the FXR Racing team rode lap after lap until the ruts were as big as the smiles on their faces. It was an unforgettable day of riding as Milt Reimer and his FXR Racing Team were very gracious hosts. In order to re-live this great day of riding, Adam Orvis provided us with these amazing photos.
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ONE ON ONE WITH KEVIN TYLER B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E
WITH A THREE-RIDER TEAM COMPETING IN THE 2019 MXTOUR SERIES, A HOST OF SPONSORS TO KEEP HAPPY, A NATIONAL TRACK TO HELP RUN, AND A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY AT HOME, ROYAL DISTRIBUTING FXR YAMAHA TEAM MANAGER KEVIN TYLER IS A BUSY MAN. HOWEVER, DESPITE HIS CRAZY SCHEDULE, KEVIN IS ALMOST ALWAYS SMILING, AND HE’S ONE OF THE MOST DOWN TO EARTH PEOPLE YOU COULD EVER MEET. ALSO, LET’S NOT FORGET THAT KEVIN IS NO STRANGER TO SUCCESS AS HIS TEAM HAS NOW WON BACK-TO-BACK 250 MXTOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2017 AND 2018. BUT DON’T TAKE IT FROM US, READ WHAT KEVIN TYLER HAS TO SAY IN THIS MONTH’S INDUSTRY PROFILE.
HEY KEVIN, HOW ARE THINGS GOING? Things are good Palms! Just that crazy time of year that lasts from February to November. WE’RE JUST COMING OFF A NICE BREAK IN THE 2019 MXTOUR, WHAT DID YOU GET UP TO DURING THE WEEKS BETWEEN ROUND 3 AND ROUND 4? I did manage to get a bit of downtime but not much. We had a two-day race at Sand Del Lee the weekend after Round 3 so there was a full week worth of prep for it. It’s a never-ending cycle of facility prep, especially with all the rain. It seems like you cut the grass and two days later it looks like a hay field again. Now we’re just busy getting the team reset for the last five rounds, and of course getting all things lined up for our time to host our national. LIKE EVERYONE, REALLY, THE MX101 YAMAHA TEAM HAD SOME MIXED RESULTS IN THE WESTERN ROUNDS. HOWEVER, EVERYTHING APPEARED TO GO PRETTY WELL. HOW WERE THINGS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? The three western rounds were good but not great, but some of that was to be expected. Hayden was coming off an injury that left him zero time on the bike and still working through the pain of starting to ride again. So, he is off his mark from last year, but the idea was just to get some seat time and ride himself into racing shape and form. I feel he did that and got better every time he lined up. He is going to race Southwick and Red Bud on the break so that will be very good for him to keep the momentum going in the right direction. Marco came into Calgary very sick. A misdiagnosed sinus infection left him very weak and he struggled. Once on some meds he started to come around, and you saw in the first moto at PG that he has the speed and fitness to battle with the top guys all moto. The first couple laps in the mud at Minnedosa were not kind to him as he fell three times with a front brake that began locking after some contact. He straightened that out and really put his head down in terrible
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conditions, starting outside of the Top 30 to battle all the way up to 7th. With the penalties it turned into a 5th, so not a bad day but he is yet to show all the hard work he and his mechanic, Cale, put in this winter. It’s coming... Luke has been very good. A terrible start in Calgary left him cruising by himself in Moto 1 but his times were right with the leaders. In Moto 2, we made a couple of small changes and led from early on to the checkers. Unfortunately, a mechanical failure in PG left us with some catch up to do. He proved his mental toughness and consistency already, which will be key to bringing home a championship in this stacked class. The mud at Round 3 showed his veteran skills as he got the holeshot and battled up front before settling for second behind Dylan, who was flying in the mud. Again, after the penalties were handed down, he left with the overall. It was kind of a shame as he didn’t get to celebrate his first overall in Canada properly but for sure he will once we get going again on the east. WERE THERE MOMENTS THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU AS EITHER REALLY GOOD OR REALLY BAD? It goes without saying that the mechanical was bad. I think the rest of our races out west were good, but we still can do a lot better in the east. YOUR TEAM OF RIDERS ARE ALL VERY INTERESTING AS THEY’RE ALL VERY DIFFERENT IN THE WAY THEY APPROACH THE TRACK. HOW HAVE THINGS BEEN UNDER THE TENT THUS FAR? One of our strong points is the chemistry of the team. Not everyone has to love everyone all the time, but each has to respect the other’s jobs and work together. On that, it’s been great, but definitely tough with three guys in the same class as it’s rare that all three have a great day (in their minds) on the same day. So far, everyone has been there for each other to keep the mood light and positive.
CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH EACH OF YOUR RIDERS AND HOW YOU THOUGHT THEIR START TO THE SERIES WAS AND WHAT YOU THINK THEY NEED TO DO TO PERHAPS IMPROVE IN THE EAST ROUNDS? We will keep this one quiet as I don’t want to give away too much. We can touch base after the series and see how the grades were on execution on the second half of the series. COMING INTO 2019, DID YOU KNOW THAT RENZLAND WOULD BE THIS STEADY? Honestly, I didn’t. His indoor skills speak for themselves from the past couple of years but he hasn’t done a lot of outdoors with real support to see where he is at. It’s been very good; his approach, attitude and execution have been right there each week and the results show. That is exactly what it is going to take as the class is deep this year and consistency is going to pay off in the long run by Walton.
YOUR TEAM HAS WON THE PAST TWO MXTOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH SHAWN MAFFENBEIER AND JESS PETTIS. DID GOING THROUGH THE PRESSURE OF THOSE TWO TITLE CHASES HELP TO PREPARE YOU FOR HOPEFULLY ANOTHER ONE THIS SUMMER? In 2017 with Maff it was nerve racking. Neither of us had been in that position coming into the final round. We all handled it well, I think, and it worked out. In 2018 with Jess, it was a bit different. Jess being Shawn’s teammate in ‘17 allowed him to see how it went down, be under the same tent and share some of the feelings. Last year we were a little more confident. Jess rode strong all summer long and we were able to come out on top again. Hopefully we can be in the same position again this year when the series comes to an end at Walton.
SPEAKING OF LAST SUMMER, YOU WON THE 250 TITLE IN STUNNING FASHION, AND THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER YOU LOST THAT RIDER TO ANOTHER TEAM. HOWEVER, LIKE A TRUE CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING TEAM, YOU GO OUT AND FIND ANOTHER RIDER WHO COULD DO THE SAME IN 2019. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW YOU WENT ABOUT FINDING LUKE RENZLAND? Yes, it’s a bit of trend losing our #1 plate to the “bigger” teams. For Luke, he had come up on his own to race Gopher last year and pitted beside us, as Cale Foster is good friends with Luke’s girlfriend, Eden. I actually didn’t talk to him that day. It really wasn’t until around Christmas that we connected on the phone to see what the plans were. He was trying to sort out if SX was in his future, and if not, the idea of something new seemed to make Canada a great choice. We gelled really well on the phone and I had a feeling he was the right guy, then it just came down to budgets and getting them to make sense, which took some time.
“ONE OF OUR STRONG POINTS IS THE CHEMISTRY OF THE TEAM. NOT EVERYONE HAS TO LOVE EVERYONE ALL THE TIME, BUT EACH HAS TO RESPECT THE OTHER’S JOB AND WORK TOGETHER.” MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 91
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ONE ON ONE WITH KEVIN TYLER SINCE YOU STARTED THIS TEAM, HOW HAS THE BUSINESS OF GOING RACING AT THIS LEVEL CHANGED? I’m not sure much has changed in the overall MX world on how teams go racing, but certainly the level at which we are pushing has. Year one was much more grassroots with the riders pitching in financially to get to all the rounds. The amount of budget, for both cash and parts, that it takes to race at the highest level has been an eye opener, for sure. It’s very easy for the costs to get out of hand, so being responsible and strict on the budget is a real thing. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SEE THAT WOULD HELP MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE TEAMS TO GO RACING? Obviously, more outside sponsorship money would go along way. We are all tapped into the same few companies that are keeping the train on the tracks. I think Jetwerx is on the right track with the TV package and now live TV. It gives us more leverage to sell what we do. OKAY, LET’S MOVE AWAY FROM THE MXTOUR. AT HOME YOU HAVE A GREAT FAMILY AND YOU HELP RUN ONE OF THE BEST TRACKS IN THE COUNTRY, SAND DEL LEE. LET’S START WITH THE FAMILY. HOW ARE THEY DOING? Everyone is great at home. Mitch just graduated high school on the honour roll (takes after his Mom thankfully), while working 25 hours a week at the local grocery store. He will divide between there and SDL this summer, working to keep busy. He started riding again last year and is out there nearly three times a week, which is great to see. Shell is busy at work. She just received a large promotion and the workload that comes with it, but seems to have found a great group of people to work with so she is really happy.
“YAMAHA REALLY GOT BEHIND US BY MAKING US THEIR FACTORY 250 EFFORT WHEN THE NEW FUEL INJECTED BIKE WAS INTRODUCED IN 2014.” AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD A VERY WET SPRING IN ONTARIO. HOW IS THE SDL TRACK DOING? That was a spring for the ages, for sure. SDL is in a low area with a high water table to begin with so it was not taking much to flood us out. However, twenty minutes from the track people were losing their homes, so really, it’s hard to complain that we were unable to open a few days to ride dirt bikes. Summer camps are as busy as they have ever been so that is a great sign for us that the base of riders is strong! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET EVERYTHING READY AT THE TRACK TO HOST A ROUND OF THE MXTOUR? The lead up month is the busiest, for sure. The grass is never cut enough or the facility clean enough if you know what I mean. We have a great group of people that spend tireless weeks in the heat and humidity, getting crushed by the mosquitoes and black flies to ensure that the facility is top notch. On the track side being a sandier-type soil, it’s a never-ending battle to regain the dirt that slides off into the ditches during heavy rain fall, so we use the shut down of the week leading to the event to get it all back around the track. EACH TIME THERE HAS BEEN A NATIONAL AT SDL THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOME GREAT RACING. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK THAT MAKES THE RACING SO EXCITING? I think one thing is that it is a difficult place to pass. Passes need to be set up early, and that it does have some local knowledge-type lines that help if you have experience there. So, we tend to see the racing stay closer and tight, which is always great to have battles emerge. The track has a real flow to it and is medium to high speed, so you need to be creative and see things that others don’t if you want to make up ground.
WELL, I’M SURE THIS YEAR WILL BE NO DIFFERENT. BEFORE I LET YOU GO, I HAVE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT WITH THIS MXON TEAM CANADA DEAL. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS? SHOULD THE TEAMS AND RIDERS BOYCOTT? We have been huge supporters of the event, even before as we had riders on our team chosen to represent. Johnny and I feel that it is one of the most prestigious events of the year and a great stage to showcase that Canada has some real talent and speed. For years we have been just off the pace for one reason or another, but the past 2-3 years we have been building in the right direction, no doubt about that. It’s not an event that you can do halfway and expect to do well. The other countries take it very seriously and provide the platform needed to preform at that level. I feel we had the platform in place and results were starting to show that. During the last couple years, Kourtney Lloyd really brought it to another level. One that was easily seen from the outside and was making a difference. It is going to take everyone pulling on the same side of the rope (riders, teams, and sponsors) for us to be where we should and need to be on the world stage.
FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU, YOU HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE SPONSORS THAT HELP MAKE THE MX101 YAMAHA TEAM POSSIBLE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YAMAHA CANADA AND THE REST OF YOUR SUPPORTERS? Yamaha really got behind us by making us their factory 250 effort when the new fuel injected bike was introduced in 2014. That kicked it off in a big way. We have been a blue facility since 2001. Yamaha has been behind us for 18 years
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on the support of education and the growth of the sport in this area. That ultimately grew into us going pro racing, giving up and coming Canadians (that had a history with Yamaha) a chance to race at the highest level on a team with support. FXR came on board when they started to really get aggressive again on the moto side of their business back in 2015. It’s just awesome to be part of that family being that they are deep into moto and Canadian to boot. The whole group out in Winnipeg is just so core moto that they understand what is needed, and the rise of their products to industry leaders is no mistake. Royal Distributing came on board last year and I think it really works on all levels. Obviously, the team being up front and gaining PR that way, but with Royal being a large outlet for FXR and many of our other team products, it makes it a one stop shop for our loyal supporters to purchase their hard parts and show their support! All three support us on the amateur side as well with prizes and awards at our races and education programs, so it really is a good fit. Johnny and I are all about
loyalty and working with great people. We really try to not jump around, as building a solid base is what we feel really connects programs to sponsors. We have some very long-term relationships that span decades in an industry that is typically ‘what did you do for me today?’ The whole gang at DeCal works is in that boat... 20 years we have been together. R&R Automation and Jonas Building restoration are local businesses that go above and beyond in their support since the beginning both on the facility level and the team. Allan Brown, known simply as our motor guy, is so much more than that to anyone on the inside of our program... Joe Skidd from SSS has been there since the start, making sure that our equipment is at the elite level that it needs to be. Then the numerous deals within the industry that keep us driving for championships: FMF, Rekluse, Mongoose Machine, 6D, Maxima USA, Dunlop, Renthal, Gaerne USA, Ride Engineering, VP Fuels, Twin Air, Cometic Gaskets, TM designworks, 100%, Acerbis, Works Connection, Matrix Products, Mechanix Wear, Nihilo, RK Chains, Evans
MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 93
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YOUNG PRESENTS
AND ON THE
RISE ISE R WITH
MATTHEW CERMOVIC B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY P H O T O S B Y B E R N A D E T T E P O M E R OY
YOUNG ONTARIO RIDER MATTHEW CERMOVIC IS NO STRANGER TO TOUGH COMPETITION. HAVING QUALIFIED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE LORRETTA LYNN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP IN TENNESSEE, MATTHEW HAS RACED AGAINST AND BEAT SOME OF THE BEST RIDERS IN THE WORLD. FOR 2019, MATTHEW IS ONCE AGAIN HEADED BACK TO ‘THE RANCH’ FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND HE HOPES THAT HIS TIME THIS COMING SUMMER AT GPF WILL PAY DIVIDENDS AT BOTH LORETTA LYNN’S, AS WELL AS THE WALTON TRANSCAN IN AUGUST. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE BRAMPTON, ON NATIVE FOR THIS MONTH’S ROYAL DISTRIBUTING YOUNG AND ON THE RISE. MXP: FIRST OFF MATTHEW, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW OLD YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CALL HOME? MC: I am 17-years-old, and my family and I live in Brampton, Ontario CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING COOL ABOUT YOUR HOMETOWN? Brampton is a pretty cool place to me because I have lived here basically my entire life. Everything is conveniently close, including my best friend that I have known since elementary school. Brampton is also known as ‘Flower City’ as it is known for its flowers. We also have Chinguacousy Park close by where you can go tubing in the winter and enjoy different events during the summer. It is really close to Toronto and definitely known for its talent considering Alessia Cara is from here! THAT’S COOL, I DIDN’T KNOW SHE WAS FROM BRAMPTON. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING A DIRT BIKE? I first starting riding a dirt bike when I was 8. My neighbour had a PW50 for sale and asked my Dad if we wanted it. My Dad bought it, took my siblings and I to Motopark, and ever since that day I’ve been in love with anything on two wheels. YOU HAVE DEFINITELY COME A LONG WAY. DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST RACE AND HOW YOU DID? Thank you Chris!. My first race wast definitely a while ago and it was at Motopark. It’s been a great few years of learning and fun since that race. I
don’t remember how I finished in that race but I do remember it was on my KTM50. It was a lot of fun, and I met a lot of cool people that enjoy this sport as much as I do. One person in particular that i remember was Skipp. He was always good to me and my family, and great with interviewing all the little riders on stage. DO YOU HAVE A RIDER THAT YOU LOOK UP TO WHO SOMETIMES GIVES YOU ADVICE? I really look up to Colton Facciotti, he is an incredible rider and an incredible person. He has worked so hard his entire life to get to where he is today and I really respect him for that. The first time I ever saw him in person was at GPF a couple years ago, and just watching him ride gave me inspiration to work hard to be able to ride like him. I still have a very, very long way to go, but with the right training, determination and attitude I am pretty sure I can get there just like Colton did. SO WE’RE A FEW MONTHS INTO 2019, HOW HAS YOUR SEASON BEEN THUS FAR? There’s been some ups and downs this year, for sure, but overall it’s been going pretty great. I have had some good gate drops in the USA trying to qualify for the upcoming Amateur National at Loretta Lynn’s. Since then I’ve been just racing in Ontario; it’s always exciting to be back home to see my track friends and do some good racing with them. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE REST OF THE YEAR, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE SUMMER?
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“I REALLY LOOK UP TO COLTON FACCIOTTI, HE IS AN INCREDIBLE RIDER AND AN INCREDIBLE PERSON. HE HAS WORKED SO HARD HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO GET TO WHERE HE IS TODAY AND I REALLY RESPECT HIM FOR THAT.” Hopefully next week we will be heading down south again to GPF for the Loretta’s boot camp that Josh Woods puts on. The goal and focus is to work hard enough and push myself to new levels so that I can make it count at Loretta’s and at our Amateur Championships here at the Walton TransCan. WHAT IS IT LIKE TRAINING AT GPF? IS JOSH PRETTY TOUGH ON EVERYONE? GPF is amazing! I spend a lot of time there, I think this year will be going on our fifth year going there to train. The Woods family has always treated us like family and they always want to help in anyway that they can. The track at GPF is definitely a track that you want to train on to better yourself. It’s not an easy track, it definitely gets rough and rutted. GPF also has a great amateur SX track and a great turn track. I would say that Josh Woods is tough on everyone when he needs to be. Overall, he’s very easy going and approachable, and is always thinking of ways to keep practice interesting for his riders. He likes to change the track around from time to time, and throws in a competition or two to keep it fun for riders. I do enjoy training with Josh and I can I say that I’ve learned a lot from him. I AGREE, JOSH IS A GREAT PERSON AND DEFINITELY A GREAT MENTOR TO YOUNG RIDERS. AWAY FROM THE TRACK, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO OTHER THAN RIDE DIRT BIKES? Definitely spend time with my family and friends that I miss when I’m away in the States, and riding my street bike.
YOU SEEM LIKE A VERY FOCUSED KID. YOU LOVE RACING DON’T YOU? Racing is all I think about. I can’t explain the adrenaline and energy that I experience as soon as those gates drop. My Dad always tells me before every race, “Have fun, good luck, don’t think.” Literally, that is what I do! The line choice, the corners, the scrubs, the ruts, breaking bumps… the more the better!! I THINK I HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT (LAUGHS). LOOKING BACK AT ALL OF YOUR RACING RESULTS, WHICH ONE ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? There has been a lot of races that I am proud of, but if I had to choose one, it would be the Loretta Lynn’s Regional at Spring Creek MX in Minnesota on June 8th of this year. I rode hard and it felt like all of my hard work had paid off.I ended up going 1-5-3 for third overall and got my ticket to Loretta Lynn’s! THAT IS A GREAT STORY AND CONGRATULATIONS. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK TO RIDE? That’s a tough one because there are so many good tracks out there, but I think it would definitely be Gopher Dunes. I’m not much of a sand rider but Gopher Dunes just has this flow to it that I really enjoy. I find that GD challenges me to be a better rider, and I feel that as much as it is to have fun riding tracks it is also important to to ride challenging tracks as it makes for a better rider.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUR YOUNG RIDERS WHO ARE COMING UP THROUGH THE RANKS AND WANT TO SUCCEED? Don’t give up regardless of how hard it gets, push through and chase your dreams. Nothing in life just comes to you, you have to grab opportunities and make things happen. THOSE ARE VERY WISE WORDS. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? If all goes as planned I see myself being pro in Canada and the States, and eventually someday, I would like to own a motocross training facility somewhere in Florida or Georgia. YOU MIGHT BE THE FIRST AMATEUR RIDER I’VE INTERVIEWED WHO SAID THAT GOPHER DUNES IS THEIR FAVOURITE TRACK. HERE IS A GOOD QUESTION FOR YOU. WHAT IS YOUR FUNNIEST OR SCARIEST ROAD TRIP STORY? I have a lot of those since we are always on the road but I think the one that comes to mind first would be when we were driving back from a race at Freestone in Texas. It was pouring rain and the roads were getting flooded. We had a motorhome at the time, and as we were driving, we came across this giant pond of water that was covering the road. We didn’t have enough time to stop because we couldn’t see it due to all the rain and we drove through it going around 60 mph. The water splashed through the steps and flooded the front part of the motorhome! It was a nightmare at the time but looking back at it now, it’s a pretty funny and a wild story. I’m actually surprised we stayed on the road.
THAT SOUNDS GREAT! HOW DID YOU ENJOY RACING THE WALTON TRANSCAN LAST SUMMER? The Walton TransCan didn’t go too well for me last summer due to getting a concussion and having to call it early. But I still had fun thanks to my friends and family, and I am looking forward to this year! OKAY MATTHEW, I WANT TO THANK FOR DOING THIS AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO THANK? Definitely my Mom and Dad, for both financial support and emotional support; without them none of this would be possible. TwoWheel Motorsport, Strikt Gear, OGs Optics, GPF, Crushed MX, Backyard Design, Thrill Seekers, FCTN, Bell Helmets, Importations Thibault, Dunlop and Factory Connection, and Colton Facciotti for being my inspiration.
THAT ACTUALLY SOUNDS VERY SCARY, I’M GLAD YOU MADE IT THROUGH IN ONE PIECE. WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT? I am in Grade 11 and my favourite subject would have to be Science.
MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 95
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THE MENTAL SIDE BY SEAN POITRAS
THE RIGHT MINDSET
ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECTS OF ANY PERFORMANCE, NO MATTER WHAT THE TASK, IS THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME THE ODDS, SURPASS ALL EXPECTATIONS AND PERSIST IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. THESE COMPONENTS ARE TYPICALLY SUMMED UP AND GENERALIZED AS THE MENTAL TOUGHNESS OF THE PERFORMER. THE RESEARCH BEHIND TOP PERFORMANCE MENTALITY SUGGESTS THAT TWO SEPARATE COGNITIVE MINDSETS EXIST WHEN LEARNING, DEVELOPING OR MASTERING A SKILL. THE FIRST IS THE FIXED MINDSET, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT WE ARE ALL ULTIMATELY EITHER CAPABLE OR INCAPABLE OF BEING SUCCESSFUL IN ANY PARTICULAR TASK.
T
his is the belief that we possess a natural ability or capacity for learning and developing. And with that ability, there exists a very measurable ceiling. A fixed mindset tends to be the source of many of the negative emotions we feel towards our own performances and abilities, such as the sense of self-doubt, lack of selfconfidence or the desire to give up. A fixed mindset creates the belief that we either have the skill sets or we don’t. It attributes our success to talent alone and encourages an outcome-based focus, which views failure as something to be feared. Contrary to the fixed mindset is the growth mindset. This way of thinking places much more emphasis on the hard work and training involved in your performance. The growth mindset suggests that we operate in a constant state of development, always learning and becoming better at whatever task we take on. A growth mindset has much more focus on the process of greatness and acknowledges the many sacrifices and stages of development necessary to achieve an elite level performance. Where a fixed mindset may say, “I can’t do it,” the growth mindset would say “I haven’t done it yet.” Those three letters y-e-t provides us with so many different
positive emotions that are so very useful in fueling our performance. It creates a sense of hope that with time and effort, positive changes will occur. It provides a sense of confidence that can combat any false feelings of self-doubt or worry. The word “yet” also helps to develop a more resilient attitude towards failure, defeat, challenges and setbacks. I have always been a huge advocate for a stronger awareness for the language we use when talking to ourselves in competition or training, or when describing our performances or abilities to others around us. Be aware of the small changes our words can make in kickstarting our mindset. I am certain we can all recall a point in time when our fixed mindset took over and we were overwhelmed by the feeling of defeat and helplessness. Many of the athletes I work with who are coming off of debilitating injuries find it very difficult to push past the idea that they will ever get to the level they were before their injury. Another amazing quality of the growth mindset is the adaptability factor. Our brains are wired to adapt to just about any condition, especially with a little extra effort. The term “neuroplasticity” refers to the biological adaptation of the brain’s neural pathways to allow new ways of learning and performing when the old ways just wont work (ex. Following an
injury). The very fact that neuroplasticity occurs is argument enough that the growth mindset is how we should all be thinking. Our bodies are tough, adaptable and resilient enough to mend broken bones, heal our wounds and overcome illness. Our brains are equally as well designed in our heads to the point that it can reprogram the way our brain cells communicate with one another. It seems as though our thoughts, attitudes and interpretations are the last piece of the puzzle when it comes to the growth mindset. Conveniently enough, those are also the components that we are most in control. That’s right, you have the controls when choosing your attitude towards something like a setback or defeat. You have a say in how you perceive a situation, and even more importantly, how you respond. Embracing the growth mindset is not an easy task. It requires a processoriented focus, an openness to a never-stop-learning attitude, and a shift of your perspective of failure to be viewed as a challenge for you to adjust and overcome. A fixed mindset is easy to live by but does not help you become the top performer that you may have the potential of becoming. It is now your chance to choose your mindset and give credit to all of your hard work and training, and change the “I can’t” to “I just haven’t YET.”
“THAT’S RIGHT, YOU HAVE THE CONTROLS WHEN CHOOSING YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOMETHING LIKE A SETBACK OR DEFEAT. YOU HAVE A SAY IN HOW YOU PERCEIVE A SITUATION, AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW YOU RESPOND.”
96 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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THE INSIDE LINE
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
WITH ANDY WHITE
PLAYING BY THE RULES
PENALTIES, POSITIONS DOCKED, POINTS LOST, IT SEEMS LIKE THE PAST FEW WEEKS, ALL I HAVE HEARD ABOUT IS THE HIGH LEVEL OF INCONSISTENCY IN RULINGS. YOU HAVE TO AGREE WITH WHAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CUTTING THE TRACK OR RE-ENTERING THE TRACK WITHOUT LOOKING. TO BE HONEST, THERE ARE SO MANY VARIABLES IT’S JUST TOO HARD TO KEEP UP.
F
or some reason, I really don’t remember having that many issues back in the day. Anyone that has raced at a pro level has cut the track or has done something that warranted a penalty. These days everyone owns some type of hi-tech smart phone that can take incredible pictures or videos. Before you know it that picture or video of a pro rider cutting the track has been posted on social media. Who needs the officials to make the call when all you need to do is #hashtag the event and boom, you have that perfect picture you were looking for to incriminate that rider? The move that Adam Cianciarulo did on Joey Crown at Red Bud was really not that bad. If Adam had just taken a quick look over his shoulder he would have seen Joey. It’s like when Adam jumped off the track while chasing Justin Cooper
at Pala. What saved Adam there was he stopped and looked both ways then re-entered the track in a safe way. Adam kind of just merged into the line that Joey was in and Crown had to veer out of that lane to allow Adam through or they would have both gone down. Now let’s look at what happened at Round 3 of the Triple Crown MX Tour in Minnedosa. The start straight was super long and as you reached the crest of the hill the track dropped off to the left. If you didn’t shut off and turn to the left you ended up on the grass. If there were banners strategically placed in that area, I think the riders would have shut off way earlier. They would have then turned to the left and all would have been perfect. It was unfortunate for those four riders. All cameras were on them and it clearly showed them not in the main line. That, in my books, is not a good move. I believe the rider should
have tried to get back on the track at the bottom of the hill. That was probably not the first thing the rider thought of, though. I think the rider’s first reaction was, “Oh man, I missed the corner! Okay, I will just do a 180° and pin it up the hill and just get back in the race.” It sounds right. The main issue was a ton of mud in the main line at the bottom of the hill and zero mud on the grass. Those riders on the grass gained a ton of time on the riders that took the racing line. I did see other riders in the race in different areas miss jumps and corners here and there. For the most part, those riders really didn’t gain any time. There would be no way for the officials to hand out penalties to all those riders that screwed up here and there during the event, but right off the start you need to make sure you stay in between the lines. I was listening to a podcast from the US the other day. The riders were telling stories about if you cut the track more than once in a race at an AMA national round, you would most likely receive an e-mail within a few days stating, “We saw you cut the track and we are on to you! You are officially on probation, so think twice about doing it at the next round.” Yikes, now that’s pretty damn
THIS WHOLE THING HAS GOT ME FIRED UP ON PENALTIES AND OFFICIATING. LET’S ALL AGREE THAT CANADIAN RACING HAS CHANGED OVER THE PAST 10-15 YEARS. official. The funny part was that rider knew he had cut the track but he was way back in 19th. This whole thing has got me fired up on penalties and officiating. Let’s all agree that Canadian racing has changed over the past 10-15 years. The riders’ salaries have gone from the $20,000-$30,000 range to the six-digit area. That’s a ton of money for an athlete in Canada. Now we have that out of the way, the teams have to find a corporate sponsor to help fund their team so they can pay that rider the sixdigits. So, now all the main teams have these super high-paid riders competing against each other. This puts a lot more stress on the team owners and managers to deliver the win to their sponsors. If the officiating is not up to the same standards and we have inconsistent ruling, what do you think the managers and owners are going to say? This is why we are hearing teams flipping out on penalties that don’t make sense. Every point counts these days, especially in a shortened series. Riders can’t afford to make mistakes, and at the end of the day it doesn’t really pay. The easiest way to win a championship is to win races and stay on the track, and please, for God’s sake, don’t jump on a red cross flag!
98 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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JOIN US TRACKSIDE FACTORY SUPPORT & PERFORMANCE PARTS FOR THE GRASSROOTS RACER.
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We believe the success of our sport is based mainly on the grassroots racer and their families who put in both time and money purely for the love of racing. So we’ve created our purple paddocks to provide a home at the track that provides the same kind of support that only a leading sponsored rider might enjoy. Within thethe purple paddock you’ll findishelpful and performance Hoosier MXwho tires, We believe success of our sport basedadvice, mainly tools on the grassroots racerbrands, and their families put warriors ascreated yourself. in both time and money purelyand for like-minded the love of racing. Sosuch we’ve our purple paddocks to provide a home at the track that provides the same kind of support that only a leading sponsored rider might enjoy. LOOK FOR THE ROOST FACTORY AND JOIN US AT EVERY ROUND OF THE ROCKSTAR TRIPLE CROWN TOUR AND OTHER EVENTS.
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